The 5 Best Upcoming Indie Games of March 2019
Plenty of mysteries afoot this March.
This March we’ll be battling supernatural forces, exploring parallel universes and solving the mysteries of alternate timelines all in the name of video games, thanks to the exciting selection of titles on offer. It surely is set to be an intriguing month, but don’t worry, thanks to our extensive investigations we’ve picked out the top five indie games you should be unravelling this March – leaving you plenty of time to try and figure out what the hell is going on. Good luck.
5. Willowbrooke Post
Originally described as a cross between Animal Crossing and Papers, Please!, Willowbrooke Post certainly had our attention from the start. This ‘story-based job management game’ sees you left in charge of your parent’s post office after they unexpectedly take off, leaving you a note stating they’ll be back in a year. Returning to the quaint countryside village of Willowbrooke where you grew up as a child, it’s now your job to manage the establishment whilst getting to know the local community of colourful and curious characters. So, think Papers Please! style document management with personal relationship building akin to Animal Crossing. Interested yet? We certainly are.
4. Baba Is You
Baba Is You is an innovative puzzle game with a retro aesthetic and also a very cute name, sorry. Intriguingly, the game presents puzzles by allowing you to change the rules of the world through re-arranging blocks that you can interact with. Combining these words you can unearth strange interactions that allow you to do all manner of unusual things within the game. It’s a very interesting concept, one that hasn’t been greatly explored in the past – no doubt due to its inherent complexity. If you’re the type that likes breaking the rules then this may be of interest. Baba Is You promises to deliver a game like no other.
3. The Sinking City – Update: Delayed until June 27th
Frogwares is a Ukrainian based indie dev team well-known for their work on the recent Sherlock Holmes games but their new game promises to venture into new, uncharted territory. The Sinking City presents the same investigative style of action game they’ve worked on in the past but this time set in a surreal, Lovecraftian universe rich with supernatural lore. As investigator Charles W. Reed, you’ll have to explore 1920s Massachusetts after a mysterious flood consumes the city, gripping its inhabitants in a dark, occult scheme. Unravelling this twisted tale sounds genuinely compelling with the X-Files take on Sherlock Holmes sweetening the deal – this will certainly be one to watch.
2. Trüberbrook
The first thing that is going to grab you about Trüberbrook is its distinctive, beautiful art style that utilises handmade stages and figures. It’s also a very beguiling science fiction story, as at a cursory glance it could easily be mistaken for anything but. Only as the trailer begins to move away from the tranquil setting into talk of parallel universes do we get the first hint of the surreal story at hand. Set in the 1960s, you start off on vacation in a remote, mountain-sloped village called Trüberbrook. As young American scientist Hans Tannhauser, you find that your dream trip soon becomes something much more that may or may not involve saving the world – so no pressure. This classic point-and-click adventure looks set to take you on a thrilling ride into a gripping sci-fi adventure story full of subtle humour and mysterious happenings.
1. The Occupation
Set in Manchester in the 1980s, The Occupation tells the story of a journalist who comes into contact with restricted information concerning the government’s recent passing of a controversial bill. Running in real-time, you’ll have to unravel a grand conspiracy whilst interacting with a world of characters all driven by their own motivations. The lives of millions may be a stake and in this political thriller, time is not exactly on your side. The interesting proposition here is the freedom in which you can approach the narrative, choosing to jump in headlong and risking being exposed, even killed, or taking your time and perfectly planning your exposé. Either way, the clock is ticking.