The best September indie games will help you ease into the cooler months of the year and find some fun with friends, on your own, in the stars, and even with… dogs?! That’s right, it’s once again time for our monthly round-up of upcoming indie games, and like usual we’ve got a lot of cool games to look forward to this month.
So, whether you’re looking for a good time, a hard time, a bad time, or a morally questionable one, we’ve got something here that’s sure to satiate your hunger for new games. Plus, it’s always important to support and shout out indie developers, especially as we head towards the big AAA releases season in the lead-up to the Holidays. So here we go!
Star Trucker – 3rd September
A space-trucking simulator, as the name very much suggests, Space Trucker plonks you in the cab of a space-faring lorry as you drive around the universe, hauling loads and making money. Unsurprisingly, it’s a very chilled-out time, and while the trucker genre isn’t for everyone, there are plenty of people out there who’ll enjoy just riding through the beauty of space in search of the next load of salvage to transport and sell. 10-4, good buddy!
WHAT THE CAR? – 9th September
The “WHAT THE” series of games are all intensely silly and abstract and with WHAT THE CAR?, it looks like developer Triband will continue along those same lines. This time, you take on the role of a car – and other assorted vehicles and non-vehicles – for some unhinged racing with new mechanics thrown at you around every corner. Oh, and there will be plenty of laughs, obviously.
Terrorformer TD – 9th September
It’s fair to say that tower defence games, when done right, are a genre at their finest. The mix of new towers to unlock, strategies to master, and enemy types to overcome can be a great challenge, but in a less full-on manner than, say, an action game. Terrorformer TD looks like it could be the next great entry in the genre with procedural map design and a lot of interesting mechanics around cards and tile control. Plus, it has a very charming graphical style tying it all together.
Satisfactory – 10th September
Satisfactory is one of the most in-depth crafting and automation games around, and having spent a fairly long time in Early Access, it’ll finally fully launch into 1.0 this month. If you like finding resources, crafting new items, creating factories, and a little bit of exploration, then you’ll love this. It’s also great in co-op, provided you can find other people to enjoy it with that is.
Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines – 12th September
What could be better than being a dog with a grappling hook? How about two dogs with grappling hooks? Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines is a lovely-looking action-platformer sequel where you guide two dogs through different worlds and different challenges, all designed to make the most of their unique gifts. It just looks like a lot of fun, and why wouldn’t you want a piece of that?
Demonschool – 13th September
Demonschool is a tactical RPG with a heavy focus on story and managing your social status – with 15 other characters – with a dash of horror thrown in for good measure. Likely to be instantly recognisable to fans of the Persona series, due to some similar elements, Demonschool does boast a vastly different visual style, however, as well as a handy rewind ability, which helps get an advantage in combat. From where we are sitting, it looks like it’ll tick just about every box, and it’s sure to delight visual novel fans who may be looking for a little more gameplay than is typical for the genre.
Enotria: The Last Song – 18th September
Anyone who has read one of these round-ups before knows we love a good indie Soulslike. So enter Enotria: The Last Song. Pulling inspiration from Italian folklore, you play as the Maskless One who must not only face off against tough foes but also try to save reality from the Canovaccio. It also has a gorgeous art style and unique mask mechanic, that directly impacts your character skillset. Bellissimo!
Frostpunk 2 – 20 September
After a small delay from its original July release window, Frostpunk 2 looks as though it’ll be a fitting upgrade to the truly harrowing original. Expect more impossible decisions, more struggles for your people to try and overcome and no doubt even more unique and horrifying endings to uncover. If you want a strategy game that doesn’t pull its punches on the hard decisions, then this is sure to deliver.
EXOcars – 25 September
Rounding out this month’s list we have VR racing game, EXOcars. Racing in virtual reality can be pretty exhilarating, if not a little nausea-inducing for some, experience and EXOcars looks like it will be nailing that experience. Based on real-world physics, you have to manage your speed and your suspension to overcome and defeat the other racers. It also has asynchronous multiplayer so you can take your customizable car out into the digital wilds and beat your friends around their favourite tracks – awesome!
