INDEPENDENT GAMES, TECH & CULTURE
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MORE SIGNAL. LESS NOISE.

GTA VI THE COUNTDOWN 19 NOVEMBER 2026 · UK RELEASE DATE COUNTING DOWNFULL FEATURE ↗

COLOURED STATIC PRESS / INDIE GAME DISCOVERY

DISCOVER INDIE GAMES

Hidden gems, promising demos and brilliant ideas from smaller studios. The games worth finding before the algorithm decides you should already know about them.

There are more games coming out than most of us can reasonably keep up with. Some are backed by enormous marketing budgets. Others have a good idea, a small development team and a trailer that’s fighting for its life in the recommendation feed. We’re particularly interested in the second group.

INDIE GAME OF THE WEEK 15–21 OCTOBER 2026
Official Forever Ago screenshot showing Alfred and a dog looking over a purple sunset landscape THIS WEEK’S PICK Official game screenshot · Third Shift / Annapurna Interactive
CS PRESS / THE INDIE SPOTLIGHT

Forever Ago

81/100
EXCELLENTHANDS-ON REVIEW

A remarkable story and atmosphere make Alfred’s reflective road trip worth taking. The pace sometimes wanders, but there’s a lot of heart behind the quiet moments.

BEHIND THE GAME

Developed by Third Shift
Published by Annapurna Interactive

READ THE FULL REVIEW
THE EDITORIAL DESK

More to discover

ALL INDIE COVERAGE
CS PRESS / GAMES ON OUR DESK

Four games. Three different verdicts.

From arcade survival to neon roguelikes, Napoleonic nightmares and chained gladiators. We’ve played all four. Our reviews of Vampire Survivors (82), Neon Abyss 2 (84) and Valor Mortis (75) are live; Chained Beasts is still on the review desk.

HANDS-ON · THREE REVIEWS LIVE
Official Vampire Survivors game artwork by poncle
ROGUELITE SURVIVAL

Vampire Survivors

poncle · CS Press score: 82/100

Superb value for money, addictive runs, brilliant sound and a genuinely satisfying sense of progression.

READ THE 82/100 REVIEW →Image: poncle
Neon Abyss 2 official game artwork
ROGUELIKE ACTION

Neon Abyss 2

Veewo Games · CS Press score: 84/100

Excellent combat, clever weapon affixes and procedural variety. Our hands-on verdict: 84/100, Excellent.

READ THE 84/100 REVIEW →Image: Veewo Games / Kepler Ghost
Valor Mortis official game artwork
FIRST-PERSON SOULSLIKE

Valor Mortis

One More Level · CS Press score: 75/100

Impressive visuals, engaging combat and a Soulslike that keeps drawing you forward. Our current verdict: 75/100.

READ THE 75/100 REVIEW →Image: One More Level / Lyrical Games
Chained Beasts official game artwork
CO-OP GLADIATOR ROGUELIKE

Chained Beasts

Featherweight Games · Played, coverage pending

One to four gladiators, very literal links between teammates, and fights where coordination is everything.

OFFICIAL GAME PAGE ↗Image: Featherweight Games

Hands-on reviews now live: Vampire Survivors 82/100, Neon Abyss 2 84/100 and Valor Mortis 75/100 (current verdict). Chained Beasts impressions are still being prepared.

FIND YOUR MATCH IN THE SWITCHBOARD ↗
ORIGINAL DISCOVERY / UNDERCURRENT

Not every great game makes the headlines.

Meet Undercurrent, our source-verified indie discovery radar. Seven independent games, each with a reason to look closer and links back to the people making them.

EXPLORE THE INDIE RADAR
07VERIFIED
DISCOVERIESNO PAY-TO-PLAY RANKING

Where to Find New and Upcoming Indie Games

If you’re looking for new indie games on PC, console or elsewhere, here’s where we’d start. Our goal is discovery with context, not publishing a list of random store screenshots and calling it a feature.

What Makes an Indie Game Worth Covering?

A huge budget isn’t a requirement. Nor is the absence of a publisher. We’re interested in independent creative direction, something distinctive about the game, and a reason readers should care. That could be a playable demo, an unusual mechanic, an interesting developer story or a release that has slipped past the usual headlines.

When we have played a game, we’ll say so and explain our experience. When we’re working from public information, we’ll make that clear as well. There’s a difference between discovering an interesting project and recommending that somebody buys it.

FOR THE PEOPLE MAKING THE GAMES

Making something we should know about?

We welcome pitches, demos, developer stories and review opportunities from independent studios. Tell us what makes your game different, which platforms it’s coming to and where readers can find it. A trailer, screenshots or a short press kit will help.

Editorial consideration is free. We never sell review scores or promise coverage, reach or a favourable verdict in exchange for access.

PITCH YOUR GAME HOW TO GET PRESS COVERAGE Editorial submissions: press@colouredstaticpress.com
THE QUESTIONS WE GET

Indie discovery, explained.

Does a game have to be released to be featured?

No. Announced games, playable demos, Early Access releases and finished titles can all be interesting. We always identify the game’s actual development or release status.

Are these lists based on hands-on reviews?

Not always. Discovery coverage can draw on official announcements, developer materials and public store listings. Hands-on previews and scored reviews are identified separately. We won’t claim to have played what we haven’t.

Is Undercurrent a paid promotion chart?

No. Undercurrent is an independent editorial discovery project. Its first radar uses verified source links. Numerical rankings will only begin once we have enough consistently collected information for meaningful comparison.

More from the Indie Desk

Looking for something specific? Browse the Indie desk or visit Charts & Discovery.