Gamescom is inching closer by the minute and that means two days of game showcasing goodness. Of course, there are a plethora of games attending this year meaning it’ll be a lot to take in but fear not! I’ve whittled it down to a hefty list of indie games making an appearance at Gamescom 2018. For this list, I’ve thrown in games (in no particular order) that have a decent amount of information for them. I’ll be avoiding games that are recently announced or have been teased are not included and will be covered post-Gamescom.

Antigraviator

Platforms – PC, PS4, Xbox One

Starting with one you may recognize, Antigraviator is an arcade racing title in the vein of Wipeout. It features gorgeous graphics, vexed traps, insane jumps and detailed tracks. The game also makes use of its fast-paced nature, forcing you to make split-second decisions which could change the entire race. The developers – Cybernetic Walrus – are no strangers to exhibiting Antigraviator. Having shown it at Gamescom of yesteryear and other events including Unity’s Unite Austin and Unite Amsterdam.

Antigraviator was released in June, met with mixed reviews, praising its superb racing gameplay, ‘nailing the basics’ and providing a wipeout-esque experience. Players also talked about the cons of the game, criticizing the trap system as traps placed by other racers appear in front of your racer immediately. The game has also been castigated for a glut of bugs that are in desperate need of ironing out.

Lonely Mountains: Downhill

Platforms – PC, Mac, Linux

Good biking games are a rarity these days but Lonely Mountains: Downhill is looking to disrupt the dormant genre using low-poly graphics and twisty terrain. From the trailer, we already have a taste of what’s to come in this indie title and with the team (Megagon Industries) coming to Gamescom it’s not unfair to predict some sort of new gameplay trailer or teaser. If, like me, you’re itching to jump in, the team have published a one minute demo found here.

During its Kickstarter run, Lonely Mountains: Downhill managed to raise a hefty $52,291 through 1,621 backers. Rewards included a $1 donation in exchange for your very own tree in the game all the way to a $5,000 experience which included a day with the developers in Berlin, touring their office and mountain biking amongst other rewards inclusive of a printed art book and poster signed by the dev team. Here’s a rundown of all the rewards:

STAY

Platforms – PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

Perhaps one of the more macabre titles on this list, STAY features a man named Quinn – abducted with nothing but a computer for communication. You are his only hope; Having a line with him over the PC, STAY takes through a story of isolation where every second counts. Literally, each second you spend away from the game is a second Quinn spends alone. What’s more, you need to gain his trust through your conversations all the while solving puzzles and coming closer to discover the truth.

The game has been on Steam and Xbox One since May with a Switch and PS4 version coming sometime this summer thus Gamescom will be a great way to market their game.

What the Golf?

Platforms – PC, Mac, Linux

What the Golf? Try screaming that at the top of your lungs and I guarantee you’ll get looks from the people around you; the same looks on your face when you watch the trailer above which is full of randomness and cars, lots of cars. Think this is your standard golf game? Think again. The self-proclaimed ‘golf game for people who hate golf’. Each level presents a different trip through alternative golf including the likes of first-person golf, footgolf, horsegolf, flipping golf, Olympic golf (you get the point.

Developers Triband is set to publish a similar title named ‘Keyboard Sports – Saving QWERTY’ and although it’s yet to be released this year (with a release date of this year) Humble Monthly subscribers have access to a DRM-free download via the Humble Trove. My opinion on Keyboard Sports? It’s art. It’s also worth adding to your Steam wishlist.

FAR: Lone Sails

Platforms – PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

The thing I love about indie games is that they refuse to dance to the industry’s generic tune of falling into established categories. For example, there’s countless shooters, RPGs, racing games all with the same style but with a new coat of paint. FAR: Lone Sails is an example of why indie games are awesome. Actually, all the games on this list are stellar examples but I would place FAR: Lone Sails at the top because of oddly satisfying feel.

In the game, you are put in charge of traversing a steampunk ship across a dry seabed with nothing but a desolate horizon – bar the occasionally abandoned structure. While you roam the once populated lands, you must ensure your ship doesn’t stagnate into a broken mess by upgrading your craft, seeing it through dicey weather to your destination.

Door Kickers: Action Squad

Platform – PC

Yes, this is related to the 2014 Door Kickers – a realistic SWAT simulator that sees you lay down the law stealthily. Door Kickers was a hit so it’s no surprise they made a second game but what is a surprise is that it’s not a sequel. Instead, a demake titled Door Kickers: Action Squad which touts itself as a satire recreation of its no-nonsense cousin. While the game came out last November, it’s making an appearance at Gamescom this year.

A sequel perhaps? Not quite. Door Kickers: Action Squad is still in early access with its latest update bringing 2 new enemies, 6 new levels (completing Chapter IV of the game), a new mission type and a complete overhaul of the player selection screen. The update was titled ‘the final early access update’ thus it’s not crazy to expect Gamescom to be the show where they debut the full release of the game.

Aces of the Luftwaffe Squadron

Platforms – PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

Nazi games are always fun; it gives you an opportunity to rip into the most diabolical army in history. Aces of the Luftwaffe – Squadron takes it a step further by combining anti-fascist action with graphics drawing inspiration from vertical shmups such as Raiden. It’s a genre that’s faded away in recent years after becoming a king of the arcades. Aces of the Luftwaffe – Squadron seeks to revive the genre with modern(ish) graphics and hectic gameplay.

Playing in a post-WW2 USA, you (and up to three friends) are tasked with defeating the secret German commando who sneakily brought the war to the heartland of America. Using an array of weapons equipped on your fighter and the assistance of fellow soldiers, take down the German Reich once and for all (or at least until some teenagers decide they want to go against the status quo by resurrecting Nazism).

Tiny Tanks

Platform – PC

It’s not that Tiny Tanks nor is it a predecessor to the 1999 Playstation 1 game featuring a tasteless tank. Instead, It’s a 3D worm-esque blow em’ up beauty that I desperately need in my life. 25 game modes? Each round has distinct modifiers? Destructible environment? I’ll be honest this article has a lot of heavy hitters but nothing gets me giddy as much as staring at Tiny Tank’s Steam page, rewatching the 1-year-old trailer and the endless amounts of gifs. It combines everything I love about video games and packages it into an absurd multiplayer extravaganza.

What do I love I hear you ask? Well, dear reader, firstly, I love destructible environments and Tiny Tanks nails this. Disabling the ledge your opponent stands on can be a pivotal point of the round. Another thing I adore is customization and Tiny Tanks doesn’t fail to feed my addiction; according to its page, there are 35 different parts to collect – all of which modify how your tank functions. My last feature orgasm is all about the game modes; if you’ve ever played Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel’s Claptastic Voyage DLC then you’ll be acquainted with Birthday Cat and Racist Hot Dog who pit you against a wave of enemies. Before waves, you’ll get the choice to select modifiers which add crazy new events to the arena; Tiny Tanks takes that to a new extreme, blending game modes with these modifiers to create hundreds of unique scenarios within the game’s cube area. In other words, this is a game worth watching.

Touch Type Tale

Platform – PC

Ah, such is the life of anyone who writes for a living. Literature has guided our civilization by creating entertainment or perhaps documenting key events. Writers are important, more important than we can ever imagine and that’s how it’s been for the majority of our existence – including the medieval ages. Meet an unnamed typist – wanted for his ‘nimble fingers’ by the four powerhouses of the kingdom who are locking horns. To add more fuel to the fire, the barbarian queen continues to pillage settlements as the four families compete to claim the crown in what can only be described as Game of Thrones meets TypeRacer.

Here’s the twist; Touch Type Tale doubles up as an RTS meaning you’ll have to master the art of literature and manage your army. From what can be seen in the screenshots, it looks like you’ll be in charge of controlling buildings and units although the devs have stressed micromanagement is banned from the game – along with ‘bloated tech tree’s and ‘excessive amount of unit stats’. It’s another game that’s worth keeping tabs on – especially if you’re into flexing your mechanical keyboard’s power.

Can’t Drive This

Platforms – PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

I have a history with Can’t Drive This; having reviewed the game in 2016 when I was but a wee youngling, it’s been entombed in my Steam library ever since I received the review copy 2 years ago but there’s something I missed about the game back then; a crucial element to the game which in hindsight, I should have seen since the game attempted to warn me multiple times before entering.

The game needed 2 players.

Being the wee youngling I was, I ignored the warning signs and dived headfirst into the game – leaving with a sore head and incredibly disappointed. Before you start calling me a bad journalist, I was a bad journalist and secondly finding someone to play with was out of the question considering a mere 58 people played on launch day. At this point, you’re probably itching to know what the game entails. Can’t Drive This is a game of 2 halves; one player controls a vehicle that drives around a track in the process of being built by the other player. It’s a friendship test more than anything with a good game attached. Despite my terrible experience, I’m excited to see why Can’t Drive this is making an appearance at Gamescom as I hope they add AI support because it’s not a bad game; it just failed to find ground or a stable player base.

Iron Danger

Platforms – PC, PS4, Xbox One

Iron Danger is a Nordic-esque tactical RPG played in turns. With two characters under your control, set out to explore the land. The developers claim you’ll die at the hands of overpowered enemies but it’s all part of the experience. You’ll also have to switch on your brain as puzzles are everywhere. Not only will you have to solve puzzles, but the puzzle of turn-based combat which is Iron Danger’s forte. We’re not sure how it works but if the trailer’s anything to go by then hell, shut up and take my money! On a serious note though, Action Squad Studios have my respect for creating a turn-based RPG as it is (in my opinion) an amazing blend.

The team (who are collectively known as Action Squad Studios) is comprised of industry veterans – coming from studios such as Rovio (Angry Birds), Remedy (Quantum Break) and RedLynx (Trials Fusion). It’s an interesting mix and will likely yield an interesting title. Iron Danger is out next year.

These games are just a handful that is making an appearance at Gamescom 2018. Of course, there is an abundance of gems I haven’t covered on this list that equally deserves a chance in the spotlight. Luckily, one exhibitor has given these games a chance. They’re called Indie Arena Booth and their website (which you can check out here) has a full list of indies that are showing up at Gamescom.