INDIEGAMES/WTF

Aleha_84

Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

On indiegames.wtf I usually interview game developers, so this conversation may feel a little unusual at first. Aleha_84 is not exactly here to talk about a released game, a studio, or a production pipeline. But I fell so deeply in love with his animated pixel art worlds, and I find in them so much contemporary inspiration for game development, that I decided to step slightly outside the usual format.

His scenes feel like places you can almost enter: quiet rooms, lit windows, snow, rain, streets, cars, empty spaces full of human presence. They are not games, or at least not yet, but they already contain many of the things I look for in games: atmosphere, rhythm, silence, memory, and a sense of world.

Songs of Silence

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Concept & Setting

Songs of Silence is a fantasy strategy game developed by Chimera Entertainment, and it is the kind of indie title that immediately proves how powerful a strong artistic vision can be. At first glance, the game stands out for its gorgeous Art Nouveau-inspired visual identity, but beneath that elegant surface there is also a confident hybrid of turn-based strategy, hero progression, card-based abilities, and fast real-time battles.

Light Odyssey

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I first came across Light Odyssey in a post on what was still Twitter at the time, and I immediately fell in love with its style. The team was kind enough to be open to an interview from the start, but then IndieGames/WTF went on hiatus for a while. I’m very happy to finally get the chance to talk about Light Odyssey!

How did Light Odyssey begin as a project and how did your team at SSUN GAMES come together to build it, especially given that this is your first PC title?

Initially, I had been a solo indie developer for 10 years and had released 5 casual mobile games; but unfortunately none of these reached the success needed to sustain myself. Therefore, with the company’s funds nearly depleted, I decided to pivot and start “Project 6” with a “do-or-die” mindset: AKA Light Odyssey.

Dice a Million

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

To start, can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background before Dice A Million? What experience did you have with video games and game development prior to creating this project?

This is actually my second game ever! (the first one to be released). I’ve always been a super creative person, involved in a lot of different artistic projects like music or shortfilms, so given my immense love for videogames, it was only a matter of time until I made one myself… I even managed to include bits of my other sides onto the game. The music part, well it’s obvious, as I’ve made the OST myself too, the shortfilm part… well, let’s just say, some people will know what I’m talking about.

#DRIVE Rally

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I’m Dariusz, founder of Pixel Perfect Dude and co-creator of #DRIVE. I was a solo dev for around 10 years and decided to try to build a studio on the game’s reception. You might say I’m currently the Creative Director.

The #DRIVE brand has a very strong identity. What was the hardest thing to change without breaking that identity?

The first #DRIVE is a simple mobile endless driving game where players can chill and have fun. Racing on PC is mostly very competitive and aiming for at least simcade. We wanted to keep the fun part but also make the cars look good and the way they behave believable. I guess that was the toughest part and that’s why we did the recent update with new physics.

Wild Growth

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Before talking about Wild Growth, can you tell us a bit about yourself as a developer and how you first got into making games? Is this your first released project?

This will date me, but I have been making games, and game-like things since the early nineties. Cut my teeth with BASIC on the C64. Besides a few half-failed attempts in the flash scene, back when that was a thing, it was mostly a hobby.

Abra-Cooking-Dabra

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Abra-Cooking-Dabra is a strange and delightful mash-up: a frantic cooking sim, a deckbuilder, and a Wonderland story all shuffled into one very tense service. It’s smart, demanding, and surprisingly generous with depth – as long as you’re ready for a game that’s more pressure cooker than cozy café.

Concept & Setting

You play a down-on-their-luck chef in London who, desperate for a restaurant concept, clicks a suspicious email and is promptly yanked into Wonderland to run a magical mobile café. Your new “boss” is a smug, talkative Cat who sets impossible deadlines, watches your every move, and occasionally throws you a bone – or, more accurately, a new card.

CloverPit

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Could you introduce yourselves, tell us your names, roles, backgrounds, and how you came to form Panik Arcade?

We are Matteo and Lorenzo, two Italian friends who started making games in 2019 after knowing each other in a private school about art and programming. Matteo has been making games for a while now, 10+ years, and Lorenzo has been a comic artist first for a similar amount of time, and a 3d artist and animator since 2020. While we released a couple of smaller games toghether, Panik Arcade came to be with Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom, a 3d platformer about a spring loaded taxi on steroids.

Hymer 2000

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Hymer 2000 – Review

Concept & Setting

Hymer 2000 is a small, text-driven narrative adventure that takes place entirely on an in-game computer desktop. You play as Frank, a recycling specialist sent to a facility called Hope Residence with a simple job: decommission the AI “Hymer” and recycle its personality module.

The twist: Hymer’s memory is corrupted. Before you can shut it down, you’re drawn into its archive of chat logs and system tools, trying to repair broken modules and piece together what actually happened to the residents whose lives it quietly managed. What begins as a routine cleanup becomes a post-mortem on a controlled, deeply unequal care system and the people crushed inside it.

Verho – Curse of Faces

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Verho plunges you into a grim dark-fantasy world ravaged by the “Curse of Faces”: in this land, showing someone’s bare face leads to instant death. Humanity survives by wearing masks and each mask effectively works as your “class.”
You explore Yariv a bleak, gothic realm of ruined castles, dank dungeons, and shadowy wilderness. The world design and ambiance reinforce a tone of oppression, mystery, and dread.

Gameplay & Mechanics

You play from first-person view, navigating interconnected environments, fighting monsters, gathering loot, and uncovering secrets. Character progression starts when you pick a mask, defining your starting stats like melee, magic or agility but you remain free to evolve your build as you progress, enabling interesting hybrid playstyles.
Combat is deliberate and requires timing and positioning: heavy weapons, ranged attacks, magic and stealth each behave differently.
Exploration and discovery matter: the world rewards slow, cautious movement. Secrets, traps, hidden passages, risk and reward go hand in hand.

Slots & Daggers

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000


Steam:	https://store.steampowered.com/app/3631290/Slots__Daggers/
Twitter:	https://x.com/Friedemann_A

It’s been about a year since the last IGWTF interview and I couldn’t be happier to get back to writing about indie games. I’ve always loved this world: the creativity, the weird experiments, the passion behind every project. And honestly, there’s no better time than now to talk about it, the indie scene is on fire.

Friedemann was incredibly kind to accept this interview to share something about his new game “Slots & Daggers” and what came out of it is a mix of insight, humor, and genuine love for making games!

About

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Welcome to IndieGames/WTF!

We are passionate about indie video games and are dedicated to sharing stories, reviews, and news from the vibrant world of indie gaming. Our mission is to celebrate the creativity and innovation of independent developers.

Who we are

We are a (small) group of gamers, enthusiasts, and developers who believe in the transformative power of indie games. We interview developers to uncover the stories behind their creations, attend events to stay connected with the community, and write in-depth reviews of the games that inspire us the most.

Thronefall

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000


Steam	https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall
Twitter	https://twitter.com/_GrizzlyGames

Hello Jonas, before we dive into Thronefall, we’d love to hear about your journey to becoming a game developer!

I’ll keep it short because I feel like most developers give the same answer: I loved playing video games as a kid, so at some point I got curious about how to make them. I was in the fortunate position that my dad is a programmer (in a different industry) and taught me the basics of GameMaker. I’ve been hooked ever since.

Diplomacy is Not an Option

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Diplomacy is Not an Option is exactly what its title promises: a game where talking things out is off the table and the only negotiation tool you have is a trebuchet.
Door 407’s medieval RTS leans hard into wave-defense mayhem, gleeful dark humor, and gigantic battles that turn your idyllic countryside into a carpet of corpses and craters.

Concept & Setting

You play as a bored feudal lord in a crumbling kingdom where the king is incompetent, the economy is broken, and the peasants are (understandably) furious. Every “mission” is basically a new excuse for someone to rise up against you — rebels, neighboring lords, religious fanatics, even the undead.

Islands & Trains

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000


Steam	https://store.steampowered.com/app/1957760/Islands__Trains/
Twitter	https://twitter.com/Just_Game_Dev
Website	https://www.islandsandtrains.com

Hey there, indie game world! Today we’re looking at one of the most charming upcoming indie titles out there. I’ve always had a soft spot for dioramas — there’s something genuinely artistic about crafting tiny worlds that radiate personality. And trains? Come on, who hasn’t been a wide-eyed kid watching a toy locomotive loop around a track? Islands & Trains combines both, letting you build your own miniature worlds with adorable trains running through them.

ENENRA

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000


Steam	https://store.steampowered.com/app/1963690/ENENRA/
Twitter	https://twitter.com/ENENRAGame
Youtube	https://www.youtube.com/@Zahidgames

Your journey into game development must have some exciting twists. How did you make the leap into this world?

I started ENENRA in September 2020, around the time I graduated from university. The project was originally called “Tempus,” and it began as a first-person hack-and-slash/shooter hybrid focused on time-rewinding mechanics. That idea quickly shifted into a third-person hack-and-slash with a broader range of abilities. I had never made a third-person game before, or a hack-and-slash for that matter, so it was a huge challenge.

Punch A Bunch

Sat, 05 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Hey there, gaming enthusiasts! Today is a truly special day because we’re about to dive into a captivating interview with none other than Pontypants! As someone who’s been glued to Pontypants’ devlog updates, I can’t express how excited I am to have this chance to explore the behind-the-scenes magic, the trials, the triumphs, and everything in between. So, without further ado, let’s jump right in and unravel the gaming brilliance together!

Bulwark – Falconeer Chronicles

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Welcome to an exclusive interview with Tomas Sala, the accomplished game developer behind the BAFTA-nominated Falconeer, a title that earned widespread praise and captured the hearts of players around the world. Today we explore his latest project, Bulwark, a highly anticipated game that has sparked excitement among gamers and fellow developers alike.

From the beginning of our conversation, it’s clear that Tomas’ passion goes far beyond his own work. He values transparency, knowledge sharing, and contributing to the growth of the game development community. Whether discussing design, artistic inspiration, or the challenges of production, his openness is refreshing in an industry that often hides its creative process.

Deadlink

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000

I’m a huge fan of FPS games. I’ve always been curious to explore everything from realistic simulations to the wildest arcade-style experiences. So when I discovered Deadlink, I couldn’t resist jumping straight into it. The vibrant colors, intense action, and mind-blowing animations instantly hooked me.

We were lucky enough to sit down with Grzegorz Michalak, also known as Greg, from Gruby Entertainment, and talk in depth about this phenomenal title. Here is our interview, exclusively on INDIEGAMES/WTF.

Alaloth: Champions of The Four Kingdoms

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

In the realm of fantasy role-playing games, few titles have captured my attention and imagination quite like Alaloth: Champions of The Four Kingdoms. Set in a rich and expansive world brimming with dark magic, epic battles, and intricate lore, Alaloth promises to be an unforgettable gaming experience. In an exclusive interview, we had the opportunity to sit down with Alberto Belli (Gamera Interactive), the mastermind behind this amazing game, to delve into the depths of its creation and uncover the secrets that make Alaloth a true gem in the realm of RPGs! Step into a mesmerizing isometric world and immerse yourself in its breathtaking beauty as we explore the captivating visuals that bring Alaloth to life!

SELINI

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Step into a mesmerizing world where ethereal lights dance amidst swirling mists, captivating your senses and drawing you into an otherworldly realm. SELINI, the enchanting new game developed by Cymban Games, has been making waves in the gaming community with its stunning visual aesthetics and immersive gameplay. From the moment I laid eyes on the game’s breathtaking look and feel, I knew I had to learn more. Unable to resist the allure of SELINI’s atmospheric beauty, I reached out to Andreas, the creative mastermind and developer behind Cymban Games, to secure an interview for our blog. Join me as we delve into the captivating universe of SELINI and uncover the inspiration and secrets behind its magical ambiance.

Garden In!

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

We had the chance to talk with Dramatic Iceberg about a relaxing and eye-catching game called Garden In!. Without further delay, here’s the interview.


Steam:	https://store.steampowered.com/developer/dramaticiceberg
Twitter:	https://twitter.com/DramaticIceberg
Youtube:	https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ70AH19qgg1BBVYOsCUVlQ
Instagram:	https://www.instagram.com/dramaticiceberg/
Website	https://dramaticiceberg.it/gardenin/

Could you please introduce Dramatic Iceberg?

Dramatic Iceberg is a young indie studio from Turin, Italy.

Our goal is to make games that inspire us in some way. We like experimenting a lot, so our projects usually mix things we enjoy with things we want to try or learn.

ABRISS

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000

…so let’s jump straight into the interview with Johannes Knop, Chairman and Developer at Randwerk, the team behind ABRISS.


Twitter:	https://twitter.com/randwerk
Youtube:	https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA2SdVt7yRoed7eCV2jkJLg
Itch.io:	https://www.instagram.com/randwerkgames/
Steam:	https://store.steampowered.com/app/1671480/ABRISS__build_to_destroy/

Could you tell us how your team started this project, and what your background is?

During the first COVID lockdowns in the summer of 2020, Friedrich and Till approached me and asked if I wanted to work on something based on a game they had made as a university project a couple of semesters earlier. The game was called Antitect, and it was all about destroying stuff. It was very different from ABRISS, but that’s where everything originated.

S.E.M.I. – Side Effects May Include...

Thu, 05 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000

If your favorite gaming nights are the ones where nobody really knows what’s happening, but everyone is crying with laughter, S.E.M.I. – Side Effects May Include… is your kind of indie chaos. Developed by Two Horn Unicorn, this Early Access co-op action-platformer drops you and up to three friends into a twisted clinic where experimental pills grant ridiculous powers and side effects.

Concept & Setting

S.E.M.I. casts you as patients in a bizarre mental hospital, strapped into straitjackets but free enough to stage a chaotic breakout. The “story” is light, focusing on dark humor, slapstick violence, and emergent co-op disasters. Think party-game energy wrapped in a surreal asylum theme.

Sanatorium - A Mental Asylum Simulator

Thu, 05 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Concept & Setting

Sanatorium – A Mental Asylum Simulator is set in 1923, inside the imposing Castle Woods Sanatorium. You play a journalist posing as a doctor, sneaking into the institution under false credentials to investigate a missing person case and uncover what’s really happening behind closed doors.

It’s not a power fantasy about “fixing” mental health with modern knowledge. Instead, you’re working with the messy, often harmful tools of the 1920s: dubious diagnoses, experimental treatments, and a hierarchy that cares at least as much about funding and reputation as it does about patients.

Rogue: Genesia

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

If you, like me, are an avid retro gamer, you couldn’t help but be drawn to this title. The Ghosts ’n Goblins–like look and feel and the pixelization bring me back in time… Ok, enough of this emotional stuff, let’s jump straight into the interview with Ouadi Huard, the developer of Rogue: Genesia.


Steam:	https://store.steampowered.com/app/2067920/Rogue_Genesia/
Twitter:	https://twitter.com/RogueGenesia

How did you step into the world of game development, and why did you start this project?

Earth of Oryn

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

While browsing through different subreddits, I came across a stunning illustration of a low-poly castle surrounded by a colorful forest, with NPCs walking along the roads of the city. I thought, “Damn, I’d love to play a game like that.” I was thrilled to find out the illustration came from a game in development.

I contacted Elivard, the developer of Earth of Oryn, to ask him a few questions.


Steam:	https://store.steampowered.com/app/1972450/Earth_of_Oryn/
Kickstarter:	https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/elivard/earth-of-oryn
Facebook:	https://www.facebook.com/earthoforyn
Instagram:	https://www.instagram.com/earthoforyn/
Youtube:	https://www.youtube.com/@earthoforyn
Twitter:	https://twitter.com/earthoforyn

How did you get into game development, and why did you start this project?

To answer that, I need to go back to when I first started learning programming. I’ve always loved building things from scratch, but when I was 14 I had no budget, so working on projects was sometimes pretty tough.

Night Shift at the Museum

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Concept & Setting

Night Shift at the Museum is a first-person observation-focused horror game by indie studio Infinity Pixel Games. You’re the lone night guard in a large museum, monitoring a wall of CCTV cameras while the building slowly stops behaving like a normal place.

Instead of monsters chasing you every minute, the fear comes from small, wrong details: a statue that’s moved, an object that wasn’t there before, a painting that has subtly changed. It’s a simple but sharp concept that fits the indie space very well.

The Last Case of John Morley

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Concept & Setting

The Last Case of John Morley is a first-person narrative detective adventure from indie studio Indigo Studios – Interactive Stories and publisher JanduSoft, set in 1940s England. You play John Morley, a worn-down detective returning to work after a nasty fall on his previous case. Barely back in his office, he’s approached by Lady Margaret Fordside, who hires him to reopen the 20-year-old murder of her daughter.

Mojito the cat: Woody's Rescue

Sun, 27 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Who doesn’t like cats? Who isn’t curious about solo dev stories? Unreal Engine? Ok, ok we all agree! Sit down and read about this sweet project by GTZAStudio.


Twitter:	https://twitter.com/gtzastudio
Youtube:	https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCES7QOX5_f6nZPEUaKhzQBw
Steam:	https://store.steampowered.com/search/?developer=GTZAStudio
More:	https://linktr.ee/gtzastudio

Let’s start from the beginning! How did you jump into the GameDev world?

I’ve always been passionate about video games. During my Post Grade in BIM Management (2015), I was attending a boring lesson, and I found the Unreal logo on the school computer desktop. I remembered that logo from Unreal Tournament (I spent lots of hours playing that game when I was younger).

Force Reboot

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Force Reboot is a fast and stylish retro FPS made with Unity, developed by a young solo developer (https://x.com/ln404t). Here’s the interview where you can learn more about this cool project.


X:	https://x.com/ln404t
Youtube:	https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf6dsgYEYMWvK1ebm_p17uQ
Steam:	https://store.steampowered.com/app/1766010/Force_Reboot/
Itch.io:	https://ln404.itch.io/force-reboot

Tell us about your journey leading up to Force Reboot

I always wanted to publish my games on Steam. I decided to pick a small concept and work on it for a year or two. I really liked Post Void — it was short and inexpensive — and I wanted my first commercial game to follow that same philosophy: short and affordable.
This is actually my first commercial project, and I’m developing it solo in my free time with no real budget at all.

Dungeon Alchemist

Thu, 23 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000

After a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2021 and its first release in March 2022, Dungeon Alchemist has positioned itself as one of the most interesting role-playing map-building tools available today. Let’s learn more about this great project with Wim De Hert and Karel Crombecq, founders of the Briganti team.

How would you describe Dungeon Alchemist in just a few words?

Dungeon Alchemist is a fantasy map-making application that uses artificial intelligence to let anyone create high-quality maps quickly.

No More Fathers

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Could you describe No More Fathers in a few words? How did this project take shape in your mind?

No More Fathers is an adventure about growing up, exploring, flying, a bit of puzzle solving, some stealth, and forming bonds and relationships along the way.

One day I was at the gym when ideas for the game started pouring in like a rushing river. I began writing everything down. I spent about 40 minutes in the corner of the gym just typing on my phone. I went home and told my wife, overwhelmed by the thought of making a real video game for the first time, but I felt this was the right medium.

AFTERBLAST

Sat, 28 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Could you tell us how you got started on this project?

At the beginning of our journey we worked on mobile games together, since they’re usually less complex. As our skills improved, we quickly felt the urge to create something more ambitious. That’s when we decided to start working on AFTERBLAST, a game designed for PC and consoles. This direction let us express our creativity more freely, without the technical constraints typical of mobile titles.

SCHiM

Sat, 28 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000

We can definitely say that SCHiM has a unique style and very original gameplay. Please enjoy this quick interview with its developer, Ewoud van der Werf.


Steam:	https://store.steampowered.com/app/1519710/SCHiM/
Twitter:	https://twitter.com/Ewoud3D
Youtube:	https://www.youtube.com/ewoud3d
Instagram:	https://instagram.com/schimgame

How did you come up with SCHiM’s gameplay? It’s pretty original :)

The inspiration came from childhood, from the kind of play kids make up: shadow tag and only stepping on the cracks in the pavement or the lines at a crossing.

Lost in the void

Fri, 20 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Tell us more about your studio. What led you to game development and to “Lost In The Void”?

Nightcall Studio started as a synthwave/retrowave themed party in Bratislava. It later grew into an independent music label releasing albums from local musicians, focusing on synthwave on audio tapes, an independent comic book publisher run by Eniac (https://eniac.ninja/), and eventually an indie video game development studio.

Our first project was a browser-based text adventure created as a promotional piece for the Nightcall Halloween Synthwave Party: http://nightcall.sk/text_adventure2/ (unfortunately it’s only in Slovak).

Galaia

Thu, 19 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The first time we saw Galaia on Twitter we immediately added Josep to our WTF Indie Devs list. It’s one of those titles that grabs your attention instantly — the kind of project you need to try as soon as possible. It’s tough for a solo developer to build a full game while working on it as a side project, but we’re confident Galaia is something we’ll hear a lot about in the coming months. So sit back and enjoy our interview with Josep, the developer behind the game.

The Lone Blade

Wed, 18 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000

We’re always interested in shiny new indie projects. Today we had the pleasure of interviewing Baptiste and Hugo from OpiaGames, talking about a fascinating new title that we can’t wait to try.


Twitter:	https://twitter.com/OpiaGames
TikTok:	https://www.tiktok.com/@opiagames
Youtube:	https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa2tvsL7VPgpWbPu2EW8Ujg
Steam:	https://store.steampowered.com/app/1724980/The_Lone_Blade/

It’s kind of a ritual at this point — we always start with this question. How did this project begin?

B: Everything started in October 2020 when Hugo reached out to me, telling me he had a super cool idea. At first, I didn’t really understand the concept of a sword jumping around, but the project was way too badass to decline. We also have great work chemistry, and I had always wanted to work on a larger project. I didn’t hesitate much when I was asked, even though I was honestly sure of nothing.

IndieGames/WTF

Sun, 01 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Hey everyone, and welcome to the brand-new IndieGames/WTF blog!

This project was born in 2021, right in the middle of the pandemic. At first, our goal was simple: build a Twitter bot that retweeted #indiegamedev content and compiled a weekly gallery of #screenshotsaturday posts. But when it became clear that Twitter…(AKA… X.com) bots might not last forever, we decided it was time to step things up.

So, what’s the idea behind the new IndieGames/WTF? In short: creating a fresh space for the indie dev community. We keep discovering amazing projects and we’re excited to connect with the people behind them—to hear their stories, their struggles, and their inspirations. Our curiosity is what drives this project: we want to learn more about you and your games. So don’t be surprised if we reach out to ask about your next big idea ;)