A Look At Six Fascinating Indie Games Now Free On Steam

Six new indie games arrived on Steam this past week, each free to claim and keep permanently. The selection covers a wide range of genres, from laid-back life simulators to complex strategy titles.

I looked at Heartopia, a game that blends life simulation with city-building mechanics in the vein of The Sims and Stardew Valley. It launched on January 16, presenting a casual, cozy world where I could design a home and take up hobbies like fishing, gardening, and birdwatching. The character customization offered a variety of outfits. The game is built with multiplayer in mind, allowing friends to build, explore, and interact in a shared space, making it a viable way to connect with people over a long distance.

At the other end of the spectrum is A Song of Sunlight, an RPG set in a distant and lonely future. In it, I played as Arem, a young man who leaves his home to explore an abandoned megastructure beneath his birth island, uncovering a terrible secret along the way. The game uses a pseudo-turn-based combat system and is set in a bleak world, relying heavily on text-based adventuring to tell its story. Its dark, oppressive atmosphere is reminiscent of the Nier series.

Another unique title is EmuDevz, which places the player in the role of a developer creating an emulator. This game requires a bit of programming knowledge to fully engage with its systems. I saw how it allows you to write code, playtest homebrew games, and debug ROMs to achieve accurate emulation.

For those interested in strategy, War of Dots offers a minimalist real-time strategy experience. The gameplay involves controlling colored dots across a two-dimensional map. With only two unit types, the game is simple to start playing but reveals significant tactical complexity as you get more involved.

The list also includes Giant Snake Girl Wants The Burger, a game that puts a puzzle-oriented twist on the classic Snake formula. Finally, Party Party Anxiety is a card-based dating game. I used cue cards to initiate conversations with different potential partners. The gameplay includes an anxiety meter mechanic, which, if it rises too high, transforms your date into a terrifying monster. These games offer a broad mix of experiences available on Steam’s free-to-play section.

Thanks to ScreenRant for games selection suggestion!

• A Song of Sunlight
• EmuDevz
• Heartopia
• Giant Snake Girl Wants The Burger!
• Party Party Anxiety!
• War of Dots

Read also about the current Epic Giveaway. I remember Styx, Cyanide Studios' goblin protagonist, from the early 2010s when he was one of the few stealth heroes available. True sneaking games were becoming a rarity at the time. After Hitman made a comeback, the goblin faded from memory. Now, to celebrate the upcoming release of a new adventure in February, Epic is giving away the first two Styx titles. This is a great opportunity to catch up. From now until January 22, both Styx: Master of Shadows and its sequel, Styx: Shards of Darkness, are available to keep for free.