We are approaching Fall, but before we do so, I got quite a handful of games to tell you all about that may have flown under your radar – in fact, I have nine of them this time around, from all sorts of genres and developers. This might end up being a bit of a longer one, so thanks to the publishers who sent these games to me in order to make this list possible and let’s get started.

Tinykin

I have no idea how this was not on my radar earlier – Tinykin is easily the best platformer I have played this year and honestly, one of the best games I have played this year period. It’s a full-fledged 3D platformer with Pikmin-esque elements. You go around, exploring these large and diverse environments, collecting these creatures called Tinykin which can then be used to complete different tasks depending on their color. The red ones make things explode, the purple ones carry things for you, and the green ones act as a ladder, for example.

The level design is some seriously top-tier stuff and expertly makes use of all of these different tinykin, whether that be for the level’s main objective or the variety of other, smaller objectives too. I had a lot of fun exploring these levels, collecting the hundreds – even thousands – of collectibles, and really just taking in the whole experience. There is clearly a lot of passion behind this one and I would absolutely recommend it regardless of if you’re a platformer fan or not.

Tinykin retails for $25 USD and is available on Steam. It is also available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch. You can get an official Steam key 15% off and support the channel using my Gamesplanet partner link. 

Dungeon Munchies

Dungeon Munchies is a very indie game – like, very very indie. It can definitely feel rough at times, but I quickly found myself having a blast with its super fast-paced “what is even going on” combat. It’s a 2D side scrolling action RPG where you’re suddenly revived in this underground dungeon-esque complex and must hunt down monsters and cook the ingredients they drop to make various upgrades and equipment.

There are dozens upon dozens of possible recipes here and they grant stuff ranging from simple speed buffs to all-out active abilities that can completely change the way you play the game. It’s a very build-focused game, with plenty of different options to choose from depending on your play style. I went with a spear and shield combo and cooked several items to further this combo, such as a spear flurry attack active combined with a passive that buffs attacks from behind a shield. It’s a very fun, if difficult at times game and there’s even an engaging story to wrap it together. Definitely a weird one, but one I would recommend.

Dungeon Munchies retails for $20 USD and is available on Steam. It is also available on Switch, iOS, and Android.

Hooked on You: A Dead by Daylight Dating Sim

Remember that game Dead by Daylight? Yeah, probably not the first thing you’d think of turning into a dating sim, yet here we are. Hooked on You is a short, yet entertaining little VN that is part horror, part comedy, and full of choices, branching routes, and even a few mini games. It features a small cast of romanceable characters and each has a bunch of events to play through while having an overall story wrapped up in this reality show themed island paradise setting.

It’s accessible enough that even someone that has never played the original game (myself) can get into it and honestly, it reminded me a lot of the Monster Prom games with its writing, ridiculous characters, and quick pacing. It only takes a few hours to clear the game, but of course, there is a lot more if you want to go down every route, get every achievement, etc. Give it a look if you’re a Dead by Daylight fan or if you’re into these short, comedy-heavy VNs.

Hooked on You: A Dead by Daylight Dating Sim retails for $10 USD and is available on Steam.

Fashion Police Squad

This is by far one of the most fashionable games I have ever played. You play as a member of the Fashion Police Squad and your objective is to fight all sorts of fashion crimes, including everything from saggy pants to socks with sandals. Of course, to do this, you must shoot said individuals with a wide assortment of different weapons. One weapon simply sprays color, but then you get other unique ones, such as a sock gnome that eats socks off of people.

It is absolutely bizarre in the best way possible and I was a big fan of the fast pacing, the unique and varied level design, and the amount of movement options available to make all of this even more fun. It took me just over three hours to clear and the devs have really done a great job making those three hours work so well, the game never dips in quality and really only gets better as it goes on – special shoutout to the boss fights which make this game much more than just your average first-person shooter. An easy recommendation for FPS fans.

Fashion Police Squad retails for $20 USD and is available on Steam.

Cursed to Golf

Cursed to Golf is a unique take on the dungeon crawler and roguelike genre. It’s that, but golf. It’s golf, but you’re in a dungeon with these randomly generated maps and a bunch of powerups to use. You’ll get stuff like freezing the ball midair, changing its direction and launching it, and even exploding it into other balls so you can select the one that lands in the most favorable position.

Unlike regular golf, your par is a sort of life system and you’ll need to pick up trophies on each map to refresh it and make sure you don’t run out before you reach the end of the hole – because once you do, you die and have to restart your entire run. Yes, it is a roguelike and there are multiple holes to go through, upgrades to find, and even boss battles to take on. It’s a very cool little indie golf game and while a bit rough around the edges, I had a good time with it and would recommend giving it a look.

Cursed to Golf retails for $20 USD and is available on Steam. You can get an official Steam key 10% off and support the channel using my Gamesplanet partner link. 

Force Reboot

Your health is a timer and is constantly draining the slower you move. That’s the premise behind Force Reboot, an extremely fast-paced FPS that prioritizes nonstop gameplay, quick movement, and fun upgrades. It’s an action roguelike where you have to clear each room of enemies before proceeding to the next and every set amount of rooms, you have a bunch of upgrades to choose from. The catch being that each also comes with some sort of debuff, whether that be taking damage when you miss shots or not being able to stop moving forward.

The buffs though are a lot of fun, including stuff like ricocheting bullets, chance to skip reload, double gun, and even quadruple gun. A run can take all of like five minutes if you’re fast enough, but the fun is going back at it and getting even faster and finding even cooler upgrades. And for its price and being in Early Access? Very impressed and I’m excited to see what becomes of the game upon its full release.

Force Reboot retails for $3 USD and is available on Steam as an Early Access title.

Hard West 2

Having never played the first game, I had no idea what to expect with Hard West 2. What I got was a fairly fun turn-based tactics game within the ever popular weird west genre and honestly, it’s a lot more fun than I thought it would be given that it’s currently sitting at mixed reviews on Steam. The gameplay revolves around exploring a world map full of locations that turn into tactical battlegrounds when entered. You get a full party to work with all with unique skills and weapons that can be equipped, upgrades to be unlocked, and there are a lot of cool mechanics to play around with.

Getting a kill resets a character’s action points, so you can set up these massive chain kill combos and it can feel like a bit of a puzzle at times figuring out what the best path forward is in order to prevent enemies from even getting a turn in the first place. Units have low health to begin with, so it is a bit challenging, but I’ve been having a great time with it and do plan on finishing it up.

Hard West 2 retails for $30 USD and is available on Steam. It is also available on GOG. You can get an official Steam key 10% off and support the channel using my Gamesplanet partner link. 

Frogun

Frogun is a straightforward N64/PS1 era 3D platformer built around the use of, well, a Frogun. Frogun is your best friend that also happens to be a grappling hook and the levels are designed to maximize his use, including all sorts of collectibles to find and even bosses to take down. It is by no means a difficult game, and really, a lot of the collectible stuff you can just skip over, but I kinda like the raw simplicity on offer here.

The game looks great, has some solid performance, plays well, and is just an overall nostalgic trip for those that grew up on platformers like this, myself included. Maybe not the easiest recommendation, but if you are a 3D platformer fan, do give it a look.

Frogun retails for $15 USD and is available on Steam. It is also available on GOG, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch.

ORX

If you have ever played the board game Carcassonne, ORX is basically that, but tower defense – a cool combo and one that actually makes for some fun gameplay. It plays as a roguelike deckbuilder, where your deck is the tiles and upgrades you place on the map. You have limited space to work with and emphasis is placed on creating large, connecting roads, castles, and other structures to maximize that space. Doing so provides more gold income and bolsters your defenses for the inevitable orc invasion.

These buildings can then be buffed and when you do eventually finish off a wave, there’s a progression system that allows you to add more cards to your deck, upgrade them, and remove them too. It’s fairly fleshed out for being in Early Access and worth a look if you’re a genre fan.

ORX retails for $20 USD and is available on Steam as an Early Access title.

And that’s it for August. Hopefully at least one of these games caught your eye, I really liked quite a few of them this time around. Tinykin was easily my favorite of the bunch, but Fashion Police Squad and Hard West 2 are also up there. Anyways, thanks for reading and I will see you all around this time next month with another one.