Video Gamers Podcast - Hidden Upcoming Indies – Gaming Podcast

Episode Date: July 16, 2026

Gaming hosts Josh, Ryan, and Ace are diving into some of the coolest indie discoveries you may have missed, including Balisticards, Fresco, and more! We break down what makes these unique titles stand out, which ones deserve a spot on your wishlist, and why they're worth your time. Whether you're always hunting for hidden gems or just love discovering fresh video games, this episode is packed with great recommendations, fun discussion, and plenty of gaming passion. If you love gaming beyond the biggest blockbusters, this is one episode you won't want to miss from the Video Gamers Podcast. More incredible video games await!   Your Painting Sir: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4117830/Your_Painting_Sir/    Iron Bramble: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4328820/Iron_Bramble/   Penguin Colony: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3695930/Penguin_Colony/   Balisticards: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3939950/Ballisticards/   Puppeteer: No Strings Attached  https://store.steampowered.com/app/3537960/Puppeteer_No_Strings_Attached/   Beat for Speed: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4430260/Beat_For_Speed/   Fresco: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4373620/Fresco/     Thanks to our MYTHIC Supporters: Redletter, Disratory, Ol’ Jake, Gaius, Jigglepuf, Phelps and NorwegianGreaser, Dettmarp and NightWizard63   Thanks to our Legendary Supporters: HypnoticPyro, PeopleWonder, Bobby S.   Connect with the show: Support us on Patreon: ⁠patreon.com/videogamerspod⁠ Join our Gaming Community: https://discord.gg/h2cHKAvSmu Follow us on Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/videogamerspod/⁠  Follow us on X:⁠ https://twitter.com/VideoGamersPod⁠  Subscribe to us on YouTube:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@VideoGamersPod?sub_confirmation=1⁠    Visit us on the web:⁠https://videogamerspod.com/⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Starring Emmy Rossum, Furious follows FBI agent Alice Black on the hunt for a mysterious and calculating serial killer. Both walk their own paths toward justice, and as their lives start to intertwine, the line between right and wrong begins to blur. Don't miss the three-episode premiere of the Hulu original series Furious on July 27th, only on Hulu on Disney Plus. Oh, fellow gamers, and welcome to the video gamers podcast. One of the things I love most about Indies is what they're willing to do, the weird ways they're willing to go, the things you just don't expect. Like, what if we did art fraud to keep our jobs, or what if Penguins were the main characters in a Cthulhu-esque movie or Lovecraft Story?

Well, today, that's what we're going to look at. We're going to look at Indies of Interest, games in a sea of games that actually stand out to me, which is getting more and more difficult to do every week. from being totally honest. And joining me is a man who almost certainly hated at least one of these games. It's Josh. Actually, Ace, this list is pretty decent, dude. I like the uniqueness.

I actually like the uniqueness of each of these games. That doesn't mean that they all look great, but it is at least like legitimately, people should stay tuned for this because there's some really neat ideas on these and honestly there's a couple that look pretty freaking sweet yeah I was just trying to see like a variety of genres because I feel like lately with games it just feels like we've

been seeing the same thing over and over and over again Metroidvania these don't look like that action RPGs Hades clones Hades clones Souls likes like extraction games yeah it's just all the same

and also joining us is the guy who'll decide whether he'll probably pick the game up or definitely pick it up. It's right. Josh, I don't know what you're talking about. Some of these games suck. Some of these games suck, dude. He was the one who hated one of these games.

I hate it. Okay, legitimately, one, two, three, four. That's about as many as suck. That's about as many as suck. Like, legitimately interested in. Two of them I find to be neat. One is stupid. What is stupid.

You've expanded your horizon then, buddy. I love it. I'm evolving, man. You know, I'm not rustic anymore, guys. It's a new Josh. It's a new Josh. I'm not like a rustic guy. I'm not simple, man.

I'm evolving into the indie genre. Guys, I have been struggling to find like indies that stand out to me lately. Yeah, that's why you haven't done an indie episode in like three weeks days. You're making me work a lot more. Remember how I was not supposed to host all three? episodes every week. Yeah, that kind of fell through, huh, bud? Yeah, I know.

Quit slacken, Ace. I can't help, but it's in my nature, you know, being 26. But these ones actually did stand out to me, and they were a variety of genres, variety of art styles. It was nothing looked the same. And I'm actually kind of interested in most of these games. So we're going to start with a game called Your Paintings, Ryan. Your Painting, Sir.

They've got to say it. You got to say it with the right accent. You're all painting, sir. You're all painting, sir. That was good. That was pretty good, yeah. Which is a game where you play as a butler who has overslept his alarm, and he has missed the art auction for your rich, elderly billionaire boss who cannot see very well.

So, in order to trick him into thinking you made it to the auction and bought all this expensive art, you're going to draw what you can from the art piece from memory, and you're going to have to clip out the rest of it from magazines and newspapers, and it's a puzzle game, basically. And I thought it was kind of neat. What did you guys think of that just on first glance? Remember how I said one of these games look stupid, ace. This is the one that looks stupid to you?

This is the one that looks stupid to me. It's just a puzzle all the way. It's a puzzle game. What are you going to get puzzles? Look, it's great to get this one out of the way because then it's all uphill from here. Like, this is basically like kindergarten cut and paste. Like, I did this when I was in kindergarten, man. Where you cut out a picture?

man who's like he's hallucinating painting. You cut out an apple and then you paste the apple on another piece of paper and then you glue it down. Like I remember this vividly from when I was like five and a half. And that's what this game is. I only have one question. Uh-huh. Can we eat the glue? Yes.

Glue is not toxic, Ryan. Glue is not toxic. All right, we're good to go. No, this is. They're not all super obvious though. Like some of them you're going to have to like, think about what you're replacing it with that just looks just close enough. A's.

Come on. This is cut-based. I know you search for these. Yeah. There's people that are going to find this very relaxing and cozy. Like, absolutely. But from a gameplay standpoint, this is the one I think looks stupid.

Man-Aze is also too spicy for them. So, like, it's, that's what we're dealing with here. This, this is a, uh, uh, good on. yeah, if you like it. That's all I gotta say. Well, it's got a demo on Steam. It'll be out at the end of the year. So we're starting strong, baby. I love it. Yeah. Your old paintings, uh, we'll be, he'll be there for those who want it.

Before everybody calls me a grouch, every other game on this list is better than the first game that we talked about. This is true. I'm glad I put it first then. Especially the next one. Oh, yeah. The next one is a, uh, surprise, surprise, is a movement-based Metroidvania set in a gothic cyberpunk area where

robots are inhabited by human souls and use the shotgun to move yourself around. You'll get air, you'll use it to grapple. It is just cool as heck. I'm actually very excited for this. Not being big Metroidvania guys though. What did you guys think of this one since you

died? Hold on. You always ask me to find what's special about a Metroid. Is he labeling us, Ryan? I'm not a not a Metroidvania guy. for sure. Castlevania. Castlevania's in my top 10 of all time. Okay.

Okay, but like how many new Metroidvanias do you play? I was playing Metroidvanias before you were born, son. Wait, when were you born? 206. Oh, I was. I was playing Metrovinias before you were born. We were playing them long before. I literally played Metroidvanias before you were born.

When they were called Metroid. Yeah, Metroid. Or Castlevania. So, no, this one actually, I do, I do. like, I very much like the movement in this game. I think the look of it, the abilities,

I think this one looks pretty cool. This is one. I do too. Yeah, this is one that I'm actually pretty excited about. I think the combat looks pretty neat and unique. The gameplay and style. As one as, as I am

for not as much as Josh, but like I am somewhat of a graphic snob and I like people to really put in the effort to make it look good. I think they made it unique enough to where, like, super duper detailed graphics don't matter because it looks unique. So I think this one does look pretty cool. It's got pixels, but it also still has shadow shading and things like that.

It's got some depth to it. Water color to it. Yeah, yeah, exactly. There's an art style to it, not just like, oh, pixel graphics and then just... It's still ugly. Don't get me wrong. It's still an ugly game. But it is a...

interesting looking game, and I will say this, like, the idea of having this, like, weird bungee cord grappling hook thing where you kind of bounce is neat coupled with the reticle. Like, it's almost like it's got a twin stick shooter reticle. Almost, yeah, kind of. That you control to, so, like, if you like chaos, like, I could see this game being really good because you are, you're grapple hooking around on this weird bungee grapple hook. You're having to aim this reticle at the things that you want to shoot. It's got a

weird match, like, blend of, like, pixel watercolor art to it. It's still kind of ugly, but it also kind of works because I think this game is just kind of supposed to be that.

You know what I mean? Where you're like in the underworld and you're dealing with souls and penance for their sins and stuff like that kind of thing. So, yeah. It's kind of got a really metal story. It's like, what? Okay.

Well, yeah, even the chick with the, like, the Alice dress on, like, running around with the shotgun in the beginning is like this, yeah.

Yeah. No, I think Iron Bramble is very cool. It is slated to release next year, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it moved up or released. What are they just starting it? This game's going to be hard. I can tell you right now. This game's going to be so hard. Yeah. It's going to be hard. Yeah. Like, Metroid Vannias are hard usually on their own, but this one just, I can, I can tell by looking at it, it's going to pull some people. Not that I've ever played one apparently. Like, I'm just not, I'm not a modern Metroidvania. aside from Silk Song. Like what modern Metrovania have you played recently? What good, what good metrovanians have there been?

Oh, maybe both of the Ender series, Blasphemus one and two. Lost Crown was the one. Yeah, Prince of Persia, The Lost Crown. That was really good. Orie the Will of the Whist.

Actually, Prince of Persia, like, is one that I've wanted to play out as haven't got to it. And Ace, for the record, we're super excited about Belmont's curse. Yeah. That's true. Oh, is that another Castlevania? Yeah.

Yeah. So we're really excited about that one. It's not another like, Indy Metroid Because there's 18 million of them So you should be able to find one and play it Well, you pick this one out because all the others look the same I brought up others that don't look like the others

Checkmate, buddy Oh checkmate he's got me Next game on the list here is a game called Penguin Colony Which is a very, very simple pitch. It is a Lovecraftian horror story from the perspective of a penguin. It is a walking sim where you play as a penguin and you will witness lovecraftian horror experiences

happen to this expedition and I think there's Nazis based on the end of the trailer. Yeah, I think there's definitely Nazis. It kind of just made me think of like the thing if you remember that movie, Clyde Biker's Barclay's thing. But now you're seeing it all from the perspective of an animal that's just on the sidelines,

which I think is a very unique way to take this. Uh, it's very weird. Uh, it is. It's a really, it is very weird. Whoever came up with the like, I want to see this, but through the eyes of a penguin, you might want to talk to somebody, you know. Maybe a penguin. You got something going on in your life. However, like the way that they want to tell this story is, like, I think it's going to be really creepy.

And I kind of think it's going to work. Like being the observer in this story, I'll be honest. I don't know how much like the penguin, I don't know if the penguin can die. I don't know if the penguin can die. I don't know if the penguin. penguin can interact with things or if he's literally just an observer. But like, oddly, because I really wanted to hate this game just based off of the name alone. But like, I think kind of something vibe in here, man. I mean, you also got the narrator from Disco Elysian.

Well, that might be it. Maybe it's the voice acting too that's adding an awful lot to like how creepy this sounds. But like, there is an odd interest that I feel like I shouldn't have, but yet I do have a this one. I feel like there's so many stories, though, of, like, humans going where they don't belong and digging up in ancient evil. And now you get to witness that as a penguin who's like, I live here. What are you doing?

What these idiots do it, man? He's like, just putting around the corner. Like, what's, what's going on over there? Like, that's that guy doing? No, I agree. I agree with Josh. I think it, uh, I think the voiceover work stuff may change things overall. But, um, I mean, the premise.

in the setting is it's, you know, it's world war. Like, it's, it's, it's already there. So how they, how they dial it in and what they do, you know, is, is going to determine it. So, yeah, I think it looks, it looks pretty neat for sure. Yeah, I would agree. All right, we have a few more to get to right after this break. All right. Our next one up here is Ballistic cards, which, uh, surprise, surprise is a physics based rogue like deck builder. If we didn't have enough of those, I actually found it to be pretty unique though, where you lay the cards down on the board and then the suits of the cards kind of become like a Plinko machine where you have to bounce the ball into between these suits to gain more score. Of course, it's a rogue likes. You're going to get different

modifiers and things like that. I think it stands out in the sea of a rogue like deck builders. Ryan. Oh, all right. Ryan? I have, there's, it's very rare that I like, I've, I've, I've really, not wanted to play a game more than a lot of games. And I want to not play this game more than I can tell you. Like this looks,

this looks like what they do to just get those people at the casino to just keep playing. It does look like a casino game. They just make it loud and like a lot of chings and clings and like noises and like all the kind of crazy stuff to make you think you're doing something. And the people win like $4. And they're like, yeah. And they're like rubbing the machine. And they're like, yeah.

It's like, but-da-la-da-da. That's what this game feels like, at least from what I've seen. Yeah, this one. It's just, and I'm not this type anyway, so take it worth a grain of salt, but this looks ridiculously stupid, in my opinion. And I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm roasting your games days, but like the other one was good, but this, this looks dumb. This looks like just a bunch of, a bunch to do about nothing. Did you never play Peggle? I wondered if he hasn't played Peckle.

Or like bubble bobble. Did you ever play bubble bubble bobble? That name sounds familiar. The little dragons, they spit the little bubbles and you got to line up the colors and stuff like that. Bub and Bob. No, no, I do things that like actually matter. So, okay.

Like, as weird as this sounds, I like Peggle and I liked Bubble Bobble and like Ballista Cards is semi reminiscent of that. Like, does the game look kind of dumb? No, no, no, no, no. Does the game look dumb? It does kind of look dumb. Will this game be fun and mindless for like a few hours?

and it's probably only going to be like four or five dollars like yes like this is the kind of game that you could like literally just spend a few hours playing i think it i think it's this killing me i'm getting so but why but why would you that's what i'm saying you are getting soft you're getting soft bro because i'd like peggle and like pebble bubble bubble what could you spend what else could you spend five dollars on that would be better than this i would i would i tell you what i would go i would go buy like three slim gyms and I'll go sit out in the sun and I'll eat three slim gyms and I'll have a better time than playing this game. That's what I don't know. That's what I would that's what I would do. You said that about Rack coin and then Rek coin took off. Just so you know, I live in

Phoenix, Arizona. It's 115 degrees outside. So yeah. Yeah, it's going to be nasty. It's going to be horrible. I'm going to sweat my face off and I'd be more fun. Like, breakout kind of game for the old Atari fans. Like, it's the same premise. All right. I'm just saying, I don't I don't think it looks like the worst thing in the world. I just thought you were different, man. That's all. You've changed. I like simple fun, man.

I thought you were stronger. He just doesn't want, he got roasted online. He doesn't want people to hate them anymore. Whatever. I just said your painting, sir, was stupid. Like, I'm not afraid of it was. Congratulations. Ballistic cards looks kind of fun in a weird sort of way, man.

Like, I could see. You're saying this looks better than that. than your painting, sir? Yes. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Dude, okay. Wait, you made a game where you actually like get some like feedback and you get to play like peggle and bounce the ball.

It's like pinball. You do you like pinball? You just drop it down and it just goes plinks and down. It just plinks down, right? Well, you got to decide where it plinks down. Okay. You're just playing Plinko. And you also have to place the cards.

The other one you just cut out an apple and glue an apple on something. Next game. Next game. Next game. Next game. Ace game. All right. All right.

We'll against each other, Ryan. Oh, I don't have to try. Yeah. Get him. Get him. Talk, Ace.

Talk about a good game. Talk about something. All right. Honestly, these next three games look pretty freaking sweet. Yeah. Yeah, these next ones

all stand out quite a bit. The next one here is Puppeteer, no strings attached, which is a boss rush style game that's set on a puppeteer stage. All the bosses are controlled by strings, and you are stringless puppets,

and you got to take them down. This is very reminiscent of the style. the gameplay brought about by Cuphead, most famously, where it's just bosses. And it's co-op, just like Cuphead. And I think it looks phenomenal. I think you are correct, because you know what this has? This has a game that is graphically pleasing. It looks good. The gameplay looks like it's good. And it looks like it's just going to be a ton of fun because it's co-op and you can play with other people. All of those things are great. And there's better than anything else that we've listed so far, this is

a game that we need to talk about. This is what's good. Did you both just say you think this game looks phenomenal? Yes. I think it looks awesome. Oh my gosh, guys. It's a Boss Rush style game. This game looks fantastic, boys.

Yeah. There we go. Dude, this is like this. Ryan, I'm with you 100% on this because, again, if you're going to develop a game, don't make it look like garbage. Make it look fun. Like, it's simple in premise.

It doesn't have to have to have. have like a ton but like I'd love everything about this dude and I want to play it with you guys because you can play co-op and I love boss fights and this game looks fun and it looks like it's hard I like it looks very hard I like the idea of like you're just facing all of these bosses like head on like on this stage almost um dude this game I didn't know this game existed but I'm in on this one it's like all the it's like all the uh the Metroidvanias or any of those type of games where you you work your way all the way to the boss fight, you know, to get to this, like, point, and then you have to fight them.

And like, and this is, this is the game. You get to have this fun playing this, you know, so I'm, I'm excited. I think it looks awesome. I love the, um, story behind it, like, between like, you know, the characters and stuff like that. So, yeah, I think, and then they put in some good effort on, on the design. So, yeah. Yeah, it's going to be right.

This looks challenging. trailer. Like, I'm watching the, like, the trailer and, like, they throw a ton of crap at you. Like, not only do you have to dodge, like, the boss stuff, but then there's little things, like, creatures running in from the side and then, like, yeah, like, and you guys know I love a good challenge. Like, oh, yeah. I mean, unlike Cuphead, this isn't 2D.

This is like 2.5. Yeah. You're going to be moving, like, all over the place just to dodge some attacks. This is set for a Q3 release for 2026 also. It does say Q3. So we could. see something about this game relatively soon. And there is a demo up on Steam right now.

If anything we've said about, Puppeteer, no strings attached, sounds really interesting to you, which it should. Check it out. All right. I'm such a sucker for rhythm games, guys. I know I am,

but beat for speed looks incredible to me. There's something about, like, one of my favorite things to do when we get, like, a big open world game, if I have, if I've done, like, all the story stuff, I'm just in the game, is just to drive around. like you get in a car you just drive around at night you listen to the radio or whatever

and that's what this reminds me and a says he wouldn't like gta 5 right right the best part of gta 5 i did this in watchdogs what do you want the amount of times that i cruised around and just flip through the radio yes and just like listen to it and hit the highway so you can go fast oh man that's why i was okay yeah if you did not that's why it's so funny that hasn't played it because if he likes watchdogs he would love gta i don't know you don't have the hacking in GTA. So I can't kill like a bunch of police officers chasing. Talk to Lester.

Lester will help you out. Raising some pylons up. This game is a straight vibe, dude, and I kind of like it. I was really, like, when I'm vibe into the trailer, like, I, there's something there. And legitimately, like, this game just, like, I don't know what it was, man. It just put me in this, like, just chill. Like, I, I, same vibes was like Beat Sabre. Yeah, kind of.

But with this. That's what I thought. That's what I thought of was B-saber. But it's got the cool aesthetics of like ripping through a city like with a vehicle, a motorcycle or whatever like and you're just, you know, boom. But it's nighttime and you're just chilling like or you're out in the forest like at one point and the road's a little wet and it's like the music is great in this. And then I don't know, man, I'm digging it.

I'm digging this one a lot. Yeah, I think it's going to be great. And I think it's going to have a little trouble because I think it is based off its own AI program. Like it's not open source. It's their own AI generated program, which you'll be able to pull things from the Steam Workshop and put your own music in. Basically, you'll be able to take your Spotify playlist and make it into a racetrack. Yeah. Oh, wow.

Which just sounds great to me. Like, I remember finding this game on TikTok because that's how a lot of indie devs are getting their games out there right now is via social media is through TikTok, X and all things like that. and it was uh they'd used justin beaver's beauty and a beat and put it on the track and it was it was perfect it was great oh that it was such a vibe just like the neon bike and the dark roads the rain hitting the it was so good i like that they let you swap between like first person and third person view on the bike too kind of changes up that that vibe that we're talking about on this one um yeah this is i mean it at its core it's a very simple just switch lanes it's a very simple concept yeah like but like there there is something to how

structured this and the music that goes with it with like the traffic and stuff. Yeah. It just, I don't know, man. It's, well, it's something like Josh, you know, like with these certain games, like, especially the open world ones when you are driving a vehicle, you're going to do that anyways. Like you're going to, you're going to rip and haul, you know, down the, down the freeway and you're going to dodge traffic.

And now you can do it to music. Like, and so, and it's got a good atmosphere. It's got good graphics. so yeah, I think it's cool. I think it's a really neat design, and I'm excited to see what it does. One thing we haven't mentioned on this, multiplayer racing. So putting multiplayer to a beat saver type game,

like where you're racing, if they pull that off the right way, could actually make this really cool. Especially just like competitive style, like whoever gets it without messing up. Or a beat combo, like boost your speed or something. Could you have a separate track playing for each player? So like you're racing, but you're playing to separate tracks kind of thing.

Like that could be kind of cool. Like, yeah, they could do a lot of this. I was just thinking about like how in like guitar hero you could go like against one another for like master of puppets or something like that and doing it like that. Yeah. You're just like, oh God, oh God, oh God. But yeah, beat for speed looks incredible. I'm very excited to see where it goes. We have not gotten really any release date, any kind of thing like that.

But they put like a video out every week. And so it makes me think like they're doing something. Yeah. maybe in early access, if nothing else, but I'm hoping to see a full game. Don't say that easy. Okay. We saved the best for last, guys.

Honestly, I think this is the best looking, best, like, most interesting concept for the game. And that's a game called Fresco, which, I don't know why it's called Fresco. I didn't look into that. I guess it's probably a... That's the term for a, like, what you see on the walls. Is it?

It's not hieroglyphs. Okay. Well, the more you know. But it's an Egyptian action-adventure style game. where you'll play as an archaeologist in a 3D environment rebuilding these walls and these fresco and then you'll also take control of the people within the paintings and do some 2D platforming and fighting and things like that in there and it's all one big puzzle adventure game and it looks absolutely incredible and i know ryan's probably a big fan of it just because of where it's set i am uh so one thing that we always talk about is um like where's the um um design and the unique nature in video games and what where are people coming up with something that's different something that's unique like this is the thought of running across like where you go and you place there's a part where you place the block where your character is and you place it

on the wall and then they're able to move the section to get you to move on like i love it like um it's it's there's something about it like it just it just fits so well it's seems like such a unique idea that they've, they've fleshed out and created. Like a lot of games have, have cool ideas and stuff and it just doesn't work out, but like this seems like, playing through the wall to where like,

then the characters on the wall have to do something to unlock the next room and they move it and then the wall opens up. And then you're able to kind of move on and get further through the level. I love it. I am biased towards this time period. I'm an ancient

Egyptologist guy. I love all of it and everything to do with it. But this one looked just genuinely overall, just like a super, super solid, really cool, unique game. I love it.

I mean, just in the trailer alone, it looks so polished and clean. Oh, dude. I can't believe it's... You're not wrong, when you said this is the best game of the bunch. Like,

it's hard to quantify. People need to watch this trailer because this game looks really, really impressive to me. You know, what I love is this, like, and that's kind of the thing that the whole premise of this episode is like Indies that actually look unique, right? Like they stand out. They're not, you know, it's not one Metroidvania in a sea of a thousand Metroidvanians.

And so like every game that we have talked about for good or bad has stood out. But Fresco stands out in a lot of ways, dude. like visually speaking it's beautiful the seeing these these like hieroglyphic like characters they're they're not hieroglyphics because that's just like shapes and stuff like these are fully painted like hand-drawn characters on the wall but you can tell that you're playing as one and you are trying to solve puzzles right so that's like that's a premise alone but then when you take it where you actually get to be the guy that is observing these guys and now like at one point they show like a boss fight like where a giant alligator

rips through a wall into the real world and now you have to deal with that like as the guy like this it's weird because it's like it's almost like it's a cooperative puzzle game but you play by yourself but you have two different characters that you are

playing as this also kind of reminds me of a very anticipated game called screenbound I don't know if you guys have seen that it's the one where you have the Game Boy like you're walking around with the Game Boy and you control that and then you go into that world, but then you come out of that world to play in the real world kind of thing. And Fresco reminds me of that in a lot of ways,

which is just such a neat, unique take where you can do so many things, dude. And they showcase a lot of that in this trailer with like having to pick up a piece, like, you know, a broken piece of like tile and then carry it over to a wall so that you can get your little guy that's in the fresco to like move over to this part. I love this stuff, dude. Like, puzzle game, platforming elements, like ancient Egypt boss fights. Like, this game looks like it's very, very fleshed out. It also phenomenally helps that it just looks really good at the same time. Like, yeah, this one's, like, actually, you know what? This one's going on my wish list right now. I already, I literally went and I had to go back into steam because it was like through the internet one. It's like, you're not logged in. I'm like,

oh, crap. So I had to go in and I went and I searched it up and I put it on. my wish list 100%. Yeah, there's parts where you go and you like you said Josh, you put the piece in and then your character hops on a boat and like rose the boat and you move across and then you like hit a wheel and you have to move stuff across

and before you get to the next section like there's so much there and I love the back and forth between it like where you're working through the walls to get through these puzzles and then you also have to fight this big boss

that's in first person. Like you're actually doing it. So it's not just that, which would probably get a little boring over time, but like it's the back and forth that would keep it fresh, keep it new. And like you said, it looks good. This shows that indie games don't all have to look bad.

Like you can make a really good looking game. Indie developers, you guys got the tools, man. There's a lot there. There's a lot there. I know I'm not a developer. I'm not a game developer, but there's the stuff there. This is the example of that. I'm very, this is far and away,

one of the most exciting games that you've brought to the table for me, Ace, in a long time. I'm stuck for this one. Fair enough. I think it looks great. Yeah, I love it. I think it looks. I think it looks, I think it looks good. I think the gameplay is going to be awesome.

And then the period time of it and everything obviously sets, you know, Meifire, like I love that part of it, but even without that, I think it overall looks good. And you could tell the developers understand ancient Egyptian lore and like stories and things like that with just how much is in there. You have the scarabs running across the

doorway is chasing you down. You have Amit, the soul leader, as the boss fight as you're carrying a ghostly copesh. I love it. This is crazy. We talk about games not having originality or not being like willing to push the envelope or something like that.

and this game looks super unique. They knew what they were going for. You can tell they nail it. Like, honestly, this is the kind of game that we want to see because it does look original. It does look unique. It does look good. We talk about so many games, but like, how many are you actually, like, excited to talk about? How many do you remember?

How many do you remember? And how many are you like, I'm excited to talk about this. Like, I want to talk about it. I want to talk more about it. And I want to see more about it. and I want to play it. Like, that's where I'm out with this game. And, um, yeah, dude.

I mean, that, that was the point of this episode is just there's so many games. And it's so overwhelming now that they're all so similar. They're all so, I don't want to see low effort, mid at points where you just kind of feel overwhelmed by it all that you've got to find the diamonds in the rough and bring them forward. The ones that actually you're trying to stand out and trying to do something cool. Yeah. And Fresco is doing the most. Yeah. And that's, I mean, that's why we do these episodes. You know, there's probably some of the listeners that go, like, you know, you guys talk about a lot of games, right?

But it's like there's a reason that we bring some of these games to the forefront because, you know, if people don't know about them, then people can't buy them. And if they can't buy them, then things like this that look original and look fun and look unique, they don't succeed. And we want more of this in the gaming world, you know. And so that's why we talk about these games. that's why we give our honest opinions, you know, like, just because I don't like a game or Ryan doesn't like a game doesn't mean that, you know, somebody out there isn't going to think your painting, sir, looks great. And that's awesome. Like, that's why we cover it. Even if we pick on a game and we joke about it, you know, it's like, that doesn't mean that we don't want it to interest you. Like, that's why we brought it up in the first place. Like, we're just giving dumb opinions on some of these sometimes because that's what we do. But like, we're trying to put these in front of gamers so that unique, you know, games like this can actually stand a chance in a sea of mediocrity, you know, and a, you're afraid to say it, I'll say it, is that there are a lot of very, very mid games out there. I think a lot of developers are just trying to get their feet under them and it's,

they have to learn the ropes and you do that by doing something that's very safe and comfortable, which doesn't really sell you a lot of games either, but then you have games like fresco, you know what I mean? Or puppeteer, no strings attached or, you know, like it's, or Penguin Colony, right? where it's such a different take on something, where it's like, that's why we point these games out to people. Every gamer is different.

Everybody likes different stuff, you know, but sometimes a game shows out. There was 10,800 indie games released in 2025 on Steam. Yeah, 10,000 games, dude. I didn't cover all of them. I'm sorry. That's almost a thousand games a month.

Yeah, that's what it's true. But here's the problem. A lot of those games, and I'm not, this is not shade to the developers, but a lot of those games are mid. They're clones of other games and they don't do anything to stand apart. And you know what?

That's okay. If it's a learning experience for the developer and they go, look, now that I know how to develop a game, I can make the game that I want to make. Right. Like, great. That's the way the process should work. But again, this is why, especially on these indie episodes, we love talking like some of these lesser known games or games that we've never heard of. Because the goal is to get games like Fresco in front of people so that they can go, whoa. Like this is a unique looking game.

I'm interested in this. Let me wish list it. Let me check it out. And then that kind of fortifies the things that we want to see in the industry. Yep. Yeah. Absolutely. I could not have said that better myself.

And I'm glad you said it because now I don't have to say it. And I get all the credit now, Ace. Yeah, you get all the credit. Now you get to go on TikTok. Chat, don't clip that. Well, that's going to wrap up this little, you know, Indies of interest for us. I'm going to go ahead and recap it real quick before we close out here.

That was your paintings. Iron Bramble, Penguin Colony, ballistic cards, puppeteer, no strings attached, beat for speed, and finally, Fresco. If any of these games sounded interesting to you, go wishlist them. Wishlist them now, that makes sure you don't miss it. That makes sure the developer knows there's interest in their game.

I know you get tired of hearing it, but wishlisting makes a difference. You heard it like just last week that wishlisting makes a difference. And I'll have the link in the description of the episode. Please look down there. If anything piques your interest, check it out. It'll be, there'll be a link there. You'll be able to click it and wish list it.

It'll take you right to the page. Yep. Yeah. Yeah, see. Ryan made it easy for you. You don't even have to go search. You don't have to go to type it anywhere. Yep.

You don't have to remember what they're called. Just click it. But that will be all for this episode. If you made it this far and you enjoyed, be sure to rate us five stars. If you're on Apple, leave us a comment. you're on Spotify. We see every comment. I see every comment as well on my personal account. Some of you probably noticed me there. Some of you probably think I'm a troll. Both can be true. Both can be true. Both are true. If you truly enjoyed this show,

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The Oasis, baby. That said, yeah, the Oasis. That said pretty often. But I think that's all for this episode. So until next time, happy gaming. See ya. All right, see everybody.