Out of all the world premiere-filled gaming streams that happen throughout a year, The Triple-i Initiative has gradually become a personal favorite over time. The event, which focuses exclusively on independent games, is always an unpredictable watch compared to shows like Summer Game Fest. Last week’s Triple-i Initiative stream was no different, showing off 40 games across a jam-packed 45 minutes.
While the stream gave us some updates on anticipated games like The Talos Principle 3 and Pony Island 2: Panda Circus, it also showed off an eclectic array of newly announced indies. While all of those games are worth adding to your Steam wishlist, here’s a selection of six games that especially stood out to us.
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1
Machinarium 2
Following up this year’s wonderful Phonopolis, developer Amanita Design’s next project is Machinarium 2. It’s a sequel to 2009’s Machinarium, a cult classic puzzle adventure game about a lost robot. Though we only got a quick glimpse of it, that was enough to show that Machinrium 2 once again features absolutely stunning hand-drawn art.
2
Jiaohun
I don’t know much about Jiaohun after watching its terrifying debut trailer, but I do know that I need to see more of whatever developer 12AM Blackout is cooking. The psychological horror game looks like a surreal trip through hell built for anyone who thought that Silent Hill f wasn’t weird enough.
3
Militsioner
There are plenty of stealth games that have you avoiding guards, but how many of them ask you to evade a titanic cop that looms over a city? That’s the sales pitch for the very unsettling Militsioner, coming next year from Mouthwashing publisher Critical Reflex. It’s true nightmare fuel, but it also looks like a killer immersive sim.
4
Lazare’s Sacrifice
At a glance, Lazare’s Sacrifice may look a bit like a more illustrative spin on Gwent, the excellent card game featured in The Witcher 3. Well, that’s because it was actually developed in collaboration with Gwent creator Damien Monnier. The original twist here is that it’s actually a retelling of the French Revolution housed within a card battling game.
5
Prison of Husks
Ever wonder what Dark Souls would have looked like running on a PlayStation 2? That’s more or less the pitch for Prison of Husks, an upcoming Soulslike that looks like a demake of a FromSoftware game. At least from a visual standpoint, developer Glass Head Dolls seems to have nailed the assignment with its use of fuzzy polygons that give it all a dreamy look.
6
Gods With Badges
After dipping into the tactics genre with last year’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown, developer Strange Scaffold is going back to the well for Gods With Badges. The upcoming turn-based strategy game will tackle some timely questions about policing and the easily-abused responsibility that comes with it.