August 23, 2023, 10:20 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
A more or less secret star of Gamescom is always the area of smaller indie studios. There, gaming fans can discover new titles away from the big names. These games are worth keeping an eye on.
At Gamescom 2023, the big names in the gaming industry are once again making their presence felt. This year, after the pandemic-related lull, bigger names are back. However, many also come for the Indie Arena Booth, the large area on the fairgrounds where smaller indie studios explicitly present their current games. There, visitors can discover little gems that are both highly entertaining and often cost less than the big AAA titles. TECHBOOK is on-site at Gamescom and provides an overview of which indie games you should take a closer look at during the fair–and, of course, beyond.
What is the Indie Arena Booth?
It’s no surprise that a large portion of the games at Gamescom come from smaller indie studios. And this year, the announced lineup is impressive in terms of scope alone. Nearly 160 games are currently listed, involving 154 studios from 30 different countries.
The range of content spans all genres in a colorful mix. Jump-‘n’-run titles are represented just as much as role-playing or strategy games. Indie games are generally characterized by a particularly creative approach, an unusually imaginative story, or other charming little details, which is why they are so popular among gamers.
The Indie Arena Booth can be found at Gamescom 2023 in Hall 10 and opens, like the rest of the fair, on August 23.
Also interesting: How the Opening Night Live at Gamescom 2023 went
The Highlights of the Indie Arena Booth 2023
The complete list of all exhibitors and games can be found on the website of the Indie Arena Booth. If you want to get in the mood, you can also get first impressions of some games in the following trailer.
Pax Augusta
We didn’t expect to see the return of the Roman city-building simulator at Gamescom 2023. But a Swiss developer, who meticulously models detailed buildings from the Roman Empire era in his spare time, is making a dream come true for many.
At his small booth, the developer, who is actually a trained window maker, shows us an accurately recreated model of the Lupanar–the Roman brothel–in Pompeii. Even the amphitheater from his hometown Augusta Raurica, now Augst, is reconstructed as historically accurate as possible.
The game “Pax Augusta” is available for pre-order on Steam, and the launch is “approaching”–we can hardly wait.
Also exciting: “Shadows Over Loathing”–Stick figures solving crimes
Farewell North
We didn’t necessarily have “Farewell North” on our radar. But that’s the beauty of a fair like Gamescom–you sometimes discover little surprises.
In this small indie title, we were particularly impressed by the graphics. The goal is to bring color back to a shadowy ghost world. To do this, you explore the lovingly designed open world as a dog, uncover old memories, and explore hidden paths.
Other Titles
The TECHBOOK editorial team is also looking forward to these titles in the Indie Arena 2023:
- Prim (Common Colors)–Adventure game in the style of a black-and-white graphic novel
- Pioneers of Pagonia (Envision Entertainment)–new building game from “Settlers” creator Volker Wertich
- Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew (Mimimi Games)–real-time tactics game about undead pirates; released shortly before the start of Gamescom
- Dark Envoy (Event Horizon Limited)–dark sci-fi role-playing game with an intricate story
- Gift (Toydium Inc.)–promising action game where you must escape from a sinking ship
- Reka (Emberstorm Entertainment)–role-playing game where you play as Baba Yaga’s apprentice
- Born of Bread (Wildarts Games)–turn-based adventure game about a flour demon
Have you discovered an especially exciting and recommendable game at the Indie Arena Booth 2023? Then feel free to send us an email with the corresponding tip at info@techbook.de