Several major indie game studios such as Evil Empire (Dead Cells), Red Hook Studios (Darkest Dungeon), Re-Logic (Terraria), and Mega Crit (Slay the Spire), recently came together to form the Triple-I Initiative. The goal of the Initiative is to create their own E3-like digital showcase, focusing exclusively on indie game content.
The 45-minute Triple-I Initiative Showcase streamed this week. It did not have a host, nor any commercials or ads.
“We felt a need for a showcase that highlights wildly different indie games but that have one thing in common; they resonate with millions of players around the world. Since using letters seems to be the trend in the industry, we figured that adding a couple of “i’s” to indie was a fair way to describe this new format. Also, triple-i just sounds cool,” said Bérenger Dupré, Marketing Director, Evil Empire.
I respectfully disagree about triple-i sounding cool. Triple-I is a play on “AAA” games, which are big budget, tentpole releases by major publishers. But it is cool to see indies supporting indies!
The biggest announcement of the show is Slay the Spire 2, coming to Early Access in 2025. Slay the Spire defined the modern deckbuilder roguelike, a genre that exploded in popularity among indie gaming over the last several years.
Here’s a quick run-through of other exciting indie games to add to your wishlist:
Broken Roads is an old-school RPG inspired by Fallout and Disco Elysium, set in the Australian Outback. It’s available now.
Cataclismo uses LEGO-like base building with survival and tower defense against waves of enemy creatures. A free demo is available.
Dino Lords is a medieval strategy-building game with a hilariously awesome twist. It’s launching soon in Early Access.
Gestalt: Steam & Cinder is a fabulously pixelated action-platformer in a steampunk world. A free demo is available.
Hyper Light Breaker expands the world of Hyper Light Drifter into a fully 3D, open world roguelite with randomly generated levels. It’s currently in Early Access and supports online co-op.
Laysara: Summit Kingdom is a base building strategy game set around hazardous mountains. It’s currently available in Early Access.
Norland combines Rimworld and other simulation games with the medieval themes and storytelling of Crusader Kings. It’s launching May 16.
Undermine 2 is a dungeon-crawling action roguelike that supports two-player co-op.
Rakugaki is a 3D action-adventure game with a supremely cool style as you restore art and color to a dystopian city.
Ravenwatch is a roguelike action game set in a twisted version of Arthurian legend. It’s currently in Early Access, and supports up to four player co-op.
The Rogue Prince of Persia is an odd inclusion, as Ubisoft is definitely not indie — but the developer, Evil Empire of Dead Cells fame, is. The Rogue is a sidescrolling, acrobatic roguelike hitting Steam Early Access on May 14.
Streets of Rogue 2 expands the original wacky, pixelated roguelike into a fully open world sandbox adventure, including co-op. It’s coming to Steam Early Access later this year.
What the Car? is a humorous physics-based puzzle game as you maneuver a car with wacky additions (and limbs!) toward the exit. A free demo is available.
Wizard of Legend 2 keeps the fast-paced, co-op, rogue-like, spell-slinging action of the original with new 3D graphics and online co-op support.
Updates to existing indie games include:
- Cross-platform co-op coming to My Time at Sandrock
- The Dead Cells Prisoner arriving as a playable character in Risk of Rain 2
- Crazy-looking Contra-DLC coming to Vampire Survivors
- Darkest Dungeon 2 is getting a new game mode in the free Kingdoms update
- V Rising is getting a Legacy of Castlevania DLC pack.
The Triple-I Initiative is supported by discounts on Steam and GOG on many popular indie titles, including Dead Cells, Slay the Spire, Risk of Rain 2, Streets of Rage 4, and Darkest Dungeon 2.
