Top 9 Budget-Friendly Indie Games in Steam's Big Sale
- Independent Games Festival Sale includes deals on 2024's 1000XRESIST and more.
- VENBA: A narrative cooking game about an immigrant family from India in Toronto.
- 1000XRESIST: A sci-fi narrative adventure about the Asian diaspora and generational trauma.
- DEAR ESTHER: A walking sim uncovering a story on an abandoned island.
- A SHORT HIKE: Complete a journey to the top of a mountain with touching stories.
The Top 10 Most Played Games On Steam Deck February 2024 Edition
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2024 GO Media News
9 Incredible Games To Get For Cheap During Steam's Big Indie Festival Sale
By Willa Rowe
Published Monday 1:15 PM
The Independent Games Festival Sale includes deals on 2024's 1000XRESIST and more.
After this year's Steam Summer Sale, you might think you don't need more games.
The Independent Games Festival's Celebration Days is here to change your mind.
The GDC-based indie awards show is hosting its own impressive sale on Steam until July 20th.
It's giving you a chance to get some of the best indie games around.
That includes classics like Dear Esther and this year's stunning 1000xRESIST.
If your wallet is still hurting from the summer sale, you can still peruse the myriad demos on offer during IGF Celebration Days.
To help you make sense of all the games you can get on discount, here are nine titles we think you shouldn't miss.
Venba
This narrative cooking game has a runtime of under two hours but it packs an emotional punch.
Venba focuses on the story of an immigrant family from India trying to make a life for themselves in Toronto.
The mother, Venba, holds on to her past through cooking.
Through cooking minigames and dialogue-heavy cutscenes, Venba paints a deeply emotional story about the struggle of an immigrant family.
Be warned, you'll probably want to buy some Indian takeout after playing this.
1000XRESIST
1000xRESIST is a sci-fi narrative adventure with shades of NieR and 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim.
It's a story about the Asian diaspora and generational trauma.
As a member of the last society on earth, you have the power to dig through your god's memories.
1000xRESIST feels confident and stylish in its aesthetic and narrative presentation.
It's worth experiencing for yourself.
The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood
One part deck builder and one part visual novel, The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood was one of 2023's standout indie titles.
Protagonist Fortuna, a fortunetelling witch, serves out a thousand-year sentence for predicting the collapse of her own coven.
She summons a demon to help her and gains the ability to create her own tarot deck.
Building cards takes the form of an MS paint-like interface that makes each player's deck uniquely their own.
Dear Esther
If you enjoy a walking sim, give Dear Esther a look.
Released in 2012, the game drops you onto a gorgeous but seemingly abandoned island.
As you walk around, you uncover bits of information about a small cast of characters you'll never actually meet.
The game ties together its threads into a fuzzy story about the unhappinesses we experience in life.
Ladykiller in a Bind
The best part about the erotic visual novel Ladykiller in a Bind is how unabashedly queer and unconventional it is.
The protagonist is a woman crossdressing as her twin brother who seduces the men and women around her into some steamy BDSM scenes.
The game delivers its sexiness, humor, and seriousness with a deft hand.
It's a caring and celebratory showcase of unconventional sex and gender with a high respect for consent.
The Case of the Golden Idol
The Case of the Golden Idol is a game about solving a series of progressively complex murders and other crimes.
Each case is presented in the form of a snapshot of a scene where you must put together what actually happened.
The experience takes a lot of logical reasoning and deductive work.
Finally cracking a case is a feeling that never gets old.
Mediterranea Inferno
Mediterranea Inferno is a visual novel with a lot going on.
It has a psychedelic art style that is mesmerizing to look at.
The game tells a story about the Covid pandemic, queerness, and figuring out identity.
The characters just laze about as if nothing will ever happen, reflecting the limbo of their lives during the pandemic.
A Short Hike
As the name suggests, A Short Hike's objective is to complete a journey to the top of a mountain.
Along the way, you'll encounter lovable locals with their own tasks and stories.
A Short Hike wraps a touching story about growing up and the realities of life and death into a short, sweet package.
Umurangi Generation
Umurangi Generation works as a great companion piece to Mediterranea Inferno.
It's a game about dealing with the Covid pandemic and feelings of being lost.
The game is also about documenting the lead-up to the end of the world.
Umurangi Generation seeks to be a piece of decolonialist art featuring Maori culture and language.
All of these pieces are pulled together by stunning art, making the end of the world an eerie delight to get lost in.
