This Week’s Best New Indie Games to Try Now

Indie game season is in full swing, and this week’s roundup brings a mix of retro thrills, cozy sims and clever experimental designs. If you’re browsing the Steam Spring Sale and wondering what to grab, here are the highlights that stood out.

Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! leans into retro FPS vibes with a satirical military framing. Auroch Digital and Dotemu deliver an action-packed, four-to-five-hour romp with callbacks to Paul Verhoeven’s film and voice work from Casper Van Dien. It’s loud, funny and occasionally one-note, but the tactical nukes and chaotic set pieces make it a satisfying blast — currently discounted until March 24 across PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2.

For something slower and nostalgia-fueled, Retro Rewind: Video Store Simulator recreates the VHS-era rental shop experience. You’ll design the store, stock tapes (and bootlegs), manage staff and chase late fees. There’s a demo on Steam, and the atmosphere will hit anyone who remembers the heyday of video rentals.

In Their Shoes offers a narrative-driven, mumblecore-influenced visual novel that follows seven interconnected lives in Milan. Short interactive scenes, timed choices and a timeline mechanic make it feel like a compact, intimate storytelling experiment — currently discounted on Steam.

On the lighter side, World’s Goodest Pup is a roguelike deckbuilder built around competitive dog shows and pet-resort downtime, while Bonnie Bear Saves Frogtime mixes comedy adventure with collectible frog battles and a heartwarming community message.

Looking ahead, Dark Scrolls (yes, the name), Beyond Words and Sound System each promise unique spins on roguelite action, word-based strategy and community-driven rhythm gameplay. Demos are available for several titles, and many have launch discounts — perfect for trying before you buy.

If you follow indie games, this is a good moment to explore demos and sales: there’s something here whether you want explosive action, cozy management or inventive narrative experiments.