The best May indie games are the perfect way to ease into the upcoming warmer months. Well, as perfect as “not being a swimming pool that’s somehow free” can manage. There are, as ever, a lot of cool-looking games heading our way in May, and if you’re looking for something that’s a little bit off the beaten path, then you’ll do very well to check some of them out.
We’ve made a list of some of the highlights from the month so that you can keep your beady, or non-beady, eyes peeled for them. Whether you’re an action person, someone who likes games to be a bit more thoughtful, or basically any other kind of gamer, there’ll be something for you here.
Undead Inc. – 2
Sometimes zombies are good. Well, maybe not good, but they make for some good games. Undead Inc lets you establish your own branch of the Endswell Medical Corporation, where you’ll have to build, budget, and manage your lab as you look into fantastic new medical treatments and the odd bioweapon. Are you the baddies? Maybe, but it looks like fun.
Heading Out – 7
Heading Out takes some cues from the Sin City style of visuals, meaning you’ll only ever see yellows, reds, and blues here and there as you drive across the USA in this road movie-inspired racing game. You start each run by answering questions about who you are and then get to play out your character for as long as you can, trying to avoid the law along the way.
V Rising – 8
If you like vampires and base building, and statistically speaking that’s a surprisingly large crossover of people, then you’ll love V Rising. Having been in Early Access for nearly two years it officially launches on May 8th with an official Castlevania crossover in tow. It has you playing as a vampire trying to survive by feeding on everything around you, enthralling people, and taking out vampire hunters. It’s great fun, and especially good with friends.
Crow Country – 9
If you miss the olden days of PS1 horror, then Crow Country is basically made for you. It’s a survival horror game where you investigate a very creepy and very closed-themed park called Crow Country, in a lovely retro graphic style. It seems like a terrible idea, but hey, if people didn’t make silly decisions, we’d never have any stories to enjoy or games to play. Also, there’s a demo available.
Paper Trail – 21
Ingenious puzzles – check. Handcrafted environments – check. Unique art style – check. Paper Trail ticks a lot of the boxes we look for in a gorgeous indie puzzler. You must aid Paige (get it) on her first journey outside of the home by literally folding pages (or twisting, rotating, contorting and more) to help her complete puzzles and connect the world. It’s truly a novel idea…
Harvest Hunt – 22
Next on our list is another horror game, because May deserves to be unsettling, apparently. Harvest Hunt, which also has a demo, is a roguelike survival horror game where you play as a Warden who has to try to protect a village from a bevvy of monsters that’d have even the most hardened protagonist crying in a corner. It sounds great but make sure you play it with a comforting cuddly toy nearby.
Zet Zillions – 23
Another game, another demo. Zet Zillions is a story-driven roguelike where you have to beat up planets. Look, it’s not about being serious, it’s about being cool, and frankly, Zet Zillions has that all locked up. You’ll need to mix and match cards to create new abilities and combos, and try and survive as long as you can in this weird and messed up version of the universe.
Nightmare Kart – 31
Finally, we’ve got a game that’s coming out for free. Previously known as Bloodborne Kart, Nightmare Kart is a PS1-style kart racing game featuring all sorts of nods to FromSoftware’s gothic horror masterpiece. It looks like some of the most fun you can have on four wheels and we’re incredibly excited to take it out for a spin.
