You might think there aren’t that many upcoming games in April, and you’d be wrong. It’s true this month is missing big spotlight-stealing hits like Resident Evil Requiem or Pokémon Pokopia, but there’s a trove of indie games flying under the radar that we’re keeping an eye on in between things like Pragmata and Outbound. God games, convenience store sims, more Moomin, builders, and mouse shooters — it’s a strong month for variety, and value, as nearly all of these games cost a fraction of what you’d pay for a new AAA game.
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Masters of Albion
- Release date: April 22
- Demo available: No
Masters of Albion, Peter Molyneux’s effort at rejuvenating the “god game” genre he helped create, seems like a pretty ambitious swing. It’s your usual god game fare, in that you’re responsible for all the big stuff going on. But you can also influence every individual, down to the village dog, and see how your decisions influence all the little peasants under your care. There’s a tower defense component, as you fend off the forces of darkness at night; an extensive focus on exploration and digging up magical treasures to outfit your heroes with; and the option to personally build every structure in your kingdom. It might be promising a bit too much, but with the lack of god games in recent years, it’s just nice to see Molyneaux taking another crack at what he does best.
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Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth
- Release date: April 27
- Demo available: Yes
The makers of the award-winning Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley are delving back into the world of Tove Jansson’s beautiful Moomin books with Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth. It’s a “narrative puzzle adventure” like its predecessor — which, in normal speak, means there’s a lot of story and some light puzzle solving — but it takes an even more Moomin approach than before. Moomin wakes up alone and desperately wanting someone to care for him, but he learns the best way to feel less alone is to help bring warmth and light to others. Life lessons, gentle puzzles, gorgeous visual direction pulled straight from Jansson’s books — it’s ticking all the right boxes for an essential cozy game.
