A Grief-Stricken Road Trip, The Traitors On The Go And Other New Indie Games Worth Checking Out

The Traitors: Interactive Game

Developer: Fusebox Games
Platforms: iOS, Android
Price: Free, with in-app purchases

Despite my best intentions, I am hooked on the latest season of The Celebrity Traitors. I am generally terrible at social deception games since I’m a rotten liar so, as with the aforementioned Among Us spinoff, a single-player spin on the format could be fun.

The action plays out in similar fashion to the show. The aim is to survive until the end of the game, either as a Faithful or Traitor. After picking a character trait, you’ll choose daily outfits, tackle missions to increase the prize pot, forge alliances with other characters and either try to vote out Traitors or eliminate Faithfuls. I don’t love that there are microtransactions here, but I’ll still give it a go.

Shil

Developers: OSM Games, Nuostabūs Žaidimai
Publisher: OSM Games
Platform: Meta Quest. Coming to Steam later
Price: $15

The last time I heard about this trippy-looking puzzle platformer, back in May, it was supposed to be hitting Steam and VR next year, but it’s already out on Meta Quest. The developers used silhouettes and a two-tone art style to create some striking visuals that mask secrets and threats.

The latest trailer for this horror-inflected game is almost enough to make me want to snap up a Quest headset so I can play it now. Maybe the Steam version (a release date for which is said to be coming “very soon”) will prompt me to finally hook up the PS VR2 adaptor that’s been next to my PC for over a year.

Echo Weaver

Developer: Moonlight Kids
Publisher: Akupara Games
Platforms: Steam (Windows, Mac; Steam Deck Verified; demo available), Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Xbox for PC, PS5 (with a one-hour trial for PS Plus Premium members), Switch 2
Price: Usually $20, with a 10 percent discount on Steam until October 22. Also available on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

In similar fashion to my favorite game from last year, a “Metroidbrainia” called Öoo, you’ll need to have your thinking cap on while playing Echo Weaver. Unlike in many Metroidvanias, your progress here is gated by your knowledge rather than unlockable powers. You’ll start with all of the abilities you need to beat the game, but it might take you a while to figure out what they are and how to use them.

You’ll also need to conquer a time loop. Here, time is a resource you can consume to heal, trade and even open up new routes. I’m into the art direction of this game, and I always enjoy having a glaive as a weapon. This particular one has reality-bending powers, which makes it even more appealing. While I may sometimes struggle with puzzles, there’s little I like more in games than that “a-ha!” moment when you hit upon a solution. Echo Weaver seems like it could have quite a few of those.