Peak On Consoles, Hockey Roguelites And Other New Indie Games Worth Checking Out

After choosing a squad (each of which has its own rules and playstyle), you’ll take on an array of opponents that includes a soccer team and “farting princesses.” You can find synergies between abilities that could help make your team feel unstoppable. It’s hockey, so you’ll get into fights too. Your buds might be able to help out, as here’s co-op support for up to 10 local players.

Until this week, Tape to Tape had been in early access since 2023. The developers say they’ve upgraded the audio and visuals, revamped the campaign, and improved gameplay mechanics.

I much prefer arcade sports games to sims, so I might give this a bash. Also, I adore the name of the developer, Excellent Rectangle. That’s a killer Parks and Recreation reference.

Mycopunk

Developer: Pigeons at Play
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Platforms: Steam (Windows; leaving early access), PS5
Price: Usually $15, with a 50 percent discount on Steam until November 3. Also on PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium

I’ve played a few missions in Mycopunk, a stylish co-op looter shooter. I dig the grungy, Moebius-inspired art direction and the fast, frenetic action. The gist is that you’re helping to wipe out a fungus that’s taken over a planet. The infected enemies are modular, so there’s some strategy involved as you try to focus on certain parts you want to disable first. However, you’ll need to account for other baddies, as they can pick up and use dropped weapons.

I really like the weapon upgrade grid, as it offers many ways to experiment with off-the-wall builds. There are lots of other smart, thoughtful touches here, including a hub that’s actually fun to explore and mess around in. Mycopunk doesn’t quite feel sticky enough for it to slot into my regular rotation just yet, but I’ve flown solo thus far. Maybe it’ll feel different if I can pull a squad together and jump in with them.

Cucina Stellata

Developer: Filthy Eden
Publisher: Critical Reflex
Platform: Steam (Windows; Steam Deck Verified)
Price: Free

Perhaps you’re trying to save cash for the next Steam sale or a certain blockbuster that’s out on consoles next month, but you’re looking for something new and scary to play in the run up to Halloween. Cucina Stellata might check the boxes, especially because it’s free. It was announced and released during the Critical Reflex Time showcase.

This is a short psychological horror game set in the Italian countryside in the 19th century. The trailer doesn’t give too much away of the game’s scary side outside of some squelchy sound effects, but the cooking aspect looks interesting. If you’d like to support the developer, there’s a $5 “supporter pack” DLC. It offers illustrations as well as recipes from Cucina Stellata that you can put together IRL.

Grease Trap ’99

Developer/publisher: James Muirhead
Platform: Steam (Windows)
Price: Usually $5, with a 10 percent discount until November 4

Here’s a good reason why it’s smart for developers to promote their games in every relevant space they can think of. I found out about Grease Trap ’99 after its creator posted about it in r/Scotland on Reddit this week. I’m glad James Muirhead did that, because this game looks right up my street.

It’s a horror mystery with a dash of comedy that takes place in a fish and chip shop in the Scottish Highlands. At first glance, the setting looks like every “chippie” I frequented while I was growing up, but here something is growing beneath the floor. It’s up to you to deduce what’s what. Grease Trap ’99 has retro, low-poly visuals and it’s a short game that should take less than an hour to complete. It’s fully voice-acted in Gaelic, which I speak maybe two words of. There are English subtitles, thankfully, so I plan to eat this one up.