Indie Video Game Calendar 2021 (March Update) | Game Rant

Indie games had a huge year in 2020, and several even became financial and critical successes. Some, like Among Us, skyrocketed in popularity even though they were released in previous years. Others, like Hades, reinvigorated a genre while finding itself nominated for several awards. The case is clear, players still love indie games. Plus, that momentum doesn’t seem to be slowing down for 2021.

With hundreds of games planned for the year overall, indie developers will still be able to make standouts. In the end, indie games will help carry gamers through 2021, especially while waiting for bigger titles that might be delayed, or as players try to find new gaming experiences. While this list won’t be able to cover every single indie game that will be released in 2021, there will be plenty of examples of the kind of games coming this year.

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With a new year comes new games, and that is still the case for indie titles. Developers were able to release their games into the world, and the solo developer for Cyber Shadow was able to finally release his big project.

So whether players want to try their hand at managing a hockey team in the mobile Retro Hockey Coach 2021, or checking out the Wii U-exclusive Seasonal Assistant, January already introduced a bunch of new games.

• Yeminj / T_T Games – January 5 (PC)
• Two Die / Jon Lamont, Jon Braun – January 6 (PC)
• Wetware / Brainfists LLC – January 7 (PC)
• Street Cleaner: The Video Game / Creaky Lantern Games – January 7 (PC)
• Skellboy Refractured / Umaiki Games – Jan 13 (PC, Switch)
• Cloud Climber / Two Star Games – January 14 (PC)
• Sunlight / Krillbite Studios – January 14 (PC)
• Pixel Game Maker Series Werewolf Princess Kaguya / SERIALGAMES – January 14 (PC, Switch)
• Shadow Gangs / JKM Corp – January 14 (PC, Switch, Xbox One)
• Ancient Abyss / Screambox Studio – January 14 (PC)
• Reach The Summit / xproject, Kazakov Studios – January 15 (PC)
• Jumpala / Yokereba Games – January 19 (PC)
• Frame Of Mind / [SAMPLE TEXT] Studios – January 19 (PC)
• Orange Cast / Team Rez – January 21 (PC)
• Skul: The Hero Slayer / SouthPAW Games – January 21 (PC)
• Redout: Space Assault / 34BigThings – January 22 (iOS, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
• Cyber Shadow / Mechanical Head Studios – January 26 (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
• Golden Force / No Gravity Games – January 28 (PC, PS4, Switch)
• Olija / Skeleton Crew Studio – January 28 (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
• Retro Hockey Coach 2021 / Swipe Studios – January 28 (Android, iOS)
• Sword of the Necromancer / Grimorio of Games – January 28 (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
• Encodya / Chaosmonger Studio – January 29 (PC)
• Gods Will Fall / Clever Beans, Deep Silver – January 29 (PC, Ps4, Stadia, Switch, Xbox One)
• Seasonal Assistant / Ultra Dolphin Revolution – January 28 (Wii U)

February was a big month for indie developers, and that was proven by none other than break-out star, Valheim. The Viking-themed survival and crafting game was all over the Steam charts, and was so popular that Valheim passed 5 million sales in its first month, huge for a game from a small development team. For gamers who liked 2020’s hit Hades, looking into Curse of the Dead Gods might provide another interesting experience. Overall, February had a bunch of options, from the mermaid romances in Aquadine, to the action platformer Blue Fire, and even the bakery sim Lemon Cake.

• The Captain Is Dead / Thunderbox Entertainment – February 1 (PC)
• Valheim / Iron Gate Studio – February 2 (PC)
• Binarystar Infinity / Forever Entertainment – February 4 (PC, Switch)
• Blue Fire / ROBI Studios – February 4 (PC, Switch)
• Henry Mosse and the Wormhole Conspiracy / Bad Goat Games – February 4 (PC)
• Nuts / Joon, Pol, Muutsch, Char & Torfi – February 4 (Apple Arcade, PC, Switch)
• One Shell Straight To Hell / Shotgun with Glitters – February 9 (PC)
• Earth Analog / Funcraft Games – February 11 (PC)
• Aquadine / SoftColors – February 12 (PC)
• Dragonborne / Spacebot Interactive – February 12 (Game Boy, PC)
• Bunny Beats / Studio Tapioca – February 12 (PC)
• Tartapolis / Fusion Studios – February 12 (PC)
• Half Past Fate: Romantic Distancing / Serenity Forge – February 14 (PC, Switch)
• M.E.A.T. RPG / Trippin Bears – February 14 (PC)
• Gem Wizards Tactics / Keith Burgun Games – February 16 (PC)
• Speed Limit / Gamechuck – February 17 (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
• Shattered: Tale of the Forgotten King / Redlock Studio – Feb 17 (PC)
• Lemon Cake / Éloïse Laroche – February 18 (PC)
• TasteMaker: Restaurant Simulator / Jelle Booij – February 18 (PC)
• Rustler / Jutsu Games – February 18 (PC)
• The Shore / Ares Dragonis – February 19 (PC)
• Gravity Heroes / Studica Solutions, Electric Monkeys – February 19 (PC)
• Voyage / Venturous – February 19 (PC)
• Horatama / Team Horatama – February 19 (PC)
• Curse of the Dead Gods / Passtech Games – February 23 (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
• Make The Burger / Creative Hand – February 22 (PC)
• Rogue Heroes: Ruins Of Tasos / Heliocentric Studios – February 23 (PC, Switch)
• Kitty Tactics / Ibe Denaux – February 24 (PC)
• Fights in Tight Spaces / Ground Shatter – February 24 (PC)
• The Architect: Paris / Enodo Games – February 25 (PC)
• Breathedge / RedRuins Softworks – February 25 (PC)
• Room To Grow / Mischka Kamener- February 25 (PC)
• Wigmund: The Return of the Hidden Knights / The Scholastics – February 25 (PC)
• A Wake Inn / VR Bros – February 25 (PC)
• Cardaclysm / Elder Games – February 26 (PC)
• Hot Brass / Walk with Kings – February 26 (PC)
• Koi Farm / Job Talle – February 26 (PC)
• Project Entertainment System / Curlee Fro – February 26 (PC)
• RetroMania Wrestling / Retrosoft Studios – February 26 (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
• Rhythm Doctor / 7th Beat Games – February 26 (PC)

With March in full swing, indie fans still have their hands full. Already, the recursive puzzle game with Bryce Dallas Howard, Maquette, has released and tested players’ curiosity. The cult comedy classic Cyanide & Happiness is getting its own game, which is sure to entertain players with its unique humor. Other March indie titles include visual novels, action-adventure games, RPGs, roguelikes, arcade games, and even some atmospheric horror.

• Maquette / Graceful Decay – March 2 (PC, PS4, Ps5)
• Everhood / Chris Nordgren, Jordi Roca – March 4 (PC, Switch)
• Gnosia / Petit Depot – March 4 (Switch)
• Loop Hero / Four Quarters, Devolver Digital – March 4 (PC)
• Sir Lovelot / pixel.lu – March 4 (PC, Ps4, Sxbox One, Switch)
• The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante / Sever – March 4 (PC)
• Blind Drive / Lo-Fi Games – March 10 (Android, iOS, PC)
• Cyanide & Happiness: Freakpocalypse / Explosm, Skeleton Crew Studios – March 11 (PC, Switch)
• Isolationist Nightclub Simulator / Myshkin Entertainment – March 11 (PC)
• Bloodroots / Paper Cult – March 12 (PC, PS4, Switch)
• Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse / Aspyr – March 16 (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
• Mundaun / Hidden Fields – March 16 (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
• Dogworld / Lateralis – March 18 (PC)
• Nerodeck / Tavrox Games – March 18 (PC, Switch)
• Sizeable / Sander Ambroos – March 18 (PC)
• Space Otter Charlie / Wayward Distractions – March 18 (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
• Sanity of Morris / Alterego Games – March 23 (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
• Clea 2 / InvertMouse – March 25 (PC)
• Dandy Ace / Mad Mimic – March 25 (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
• Paperball Deluxe / Cliax Games –  March 25 (Switch)
• Kaze and the Wild Masks / PixelHive – March 26 (PC, Stadia, Consoles)
• Aron’s Adventure / Tim van Kan, Tom Raudys – March 30 (PC)
• Narita Boy /Team17, Studio Koba – March 30 (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One)

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While the first three months of the year have been chock full of interesting new indie games, the rest of the year has even more in store. Typically with indie games, official release dates are revealed more close to its launch than if it were a AAA game, per se. The winemaking-simulator, Hundred Days, will surely tantalize a player’s taste buds, and players will be able to control Before Your Eyes just by blinking, a very unique mechanic. For those that want to try their hand at a vampiric visual novel, First Bite has also planned for a Halloween release.

• Before Your Eyes / GoodbyeWorld Games – April 8 (PC)
• Hundred Days -Winemaking Simulator / Broken Arms Games – May 13 (PC)
• Wing of Darkness / Production Exabilities – June 3 (PC, PS4, Switch)
• Cygnus Pizza Race / Longplay Games – July 10 (PC)
• Kabaret / Persona Theory Games – August 2021 (PC)
• First Bite / First Bite Games – Halloween 31 (PC)

There are dozens of games that developers have announced for 2021, and while some of them have general time frames listed, the majority are keeping their release dates a secret. Fans of any genre will certainly have something to look forward to for sure. 2021 will see RPGs, deckbuilding games, side-scrolling adventures, beat ’em ups, puzzle games, sims, plus the highly-anticipated sequel to 2017’s Hollow Knight in Hollow Knight: Silksong.

Those that have followed the Kickstarter for Coral Island will be pleased to know the campaign reached $1.6 million in funding, and will make its way to PCs this year. Other games below may have originally been scheduled to release in 2020, but were delayed to an unspecified time in 2021, like the Studio Ghibli and The Legend of Zelda-inspired Baldo: The Guardian Owls. 

• Frozen Flame / Dreamside Interactive – Spring 2021 (PC)
• Genesis Noir / Feral Cat Den, Fellow Traveller Games – Spring 2021 (PC)
• Katja’s Abyss: Tactics / KiefJerky – Spring 2021 (PC)
• Tunche / LEAP Game Studios – Spring 2021 (PC, Switch, Xbox One)
• Black Book / Morteshka – Q1 2021 (PC)
• I Saw Black Clouds / Ghost Dog Films, Wales Interactive – Q1 2021 (PC)
• Chinatown Detective Agency / General Interactive Co. – Summer 2021 (PC)
• The Good Life / White Owls Inc. – Summer 2021 (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
• TOEM / Something We Made – Summer 2021 (PC)
• Book of Travels / Might and Delight – Q2 2021 (PC)
• Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion / Snoozy Kazoo – Q2 2021 (PC, Switch)
• Airhead / Octato – (PC)
• 12 Minutes / Luís António – (PC)
• A Juggler’s Tale / Kaleidoscube – (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
• Bear and Breakfast / Gummy Cat – (PC, Switch)
• BROK the InvestiGator / CowCat Games – (PC, Consoles)

• Backbone / EggNut – (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
• Baldo: The Guardian Owls / Naps Team – (Switch)
• The Big Con / Mighty Yell – (PC, Xbox One)
• Coral Island / Stairway Games – (PC)
• Dordogne / Un Je Ne Sais Quoi – (PC)
• Dustborn / Red Thread Games – (PC, Consoles)
• Eastward / Pixpil, Chucklefish – (PC, Switch)
• Endling / Herobeat Studios – (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
• Fisti-Fluffs / Playfellow Studio – (PC, Switch)
• Forever Ago / Third Shift – (PC)
• Garden Story / Picogram – (PC, Switch)
• Gestalt: Steam & Cinder / Metamorphosis Games – (PC, Switch)
• Goodbye Volcano High / KO_OP – (PC, PS5)
• Hollow Knight: Silksong / Team Cherry – (PC, Switch)
• Kraken Academy!! / Happy Broccoli Games, Fellow Traveller Games -(PC)
• Little Witch in the Woods / Sunny Side Up – (PC, Switch)
• The Lost and The Wicked / Isaac Torres – (PC)
• LoveSick Darlings / Dimitri Odysseus – (PC)
• Mighty Goose / Blastmode – (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
• Minute of Islands / Studio Fizbin – (PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
• Nadir / Shockwork Games – (PC, Switch)
• No Place for Bravery / Glitch Factory – (PC, Switch)
• Pingers / Allen Games – (PC)
• Prison Tycoon: Under New Management / Abylight Studios – (PC)
• Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator / Niceplay Games – (PC)
• Road 96 / Digixart – (PC)
• Sable / Shedworks – (PC)
• Season / Scavengers Studio – (PC, PS5)
• She Dreams Elsewhere / Studio Zevere – (PC, Switch, Xbox One)
• Shrine’s Legacy / Positive Concept Games – TBD with upcoming Kickstarter (PC)
• SkateBIRD / Glass Bottom Games – (PC, Switch, Xbox One)
• A Space for the Unbound / Mojiken – (PC)
• Stray / BlueTwelve Studio – (PC, PS5)

• Sweet Pea / Chris Tharp – TBD, Early Access available now (PC)
• Together in Battle / Sinister Design – (PC)
• Weird West / WolfEye Studios, Devolver Digital – (PC)
• Wytchwood /Alientrap – (PC)
• You Suck at Parking / Happy Volcano – (PC)

Some of these games may peak players’ interest just by the titles alone, but all of them will be able to find a player base in some way. All in all, 2021 is going to be a massive year for indie developers and indie fans. Hopefully, the momentum keeps going and fans hear of more success stories like Valheim and Coral Island. With the indie-focused Wholesome Direct coming in a few months, gamers will likely see plenty of game announcements and showcases of some other wholesome titles to look forward to.

MORE: Hollow Knight’s World Design Sets the Bar for Indie Games

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