The indie community is bustling and thriving, and new games release all the time, but with big AAA releases and all of the options on the plates of players, it can be easy for games to fly under the radar, so we’ve put together a short list of indie games that we think you may have missed in February.
Prose & Codes – Released Feb 11th for PC and Mac
In the month where Wordle reigned king, it only makes sense to start off this list with a writing puzzle game. An official description reads ‘In Prose & Codes, explore the wonderful world of books through deceptively simple cyphers. A portion of every purchase benefits Project Gutenberg, an online library of over 60,000 free ebooks.’ In fact, Prose and Codes includes a whopping 250 literary classics, all of which are available for free online, so after decoding a passage you can go and read the full-text Steam!
Kingdom of the Dead – Released Feb 10th for PC
This is a personal favourite on this list, Kingdom of the Dead is a horror-themed monochrome fps. The visuals emulate the look of pen and ink, similar to something like Mundaun, this title features 8 locations, 8 weapons and more than 20 enemy types to bully and blow-up. In Kingdom of the Dead, you play as The Gatekeeper, tasked with holding back the armies of death from overrunning the world. An official description reads ‘After the war, Death’s army swelled with new recruits from both sides. His newfound power allowed him to begin an offensive against a weakened overworld. Even now, he stages a covert invasion as he masses his monsters in the shadows of the city. As they prepare to rise up from hell and break through from the deepest wells, pits and crypts, only you, Agent Chamberlain, can find their exits and stop the spawn from entering your world.’ Steam
Infernax – Released Feb 14th for PC and Switch
What would any Indie game list be without at least one retro-style metroidvania? Infernax, though, has a big twist. Where most Retro action platformers are inspired by the likes of Symphony of The Knight or Cave Story, Infernax goes more the route of Simon’s Quest or Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link. The game features multiple endings based on the decisions of the player, an RPG-inspired level system, an open world full of secrets and plenty of pixelated gore. An official story description reads; ‘Infernax is the adventures of a great knight who returns to his homeland only to find it plagued with unholy magic. While on your quest to find and destroy the source of this corruption by any means necessary, you will face ruthless creatures, dangerous beasts, and precarious terrains.’ Steam
Martha is Dead – Released Feb 24th for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
Martha is dead is dark, really dark, but definitely worth your time. A tale of tragedy (did you read the title?), false identities and trauma. Martha Is Dead is a mystery set in Italy in 1944, the game takes place as the conflict between German and Allied forces is in full force; however, the matter at hand is much closer to home. In the game you play as Giulia, the daughter of a German soldier. The body of your twin-sister, Martha, has been found, drowned. You’ll be attempting to find out what happened in a series of events “shrouded by mysterious folklore and the extreme horror of war that draws ever closer“. The game was made using Unreal Engine and the new Metahumans system, and is described as follows: ‘Uncover a dark multi-layered narrative which blurs the lines between reality, superstition, and the tragedy of war, explore a stunning recreation of the Italian countryside, and take photographs as you look for clues to discover the truth about what happened to Martha!’ Steam
Inua: a story in ice and Time – Released Feb 10th for PC, Switch and mobile
A mystery that spans three different time periods over a century, you are able to influence the environment surrounding the characters in order to motivate certain outcomes. The game explores the real life Franklin expedition, a British mission in the 19th century to explore the Arctic that resulted in shipwreck, disease, and mutiny. The fate of this expedition is still largely unknown, but perhaps you can discover more about it during the course of the game. An official description of the game reads; ‘Go on an adventure in the far North of Canada, navigate through the ages, and interact with the past to change the present. In Inua, you’ll need to unravel space-time to solve mysteries and guide the characters on their journey. Move from scene to scene, era to era, and uncover events of the past, unearthing new ideas that influence the characters’ minds. Help Simon, Peter, and Taïna overcome the obstacles standing in their way, and change the course of history.’ Steam
We wish we could put every game that released last month on this list, but sadly we can only do so much. Be sure to check out other articles on IGF and check out the other Missed Games Monthly articles to see even more amazing indies.
