A road trip in mourning, The Traitors On The Go and other new indie games to discover

There is always

Developer: Third Team
Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
Platforms: Steam (Windows; Steam Deck verified), Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox for PC
Price: Typically $20, with a 10% introductory discount (PS Plus required for PS5 discount). Also available on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

There are several aspects of There is always This didn’t really work for me. The storytelling is sometimes clunky and sometimes functionally clumsy. For example, prompts to interact with items tended to disappear and it often took a few moments of adjustment for them to reappear. But despite these issues, I feel like I was meant to play this game now.

There is always is a road trip adventure that tells the story of Alfred, an older man who goes on a treasure hunt of sorts. It takes into account several places and memories that shaped his relationship with his late wife, Audrey, who started this quest for him. As you can imagine, things don’t really go as planned. It’s a story about coping with grief, self-discovery after losing a defining part of your life, and the relentless march of time. You’ll explore, take photos, solve light puzzles, and meet other characters.

The story is touching (if not particularly novel) while the writing and Piotr Michael’s portrayal of Arthur make it easy to sympathize with this abrasive and troubled character. Clark Aboud’s beautiful score even helped me get that Bon Iver song the title refers to out of my head.

What strikes me most about There is always is its slow, deliberate pace, even if it’s not particularly long. My mind often runs at 100 miles an hour and distractions hijack my attention more often than I’d like. There is always was absorbing enough to capture my full concentration. Most importantly, it seems honest and sincere. I found it calming and had to sit with my thoughts for a while after finishing it, meaning it achieved what the developers wanted.

The Traitors: Interactive game

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

Despite my best intentions, I’m addicted to the latest season of Famous traitors. I’m generally terrible at social deception games since I’m a liar, like the above. Among us spin-off, a single-player version of the format could be fun.

The action unfolds in the same way as the show. The goal is to survive until the end of the game, either as a Faithful or a Betrayer. After choosing a trait, you’ll choose daily outfits, tackle missions to increase the prize pool, forge alliances with other characters, and attempt to either eliminate traitors or eliminate loyalists. I don’t like that there are microtransactions here, but I’ll give it a try anyway.

Shil

Developers: OSM Games, Nuostabus 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 release on Steam and VR next year, but it’s already available on Meta Quest. The developers used silhouettes and a two-tone art style to create striking visuals hiding secrets and threats.

The latest trailer for this horror-tinged game is almost enough to make me want to get a Quest headset so I can play it now. Perhaps the Steam version (whose release date is announced “very soon”) will encourage me to finally plug in the PS VR2 adapter that has been sitting 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 1-hour trial for PS Plus Premium members), Switch 2
Price: Usually $20, with a 10% discount on Steam until October 22. Also available on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

Similarly to my favorite game from last year, a “Metroidbrainia” called ooohyou will have to have your thinking ability while you play Echo Weaver. Unlike many Metroidvanias, your progress here is limited by your knowledge rather than your unlockable powers. You’ll start with all the abilities you need to complete the game, but it may take you a while to figure out what they are and how to use them.

You will also have to conquer a time loop. Here, time is a resource that you can consume to heal, exchange and even open new routes. I’m in the artistic direction of this game and I always like having a sword as a weapon. This one has reality-warping powers, which makes it even more appealing. Even though I sometimes struggle to solve puzzles, there’s nothing I love more about games than that “a-ha!” moment when you have found a solution. Echo Weaver it looks like there could be more than one.