Engadget roundup spotlights indie releases and archival E3 footage
Red Hook Studios announces Darkest Dungeon expansion and ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs sets August launch
Engadget has published a comprehensive roundup of emerging indie game titles and significant archival releases, highlighting a diverse range of developments in the sector. The publication detailed several new indie games, including Dinoblade, Offbeat, Fading Echo, Scarlet Deer Inn, Lifted, Tears of Metal, Life’s Too Short, ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs, and Reply All. Concurrently, The Video Game History Foundation released a collection of materials from early E3 events, featuring footage of the Sega Saturn reveal and the original PlayStation price announcement. In related industry news, Red Hook Studios announced new downloadable content for Darkest Dungeon, while ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs was confirmed for release on 6 August.
The Video Game History Foundation’s recent release offers a look into the industry’s past, unveiling a collection of materials from decades of E3. This includes flyers, press kits, panel transcripts, and videos from the event’s first few years, prior to the era of live-streamed press conferences. The footage notably contains the only-known recording of the Sega Saturn’s reveal and Sony’s announcement of the original PlayStation’s price at the 1995 edition. The foundation emphasised the importance of preserving this historical record, noting the contrast between the low-key nature of 1990s presentations and modern, high-production events.
Among the new indie titles, Dinoblade has garnered attention for its origins as a viral animation by Jean Nguyen, a senior animator for Sucker Punch. The action RPG allows players to control a Spinosaurus wielding a sword, aiming to prevent the extinction of its species. Developed by Team Spino and published by Team Spino and Boltray Games, the game is available on Steam for Windows and is playable on the Steam Deck. It is priced at $20, with a 10 percent discount available until 30 July.
Offbeat, developed by Whetstone Games and published by Pantaloon, offers a music creation experience on Steam for Windows. Players use a toy keyboard to compose jingles for clients, earning cash to purchase instruments such as a singing gnome. The game is expected to enter early access for six to eight months, with the current version featuring two chapters and seven items for music creation. It is priced at $12, with a 10 percent discount until 1 August.
Fading Echo, developed by Emeteria and published by New Tales, is an adventure game where players control a young hero named One, who manipulates water to navigate a desert planet. The game features a fully voiced English cast, including Samantha Béart, Laura Bailey, and Matt Mercer, and supports subtitles in nine languages. It is available on Steam and the Epic Games Store for Windows, with releases planned for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S later this year. The price is $20, with a 10 percent discount until 2 August.
Scarlet Deer Inn, developed and published by Attu Games, is an adventure platformer described as a dark medieval folk tale. The visuals are created using physical embroidery and hand-painted backgrounds. The game is available on Steam for Windows and is noted to work well on the Steam Deck, with console releases coming soon. It is priced at $20, with a 10 percent discount until 28 July.
Lifted, developed and published by Adventure Works, is a time-travel adventure game available on Steam for Windows, Mac, and SteamOS/Linux, with releases planned for PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2. The game is priced at $20, with a 10 percent discount until 29 July. Tears of Metal, developed and published by Paper Cult, is a hack-and-slash roguelite set in medieval Scotland, available on Steam and Xbox on PC, with a release on Xbox Series X/S later this year. It is priced at $25, with a 10 percent discount on Steam until 5 August.
Life’s Too Short, developed and published by Pixel Ghost, is a short adventure game available on Steam, Mac, SteamOS/Linux, and Itch, with prior releases on Playdate and Game Boy. The game is priced at $6, with a 10 percent discount until 29 July. Red Hook Studios announced new DLC for Darkest Dungeon, titled The Fire’s Edge, which will be released on 18 August on PC, Mac, and consoles, with a later release on Xbox Series X/S. The DLC introduces two new characters and features from Darkest Dungeon II.
ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs, developed by Mandragora and published by tinyBuild, is a retro repair shop sim set for release on 6 August on Steam. The game involves fixing and cleaning retro devices while managing a shop. Reply All, developed and published by Peculiar Path Productions Inc., is a game about navigating email, set for release in Q1 2027 on Steam.
