The Week That Swallowed Them
There's a week I keep thinking about.
It was a spring week a couple years ago. Three major AAA games launched within five days of each other. A massive RPG. A long-awaited sequel. A big-budget action game. The gaming world was consumed by them.
In the same week, three indie games launched quietly. No marketing. No press coverage. No hype. They were barely noticed.
I played all three indie games later that year. All of them were good. One of them was excellent. All of them deserved better.
This is their story. And why you should still play them.
The Indie Games
Game One: A Quiet Narrative Game About Grief
Title: Goodbye Volcano High (2023)
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Switch
Goodbye Volcano High launched in August 2023, right before Baldur's Gate 3 and Starfield dominated the conversation.
It's a narrative game about a group of anthropomorphic teenagers in their final year of high school, set against the backdrop of an impending apocalypse. The game is about friendship, loss, and figuring out who you are.
The writing is sharp. The characters are well-developed. The choices feel meaningful. The game takes about 8-10 hours.
It was completely overshadowed. Baldur's Gate 3 and Starfield took all the attention. Goodbye Volcano High got good reviews, but almost nobody played it.
If you're looking for a narrative game with heart, Goodbye Volcano High is still worth your time.
Game Two: A Strange, Experimental Puzzle Game
Title: Viewfinder (2023)
Platforms: PC, PlayStation
Viewfinder launched in July 2023, right around the same time as a major AAA RPG.
It's a first-person puzzle game where you take photos and place them in the world to reshape reality. The game is clever and creative. The puzzles are satisfying. The art style is unique.
The game was a critical success. But it was commercially overshadowed. The AAA RPG took all the attention.
If you're looking for a creative, clever puzzle game, Viewfinder is still worth your time.
Game Three: A Short, Emotional Adventure
Title: A Space for the Unbound (2023)
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
A Space for the Unbound launched in January 2023, just before a wave of major releases.
It's a narrative game set in 1990s Indonesia. You play as a young woman who can dive into people's minds. The game is about friendship, grief, and growing up.
The story is emotional. The art is gorgeous. The puzzles are clever. The game takes about 8-10 hours.
It got good reviews but was quickly forgotten. The wave of big releases buried it.
If you're looking for an emotional, beautifully crafted game, A Space for the Unbound is still worth your time.
Why This Happens
Why do good indie games get buried by AAA releases?
It's a combination of factors.
Marketing budgets. AAA games have massive marketing campaigns. They're everywhere. You can't avoid them. Indie games have almost no marketing. They rely on word-of-mouth and coverage.
Press coverage. Gaming outlets cover big releases. They write previews, reviews, and features. They don't have the same bandwidth for smaller games.
Attention. Players are focused on the big releases. They're not looking for smaller games. The indie games get lost in the noise.
It's not that the indie games are bad. It's that they're quieter.
Why You Should Still Play Them
Despite being overshadowed, these games are still worth playing.
They're good. They're interesting. They're well-crafted. They deserve your time.
They also don't ask for a huge time commitment. All of them are under 15 hours. You can finish them in a weekend or two.
And they're cheaper than AAA games. You can buy all three for the price of one big release.
The Bottom Line
Goodbye Volcano High. Viewfinder. A Space for the Unbound.
Three indie games that deserved better. Three games that were overshadowed by AAA releases. Three games that are still worth your time.
If you missed them the first time around, now is the time to catch up.
This is the kind of game that needs someone to mention it.
Not a masterpiece. Still worth your time.
Not everything loud is worth your time. Not everything quiet should be missed.
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