With winter weather lingering, Kotaku recommends five recent indie titles for indoor entertainment, ranging from horror co-op to retro challenges. These games, developed by small teams, offer unique experiences in genres like platforming and simulation. The roundup features releases from the past week, spotlighting creative mechanics and atmospheres.
Kotaku's latest feature, published on March 14, 2026, curates five indie games suited for a cozy weekend, emphasizing small-scale strangeness amid unseasonable cold. The selection draws from recent developments, including one showcased in Noclip’s Computer Worlds on Thursday prior to publication. Developers behind these titles include itamu, The Crayon Eating Company, VOLE.wtf, increpare games, and alevgor, each bringing distinct styles to the indie scene. Mama’s Sleeping Angels by itamu reimagines co-op horror extraction for one to four players simulating a sleepover. Participants enter a shared dream to explore sunless, uncanny spaces, gathering cursed relics as tributes for “Mama,” a porcelain goddess. Players wield low-polygon weapons and flip-phone abilities, but potent curses can introduce hexes during outings. Funi Raccoon Game, from The Crayon Eating Company, turns 3D platforming into a chaotic collection spree. As a raccoon in a colorful void, players steal unbolted items to fill a dumpster, tackling quests, evading traffic, and stirring mayhem. Creator Cí Malone, an Irish developer, described raccoons as “mystical rare creatures” in a prior interview, a view the article's author, familiar with the animals from Ontario summers, deems accurate. Glasses Cleaning Simulator by VOLE.wtf offers a free browser-based take on mundane frustration. It simulates wiping smudged glasses with a meter tracking cleanliness, capturing the elusive satisfaction—and setbacks—of the task, as no cloth fully eases the chore. Increpare games, known for Stephen’s Sausage Roll, delivers Oeuf, a demanding platformer involving an egg ascending a fortress in rainy conditions. The egg's off-center weight complicates navigation through traps and architecture, testing precision without outright fragility. Rounding out the list, Haunted Lands by alevgor blends Castlevania's sidescrolling surprises and monster mashing with the harsh, chunky aesthetics of EGA-era titles like Duke Nukem and Monster Bash. Players select from six heroes, each with unique fighting styles and supernatural traits, to endure a brutal gauntlet of vintage-inspired demons. This assortment underscores the indie world's knack for niche, evocative gameplay, inviting players to dive into the unfamiliar.
