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BEING & BECOMING REVEALS 2026 RELEASE WINDOW & NEW STEAM PLAYTEST OUT NOW

The collective dream calls to you! Publisher CRITICAL REFLEX (Mouthwashing, No, I’m not a human) and developer Ichthys have released a new open playtest on Steam today for the atmospheric, pixel-art metroidvania Being and Becoming, alongside the reveal that the game will officially launch this year! Play through the game’s intro, explore multiple locations, learn to use several types of weapons and abilities, meet different NPCs, and fight two epic bosses plus a wide variety of enemies.

You are a would-be martyr, rescued from a watery grave and plunged into the Collective Dream: defy the prophecy of The Word, defeat the corrupted, gain new weapons and abilities from those who came before, and save the Dream by breaking the other dreamers free of The Word’s tyranny. Don’t let beauty dull your vigilance: the deeper you descend, the more treacherous the world becomes.

Key Features

  • Discover Echoes of the Past: Follow in the footsteps of the divers who came before you and take what they no longer need. Find new weapons and abilities to help you explore the Collective Dream.
  • Expand Your Arsenal: Assemble an array of weapons wielded by noble spirits ensnared within the torment of The Word. Weave intricate combinations of attacks to annihilate your foes.
  • Explore an Interconnected World: Venture across a vast, interconnected world which unfolds with unique visual style and mechanics.
  • Gorgeous Pixel-Art Aesthetic: From picturesque to grotesque, each location has its own ambience and feel, decorated with detailed handcrafted backdrops. Each boss has a distinctive personality, emphasized not only by the story, but with dozens of unique animations and environmental interactions.
  • Fully Voiced-Over Characters & Atmospheric OST: A diverse cast of charming and terrifying voice-acted characters and bosses. The soundtrack is filled with dynamic and atmospheric tracks that are both shaped by and directly shape gameplay.

Play the Being and Becoming playtest now on Steam and wishlist the game today! To dive deeper into all things CRITICAL REFLEX, visit www.criticalreflex.com, and follow along on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube!

About Ichthys

Ichthys began as a single man’s dream and grew into a collective dream encompassing a team of talented people with a shared goal in mind: to live by the rule of cool and tell meaningful stories. Working diligently for The Word, this team of dreamers put their heart and souls (literally) into creating visually stunning games that awaken spirits.

About CRITICAL REFLEX

CRITICAL REFLEX is an indie game publisher obsessed with genre-blending, rule-breaking, brain-melting games. We help devs polish the weird, sharpen the wild, and launch their projects loud. Known for titles like Buckshot Roulette, Lunacid, Mouthwashing and No, I’m not a Human, we champion the unforgettable experiences. Genre is a prison and we ate the warden.

About CR Channel

CR Channel is the CRITICAL REFLEX publishing label focusing exclusively on indie horror. Join the Discord here

Dystopian job simulator LOW VALUE JOB now available on Steam

#LOWVALUEJOB, a #dystopian job #simulation game centered on endlessly repeating a single, simple task: sorting mechanical parts scattered across a desk made by developer #YAYOIKAIHATSU is now available on #Steam.

All gaming intel: chrisjonesgaming.net 🎮 Level up your feed!

#gaming #gamingnews

Undying Flower Now Available on Steam

[Indonesia] May 16, 2025 — Undying Flower, the debut title from Indonesian indie studio Calcatz, has been released on Steam. Published by indie.io, this emotionally charged interactive narrative invites players to confront grief, trauma, and buried guilt through the surreal journey of a young woman named Nala. Blending exploratory gameplay with symbolic storytelling, players follow Nala as she’s guided by a mysterious entity known only as The Flower, and must relive the most painful moments of her past in search of peace. Request a Key for Undying Flower

The story begins with an experimental treatment that allows Nala to enter a dreamlike realm where memory and emotion shape reality. In this world, players explore pivotal moments from both Nala’s life and the life of her late grandfather, experiencing two sides of the same tragic memory. Through interactive storytelling, players piece together what happened between them and whether anything can be changed.


At the heart of this experience is the Memory World: a space constructed entirely from Nala’s recollections, shaped by The Flower’s interpretation of her past. Initially a blank void, this world gradually fills with emotionally charged objects known as Memory Fragments. Some float in the space like fleeting impressions, while others are grounded, vividly detailed, and tied to specific moments. These fragments—along with symbolic statues and color-coded emotional cues—create a layered, abstract environment where emotion outweighs realism, and every element carries a story.

While the journey Nala takes is surreal and dreamlike, the regret that drives it stems from something painfully human: a misunderstanding between two people who love each other. Undying Flower explores how something as simple as a single argument—a moment that could happen in any family—can spiral into a lifelong source of guilt. That tension between the ordinary and the otherworldly is what gives the story its emotional weight.

“Undying Flower is a story of ‘What if,’” says Eien Nagi, Game Director at Calcatz. “What if a simple misunderstanding—something as ordinary as an argument—could lead to the biggest regret of your life? Regret is irreversible. But what if you were given a chance to change it… would it really go the way you want? We’re excited to see how players interpret the story, sit with the emotions, and reflect on what it means to forgive.”

Players can experience the surreal and emotional journey today on Steam for USD $9.99, with a limited-time discount where players can save 10%.  Join the conversation and share your reflections with the developers on X/Twitter and their Steam Community.

Assets 
Streaming Trailer 
Marketing Assets

ABOUT CALCATZ

Calcatz began in 2015 in the room of a college student with a belief that “video games are the ultimate form of art.” Now a six-person indie studio based in Indonesia, Calcatz blends local cultural inspiration with global emotional themes to craft interactive experiences with meaning. Undying Flower is their debut release—a passion project years in the making.

Find out more at Calcatz’s official website.  

ABOUT INDIE.IO

indie.io is home to hundreds of the world’s most innovative independent video games and developers. Founded in 2020 by Donovan Duncan and Ben Robinson – industry veterans with a collective 40 years of experience across the video game landscape – our mission is to provide support to independent developers and set the standard for gaming creation, management, and promotion. Our tools and services include marketing, QA, playtesting, partnership deals, and distribution to all major platforms to maximize your visibility, revenue, and engagement to ensure long-term success – with no upfront costs. You may know us from Echoes of the Plum Grove, HumanitZ, the Dark Deity franchise, and Coromon!

We’re powered by a worldwide team of 35 remote employees; a mix of semi-professional esports players, developers, and gaming enthusiasts whose passion and technical know-how fuel the company’s mission. As industry experts, we dedicate ourselves to providing innovative marketing support services and integrations; as players, we want to discover and elevate the creators of exceptional, inspiring, and unexpected games of every genre. Join us on our quest to cultivate a vibrant global community of players and creators alike!

Nedra – survival horror game arriving Q2 2025

NEDRA is a story-driven, atmospheric action-adventure combining survival horror and Lovecraftian terror developed by solo dev Davit Andreasyan. Set in a Soviet-era Antarctic station, where all the explorers have vanished without a trace, leaving players to uncover the chilling truth.

Description

NEDRA

A Survival Horror Adventure in the desolate, frozen valleys of Antarctica.

In the desolate Antarctic wilderness, an abandoned Soviet research station harbors an ancient, otherworldly presence. You, as Arthur, are compelled to navigate the station and uncover its chilling secrets.

Survival Horror Meets Stealth Action

Arthur must lower his body temperature dangerously close to hypothermia to avoid detection by the Frostwalkers, chilling creatures that detect body heat. However, when his body temperature drops too low, he risks dying from the cold. To regain warmth, he needs to drink an iodine-alcohol mixture, which raises his temperature to normal levels, but doing so makes him visible. Players must constantly balance on the edge, managing survival, stealth, and intense combat.

Explore the stations and uncover the secrets behind its mysterious past. Arthur must search for ammunition, supplies, and tools that will help him survive the horrors waiting around every corner.

Adventure Beyond Fear

NEDRA isn’t just about survival horror—it’s a haunting tale of discovery and resilience. Investigate a labyrinth of lost history and face dilemmas where survival isn’t always the ultimate goal.

Key Features

  • Immersive Atmosphere: A carefully crafted world that blends Soviet-era design with a haunting, Lovecraftian atmosphere.
  • Intense Horror Gameplay: Carefully balance intense combat with strategic stealth to survive nightmarish creatures and uncover the hidden truths of the station.
  • Narrative Depth: A story that challenges your perception of humanity, morality and the unknown, as you uncover dark conspiracies and ancient secrets.
  • Dive into a world where every shadow hides a threat and every sound signals danger.

Trailer:
https://youtu.be/cQcKXAt6Kbo

Steam Page:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3357380/NEDRA/

Twitter: 
https://x.com/NEDRAGAME 

Golf Club: Wasteland

This is no ordinary golfing game: it’s a surrealist post-apocalyptic golfing game.

You walk and jetpack your way around the remainders of life on earth as you play ball.

To be released on September 3 by the publisher Demagog Studio on Steam.

The story of Earth’s last hurrah is told from multiple points of view, building as the game progresses.

The Game has 3 different modes, from casual to expert.

The art style has a dream-like vibe, with the haziness and destruction of the background fitting perfectly with the depopulated planet that used to be our own

From the Steam Page

Knock knock knocking on Death’s Door

Death’s door is a stylized game with lovely graphics!

It’s to released on X-box S/X and steam in the coming future!

The movements of each character are unique, and the designs are stellar!

The textures used give depth to the already cute and easily-readable characters and environment. The isometric placement of the scenery and fight areas brings them an additional layer of depth in an already 3-D gamescape.

This game looks to a fun a fun romp through a lovingly crafted world, a will be one to look after.

From the Steam page

How to Create Factions: Part 1

Starting with…

The World ready!

The easiest way to determine factions would be to simply split them by location, or world history.

Then, the conflict could revolve around gaining or maintaining territory, and that could include groups being pushed out of their original territories and then trying to take them back.

You can also split it by the each of the area’s history, using previous conflicts to shape the factions, i.e. political ones.

The Characters ready!

Build your factions around your characters’ core beliefs.

What do your characters care about? What is their worldview? What about the opposite?

With a focus on the characters, the creation of the factions can become integral to your OC’s story. Will they need to grow out of the faction? Will the faction grow and change as the character does? Will they leave one for another as their story moves forward?

And conversely: what does being in that faction say about the character? What does a monster being in a Hunter’s faction, for example, say about the monster? Are they guilty? Do they doubt their identity, or are they a wolf in Sheep’s clothing waiting to strike?

by Abby Zarakovich

How to Create Factions: Part 2

Video Games have long graduated from simple fights between good and evil. Games are now tied with intricacies and multiple sides, each believing that they are the ones that are correct.

The question now becomes “How do I put that into my game?”. As with my other articles, there are multiple ways to go about this!

It is best to begin at the beginning!

I want to start with the factions…

The Question to ask here is “Why are there factions in the first place?”

Usally a group splits over an arguement; as creator, you decide what kind of disagreement causes the breakup.

What do people believe in enough that their goals and ideals split? Is it something simpler, like a land disagreement or a family squabble? Are the factions gunning for power, splitting politically? Are the factions after a superweapon, an their reasons for wanting it are causing the divide?

In this way, the creation of the factions and therefor, their very existence drives the story.

Emphasis

By creating them first, it puts more emphasis on them, rather than other aspects. This works in your favor if you want to use your story to explore methodologies or philosophies, and what causes people’s differences.

Having factions be at the center of your story allows for discussions with lines drawn in the sand, and it’s up to you (or your players) to decide if they stay, move, or fade entirely.

Effect

A good way to gauge how much your factions affect the story you’re creating is this:

What happens if something about the faction changes?

If destroying the faction of choice does nothing, then it has no impact on the story. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing: If it impacts the World or the characters, it can stay! Asking this question can help gauge how much you want to focus on that faction. If it’s deemed insignificant, than you can skim over it, or maybe change your story if you’re really attached to the idea of it.

What does the faction add to your story?

As mentioned above, if the addition of this faction bolsters other parts of your story, it should stay in. Depending on how much it affects the rest, you can draw the players/readers attention to it by having the story be more closely tied to the factions.

Larger than Light

from their site

Larger than Light‘s gameplay takes full advantage of the medium its made for, with a playful style that’s a feat for the eyes.

The gentle pastels and harsh shadows don’t just look good: they’re used for gameplay! You maneuver Characters that represent both Shadow and Light source to traverse this puzzle-platformer.

You help the main characters Skia and Lux overcome their differences and bond as siblings as you adventure, and listen to their conversations as you go along. This game not only looks good, but also sounds good, with fully-voiced dialogue!

This game can also be found on steam, for the more than reasonable price of $4.99!

by Abby Zarakovich

Ninza

from Ninza site

Currently in free-to-play beta mode, Ninza is a combination platformer and brawler!!! From Indie developers Klakmioch, this game has a homepage, twitter and discord.

I tried it out, and while I’m not much of a brawler -or platformer- it’s a lot of fun! I love the characters, and the actual controls are pretty simple! The concept of the game itself is gret, too.

The main menu is easily traversable, and there are 4 game-modes available for play (for now at least). The game is relatively easy on the eyes, with minimal of the bright, flashy, effects that can hurt your eyes, and the animations are very readable. The backgrounds are done in a way that reminds me both of Japanese woodblock prints and those old-style story books done in paints and colored pencils.

If you have your eyes open for a brawler to play around with your pals, this one may be the one you want your mitts on.

By Abby Zarakovich

Gaming News and the Ultimate Universe