You know, for October, I didn’t see a lot of spooky game releases. Some games have a more brutal art style or are spooky in spirit but not so much in execution. Instead, I have a group of indie titles that range from brutal, gritty combat to relaxing, downright meditative styles of gameplay.
That’s right, it’s time for the monthly indie game wrap-up, and I’ve got an eclectic collection here just for you. I’m also really glad I could find a group of games that weren’t all locked on Steam.
Truthfully, I can’t stand spooky games. I love horror in movie and book format, but when it comes to games, when it comes to being the person responsible for driving the narrative forward, I’m scared. I was kind of glad that there were no spooky games this month.
But I would’ve sacrificed that feeling of safety to remain on theme, damn it! I’ve got a great group of games for you this month. Don’t forget to add them to your wishlist if you think you’d like ‘em!
Absolum
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch | Release Date: October 9th
Set in the fantasy world of Talamh, join your friends in this hand-drawn, roguelite beat ‘em up to retake magic from Sun King Azra. Beat ‘em ups are usually a licensed or nostalgic affair, but Absolum is bringing us a brand new world with theirs.
Pitching itself as a rogue ‘em up, Absolum incorporates roguelite elements into its beat ‘em up style game. When you die, Mother Uchawi resurrects the player, allowing them to dust themselves off and start a new run.
Absolum releases on October 9th, 2025, on PlayStation 4 & 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. A demo is available on the Steam page for you to try.
Tiny Vending Machines
Platforms: PC | Release Date: October 10th
I love these little desktop companion games that just sit on your monitor, block a quarter of your screen, and run in the background. Tiny Vending Machines treats your desktop like a street with loads of foot traffic.
Purchase vending machines, upgrade them, restock them, color code them, and slap ‘em down for pedestrians. Watch as they grab snacks, wish you had different vending machines, or balk at the pricing of the ones you’ve put down.
Tiny Vending Machines releases on October 10th, 2025, on PC via Steam. If you want to know what it’d be like to run one of these streets, a demo is available on the Steam page.
Undusted: Letters from the Past
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch | Release Date: October 13th (PC), October 16th (NSW)
Undusted: Letters from the Past puts you in the shoes of Adora, a woman returning to her childhood home after her mother passes. Upon reaching home, she’s flooded with memories by the items she discovers.
Intent on reflecting on her past and her family, she begins her quiet journey when each item reminds her of a moment in her life. Using various tools to clean and spiff up each object, Adora re-experiences her life and the zen that comes with cleaning.
Undusted: Letters from the Past releases on October 13th on PC via Steam, and on October 16th on Nintendo Switch. A demo is available on the Steam page, allowing you to experience the quiet comfort of cleaning beautifully pixelated objects.
Ball x Pit
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox X|S, NSW 1 & 2 | Release Date: October 15th
Ballbylon has fallen, and all that remains is a giant pit. Treasure hunters come from all over to enter and explore the pit. Armies of barbaric creatures are slowly making their way through the hallways of the pit, looking to end the lives of those who seek to find its treasures.
Ball x Pit is a roguelike bullet hell in the vein of Arkanoid. Along your path will be enemies, but also experience points that will level you up and provide upgrades. Fuse items to create new balls to deal devastating damage to the enemies and bosses ahead of you.
Ball x Pit is releasing on October 15th, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 1 & 2, and PC via Steam. A demo is available on the Steam page for those looking to test their mettle immediately.
Away From Home
Platforms: PC | Release Date: October 17th
Away From Home utilizes rhythm-based combat in a JRPG setting. Not since Mother 3 have we seen rhythm incorporated into JRPG battles, and Away From Home built its entire battle system around it.
Travel to unfamiliar places with siblings Abby and Michael as they travel this beautiful pixel-art world. Boasting influences from games like Earthbound and Yakuza 0, Away From Home seems like it’ll be jam-packed with encounters and side content.
Away From Home releases on October 17th, 2025, on PC via Steam. A demo is available if you can’t wait to check out this beautiful genre mash-up.
Relic Guardian
Platforms: PC | Release Date: October 22nd
Would an indie wrap-up be complete without a tower defense game? Relic Guardian is a pixel-art tower defense with many different towers, a hero tower, and an interesting idea on how to deploy towers to their locations.
Pani, the Whicken tribe’s priestess, has the ability to take the form of many different heroes, changing up the hero tower that’s free! This cute little tower defense has tons of upgrades, talents, and heroes to change up the gameplay, as well as four levels of difficulty.
Relic Guardian releases on October 22nd, 202,5, on PC via Steam. A demo is available for those who want to try defending with towers before the release.
Pale Coins
Platforms: PC | Release Date: October 22nd
Pale Coins is a combat-heavy action RPG in the vein of a soulslike with a top-down perspective, with beautiful pixel art. The combat is wonky, but once you get familiar with the controls, Pale Coins becomes pretty intuitive.
In playing the demo, I managed to kill a chicken, get banned from a bandit camp, threaten a lazy fisherman, and kill a goblin mage. I truly had a good time exploring Grenmark and interacting with what the demo had to offer.
Pale Coins releases on October 22nd, 2025, on PC via Steam. A demo is available on the Steam page if you’re dying to check out this action RPG.
ADRIFT
Platforms: PC | Release Date: October 30th
ADRIFT is a somewhat unusual title. The goal is to carry cargo to different locations, not in an objective-based way, but in a long-form, single-task manner. A lil’ energy ball that can only be in the back of your truck for so long before it bursts must be carried on a very long journey.
The dreamy atmosphere and art, combined with an ambient synthwave soundtrack, change Adrift’s objective from a chore to an experience. Dock to keep the energy ball somewhere safe, navigate to find the following structure, and plan a route to keep the energy ball alive.
ADRIFT releases on October 30th, 2025, for PC via Steam. A demo is available for those who want to experience the serenity of the desert before its release.
Final Thoughts
What a juicy crop of indies. Not all are locked to PC; some are seeing console releases, while others are available on Steam Deck. More importantly, it’s a variety of gameplay styles. I’m really happy with the picks this month.
Quick reminder, as always, that even if you don’t plan on purchasing on release, adding these games to your wishlist still helps them out with visibility on Steam.
Of course, if there’s a game coming up that you’d like to see covered, feel free to email us at will@monstervine.com or ping our BlueSky account. You can also email me or ping me on BlueSky. I love hearing from devs AND readers. We’re always scoping out games to cover, so we appreciate the help. See you next month!
