Electronic Arts announced back in October 2019 that it would bring several of its title to Steam. Though it started slow with Respawn’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, it’s since released a number of titles like Unravel Two, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Sea of Solitude, and much more. Furthermore, it’s touting that EA Access will be coming “soon” to the platform as well.

How soon is “soon” remains to be seen, but it could launch at next week’s EA Play Live 2020. The digital event will be streamed on June 11th and will feature the publisher’s line-up for the rest of the year, with FIFA 21, Madden NFL 21, and more expected to be showcased. Will we see these same titles coming to Steam at the same as Origin? That remains to be seen.

EA Access is currently available for Xbox One and PS4, with its Origin launcher having Origin Access. There are two tiers for the service on PC. Theree’s Origin Access Basic, which provides access to dozens of EA and third party titles, along with free trials of upcoming games, for $4.99. Then there’s the Premier tier for access to full games one week before the worldwide launch for $14.99.

The Unravel series was one of those interesting indie projects that managed to find its way to the mainstream. It got EA as a publisher, which helped its profile immensely. The second game made its way to the Switch in March, but it looks like this could be the last hooray for Yarny, the adorable main character, for a bit as developer Coldwood Interactive seems to be moving on- at least for now.

In an interview with Sector, Director Martin Sahlin confirmed that the company is working on other things right now. He says that a third game could come later on, but the studio wants to focus on different stories, and as of right now, they just don’t have a natural flowing one in mind for Yarny.

“As for other stories, I don’t know,” said Sahlin. “Stories I like to tell are lived and discovered. That is, the experiences you have experienced and can be transformed into a story. And that depends on what’s going on. Now I’m focusing on other things, but that doesn’t mean we’ll never see more Unravel games in the future. If we find a story that unfolds, then yes.”

We don’t know what the company is working on as of now, but Unravel was an inventive little series, so it’ll be interesting to see what they come up with for the future. Unravel is available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Its sequel, Unravel Two, is available on all the same platforms, plus the Nintendo Switch.

After releasing at EA Play last year for other platforms, Coldwood Interactive’s Unravel Two is now available for Nintendo Switch. This recent tale sees two Yarnys cooperating together to solve puzzles and make it through the world. Check out the emotional yet adorably compelling launch trailer below.

Unravel Two can be played solo or in local co-op (which is a bonus for Switch users, since each player can use a single Joy-Con). The two Yarnys can help each other swing through obstacles thanks to being joined by magical threads. The sequel also features a compelling storyline, complete with tougher challenges and levels to unlock.

Head here to read GamingBolt’s official review of Unravel Two and why it might be worth your time. Though its relatively on the short side, the gorgeous visuals and puzzle-solving mechanics – complete with better pacing – help make it a worthy sequel. Unravel Two is also available for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

In arguably the greatest surprise of the Nintendo Direct yesterday, EA announced a game for the Nintendo Switch that wasn’t FIFA. No, they announced that Unravel Two, the lovely puzzle platformer from Coldwood, and the follow-up to the equally charming original Unravel, will be coming to the Nintendo Switch in March.

The game was announced and released for PS4, Xbox One, and PC last E3, but questions of a Switch port for the game were brought up quite often, especially following its emphasis on co-op, something that the Switch, with its two Joycons, would be able to achieve far better than any other system on the market. At that time, all the developers said was that they would look into a Switch version of the game, but it looks like they followed through on their word there, and we have Unravel Two on the system now.

As part of EA’s Originals line, Unravel Two is only published by EA, and all profits from the game go directly to the developer, with EA seeing none of the money in the transaction. The title is available now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and the Switch version will launch on March 22. You can watch its announcement in Nintendo’s Direct presentation below (the video’s timestamped, so just hit play).

To me, the term “indie” developer is equal parts counter-culture and unfettered creative vision. However, they are not on a different level from triple-A studios – really, the only things that separate them are bigger budgets and more marketing. Just like indie games are not by virtue worse than triple-A titles because of the lack of money, so too are they not superior because of their unique ideas (which come down to proper execution at the end of the day). I’m not a fan of the “triple-A” or “indie” moniker when it comes down to great games. Because great games, at the end of the day, are great games. And 2018, for all its typical franchises, has seen a lot of great games.

"Developed by Matt Thorson and friends aka Matt Makes Games that brought us the wildly entertaining multiplayer-centric Towerfall: Ascension, Celeste turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of the year."

Let’s start with January. It was a cold, dark month, punctuated by the impending release of Monster Hunter World. For me, the month was important for two reasons – Cellar Door Games’ Full Metal Furies and Konjak’s Iconoclasts. The former, obviously, is due to the developer’s amazing Rogue Legacy. Full Metal Furies has been in development for a long time and while its beat ’em up mechanics were decent, the overall gameplay and structure felt a bit wanting. It came and went but thankfully, the same didn’t apply to Iconoclasts. This years-in-development action platformer from Joakim Sandberg culminated in a colourful adventure with a deep story, lovable characters and excellent boss fights. It’s coming to Nintendo Switch as well, making it the perfect title to have on the go.

However, between these titles and Unknown Worlds’ Subnautica finally leaving Steam Early Access amid much fanfare (rightly so given how excellently the development was handled), there was Celeste. Developed by Matt Thorson and friends aka Matt Makes Games that brought us the wildly entertaining multiplayer-centric Towerfall: Ascension, Celeste turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of the year. It overtook a number of other indie titles by coming to the Nintendo Switch at launch but otherwise, it was a great game in every aspect regardless of the platform.

Mechanically, the platforming and variety in level design was compelling, fresh and organically challenging at every turn. The music and visuals were suitably retro but embodied a surrealistic flavour that felt unmistakably contemporary. I would give the most credit to composer Lena Raine for the sheer perfection that her soundtrack serves in setting the mood but everyone who worked on the game, from the artists and programmers to Thorson as designer and director, deserves the highest praise.

Even as Monster Hunter World was setting records and stealing many players’ hearts, Celeste was already my personal Game of the Year.

"Even though there wasn’t a ton of competition, the best new indie game of February was undoubtedly Into The Breach."

Surprisingly, February felt uneventful in comparison. Aegis Defenders from GUTS Department had a certain appeal to its gameplay with the mix of tower defense and 2D platforming but ultimately remained a niche title. February was mostly the month that numerous titles like SteamWorld Dig, Owlboy, Night in the Woods, Layers of Fear: Legacy, Outlast and much more released on the Nintendo Switch. The Nindies program was starting to pick up momentum.

Meanwhile, EA’s Fe was probably the biggest new indie release of the month simply based on the EA Originals label. Was it really exceptional? Did it push any boundaries, especially after January’s cavalcade of great releases? Not really but it was a solid title from the studio behind Stick It To The Man and the upcoming Ghost Giant. Moss was the other big title, simply due to the pedigree of its developer Polyarc (whose team had worked on titles like Guild Wars 2, Halo: Reach, Red Dead Redemption and Dragon Age).

Whether it was the instantly recognizable protagonist Quill or simply being one of the best VR titles ever made, Moss ably established its presence. There was also Where The Water Tastes Like Wine that sadly was proclaimed as a commercial disaster by the developer. Nevertheless, its gorgeous art-direction and strong cast, intermixed with interactive stories, was a welcome offering. An offering that will hopefully receive more appreciation down the line.

Even though there wasn’t a ton of competition, the best new indie game of February was undoubtedly Into The Breach. FTL: Faster Than Light developer Subset Games took a semi-rogue-like approach into the turn-based strategy genre, evoking an aesthetic similar to Advance Wars with intriguing gameplay and squad possibilities. The procedurally generated nature of maps, scaling difficulty and challenge completion required for new units ensured multiple playthroughs. But it was the deceptively simple yet complex gameplay that cemented it as one of the year’s best. There was just something so sweet about knocking an enemy unit into another while their attack kills a third. The ripple effect that this would have on surrounding buildings and other enemies was also worth watching out for at all times.

"Though ultimately falling back on the “one big twist” style of story-telling and having no single-player option, A Way Out’s characterization and strong mechanics allowed it to sell exceptionally well."

The scene started picking up again with all kinds of releases in March. Evoland developer Shiro Games returned with a completely different offering in Northgard. The strategy title focused on settlement building and exploration, as players managed resources and set out to conquer the immense campaign. Despite the strong critical acclaim, Northgard didn’t get too much appreciation but saw a number of updates to extend its life.

Other standout releases that didn’t get too much attention include Ghost of A Tale, a stealth fantasy game focused on a mouse named Tilo as he explores the history of a strange, anthropomorphic inhabitated kingdom; Q.U.B.E. 2, a puzzler in first person that involves the manipulation of cubes while one navigates an immense maze to survive; and of course, Hazelight Games’ A Way Out. Published under the EA Originals label and hyped up thanks to the antics of creator Josef Fares, A Way Out imbibed the couch co-op experience with a compelling story and gameplay situations. Though ultimately falling back on the “one big twist” style of story-telling and having no single-player option, A Way Out’s characterization and strong mechanics allowed it to sell exceptionally well. It crossed 1 million units sold in just two weeks.

April started earnestly enough with Minit. The game focuses on a mystery but much like Half-Minute Hero, a limited time period is provided to accomplish solve it. In between these sixty-second lives, players gather items that are shared across different lifetimes and advance forward (ideally). Though Minit handled its concept well, it was ultimately overshadowed by Harebrained Schemes’ BattleTech and 11 bit Studios’ Frostpunk, not to mention Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice finally coming to Xbox One.

In terms of heavyweights, that’s a pretty solid list. BattleTech became quite successful and Harebrained was acquired by Paradox Interactive. The developer announced future updates and more content (the recently revealed Flashpoint is the first paid expansion). Frostpunk, meanwhile, has been releasing free updates and quality of life changes besides prepping a new scenario for release later this year. Whether it was a tactical turn-based strategy with mech-building and customization or city-management with survival elements and an aspect of humanity, PC players weren’t wanting for unique experiences in April.

"Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, despite having a budget that could dwarf other indie titles, presented an old-school approach to computer role-playing games in the vein of Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale."

Of course, there was also Pizza Titan Ultra, an action platformer which featured giant mechs rampaging through cities to deliver pizzas. Why? Because of course, the mech owners ran a pizzeria! It’s crazy and bizarre but combines the over-top style of Crazy Taxi with the destructible landscape of Blast Corps. It’s nuts and yet extremely endearing.

In May, the flow of indies picked up. Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, despite having a budget that could dwarf other indie titles, presented an old-school approach to computer role-playing games in the vein of Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale. The addition of piracy, ship combat and exploration made it a fun romp even if, like the first game, the writing could be less than quaint. Titles like Omensight and Wizard of Legend also rose to prominence. The former was developed by Spearhead Games of Stories: The Path of Destinies fame. It saw players reliving the same day in Urralia, attempting to solve a murder to reverse the land’s destruction. Time manipulation, hack and slash combat and the ability to influence key characters all created a unique experience (plus the art-style was pretty good looking).

Wizard of Legend took a more straightforward rogue-like approach. Players explored a fixed number of dungeons with procedurally generated elements but the real hook was developing and combining magical spells together. Combat was fast, and the number of spells and items helped provide enough variety for a few repeat playthroughs.

Then there was Moonlighter, a much-anticipated pixel-art dungeon crawler that combined the combat of Zelda with the item shop management of Recettear. While its shopkeeping elements didn’t feel as dynamic, Moonlighter still had an enjoyable loop of combat, upgrading, dungeon looting and selling that was insanely addictive. Did we also mention the art looks simply gorgeous? It’s since been updated with over a hundred new rooms, various quality of life improvements and more interesting twists to the item store.

"July belonged to two major releases – The Banner Saga 3, the climactic conclusion to Stoic’s excellent trilogy, and No Man’s Sky NEXT."

Other titles that stood out in May include City of Brass, a first person rogue-like themed on Arabian Nights where players must venture into a dangerous city for the promise of treasure; FAR: Lone Sails, a linear adventure game where players embark on a sea-faring adventure of mystery, braving hazards and attempting to keep their ship going; and Yoku’s Island Express, a charming side-scrolling platformer that incorporates pinball into its core gameplay. Seriously though, if nothing else, try out Yoku’s Island Express. It’s a ball (I know, I’m sorry).

June and July were relatively quiet, though E3 2018 saw a number of titles either announced or outright released. Unravel Two debuted at EA Play 2018 and while it wasn’t as intriguing as Sea of Solitude (which is out in 2019), the sheer charm of the first game was unique. Plus, there was co-op this time. EA further surprised us by releasing the game as soon as it was announced because…well, why not? Nintendo followed suit. It released the Switch port of Team Cherry’s acclaimed Hollow Knight during its Direct presentation. Hollow Knight has since gone on to fame and fortune, selling over 1 million copies since first launching for PC last year.

Dontnod’s Vampyr was the other big indie release for June. While it seemingly flew under the radar, only slightly buoyed by reviews that praised the story but criticized for its combat, it managed to sell 450,000 units in a manner of weeks. July’s releases were pretty straightforward – This is the Police 2 released and alienated a few fans, though its shift towards a more XCOM-style tactical game wasn’t terrible. Chasm finally released after years in development and while it wasn’t bad, it did average slightly higher than “okay”. At least its 2D art maintained its appeal after so many years.

Honestly, though, July belonged to two major releases – The Banner Saga 3, the climactic conclusion to Stoic’s excellent trilogy, and No Man’s Sky NEXT. The latter technically wasn’t a new game but a large update, overhauling a number of features, adding new ones like co-op multiplayer (and PvP for the more violent-minded folk), and significantly improving the visuals. It did mark the game’s debut for Xbox One but perhaps the most significant development was Hello Games co-founder Sean Murray finally speaking out and admitting to the numerous problems at launch. The commitment to keep improving the game, especially with weekly events, continues.

"Perhaps what impresses me most about this year thus far is how many indie titles seemingly came out of left field and proved to be compelling experiences."

We hence come to August which saw the incredible Dead Cells finally leave Steam Early Access and become a fairly big hit with critics. I’ve waxed eloquent about how brilliant the game is, nailing its core gameplay loop thanks to a striking yet organic aesthetic. And really, it’s tons of fun to kill stuff in that game. No joke.

Guacamelee! 2 wasn’t a revolutionary leap over the sequel but it’s still an excellent follow-up, celebrating Mexican culture and folklore while embodying the very best of Metroidvania gameplay. Death’s Gambit, a 2D Souls-like, also released after numerous years in development. While I personally had a few qualms with it, the combat is fun and challenging to engage with as are the boss battles. Overcooked! 2 brought a whole new meaning to hating your friends with its cooking-based missions (and that odd design choice of only the hosting player receiving progress should be fixed by now). Even Donut County, a game where you control a whole that’s swallowing things up and increasing in size, looks bizarrely fun.

Perhaps what impresses me most about this year thus far is how many indie titles seemingly came out of left field and proved to be compelling experiences. For as much hype as there was for Iconoclasts, Celeste simply came out of nowhere and became known as one of the very best games ever made. Likewise, with August coming to an end (as of this time of writing), Sabotage Studio’s The Messenger has released and proven itself to be an excellent homage to the old-school Ninja Gaiden.

Even without the direct comparison, it’s still proven to be a fantastic 2D action platformer. For The King, IronOak Games’ tabletop roguelike RPG, was also pretty good and despite leaving Early Access with very little fanfare, it’s been well-received by both critics and regular fans. The same goes for Event Horizon’s Tower of Time, a more story-centric RPG dungeon crawler with some compelling combat and decent story-telling.

"Not everyone may find success but each title has earned its place in the hearts and minds of its fans, no matter their number."

Though the Fall and Holiday seasons are known for their triple-A releases, there are a few awesome indie games to look forward to. InExile’s The Bard’s Tale 4: Barrows Deep will arrive on September 18th, introducing a new generation to the dungeon crawling, RPG excitement that permeated old-school titles. Secret of Mana-style action RPG CrossCode will also finally release, exiting Steam Early Access on September 20th, and I couldn’t be more excited about finally playing the game through from start to finish. A number of titles like This War of Mine, Hyper Light Drifter, Everspace, Beat Cop, Moonlighter and much more will also be making their way to the Nintendo Switch, which has proven to be a premier destination for indie titles. Just ask anyone still addicted to Dead Cells on the go.

Frozen Synapse 2 is also probably still coming this year. It’s really hard to say at this point.

The industry has seen its ups and downs throughout the years. Whether it’s last year’s hefty push for loot boxes and reinforcing essential gameplay elements with loot boxes, or the constant nagging about the Battle Royale genre this year, there will always be some kind of pervasive cynicism. That doesn’t mean that some great games – even those seemingly “ruined” by microtransactions – aren’t available to indulge in but that’s beside the point. Through all the twists we’ve seen the industry take, the indie development scene continues to push forward. It may not always be easy or lead to returns as exemplified by Zeboyd Games (Cosmic Star Heroine) or Infinite Fall (Night in the Woods). Some developers like Hello Games may be forever marred by their past failures. Others may be defined more by their explosive personalities than their actual work like Josef Fares.

At the end of the day, the market has proven receptive to indie games and fresh experiences in general. Not everyone may find success but each title has earned its place in the hearts and minds of its fans, no matter their number.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

If you missed it, ColdWood Interactive’s Unravel 2 is now available for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. The indie platformer launched at EA Play 2018 right after its announcement. For those still on the fence as to whether it’s worth $20, there’s a free demo available now for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. It contains the first two levels and can be played for up to 10 hours.

The demo will be free till July 30th so there’s ample time to check it out. Unravel 2 isn’t just a straight-up sequel to the original – it adds co-op via a second Yarny that can be controlled via co-op. The same physics based, yarn-swinging puzzles still remain so keep that in mind.

The full Unravel 2 experience consists of six levels in total and it can be completed rather quickly. However, many reviewers have confirmed the sequel to be a good improvement in terms of platforming, exploration and art-style. Check out GamingBolt’s official review here for more information.

ColdWood Interactive’s reveal of Unravel Two during EA Play 2018 wasn’t terribly surprising – Electronic Arts had already confirmed a new Unravel was in the works in May. However, it was incredibly surprising when Unravel Two launched at EA Play itself for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Why not Nintendo Switch though especially given how popular the platform is these days? ColdWood producer Michael Gill spoke to Games Industry Biz about the same. Essentially, it boiled down to extra time and resources but getting it ready in time for the surprise reveal was also a factor.

Gill said that the Switch version “would have taken another half a year or so,” on top of the other platform versions. The game’s more technical elements, including the different physics being used, defied its classification as a “simple platform”. Though the Switch is “a machine made for Unravel Two,” it still would have been difficult to adapt for the platform.

Regardless, you can still play Unravel Two for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Unlike the original, co-op is supported as well.

Unravel Two is a sequel to Unravel which had released back in 2016. That game had introduced us to the creature known as Yarny, which is essentially a creature made up of yarn. The game was praised for its puzzle platforming, visual style, and more. In this sequel, all of these elements are improved upon and there’s also the new addition of another Yarny which can be controlled by a friend in co-op mode. This time around, the puzzles and environments require the work of two Yarny creatures, and there are a number of creative ways in which you can make use of them.

The game also looks absolutely gorgeous, and is quite relaxing and fun to play. The game is now available on PS4, Xbox One and PC, and if you’ve got a buddy to play the game with, you’re in for a memorable gaming experience. If you’re ever feeling stuck at any point in the game, then the following video walkthrough will help you out.

Control

Remedy Entertainment’s newest project immediately caught our attention with its surreal premise, reality-bending levels and supernatural powers. Playing as Jesse, director of the Bureau of Control, the goal is to stop an enemy called Hiss from tearing apart HQ aka the Oldest House. Along with incorporating a more sandbox style world, Control will also incorporate Metroidvania aspects of exploration. Finding abilities will open up new paths along with more ways to maul enemies.