New indie games: Palworld 1.0, Tiny Bookshop mobile, and more
This week's indie game roundup highlights the full release of Palworld 1.0, the mobile launch of Tiny Bookshop, and several other new and upcoming titles.
Palworld 1.0
Pocketpair has released Palworld 1.0, leaving early access after nearly two and a half years. The update adds 72 new creatures, new areas including a floating island archipelago, a higher level cap, audio and visual upgrades, an overhauled story, and more. The developer recommends starting a new save for the best experience. Players were urged to delete mod files before the patch to avoid issues. Palworld now has over 40 million players.
Tiny Bookshop
The cozy life sim Tiny Bookshop, previously on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox, has arrived on mobile. Players manage a small bookshop on a trailer they can tow to scenic locations, decorating it with collected items. The decor affects customers, to whom you can recommend books. The game sold over 500,000 copies from its August 2025 debut to year's end.
Cat Mail Co.
A new game where you run a post office on a cat-inhabited island. After the previous postmaster vanishes, you must sort through a backlog of mail. It's a relaxing game with no penalties or time limits. At night, a magical twist appears, and there's a story to uncover. Supports up to four players in co-op. The Supporter Edition is free during the first week.
Backyard Baseball
The latest Backyard Baseball installment is out on Steam, but still needs polish. Controls for fielding feel unresponsive, and commentary quickly becomes repetitive. However, the game looks charming, special abilities are fun, and there are no microtransactions. Online multiplayer is not available at launch and will be added later.
Hyperwired
A 2D twin-stick shooter with a twist: your spaceship has a plug that you insert into sockets to recharge energy. While tethered, you can move only within cable range. It's a roguelite with a procedurally generated galaxy, multiple ships, dozens of upgrades, and hundreds of bullet modifier combos. A slow-motion ability can be triggered almost anytime.
Upcoming games
Vampirium: 1997 by Bithell Games is an immersive sim where Dracula is king of England and you play as his minion carrying out assassinations. It resembles a minimalist Hitman with time management.
Greedy Greedy Gnomes is a satirical clicker-idle RPG where you hire gnomes to smash pots and collect coins to become rich, but demonic presences lurk.
Hillthorn is a detective game with no dialogue – use clue cards to solve a missing child case in a secluded community. Every action advances the clock, demanding decisiveness.
Steel Maiden is a two-button roguelite action game from the art director of My Little Puppy. It features slick animations and a unique visual style.
