{"id":12638,"date":"2023-01-06T16:20:40","date_gmt":"2023-01-06T16:20:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.bwgamespot.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/06\/indie-highlights-coming-to-ps4-ps5-in-january-2023\/"},"modified":"2023-01-06T16:20:40","modified_gmt":"2023-01-06T16:20:40","slug":"indie-highlights-coming-to-ps4-ps5-in-january-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.bwgamespot.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/06\/indie-highlights-coming-to-ps4-ps5-in-january-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Indie highlights coming to PS4 &amp; PS5 in January 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"\">Happy 2023, players! 2022 was an amazing year for gaming, and this year\u2019s already poised to be another one for the history books. So how about making a new year\u2019s resolution to expand your gaming horizons? Trying out games from unfamiliar genres or titles made by up-and-coming developers can be a wonderful experience. January\u2019s indie highlights are a great place to start. From terrifying twin-stick shooter nightmare worlds to the emotional drama of a fading existence to the primal satisfaction of the car wash, these games will take you to some very interesting places.<\/p>\n<p class=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/52608607922_629c6ed70d_h.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"\">Children of Silentown<\/h2>\n<p class=\"\">Small towns are known for fostering strong communities, where the absence of a single person can be felt by everyone. But in this hamlet in the middle of the woods, there are <em>a lot<\/em> of disappearances. There are also a lot of night sounds here\u30fcthe sort of monstrous roars that would shake your soul from your body. Lucy\u2019s lived here all her life, and she\u2019s convinced that she\u2019s old enough to get to the bottom of why townsfolk are vanishing. Her tender young mind is about to experience a very rude awakening. Children of Silentown, developed by Elf Games and Luna2 Studio, is a loving homage to point-and-click adventure classics of yesteryear with a rural horror theme. Experience charming yet creepy painted visuals and fantastic sound design as you wrack your brain to solve some absolutely fiendish puzzles. And whatever you do, don\u2019t step foot in the woods.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> January 11\u00a0 | <strong>Publisher: <\/strong>Daedalic Entertainment<strong> <\/strong>| PS4<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode shortcode--youtube\">\n<div class=\"youtube-video\">\n\t<button class=\"youtube-video__load-button\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Play  Video<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/p><\/button>\n<div class=\"youtube-video__iframe\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"\">A Space for the Unbound<\/h2>\n<p class=\"\">Ah, the 90s\u30fca time when gorgeous pixel art was at its peak. In A Space for the Unbound, you\u2019ll go to rural Indonesia during that exciting decade and meet a pair of teenage lovebirds named Atma and Raya\u2026 who just happen to have supernatural powers. That\u2019s not the only unusual happening here, either\u30fca malevolent force lurks in the background that threatens everything. To get to the bottom of the bizarre happenings, you\u2019ll meet with all manner of colorful townsfolk, using psychic powers to dive into their minds to solve puzzles and conflicts. But even the most extraordinarily gifted high schoolers still have to battle their own uncertainty and self-doubt. Immerse yourself in this gorgeous 2D pixel-art adventure from developers Mojiken and Toge, and don\u2019t forget to pet all the cats.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> January 19\u00a0 | <strong>Publisher: <\/strong>Chorus Worldwide<strong> <\/strong>| PS4, PS5<\/p>\n<p class=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/52609108001_239ec0e12c_h.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"\">NeverAwake<\/h2>\n<p class=\"\">Rem is a kid with typical kid problems\u30fcshe hates gross veggies, she\u2019s scared of big mean dogs, she despises doctor visits, and she can\u2019t seem to get along with her classmates. What\u2019s not so typical, however, is Rem\u2019s dream world: a nightmare realm where all her worries and insecurities have her trapped. To wake herself up she\u2019ll have to face her monstrous fears head-on in fiendishly intense twin-stick arcade shooter action. Grotesque mutant eggplants and diabolical demon dogs are just some of the memorably bizarre foes Rem must blow away to escape. You\u2019ll also use a menagerie of collectible upgrades and gear to help you overcome the most challenging stages. NeverAwake by Neotro Inc is the arcade shooter of your dreams\u2026 or should that be nightmares?<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> January 26 | <strong>Publisher: <\/strong>Phoenix<strong> <\/strong>| PS4, PS5<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode shortcode--youtube\">\n<div class=\"youtube-video\">\n\t<button class=\"youtube-video__load-button\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Play  Video<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/p><\/button>\n<div class=\"youtube-video__iframe\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"\">Backfirewall<\/h2>\n<p class=\"\">Some people are described as \u201cliving on their smartphones,\u201d but Backfirewall from developer Naraven takes that statement very literally. In this odd first-person adventure, you play as the Update Assistant\u30fcthat being that lives inside your smartphone and gets things ready to go when the OS update comes in. The problem is the newest update being pushed is a disaster that\u2019ll brick the device. With the help of other anthropomorphic apps living in this self-contained smartphone universe, you\u2019ll explore, hack, reprogram, and exploit the system to keep things stable. And you might uncover some interesting information about the User, too.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> January 30 | <strong>Publisher: <\/strong>All in! Games<strong> <\/strong>| PS4, PS5<\/p>\n<p class=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/52609605313_aa662c40de_b.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"\">Powerwash Simulator<\/h2>\n<p class=\"\">It\u2019s the simple things in life that are the most deeply satisfying\u30fcyou know, like taking a high-powered water blaster and annihilating layers of accumulated filth and muck to reveal the beauty of a shiny vehicle underneath. PowerWash Simulator by developer FuturLab gives you the experience of large-scale deep cleaning without needing to wrangle a forceful hose or get sopping wet. As the owner of a cleaning business, you\u2019ll get everything looking new: cars, houses, playground equipment, and even a Mars Rover. Join forces with a friend for intense yet strangely relaxing co-op cleansing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> January 30 | <strong>Publisher: <\/strong>Square Enix<strong> <\/strong>| PS4, PS5<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode shortcode--youtube\">\n<div class=\"youtube-video\">\n\t<button class=\"youtube-video__load-button\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Play  Video<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/p><\/button>\n<div class=\"youtube-video__iframe\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"\">Season: A letter to the future<\/h2>\n<p class=\"\">It\u2019s time to leave home and go exploring the world\u30fca somewhat daunting proposition since you\u2019ve been living in a quiet hamlet for all of your life so far, and you\u2019ve never left once. As you take control of heroine Estelle and hop on your trusty bike (complete with DualSense controller-enhanced pedal controls and haptic feedback), you come to understand that everything as you know it will soon come to an end. In this atmospheric, emotionally charged third-person exploration\/adventure game developer by Scavenger Studios, you\u2019ll do everything you can to preserve the lives, traditions, words, and memories of those soon fated to fade into history. Using notebooks, cameras, and recorders to capture the details of a culture\u2019s daily existence, you\u2019ll strive to preserve a memory of life as it was for those in the future.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> January 31\u00a0 | <strong>Publisher: <\/strong>Scavenger Studios<strong> <\/strong>| PS4, PS5<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode shortcode--youtube\">\n<div class=\"youtube-video\">\n\t<button class=\"youtube-video__load-button\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Play  Video<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/p><\/button>\n<div class=\"youtube-video__iframe\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"\">We Were Here Forever<\/h2>\n<p class=\"\">Well, here you are, stuck in the dungeon depths alongside another sorry schmuck among the frozen tundra of Antarctica. How\u2019d you wind up in this miserable place? And just what the heck is a castle doing in Antarctica, anyway? Who knows\u30fcthe important thing is that you\u2019re going to need to get out of this freezing hell, and you\u2019re going to need the help of your partner-in-potential-freedom to do it. This spooky first-person, co-op-only puzzle adventure from TMG Studios B.V. takes you through the harsh halls of Castle Rock as you and another player work together to uncover the fort\u2019s history and secrets, starting with only a pair of mic-controlled walkie-talkies. Can you escape, or will you both be left as forgotten, frozen corpses?<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> January 31\u00a0 | <strong>Publisher: <\/strong>TMG Studios B.V.<strong> <\/strong>| PS4, PS5<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Which indie release this month are you looking forward to most?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Indie highlights coming to PS4 &amp; PS5 in January 2023<!-- wp:html --><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Happy 2023, players! 2022 was an amazing year for gaming, and this year\u2019s already poised to be another one for the history books. So how about making a new year\u2019s resolution to expand your gaming horizons? Trying out games from unfamiliar genres or titles made by up-and-coming developers can be a wonderful experience. January\u2019s indie highlights are a great place to start. From terrifying twin-stick shooter nightmare worlds to the emotional drama of a fading existence to the primal satisfaction of the car wash, these games will take you to some very interesting places.<\/p>\n<p class=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/52608607922_629c6ed70d_h.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"\">Children of Silentown<\/h2>\n<p class=\"\">Small towns are known for fostering strong communities, where the absence of a single person can be felt by everyone. But in this hamlet in the middle of the woods, there are <em>a lot<\/em> of disappearances. There are also a lot of night sounds here\u30fcthe sort of monstrous roars that would shake your soul from your body. Lucy\u2019s lived here all her life, and she\u2019s convinced that she\u2019s old enough to get to the bottom of why townsfolk are vanishing. Her tender young mind is about to experience a very rude awakening. Children of Silentown, developed by Elf Games and Luna2 Studio, is a loving homage to point-and-click adventure classics of yesteryear with a rural horror theme. Experience charming yet creepy painted visuals and fantastic sound design as you wrack your brain to solve some absolutely fiendish puzzles. And whatever you do, don\u2019t step foot in the woods.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> January 11\u00a0 | <strong>Publisher: <\/strong>Daedalic Entertainment<strong> <\/strong>| PS4<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode shortcode--youtube\">\n<div class=\"youtube-video\">\n\t<button class=\"youtube-video__load-button\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Play  Video<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"youtube-video__iframe\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"\">A Space for the Unbound<\/h2>\n<p class=\"\">Ah, the 90s\u30fca time when gorgeous pixel art was at its peak. In A Space for the Unbound, you\u2019ll go to rural Indonesia during that exciting decade and meet a pair of teenage lovebirds named Atma and Raya\u2026 who just happen to have supernatural powers. That\u2019s not the only unusual happening here, either\u30fca malevolent force lurks in the background that threatens everything. To get to the bottom of the bizarre happenings, you\u2019ll meet with all manner of colorful townsfolk, using psychic powers to dive into their minds to solve puzzles and conflicts. But even the most extraordinarily gifted high schoolers still have to battle their own uncertainty and self-doubt. Immerse yourself in this gorgeous 2D pixel-art adventure from developers Mojiken and Toge, and don\u2019t forget to pet all the cats.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> January 19\u00a0 | <strong>Publisher: <\/strong>Chorus Worldwide<strong> <\/strong>| PS4, PS5<\/p>\n<p class=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/52609108001_239ec0e12c_h.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"\">NeverAwake<\/h2>\n<p class=\"\">Rem is a kid with typical kid problems\u30fcshe hates gross veggies, she\u2019s scared of big mean dogs, she despises doctor visits, and she can\u2019t seem to get along with her classmates. What\u2019s not so typical, however, is Rem\u2019s dream world: a nightmare realm where all her worries and insecurities have her trapped. To wake herself up she\u2019ll have to face her monstrous fears head-on in fiendishly intense twin-stick arcade shooter action. Grotesque mutant eggplants and diabolical demon dogs are just some of the memorably bizarre foes Rem must blow away to escape. You\u2019ll also use a menagerie of collectible upgrades and gear to help you overcome the most challenging stages. NeverAwake by Neotro Inc is the arcade shooter of your dreams\u2026 or should that be nightmares?<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> January 26 | <strong>Publisher: <\/strong>Phoenix<strong> <\/strong>| PS4, PS5<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode shortcode--youtube\">\n<div class=\"youtube-video\">\n\t<button class=\"youtube-video__load-button\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Play  Video<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"youtube-video__iframe\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"\">Backfirewall<\/h2>\n<p class=\"\">Some people are described as \u201cliving on their smartphones,\u201d but Backfirewall from developer Naraven takes that statement very literally. In this odd first-person adventure, you play as the Update Assistant\u30fcthat being that lives inside your smartphone and gets things ready to go when the OS update comes in. The problem is the newest update being pushed is a disaster that\u2019ll brick the device. With the help of other anthropomorphic apps living in this self-contained smartphone universe, you\u2019ll explore, hack, reprogram, and exploit the system to keep things stable. And you might uncover some interesting information about the User, too.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> January 30 | <strong>Publisher: <\/strong>All in! Games<strong> <\/strong>| PS4, PS5<\/p>\n<p class=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/52609605313_aa662c40de_b.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"\">Powerwash Simulator<\/h2>\n<p class=\"\">It\u2019s the simple things in life that are the most deeply satisfying\u30fcyou know, like taking a high-powered water blaster and annihilating layers of accumulated filth and muck to reveal the beauty of a shiny vehicle underneath. PowerWash Simulator by developer FuturLab gives you the experience of large-scale deep cleaning without needing to wrangle a forceful hose or get sopping wet. As the owner of a cleaning business, you\u2019ll get everything looking new: cars, houses, playground equipment, and even a Mars Rover. Join forces with a friend for intense yet strangely relaxing co-op cleansing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> January 30 | <strong>Publisher: <\/strong>Square Enix<strong> <\/strong>| PS4, PS5<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode shortcode--youtube\">\n<div class=\"youtube-video\">\n\t<button class=\"youtube-video__load-button\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Play  Video<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"youtube-video__iframe\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"\">Season: A letter to the future<\/h2>\n<p class=\"\">It\u2019s time to leave home and go exploring the world\u30fca somewhat daunting proposition since you\u2019ve been living in a quiet hamlet for all of your life so far, and you\u2019ve never left once. As you take control of heroine Estelle and hop on your trusty bike (complete with DualSense controller-enhanced pedal controls and haptic feedback), you come to understand that everything as you know it will soon come to an end. In this atmospheric, emotionally charged third-person exploration\/adventure game developer by Scavenger Studios, you\u2019ll do everything you can to preserve the lives, traditions, words, and memories of those soon fated to fade into history. Using notebooks, cameras, and recorders to capture the details of a culture\u2019s daily existence, you\u2019ll strive to preserve a memory of life as it was for those in the future.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> January 31\u00a0 | <strong>Publisher: <\/strong>Scavenger Studios<strong> <\/strong>| PS4, PS5<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode shortcode--youtube\">\n<div class=\"youtube-video\">\n\t<button class=\"youtube-video__load-button\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Play  Video<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"youtube-video__iframe\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"\">We Were Here Forever<\/h2>\n<p class=\"\">Well, here you are, stuck in the dungeon depths alongside another sorry schmuck among the frozen tundra of Antarctica. How\u2019d you wind up in this miserable place? And just what the heck is a castle doing in Antarctica, anyway? Who knows\u30fcthe important thing is that you\u2019re going to need to get out of this freezing hell, and you\u2019re going to need the help of your partner-in-potential-freedom to do it. This spooky first-person, co-op-only puzzle adventure from TMG Studios B.V. takes you through the harsh halls of Castle Rock as you and another player work together to uncover the fort\u2019s history and secrets, starting with only a pair of mic-controlled walkie-talkies. Can you escape, or will you both be left as forgotten, frozen corpses?<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> January 31\u00a0 | <strong>Publisher: <\/strong>TMG Studios B.V.<strong> <\/strong>| PS4, PS5<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Which indie release this month are you looking forward to most?<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:html --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":12639,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.bwgamespot.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12638"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.bwgamespot.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.bwgamespot.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bwgamespot.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12638"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bwgamespot.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12638\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bwgamespot.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12639"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.bwgamespot.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12638"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bwgamespot.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12638"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bwgamespot.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12638"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}