Indieventure

#48. The Vault: Spoooky Edition

There's been a bit of a scheduling pile-up at Indieventure HQ: within the next three episodes we somehow have to fit in our 2nd anniversary, Halloween, and our 50th episode, and make all of them feel as special as they deserve. Working around a lot of real-life commitments at the moment also means that we had to bulk-record a bunch of episodes back-to-back and… look, what I'm trying to say is, yes I realise now that we're technically hitting Halloween an episode early, but let's just agree that it works and feels deliberate, OK?
Because we've decided to hold back the traditional anniversary bit-o'-bullshit for Ep.50 (mark your calendars for November!), we decided that this milestone deserved another trip to the prestigious Indieventure Vault. We've been toying with the idea of dedicating some Vault space to specific genres for a while, and where better to start than with horror? It's a linchpin within the indie gaming scene, after all, and as ever our hosts can get some good mileage out of the fact that we all have very different feelings towards the genre: Rebecca is a total scare-seeker, Liam won't even talk about spooky games without a light on in the room, and Rachel is a recent convert who now happily occupies a space somewhere in-between.
When it came to picking our favourite spooky games to induct into the Vault, we were slightly surprised to realise that there aren't actually very many in there yet, which gave us something of a blank canvas to work with. In deference to everyone's wellbeing and in the name of keeping things interesting we were pretty loose on what we think deserves the title of "horror game", but it was nevertheless surprisingly easy to settle on our three latest submissions: Signalis, Slay the Princess, and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, all of which we give their rapturous (and increasingly surreal) initiation ceremony in this episode.
Onto hyperfixations, and you can tell we're approaching the end of the year because everyone's suddenly checking out a bunch of games. Rachel's been playing some solid gold indies as ever in the form of Öoo and Rise of the Golden Idol's latest DLC, The Curse of the Last Reaper. Meanwhile, Liam's been enjoying the glorious experiment in indie dev collaboration that is Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 1 Re-Raptored. And, because Rebecca's schedule can't be tamed at the moment, she's bucking the trend with two of the biggest AAA releases of the year instead: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (on PS5) and Silent Hill f.
Our music was written and performed by Ollie Newbury! Find him on Instagram at @newbsmusic. Meanwhile, you can find us at indieventurepodcast.co.uk or wherever you listen to podcasts. Don’t forget that you can now join our dedicated Discord too, and be sure to check out our new Steam Curator page if you simply still can't get enough of us!

EXTRA: Leaving the games industry with Ed Thorn

The last time Liam spoke with Ed Thorn, he was days away from announcing his departure from Rock Paper Shotgun. Beginning his career as a guides writer, Ed climbed the ranks to become reviews editor of the prestigious PC gaming blog, before deciding it was time to finally move on.
Ten months after that original episode went live (eight when we recorded this - soz for the delay) Ed returns to discuss what it's like to say goodbye to your dream job. Together, the pair discuss their reasons for moving on, the things they're glad to leave behind, and the moments they'll always look back on with fondness. 
This one has a slightly different vibe from our usual episodes. It's less "three feral goblins screech about Peggle", and more "two old men reminisce about the good old days". 
You can find more of Ed's thoughts in this wonderful article he kindly wrote for our website.
Our music was written and performed by Ollie Newbury! Find him on Instagram at @newbsmusic. Meanwhile, you can find us at indieventurepodcast.co.uk or wherever you listen to podcasts.

#47. The Silksong in the Room: Indie Game Sequels

OK so here's the thing: as an indie game podcast – even one that we put out for free and entirely just for fun – we can't not acknowledge the recent release of Hollow Knight: Silksong, one of the most anticipated indie games ever, right? But also, as it turns out, for various reasons, none of us have actually played it. What to do, then?
Well it turns out that while exactly zero out of three hosts had the time or – to be honest – inclination to jump right in and play Silksong at launch, we've all got a lot to say on the subject of indie game sequels more broadly. While Triple-A and even Double-A gaming spaces are absolutely saturated with long-running franchises, even very popular and successful indie games are seemingly more likely to be standalone than not, which makes sequels something of a curiosity when one comes along.
So that's how we manage to talk about Silksong without actually mentioning Silksong very much! Be it the indie game sequels that really worked for us, the ones that never saw the light of day, or our dream indie game follow-up wishlist, it turns out we have a lot to say as usual when we throw the topic open to a wider examination of an intriguing industry trend. Why is it mainly puzzle and/or horror games that manage to turn themselves into full-blown indie franchises? Do spiritual sequels count? And is Liam over the cancellation of Dreamsettler yet? (Sadly: no, but we shouldn't rush him.)
Our hyperfixations this week see Rachel once again chilling with some cute critters in Star Birds, Liam once again chilling with some factory management in Oddsparks: An Automation Adventure, and Rebecca once again seeking out the least chill time imaginable by going to see The Long Walk in the cinema (it was a great film, just… harrowing).
Our music was written and performed by Ollie Newbury! Find him on Instagram at @newbsmusic. Meanwhile, you can find us at indieventurepodcast.co.uk or wherever you listen to podcasts. Don’t forget that you can now join our dedicated Discord too, and be sure to check out our new Steam Curator page if you simply still can't get enough of us!

#46. Witch Girl Autumn

Hello, it's me again, the Ostrich that writes episode descriptions in exchange for small amounts of grain. My name is Clive, by the way. Not that any of you asked 🙄
Things have been a bit better for ol' Clive these last few weeks. Liam fell down a storm drain in early August and broke every bone in his body, rendering him unable to lock me in the glass cube that serves as my home. As a treat, I've been able to wander freely around his home, pecking at bits of bread on the kitchen floor and doing huge, violent shits in his wardrobe. The good times won't last forever, but you've got to make the most of them while they're here.
In this episode, the gang decided to celebrate the changing seasons by getting all Witchy. We're talking horoscopes, tarot reading, and a discussion about their favourite witches in indie games. The trio have a lot on at the moment and had to bulk record a few episodes at once, making this a more relaxed affair compared to their usual feral nonsense.
Even their hyperfixations are surprisingly tame. Rachel has been playing Tiny Bookshop - a fixation so potent that Rebecca chose to make it hers as well - while Liam has been playing through Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. See? I told you. It's like I asked an AI chatbot to generate hyperfixations. I didn't do that, btw. We ostriches are naturally sceptical about generative AI, seeing as we're experts in identifying when people have their heads stuck in the sand.
Anyway, I'd best be off. Liam just rolled off the sofa and is now unable to get up. I can't miss this opportunity to lay a big egg in his cereal. Tatty bye x
Our music was written and performed by Ollie Newbury! Find him on Instagram at @newbsmusic. Meanwhile, you can find us at indieventurepodcast.co.uk or wherever you listen to podcasts. Don’t forget that you can now join our dedicated Discord, too, and be sure to check out our Steam Curator page if you simply still can’t get enough of us!

#45. Listener Mailbag 4: Revengeance

Hello again, it's me, the Ostrich that Indieventure hires to write episode descriptions while Rebecca is away. Well, I say hire. Liam actually keeps me in a big glass cube in his garage, and whenever my services are required, he uses a large hammer to release me. The entire process is inefficient (and don't even get me started on how much he's spending on glass per financial quarter), but he has started patting me on the head and telling me how good I am at writing words, so who am I to complain?
 
Much in the same way I am released from my prison in the event of an emergency, the Indieventure trio were forced to smash the proverbial glass that surrounds the listener mailbag format this week, following a last-minute embargo change to a game they were all planning on reviewing instead. That game was Demonschool, which was pushed back to November following the surprise announcement of the release date for Hollow Knight: Silksong.
 
The episode begins with a brief discussion about Team Cherry's upcoming mega hit, especially how much it has disrupted the indie game release schedule. Is Silksong the indie equivalent of Grand Theft Auto 6? That's maybe a question they answer here. I can't remember. Maybe listen to the episode yourself instead of expecting me to do it? You fool. You oaf.
 
Then, the trio answer YOUR questions! Who is the hottest Peggle character? What does a successful indie podcast look like? What are your earliest memories of gaming? You'll find out the answers to these (and more!) in this section.
 
Finally, it's Hyperfixation time. Liam is channeling Big Dad Energy after watching The Naked Gun, Rebecca has been listening to The Lion's Roar by First Aid Kit, and Rachel has been playing The Drifter.
 
Anyway, I'd best be off. A DPD van just delivered an enormous glass cube, and Liam is now standing outside of its door, tapping his watch and looking impatient. Speak soon!
 
Our music was written and performed by Ollie Newbury! Find him on Instagram at @newbsmusic. Meanwhile, you can find us at indieventurepodcast.co.uk or wherever you listen to podcasts. Don’t forget that you can now join our dedicated Discord, too, and be sure to check out our Steam Curator page if you simply still can’t get enough of us!
 

EXTRA: 50 Indie Games That Changed The World with author Aaron Potter

In this episode of Indieventure Extra, Liam chats to Aaron Potter about his new book: 50 Indie Games That Changed The World.
Aaron is a prolific games journalist with bylines at GamesRadar, Edge, Wireframe magazine and Kotaku (to name just a few). However, real heads may recognise him as the former face of the Push Square YouTube channel, which he briefly hosted alongside a certain northerner from this very podcast.
Currently working at the Daily Mirror, Aaron has also published his first book. 50 Indie Games That Changed The World is a beautiful, coffee-table-style book that explores how more than 50 notable indie releases have influenced the medium as a whole. Each chapter features interviews with key figures involved in the game's creation, including Toby Fox, Ed McMillen, and Lucas Pope.
There are anecdotes abound in this episode as Aaron reveals what it was like to interview 50 indie developers, which interviews were the hardest to secure, and what it was like to create a gaming magazine in the modern era when working for the (now sadly defunct) Wireframe.
Make sure to pick up a copy of Aaron's book here. You can also follow him on BlueSky.
Enjoy the episode!
Our music was written and performed by Ollie Newbury! Find him on Instagram at @newbsmusic. Meanwhile, you can find us at indieventurepodcast.co.uk or wherever you listen to podcasts.

#44. What we've been playing (Sword of the Sea, Tiny Bookshop)

Okay, technically there's still a month left before the official end of summer, but who doesn't get a bit wistful towards the end of August? It's probably a hangover from those school summer holidays, even though the Indieventure trio – along with most of our listeners – left those days behind longer ago than we'd like to admit.
Still, taking the sting off significantly is the fact that Summer 2025 has already been an excellent season for indie games. So good, in fact, that it was quite the struggle to narrow our collective list down to just seven titles we want to talk your ear off about today. Expect more updates in the coming episodes as we consider our regrets over the ones we cut for time, but in the meantime we hope you enjoy our enthused round-up of what we've been playing recently, including BUSTAFELLOWS season2, Jump the Track, Look Outside, Squeakross: Home Squeak Home, Sword of the Sea, and Tiny Bookshop.
Plus – for only the second time ever – your intrepid Indieventurers actually managed to coordinate our schedules outside of recording to play a co-op indie game together! We'd love to do this more often, but alas, adult life is a harsh mistress. But, on the other hand, it's bloody PEAK! Yeah, of course we had to play PEAK.
When the time rolls around for hyperfixations, Rachel immediately figures out that she can cheat and sneak another excellent summer indie in from her list by talking about Cipher Zero. Rebecca, unsurprisingly, has heard the siren call of Tears of Themis – something everyone predicted she'd love because it's literally an Ace Attorney-inspired otome game made by HoYoverse – which she's found compelling if (spoiler alert) a little less lovable than she'd always expected. And slightly more surprisingly, Liam has also fallen for the allures of a gacha game… but it's Pokémon TCG Pocket, which is allowed.
Our music was written and performed by Ollie Newbury! Find him on Instagram at @newbsmusic. Meanwhile, you can find us at indieventurepodcast.co.uk or wherever you listen to podcasts. Don’t forget that you can now join our dedicated Discord too, and be sure to check out our new Steam Curator page if you simply still can't get enough of us!

#43. Indie Game Media Bundles

The Indieventure trio are back from our slightly longer-than-originally planned summer break, and thank goodness, we can just about remember how to record a podcast! Luckily, we've had an idea in the back pocket for a while now that allows us to have a bit of a free-flowing chat as we ease back into the swing of things.
The theme of this episode is, broadly speaking, other media we'd recommend to fans of some of our favourite indie games. Be it books, movies, music, or even (gasp!) a triple-A title or two, turns out we've all had that experience of finding something that complements the vibe of an indie game we enjoy so perfectly we swear some plucky publisher ought to sell them together in some sort of limited-edition bundle.
Obviously, we kick things off with Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, a widely acknowledged must-read for any Hades fans out there, but we move on to deeper cuts as the episode progresses. Discussion topics include – but are very much not limited to – our thoughts on how Thank Goodness You're Here follows a proud tradition of British surrealist comedy best embodied by Reeves and Mortimer in Shooting Stars; which Margaret Atwood novel best reflects the vibe of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage; and of course which creature collection games are must-plays for fans of Jeff Vandermeer's Southern Reach books.
Other games finding their perfect pairing – it's kind of like a wine tasting evening, really – include series like OlliOlli and Simulacra, as well as stand-alones such as 1000xRESIST, Frostpunk, Signalis, and let's be honest, many more besides.
We end as ever with a fresh batch of hyperfixations. Liam is rounding out the regression to his mid-2000s teenhood described earlier in the episode by getting well into wrestling of all things, thanks to a surprisingly fun evening out at a NORTH Wrestling event. Rebecca's refusal to stop banging on about Tiny Bookshop for three solid years has paid off in the form of a preview copy of the game, which has immediately and gratifyingly shot straight to the top of her GOTY watchlist. And Rachel's been enjoying a couple of short and sweet recent indie releases in the form of Everdeep Aurora and Wheel World.
Our music was written and performed by Ollie Newbury! Find him on Instagram at @newbsmusic. Meanwhile, you can find us at indieventurepodcast.co.uk or wherever you listen to podcasts. Don’t forget that you can now join our dedicated Discord, too, and be sure to check out our new Steam Curator page if you simply still can't get enough of us!

SIDE QUEST: Oops, all cold open!

Hey there, listener to the Indieventure podcast! Is your least favourite part of any episode the part where we actually talk about video games? Are you one of the surprising number of people in our Discord who actually seem to prefer the nonsense tangents we go off on at the slightest provocation to our years of indie gaming insight and experience?
Well, do we ever have the series for you! Welcome to Indieventure Side Quest, where we pause our games industry chat to gently float down every stream of consciousness we meet along the way and that's the whole point… except we open with a brief discussion of the GTA6 delay, because we're fundamentally incapable of staying on-task, apparently.
This episode was actually recorded out-of-sequence and so if you want to listen in "chronological" order (whatever that means) it should actually sit just before Episode 39, but we're pretty sure it's seamless, except for the fact that we dedicate part of this chat to our predictions for A Goofy Movie – a film we then reacted to in the episode we recorded the following night and released two whole months ago. Think of it as an artistic flashback?
The other "main" topic, such as it is, is a group review of Yorkshire Dales folly garden Forbidden Corner, a cartoonishly unsettling local attraction owned by an eccentric businessman-slash-politician and which is apparently a rite of passage for people like Liam who grew up in the area, but hits quite differently when you see it for the first time in your 30s as Rachel and Rebecca both did just hours before sitting down to record.
We also end up on-the-fly tier listing which Fellowship of the Ring characters we'd most (and least!) like to have brunch with, despite the three of us being casual Lord of the Rings fans at best; theorising as to why the modern cinema experience isn't as good as it used to be; sharing the best parenting white lies we were on the receiving end of growing up; and a lot more that has surprisingly little to do with video games.
We hope you enjoy listening as much as we did recording! Side Quest is planned as an irregular recurring feature for us when, for one reason or another, we don't have the capacity to record a "normal" episode, and while some might be more on-theme than others in the future, we make no promises. Let us know what you think!
No hyperfixations for this one but as ever our music was written and performed by Ollie Newbury! Find him on Instagram at @newbsmusic. Meanwhile, you can find us at indieventurepodcast.co.uk or wherever you listen to podcasts. Don’t forget that you can now join our dedicated Discord too, and be sure to check out our new Steam Curator page if you simply still can't get enough of us!

#42. Our Mid-Year Best Indies Check-In 2025

Hello, I'm the Ostrich that Indieventure commissions to write episode descriptions while Rebecca is on holiday. They pay me in small stones, which I swallow to grind up insects and plants in my gizzard because I don't have any teeth. That's a real ostrich fact, proving that I am indeed an ostrich. Stop EMAILING ME.
On this episode of Indieventure (a podcast about indie games that has never mentioned ostriches once in its entire run, just FYI), the gang discuss their favourite indie games of 2025 so far. That's right, it's summer, and instead of running around sand dunes and flapping their big wings like, oh, I dunno, a cool bird that deserves to be paid more for its writing, they're banging on about computer games they've played instead.
Liam - who looks like someone who would trap an ostrich's head in a car window at a safari park for a laugh - reckons Shotgun Cop Man might be one of this year's best platformers, but makes sure to circle back to the warm joy of tea-making sim Wanderstop. Rebecca - a known friend to Ostriches and the only host who looks me in the eyes while giving me my pebbles - is still not over Blue Prince, but finds some time to talk about The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy as well. And finally, Rachel - Ostrich enemy number one as far as we're all concerned - enthuses about a trio of truly excellent games in the form of Citizen Sleeper 2, The Alters, and Promise Mascot Agency. She may think Ostriches look like, and I quote, "if God shoved a long sparrow into a tumbleweed", but you can't deny she has good taste in games.
In part two, the gang lists off the games they're most excited to play in the second half of the year. They yap about Tiny Bookshop, SHUTEN ORDER, Roma Sands RE:Build, Demonschool, Paralives, Ball X Pit, Star Birds, The Mermaid Mask and Morsels. Tbh I didn't really pay attention to this bit, I was thinking about grain.
 
Finally, we reach Hyperfixations. Despite the summer heat, Rebecca's still been spending time with hot boys in the visual novel Bustafellows. Rachel's been standing next to a TV with her arms folded like someone's Dad while watching a bunch of movies, including Spice World, Clueless, Longlegs, and Death Becomes Her. Meanwhile, Liam found an old script he wrote 8 years ago, and instead of never mentioning it to anyone ever again (except maybe his therapist), he's chosen to read it out on the podcast instead. Yikes!
 
Anyway, I'm off to look at my two toes, which is how many toes I have, because I am an ostrich. Cya, LOSERS.
 
Our music was written and performed by Ollie Newbury! Find him on Instagram at @newbsmusic. Meanwhile, you can find us at indieventurepodcast.co.uk or wherever you listen to podcasts. Don’t forget that you can now join our dedicated Discord too, and be sure to check out our new Steam Curator page if you simply still can't get enough of us!