Located in the heart of London’s historic Brick Lane, The Truman Brewery is hosting a showcase of some of the best upcoming indie games this weekend. Running from Thursday, April 25 to Sunday, April 28, WASD has a huge variety of games to play from some of the most creative studios from around the globe.
I got the chance to swing by and go hands-on with some exciting new releases. On day one, the show was already abuzz with gamers flocking to the venue in their droves to check out the next big thing in indie gaming. I didn’t have time to check out all of the multitudes of games available, but I did get to enjoy a select few demos on the show floor. Read on for our impressions, plus an expert rundown of the best games to play.
Top WASD games to play
Here are our favorite games we played at WASD 2024.
The Holy Gosh Darn
The latest project from Perfectly Paranormal and Yogscast Games is a heavenly time-traveling adventure game with a charming 2D animated art style reminiscent of cartoons like Steven Universe and Adventure Time. The story-based adventure has engaging, witty writing and I suspect some poignant emotional moments as the story progresses.
You play Cassiel, a slacker angel who is unwittingly granted time travel powers in order to stop a catastrophe befalling Heaven. There are minigames and some light puzzling, but the meat of the game seems to be manipulating time to navigate your way through tricky conversations with the other denizens of Heaven. This gives the hilarious writing a chance to shine, as you rewind and replay conversations with a cast of colorful characters while attempting to bullshit your way to saving the afterlife.
NanoApostle
For gamers seeking a challenge, I recommend checking out pixel-art boss rush hack-and-slasher NanoApostle. The game thrusts you into a dark sci-fi world where you play as Anita, a child augmented with lethal nanomachines that allow her to dash around battle arenas, tearing apart a variety of fearsome bosses that look ripped straight from Ghost in the Shell.
I completed the tutorial and the first boss, the Axe-Wielding Berserker. Dodging is a high priority, but parries are the name of the game here, allowing you to open up the enemy’s Destruction Point. You can then zip to your foe using a zipline ability and get in some powerful hits to stagger them. The action is fast, fluid, and challenging, which will be familiar to fans of Hyper Light Drifter and Titan Souls. And the music absolutely slaps.
Anger Foot
Devolver Digital has a suite of games to sample at the show including the hilarious Cricket Through the Ages and spooky, tactical third-person puzzle-shooter Children of the Sun. Our favorite of the Devolver offerings had to be Anger Foot, a wild FPS game from Free Lives, the creators of Bro Force.
The run-based action game is like a 3D Hotline Miami but 100% sillier. Players must conserve an extremely limited quantity of bullets, as they make their way through waves of enemies, putting their angry foot to use by kicking down foes when their clip runs dry. Health is extremely low, so you’ll need fast reflexes and a bit of planning to make it through the tight corridor-like levels without getting shot to bits. This is high-octane fun with a healthy dose of humor, and I reckon it’s going to be big when it hits Steam later this year.
Corponation
If you’re after something a bit more thoughtful, Corponation from Playtonic will tickle your frontal lobe with its trippy aesthetic and razor-sharp social commentary. You play as a corporate worker locked into a dull-as-dishwater sorting role in a dystopian future realized with gorgeous old-school graphics. As you complete your daily tasks and funnel your hard-earned cash into a soulless capitalist economy, sparks of revolution begin to emerge. There are tons of surprises in store, so I recommend discovering Corpornation’s secrets for yourself.
The Mermaid Mask
Adventure fans are eating good at WASD this year. The Mermaid Mask is the sequel to Tangle Tower, an extremely charming fantasy/crime adventure that launched in 2019. Series creator Adam Vian was on hand to talk us through the demo, as I explored the wreckage of a sunken vessel and the scene of a mysterious murder. You can investigate beautiful pre-rendered environments, solve puzzles, and enjoy fabulous voice acting and animation in this twisted detective game.
You should also check out…
With just a handful of hours to take in the show, there were plenty of brilliant-looking games that I didn’t get the chance to get my hands on. If you’re attending for the day or more, here are a few more brilliant titles you should check out.
Pine Hearts
If you’re after a wholesome and cozy game to snuggle up with, Pine Hearts from Hyper Luminal Games is for you. Traverse an adorable isometric open world that combines the structure of games like The Legend of Zelda and Dark Souls but with a focus on brain-teasing puzzles instead of combat.
Luna Abyss
Luna Abyss is a truly stunning sci-fi first-person shooter from Bonsai Collective. The game transports players to a hellish otherworld that combines visual elements of Destiny, Doom, and Neon Genesis Evangelion in a potent cocktail of dread. You’ll need to have your wits about you if you want to survive this bullet hell action game.
Die by the Blade
This 1v1 melee fighter places players in a ‘samuraipunk’ world where they can fight for supremacy in tactical sword battles. The game is built around one-hit kills, so you’ll need some serious skill to come out on top.
Green Again
Looking for a break from all the intense action? Try this chilled-out city-builder which seems perfectly made for the Steam Deck. Help a tribe of cute plant people reclaim their planet from defective robots as you build, decorate, and expand your settlement.
I’ve barely scratched the surface of what WASD has to offer here. Head over to the official site to check out the full list of games on display, and grab your tickets to attend.