We’re back with another review roundup of indie titles that have just dropped and have been stealing our time. As always, this is only a small selection of recent releases we haven’t had time to cover in full. Hopefully these bite-sized reviews give you a taste of what each one offers, and you may even find a hidden gem or two along the way.
Dave the Diver
Developer: Mintrocket
Price: £9.20/€9.99
Dave the Diver looks deceptively simple at first, then quietly eats up your entire evening. Part underwater exploration, part restaurant management, it’s a charming genre blend that works far better than expected.
By day, you dive into an ever-changing ocean, spearfishing exotic sea life while avoiding predators and managing your oxygen. The slower, deliberate pace makes each dive tense but rewarding. Random events keep runs unpredictable. By night, you’re running a sushi restaurant. Here, Dave the Diver leans into light management: hiring staff, upgrading dishes, and keeping impatient customers happy. The loop between diving and serving food is surprisingly addictive.
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Its personality is what really sells it. The pixel art is gorgeous, the cutscenes are genuinely funny, and the cast of oddball characters gives the game real heart. There’s also more depth than expected, with side quests, boss fights, and new mechanics arriving steadily. A few crossover DLC add extra flavour too.
Relaxed, funny, and endlessly moreish, Dave the Diver is a perfect palate cleanser between bigger games.
SCORE: 4.5/5
Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition
Developer: Survios
Price: £24.99/€24.99
Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition aims to bring the fear and fury of the Alien universe to Xbox in a way that suits both horror fans and action-shooter players, and for the most part it succeeds. You play as rogue Colonial Marine Zula Hendricks, sent to investigate a distress call on the desolate world of Purdan, only to uncover a Weyland-Yutani blacksite crawling with Xenomorphs.
The game is at its best when focusing on atmosphere. Tight corridors, unsettling audio, and the constant threat of being overrun create some genuinely nerve-racking moments. Despite being a VR port, it runs smoothly on Xbox with solid visuals, 60 fps performance, and strong sound design.
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It does have flaws. Combat can feel uneven, and backtracking becomes tedious later on. Puzzles and interactions lack polish, likely due to their VR origins, and the campaign is fairly short.
Still, Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition is worth picking up if you’re craving a new Alien adventure. It blends the series’ signature tension with some satisfying action set pieces.
SCORE: 3.5/5
Formula Legends
Developer: 3DClouds
Price: £16.73/€19.99
Formula Legends is an arcade racer that proudly celebrates classic motorsport. Instead of chasing full simulation, it leans into accessibility and nostalgia, offering power slides, tight chicanes, and split-second overtakes over tyre temperatures and pit strategies.
Its standout feature is the focus on different eras of open-wheel racing. Cars and tracks evolve as you progress, with each era feeling distinct thanks to changes in speed, grip, and handling. The cars are twitchy but responsive, rewarding clean lines while still letting you wrestle with the wheel.
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Visually, Formula Legends opts for a colourful, stylised look that suits it well. Performance stays solid even in crowded packs. There’s a decent range of modes and challenges too, though the overall structure can feel a little lightweight.
It doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it doesn’t need to. It’s a fun, accessible racer that knows exactly what it wants to be and delivers.
SCORE: 4/5
Frostpunk 2
Developer: 11 bit studios
Price: £37.99/€42.99
Frostpunk 2 takes the frozen city-builder formula of its predecessor and pushes it into far more complex and far bleaker territory. Set decades after the Great Storm, the focus shifts from desperate survival to uneasy expansion. Your city is now an industrial power riddled with political tension, ideological factions, and difficult compromises.
At its core, it’s still about managing heat, resources, and citizens, but the scale is dramatically larger. City-wide planning replaces the intimate layouts of the first game, and oil becomes the new lifeblood of progress. The political system is the real highlight. Laws are no longer simple moral choices; instead, you negotiate with competing groups, pass divisive policies, and deal with consequences that ripple across society. Every decision feels heavy.
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This broader scope comes at a cost. Frostpunk 2 is denser, less immediately readable, and can feel overwhelming. The emotional punch of individual stories is reduced, replaced by systems and statistics that sometimes dull the impact. Even so, the atmosphere remains excellent, with stark visuals and a haunting soundtrack.
It isn’t as instantly gripping as the original, but it’s deeper, bolder, and more ambitious. If you embrace its complexity, it’s a chilling and rewarding evolution.
SCORE: 4.5/5
Neon Inferno
Developer: Retroware
Price: £16.74/€19.99
Neon Inferno is a slick, neon-soaked action game that proudly wears its retro influences. Bathed in glowing cyberpunk colours and backed by a pounding synth soundtrack, it makes its intentions clear: fast reflexes, screen-filling chaos, and surviving just a little longer each run.
Combat is tight and arcade-focused, with positioning and split-second decisions at the core. Enemies pour in constantly, forcing you to move, dodge, and prioritise targets while unleashing an expanding arsenal.
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Presentation is where Neon Inferno shines. Visual effects are bold without becoming messy, and every hit and explosion feels impactful. It doesn’t stray far from genre norms, though, and players seeking narrative depth may find it one-note.
As a pure action experience, it delivers exactly what it promises. Energetic, stylish, and ideal for short bursts, it scratches that retro arcade itch.
SCORE: 4/5
Contraband Police
Developer: PlayWay S.A.
Price: £24.99/€29.99
Contraband Police is a surprisingly gripping border-control simulator set in a fictional Eastern Bloc-inspired country in the early 1980s. You play as a low-ranking border officer tasked with keeping undesirables out, money flowing in, and the regime satisfied. It’s paperwork-heavy, methodical, and far more tense than it sounds.
The core loop revolves around inspecting vehicles and documents. You’ll check passports, search cars for hidden contraband, and decide whether to detain, fine, or let drivers pass. As the game progresses, new systems appear: base management, upgrades, more complex inspections, and even shootouts with smugglers. What begins as simple stamp-and-search slowly becomes something broader and more demanding.
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Its tension comes from small decisions. Missing a forged document or overlooking a hidden stash has consequences, and meeting quotas adds pressure. It can feel repetitive at times, and the inspection work is occasionally as dry as it sounds. The visuals are functional, but the oppressive atmosphere carries the experience.
Contraband Police won’t appeal to everyone, but fans of slow-burn simulators with a strong sense of place will find plenty to enjoy.
SCORE: 4/5