Welcome back to the NSG Indie Game Roundup, our monthly series featuring indie games news, plus game demos and new release discussions.

The year is starting to draw to a close, which can only mean one thing: it's gaming awards season!! November was packed with news, from the new Steam Machine announcement to The Game Awards nominations. No Small Games once again had the great honor of getting to participate in the judging committee for The Indie Game Awards, so we also got to recap some of the standouts and surprises from the nominated games that we got to play. But don't worry, 2025 isn't done with the incredible new releases yet, and we have some great new games to tell you about, too! Also, huge thanks to our newest Patreon supporters! In addition to other fun perks, members on Patreon get early access to all of the Indie Game Roundup episodes. If you love No Small Games and would like to support us in growing the show, while also unlocking fun, exclusive content, you can check out our Patreon page. You can find our full show notes, including links and shoutouts, on the No Small Games site: Indie Game Roundup - November 2025 Show Notes

Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:35 - Icebreaker Question 00:11:36 - Indie Game News 00:46:23 - Demos 00:58:08 - IGA Judging Prep Games 01:41:26 - The Séance of Blake Manor 01:45:50 - Dead Static Drive 01:51:35 - Egging On 01:56:20 - VIDEOVERSE 02:01:58 - As I Began to Dream

Keep in touch with us on social media:

Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social No Small Games Instagram ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames

Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com

Blue Prince is the investigation roguelite that set the indie gaming world ablaze this past year. You play as Simon, a young man who has just arrived at the estate of his recently deceased great uncle. An estate which he is now to inherit, assuming he can pass one final test. You must help Simon reach the secret 46th room of this 45-room manor house, which also has the magical property of resetting its rooms after every night. Choose what room you will come upon when you open each doorway, and try to solve the mysteries within to claim your inheritance. Fall season is coming to a close, but it's going out with a bang! In episode 55, Kate and Emily are joined by special guest Jill Grodt of The Indie Informer, to cover one of the greatest new games of 2025. But first, we learn some fascinating lore about Jill, much of which conveniently ties into our game discussion later! Then the three get into all the nitty gritty of the mechanics of the game, the incredible vibes, and spill the tea on their favorite and least favorite rooms.

Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:33 - Weekly Boss Battles 00:13:52 - Meet our Guest - Jill Grodt 00:48:53 - Blue Prince Discussion 01:59:13 - Blue Prince Spoilers 02:15:27 - Game Ratings 02:20:12 - One Small Thing

Meet our Guest Jill Grodt (she/her) @finruin.bsky.social Jill Grodt is the Editor-in-Chief at The Indie Informer website, which covers indie game news and reviews. She is also one of the illustrious hosts of The Indie Council podcast. A former editor at Game Informer, Jill is one of the leading voices in indie game media. Check out Jill's work on: Bluesky The Indie Informer The Indie Council Podcast

Keep in touch with us on social media:

Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social No Small Games Instagram ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames

Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com

In Stars and Time is a time loop RPG from insertdisc5, that follows a ragtag found-family of adventurers, at the very end of their long quest to defeat The King. You play as Siffrin, the party's rogue, as they try to piece together why they find themselves stuck living out the same day over and over again. The writing is heartfelt and at times heartbreaking, the characters are charming, and the game features a strangely addictive system for turn-based combat. Thank you for tuning in to episode 54!! In this episode, Kate and Emily are joined by special guest Rachel Watts, to talk about this fascinating time loop experience. But before they dive into the game, the three have lots of guinea pig and indie game related topics to discuss! It was truly a joy to have Rachel on the show and we hope you love this episode as much as we do!

Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:30 - Weekly Boss Battles 00:19:15 - Meet our Guest - Rachel Watts 00:35:35 - This Bed We Made Discussion 01:56:15 - This Bed We Made Spoilers 02:12:58 - Game Ratings 02:18:46 - One Small Thing

Meet our Guest Rachel Watts (she/her) @rachelwatts.bsky.social Rachel Watts is a freelance games journalist with bylines in Edge, GamesRadar, PC Gamer and more. She is currently the editor of Thinky Games and one of the wonderful co-hosts of the Indieventure podcast. She is also the author of a brand new book from Lost in Cult about the indie sci-fi puzzle adventure Cocoon. Check out Rachel's work on the following platforms: Bluesky Indieventure Podcast Thinky Games Cocoon: Design Works by Rachel Watts

Keep in touch with us on social media:

Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social No Small Games Instagram ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames

Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com

Welcome back to the NSG Indie Game Roundup, our monthly series featuring indie games news, plus game demos and new release discussions.

It's yet another very Next Fest roundup! This month brought us the third and final Steam Next Fest event of 2025, showcasing thousands more demos for upcoming games. We had a great time checking out all of the demos we discuss in this episode, although we had a less fun time sifting through Steam Store pages looking for GenAI disclosures. Join us as we talk about everything Steam Next Fest-related under the sun! Also, huge thanks to our newest Patreon supporters! In addition to other fun perks, members on Patreon get early access to all of the Indie Game Roundup episodes. If you love No Small Games and would like to support us in growing the show, while also unlocking fun, exclusive content, you can check out our Patreon page. You can find our full show notes, including links and shoutouts, on the No Small Games site: Indie Game Roundup - October 2025 Show Notes

Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:10:20 - Icebreaker Question 00:19:07 - Indie Game News 00:37:34 - Steam Next Fest Demos 01:39:13 - Backpack Hero 01:41:54 - CARIMARA: Beneath the Forlorn Limbs 01:46:51 - Henry Halfhead 01:48:49 - CloverPit 01:51:15 - First Bite

Keep in touch with us on social media:

Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social No Small Games Instagram ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames

Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com

Fear the Spotlight is a retro-inspired survival horror game and the debut game from Cozy Game Pals and Blumhouse Games. This is a very special horror title because Cozy Game Pals went into making it with the intention of creating something that would be accessible to a wide range of ages. To do this, they omitted the use of any jumpscares or gore and relied on the building of tension to create fear. Players join high school students Vivian and Amy, as they break into their school library to try to contact the spirit world. They thought getting caught by a teacher and getting detention would be the worst thing that might happen, but little did they know the stakes were so much higher. In episode 53 of No Small Games, we're celebrating Halloween a little early with this horror title! You'll hear Kate and Emily discuss their experiences with the stealth-focused gameplay and the tactile puzzles. They also dig into the parallel stories taking place during this harrowing night at the high school, and find out whether this jumpscare-free game hit in terms of its fear factor. We hope you have a shockingly good time with this one!! Mwahahaha...

Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:09:58 - Boss Battles 00:21:50 - Fear the Spotlight Discussion 01:18:15 - Fear the Spotlight Spoilers 02:06:20 - Game Ratings 02:12:55 - One Small Thing 02:18:25 - Next Game Announcement

Keep in touch with us on social media:

Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social No Small Games Instagram ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames

Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com

Sorry We're Closed, developed by à la mode games, is a narrative-focused survival horror game that pits angels and demons alike against the greatest force of all: true love. Our protagonist Michelle sets off on a dangerous journey to take down a powerful demon who has set their eyes on her. This game brings a combination of choices matter storytelling with arcade-style FPS combat for a truly unique and vibey horror experience. In episode 52 of No Small Games, we're digging into every corner of Sorry We're Closed. Kate and Emily go in-depth on their likes and dislikes when it comes to the combat mechanics and sound design. The conversation also gets a bit philosophical when it comes to the story and questions of the true nature of love. This is a one-of-a-kind game and conversation, and we hope you love the episode!

Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:08:15 - Boss Battles 00:20:00 - Sorry We're Closed Discussion 02:00:40 - Game Ratings 02:05:50 - One Small Thing 02:12:22 - Next Game Announcement

Keep in touch with us on social media:

Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social No Small Games Instagram ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames

Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com

Welcome back to the NSG Indie Game Roundup, our monthly series featuring indie games news, plus game demos and new release discussions.

September turned out to be a sleeper powerhouse of a month, bringing us multiple highly anticipated indie game releases. In less than four weeks, we got both Silksong and Hades 2 dropping, not to mention titles like Baby Steps, Henry Halfhead and Cloverpit. If that wasn't enough, we also got a heaping serving of indie game announcements in the Six One Indie Showcase. It's been a wild ride and we're still processing all the awesomeness in this episode! Also, huge thanks to our newest Patreon supporters! In addition to other fun perks, members on Patreon get early access to all of the Indie Game Roundup episodes. If you love No Small Games and would like to support us in growing the show, while also unlocking fun, exclusive content, you can check out our Patreon page. You can find our full show notes, including links and shoutouts, on the No Small Games site: Indie Game Roundup - September 2025 Show Notes

Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:06:33 - Icebreaker Question 00:19:35 - Indie Game News 00:45:40 - Demos 00:48:30 - Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson 00:55:33 - Herdling 01:00:33 - Flowers and Favours: Florist Simulator 01:06:00 - The Knightling 01:09:28 - Henry Halfhead 01:10:35 - GRIS 01:15:12 - Chants of Sennaar

Keep in touch with us on social media:

Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social No Small Games Instagram ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames

Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com

Many Nights a Whisper, developed by Deconstructeam and Selkie Harbour, is an interactive narrative experience, exploring ideas around dreams and the pressure of expectation. You play as Dreamer, a young person who has been raised for one duty: to shoot a slingshot to light a ceremonial chalice and make or break the dreams of your community for the next 10 years. Many Nights a Whisper combines third person shooting and visual novel style gameplay. Each night after practicing her shot, Dreamer holds Confession to hear her community's wishes and determines which will be granted or rejected, should she make her ceremonial shot. In episode 51 of No Small Games, Kate and Emily discuss their experience of this brief but beautiful and unique game. You'll hear them describe their experiences as they practiced shooting their shot. The two share their personal thought processes as they considered whether to grant or reject the community's wishes. This is an especially deep and philosophical discussion, and we hope this episode and the game (which you should absolutely go play) give your minds lots to chew on as we kick off our fall season!

Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:10:06 - Boss Battles 00:25:36 - Many Nights a Whisper Discussion 01:40:44- Many Nights a Whisper Spoilers 02:02:57 - Game Ratings 02:05:18 - One Small Thing 02:10:33 - Next Game Announcement

Keep in touch with us on social media:

Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social No Small Games Instagram ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames

Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com