Friday Follow-UP #16 2025
Newsletter #16 of 2025 Featuring: Upcoming indie games to Wishlist, a curated game to crowdfund, indie gaming soundtracks to vibe to, gaming merch, and the latest Good Game Lobby Review!
Welcome to this week’s Friday Follow-UP — covering upcoming games to wishlist, a curated game to crowdfund, gaming soundtracks to vibe to, gaming merch, and the latest Good Game Lobby review. This is a reader-supported publication! Subscribe to get the weekly newsletter and reviews straight to your inbox.
Wishlist XP | Tears of Metal, CARIMARA, and SwooshCat
Tears of Metal has been on my radar for some time now, thanks to its gritty artistic direction. Dystany Warriors meets a Pixar animated gore fest.
Tears of Metal is a medieval hack-and-slash co-op roguelike. Carve through hordes of enemies to reclaim your island with the help of your formidable Scottish battalion. As you advance deeper into the trenches, uncover more about the mysterious Dragon Meteor and the treacherous enemy invasion.
🎮 Tears of Metal | Steam
🗓️ Release Date | 2025
Bastinus Rex’s development work caught my eye with TRIP releasing this year, but he surprised us all when a different game turned out to be fully developed and is releasing next month. CARIMARA: Beneath the Forlorn Limbs is a story-rich card game with sinister design and morbid voice acting, culminating in a spooky world I’m eager to explore.
You are the Carimara, and your mission is to conjure a ghost by answering their questions using your cards. A short and creepy fairytale, full of surprises and mysteries.
🎮 CARIMARA | Steam
🗓️ Release Date | May 22nd, 2025
SwooshCat: The developer Yichuan from PixelForest Studios reached out because they believed the game would be something I’d enjoy. Unfortunately, I’ve been so swamped with new releases that I wanted to at least give them a shoutout in this week’s newsletter. It’s Celeste meets Katana ZERO, but with a cat in a cute platformer that reminds me a lot of CATO: Buttered Cat. Check it out and let me know what you think!
《SwooshCat 轻灵跃影喵》is a vibrant and precise platform adventure game. Through actions like jumping, dashing, sword swinging, downslash, rolling, and bouncing, help the little cat "sweet dumplings"🐾 explore, fight, and make new friends in a cute pixel-style world.
🎮 Swoosh Cat | Steam
🗓️Release Date | 2025 | Demo Out Now!
Crowdfunding Checkpoint | Seed of Nostalgia
During the Dreamhaven Showcase, we were gifted with the nostalgic JRPG-influenced beauty aptly titled Seed of Nostalgia. I’d say it was the right move to be included in the showcase — not only was it funded in under 4 hours, but it’s currently sitting at a gracious 432% funded (as of this post) with 19 days still to go!
Seed of Nostalgia is a beautiful pixel art JRPG which follows the tale of Atilla and a cast of intriguing characters on a quest to save their dying world. Explore a mystical land, unravel dark secrets, and confront ancient forces in a tale of magic, sacrifice, and unexpected revelations.
🎮 Seed of Nostalgia | Steam | Kickstarter
🗓️ Release Date | TBA
Quest Vibes | Alpha Chrome Yayo - Promise Mascot Agency Original Soundtrack
Last weekend I was enamored by Kaizen Game Works’ latest release, Promise Mascot Agency. So much so that I spent 16 hours playing the entire thing—from going to bed, waking up, and playing it to the end. My wife was not happy with me, to say the least.
Here’s the addicting soundtrack that scored the wonderful world of mascots while I drifted and glided around in my pickup truck, saving the world of a mascot agency.
🎶 Alpha Chrome Yayo - Promise Mascot Agency Original Soundtrack | Bandcamp
My review is coming soon, but for now check out the great review by !
Quest Loot | In Other Waters Anniversary Bundle
Before the masterful Citizen Sleeper series,
started their game development with the beautifully designed In Other Waters. Now, we’re being graced with a five-year anniversary bundle. It includes a hardcover book of paintings and sketches by Dr. ELLERY VAS, a yellow vinyl, and a cassette of the soundtrack. I’ve included the soundtrack by Amos Roddy below for reference.To celebrate the fifth anniversary of In Other Waters, Lost in Cult is re-releasing the game’s wondrous ambient soundtrack by Amos Roddy on new, limited edition transparent yellow vinyl. Also, for the first time we’re releasing a limited edition cassette on transparent yellow tape. Both vinyl and cassette releases come with all new cover art by Eisner-nominated comic artist Linnea Sterte.
🎮 In Other Waters | Steam
🏪 Lost In Cult | In Other Waters Anniversary Bundle
🎶 Amos Roddy | Bandcamp
Good Game Lobby Review | Paper Trailer
Paper Trail Review - Stunning Paper Worlds, Clever Puzzle Mechanics, and Unique Gameplay
Welcome to the latest review. If you’d like to explore all the indie game reviews in one place, you can check out the full list here. A video edit will be landing on YouTube later this week. Want these reviews delivered straight to your inbox? Don’t forget to
That In Other Waters art book looks great! I should get back into that game and also pick up that book!