Multi-Game Monday (Pre-Emptive Two-Game Tuesday) Squirrels and Blades Make Up This Indie Highlight

I’m getting this one out today, because honestly, I may not be in the right state of mind tomorrow to do it. So, welcome to Multi-Game Monday, the latest in my attempts to come up with alliterative names to make up for when I miss highlighting indie games on Tuesdays.

Living the life of a squirrel in ‘Squirreled away’, A COZY INDIE EXPLORATION GAME

I passed this one to Shaun as I think this is right up his alley. Cozy games aren’t really my thing. I mean, I’ll dabble, and I see the merit. It’s just not a genre I spend a lot of time with. However, Squirreled Away looks incredible. I saw the game on Bluesky, and I’m not gonna lie, I kind of fell in love with it immediately. But I trust Shaun’s eye for the cozy stuff a great deal more than mine. I feel really good about it, though.

A lot of the gameplay looks pretty cool; there are some building mechanics and exploration elements. You can build multiple homes in the trees and decorate them as well. Interacting with other animals is a component as well. And what may be my favorite part of the trailer: dog chases. There’s co-op, fishing, and some platforming. You can even get your Rocky on and do some flying. Actually, the more I talk about this, the more I want it. I think I’m just gonna go ahead and buy it. I’ll see y’all in the park.

BECOME A BLADESMITH IN ‘BLADESONG’

There are two things in my life I desire to purchase. And they are both swords. A replica of the Master Sword and one of Anduril, Flame of the West. I have space on my wall for both of these things, and they will one day be mine. For now, I’ll have to look forward to possibly recreating them in Bladesong, a crafting game from SUN AND SERPENT creations.

The most interesting thing about this game, however, beyond the level of flexibility there appears to be in crafting these swords, is that there seems to be a story in all of this. And the way it’s laid out in the trailer and the Steam description, I am heavily invested in what this could be.

“Divinity has ended and the world lies in ruin, lost to madness and despair. But within the high walls of Eren Keep, life persists – held together by unbreakable will and the iron fist of the Masked King, ruler and tyrant, savior and messiah. As the swordsmith of Eren Keep, you turn steel into something more precious than gold. Customers come with coin in their hands and demands on their lips, seeking blades of deadly precision, balance, and beauty.

Meet their requests, perfect your craft and find trusted companions in one of the last beacons of civilization. Yet in the dark corners of Eren Keep, whispers of rebellion stir. The former blacksmith’s mysterious disappearance looms as an ill omen over the role you play. But play it you must, for in Eren Keep, the right blade in the right hand will change everything.“

I am absolutely down for some narrative-based sword crafting, though. Once again, this is something only the indies can do. Consider me hooked. My eyes are on this one. There is no release date, but you can request access to the playtest now.