Since 2020, Guerrilla Collective has been a digital presentation that showcases lesser-known titles, and it has now returned for a third year. On June 11 for Not-E3, also known as Summer Game Fest, Guerrilla Collective 3 was streamed at 11 a.m. EDT on the official twitchgaming channel and Guerrilla Collective's official channels.
Along with this first showcase, there was also another stream filled with more games called Guerrilla Collective 3.5 on June 13 at 4 p.m. EDT. Even before that second stream, however, plenty of interesting games were announced. What were the most promising previews from the event?
Become Heroes In Alterium Shift
Inspired by classic SNES JRPGs like Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger, Alterium Shift is an upcoming indie 2.5D fantasy RPG that's scheduled to release on Dec. 1. The game follows three heroes in training named Pyra, Atlas, and Sage, who are being taught by a former war hero named Dolion. Pyra is a strong spear wielder, Atlas is a skilled archer, and Sage is a powerful magic user.
As they complete their final test and embark on an epic journey, they will need to develop their unique talents and harness the power of Alterium Essence. While meeting various characters, completing quests, searching for treasure, and even fishing, players will have to make many decisions that will directly impact their playthrough.
Garden In! Is A Relaxing Gardening Sim
Though this game doesn't have a release date yet, Garden In! already looks like it will be the perfect game for players who need to unwind after a stressful day. In this indie relaxing gardening sim, players will be able to grow their own dream garden by planting many different kinds of seeds in pots, watering them, and even combining seeds together to create new plants.
Besides taking care of various unique plants, players will be able to decide where they will place the plants within the in-game house. To help the player feel at home, they can arrange the environment and customize the house itself so it looks and feels perfect.
The Cub Is A Modern Platformer Inspired By The Classics
Inspired by '90s retro platformers and animated films, The Cub is a difficult post-apocalyptic platformer that doesn't have a release date yet. Because humans made the Earth uninhabitable, the richest people decided to colonize Mars and leave the rest of humanity to die. But, one child was immune to Earth's hazardous conditions and was raised by wolves as nature slowly reclaimed humanity's abandoned civilization.
Years later, some of the martian humans returned to Earth to see if the planet could be reclaimed, and they discovered the last surviving child or "the Cub." As the Cub, the player must run from the malicious humans, solve environmental puzzles, and deal with dangerous wildlife. While navigating the crumbling world, the player will slowly uncover humanity's history and what led to their fate.
Shape Your Space Destiny In I Was A Teenage Exocolonist
Scheduled for Aug. 25, I Was a Teenage Exocolonist is a science fiction life sim deckbuilding RPG with some visual novel elements. While on a spaceship with other humans who are traveling to the alien planet Vertumna IV in order to start a new colony, the spaceship passes through a wormhole, which causes the protagonist, a 10-year-old child, to gain the ability to see past lives and possible futures.
Using this ability, the player will have to decide how they will spend the next 10 years of their life on the new planet. Besides deciding the protagonist's gender, the player also chooses which skills to focus on, what actions to take, and who they will romance. The results of these choices become cards that the player can use in battles. With 800 story events, 30 endings, 25 jobs, and 10 datable characters, this game will have plenty of replay value.
I Am Future Is A Chill, Post-apocalyptic Life Sim
Although narratives set within post-apocalyptic worlds are usually dark and depressing, I Am Future plans to take a different direction where the player makes their own small paradise. Planned to be released sometime this year, this simulation game takes place six months after an apocalyptic event and follows a man who wakes up on the roof of a skyscraper within an empty city.
Despite seemingly being the last person alive, the man simply builds himself a new home on the roof. To create this space, the player can gather materials, build gadgets, create robots, and participate in activities such as fishing, farming, and cooking. Even though there are dangerous creatures that appear at night and the player's exploration reveals the truths behind what happened, the game is still about making a comfortable and fun home.
Battle Eldritch Horrors In SKALD: Against The Black Priory
Planned for some time this year, SKALD: Against the Black Priory is a retro-inspired Lovecraftian western RPG that utilizes incredibly beautiful and detailed pixelated graphics that look similar to the Commodore 64. After barely arriving at the shore of Idra, the customized protagonist will lead a party of flawed heroes to the gates of the Black Priory and uncover its dark secrets.
While exploring the vast land of Freymark and the Outer Isles, the player will meet many unique characters, complete side quests, experience various events, and fight enemies in challenging turn-based battles. For better or worse, the player's choices and actions will drastically change the world around them.
Ugly Is A Gorgeously Animated Platformer
Releasing in 2023, Ugly is an indie puzzle platformer that features fluid animation and a unique mirror mechanic. Taking on the role of a nobleman, the player must explore his mind in order to uncover the traumas, tragedies, and ugly truths from his past. To do this, the nobleman will need to solve puzzles and defeat huge bosses.
Using the mirror mechanic, the nobleman can make a shadow of himself that reflects everything that he does, which must be used to solve the game's puzzles. Besides the main ending, players can also unlock an alternate ending if they solve the secret puzzle rooms.
SIGNALIS Brings Back Classic Survival Horror
Harkening back to retro survival horror games and inspired by the works of David Lynch, Stanley Kubrick, and Hideaki Anno, SIGNALIS is a science fiction survival horror that takes place in a dystopian future where humanity has colonized the solar system. A totalitarian regime has established a surveillance state and humanoid androids known as Replikas live among humans.
Elster, a technician Replika and the protagonist, wakes up from cryostasis in a wrecked vessel on a cold planet. While searching for her partner, she will venture into the unknown, solve puzzles, encounter terrifying creatures, and uncover devastating secrets. Planned to be released on Oct. 27, the game has already gained attention for its retro-inspired art style.
The Fridge Is Red Features Multiple Horror Stories
After Puppet Combo and several other developers popularized the aesthetic of PS1 and analog-inspired modern horror games, many indie horror developers have been consistently using it these last several years. From the trailers alone, the upcoming first-person psychological horror game The Fridge is Red seems to be taking the concept in new directions.
Instead of focusing on a single horror narrative, this will be an anthology of horror stories that each explore different themes, gameplay ideas, and fears. Although the game doesn't have a release date yet, there's currently a free demo that players can check out.
9 Years Of Shadows Is A Stunning Metroidvania
Scheduled to release towards the end of 2022, 9 Years of Shadows is a gorgeous Metroidvania where a curse has robbed the world of all its colors, joys, and hopes. For nine years, the world has been submerged in shadows, but now a young woman named Europa has decided to enter Talos Castle, which is where the curse originated, and use her halberd to destroy the darkness. During her adventure, she befriends a magical bear named Apino who can cleanse the corruption and help protect her.
As she progresses, Europa obtains elemental armors that give her special abilities, which help her on her journey. Michiru Yamane, best known for composing music for Castlevania, and Norihiko Hibino, best known for composing music for Metal Gear Solid and Bayonetta, wrote some of the music in this and are in-game characters as well.