Indie Underground #6

The sixth edition of the Indie Underground column once again brings a brief overview of several smaller games that have recently attracted attention with new trailers, awards, demo versions, and interesting concepts. This time, the focus is on The Last Hour of an Epic TO THE MOON RPG, Waltz and Jam, Aether & Iron, Plumb Road Team Dream, and Aliya: Timelink2 Dawn.

The indie scene continues to show how vast the space is outside of major productions. One game transforms To the Moon into an unusual final hour of a turn-based RPG, another combines hand-drawn action adventure with a story about a spirit and his dog, the third continues to build a decopunk noir world after winning an RPG award, while the fourth uses real time as part of the narrative and the relationship between the player and the character on screen.

The Last Hour of an Epic TO THE MOON RPG

Freebird Games has released the first trailer for The Last Hour of an Epic TO THE MOON RPG, an unusual spin-off of the To the Moon series that wonders what that world would look like if it were a real turn-based RPG. Instead of a classic long journey from start to finish, the game plays with the idea that the player enters the final part of a previously played grand RPG adventure.

The premise is simple, yet strange enough to fit perfectly into the tone of Freebird Games. Players take control of an already developed party consisting of Neil, Eva, Roxie, and Rob, and before them lies the final Lighthouse-shaped Dungeon and the ultimate showdown with the big villain at the top. In other words, there are no hundred hours of grinding, just the last hour of an “epic” RPG.

The Last Hour of an Epic TO THE MOON RPG is set to be released in 2027 for PC via Steam. According to what has been shown, this will not just be a simple joke for fans, but a small project that uses recognizable characters, RPG structure, turn-based combat, and self-aware humor to present the To the Moon series from a completely different angle.

Waltz and Jam

Flyway Games has released a new animated gameplay trailer for Waltz and Jam, a top-down puzzle action adventure that combines hand-drawn animation, comic book atmosphere, and a story about an unusual duo. At the center of the game are Waltz, a lost and innocent spirit, and Jam, his loyal spirit puppy.

The story is set in Downtown, a mysterious and magical afterlife world inspired by the seven deadly sins. Players will explore seven different areas, solve environmental puzzles, fight enemies, collect tools, and face bosses on their way to the Gate of Judgement. The game relies not only on action but also on the relationship between the two main characters.

Waltz uses various gadgets and toys he finds during the adventure, while Jam unlocks transformative abilities that can reveal hidden paths, help solve puzzles, or change the course of battles. Waltz and Jam is currently confirmed for PC via Steam, but the release date has not yet been announced.

Aether & Iron

Seismic Squirrel has announced that Aether & Iron won the award for Best RPG at the TooManyGames Indie Game Showcase Awards 2026. The game was selected among 150 indie titles, and the award was presented during a ceremony held on June 26, 2026, at the TooManyGames event.

Aether & Iron is a decopunk noir RPG set in an alternate New York of the 1930s, transformed by the discovery of “aether,” a technology that enables antigravity. Players follow Gija, a smuggler who finds herself entangled in a web of criminal syndicates, political conspiracies, and fragile alliances. A significant part of the game involves decisions, relationship development, and tactical vehicle combat.

The studio continues to upgrade the game even after its release. Among the newer additions, the Roadside Garage feature stands out, while additional content is already in development. Aether & Iron is available on Steam for Windows and MacOS, featuring full English voice acting and text localization in multiple languages. Following a nomination in the previous Indie Underground edition, this award further confirms that the game is slowly shaping up to be one of the more interesting indie RPG titles of 2026.

Plum Road Tea Dream

Plum Road Tea Dream, the upcoming game by Samuel Baidooa and finalist in the IGF Nuovo category, has received a new trailer and an official release date. The game is set to release on July 27, 2026, for PC via Steam.

This is an autobiographical adventure about pain, identity, and the rituals we create to cope with our own experiences. Players help the character S. confront various forms of grief, while Plum Road Tea Dream invites slowing down, reflecting, and accepting all versions of one's personality.

What is particularly interesting is that the game does not use interactivity merely as a means of escape, but as a space for processing trauma, discrimination, and queer experiences. Maurits de Bruijn from Mister Motley described Plum Road Tea Dream as a game where gaming and trauma meet in a special way, with unexpected layers of comfort for those who often associate games only with escapism and isolation.

Plum Road Tea Dream has received support from the Flanders Audiovisual Fund, with backing from the Minister of Media Cieltje Van Achter. For more information, the project can also be followed through the Instagram profile @plum_road_tea_dream.

Aliya: Timelink2 Dawn

TDGame Studio and publisher Anotherindie are preparing Aliya: Timelink2 Dawn, a visual novel and narrative adventure that relies on real-time synchronization. The game continues the idea from the previous installment but again emphasizes the passage of time even when the player is not actively in the game.

The story connects the player with Aliya and characters from a future a thousand years away. Through messages, decisions, and communication, the player helps her escape from the Courtyard and gradually uncovers the secrets of a large corporation. The uniqueness of the game lies in the fact that the world continues to move even when you exit the game, making the entire experience feel closer to a constant relationship with the character than a classic reading of a visual novel.

A demo version is available on Steam, and the game supports English and simplified Chinese. The full release is planned for 2026. Aliya: Timelink2 Dawn serves as a title for players interested in a slower, more personal type of narrative, where time, waiting, and returning to the game become part of the story itself.