Palworld 1.0, Tiny Bookshop on mobile and other new indie games worth checking out

Plus, pretend you're moderating a forum like it's 2007 again.

Pocketpair

Welcome to our latest roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. As ever, we've got some neat new games for you to dive into this weekend, as well as a peek at some of the goodies headed our way in the near future.

In between playing Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced and trying to figure out whether the Steam Machine that's now under my TV actually fits into my life at all, I've been dipping into a Papers, Please-inspired project. Permaban is a simulation game that tasks you with moderating a forum in the mid-2000s, with a Windows XP-style UI adeptly setting the scene. There's even a desktop music player called "Winump" and a screensaver that kicks in after a period of inactivity.

You'll have to review users' posts to determine whether they comply with a set of ever-changing rules, all while dealing with distractions like pop-ups and "NSM Messenger" pings. You'll have to assess edge cases and determine the consequences for infractions, along with citing the specific rule you think a user broke when you issue a ban. Punish a user incorrectly, and your reputation takes a hit.

This is absolutely up my alley as I've got some experience with moderation. I helped out at a Queens of the Stone Age fan forum back in the day and I've been running a pretty active Discord server for the last couple of years. I'm also a millennial, so the UI is giving me a healthy hit of nostalgia.

I've found Permaban an enjoyable albeit mildly stressful game so far. Developer UnrealByte has nailed the aesthetic and tone. The writing is on point too, from the forum posts you have to review to .txt files on the moderator's computer, which include their passwords, instant messenger away messages, MySpace top-eight rankings and band name ideas. You might even find some other classic Windows games tucked inside the My Documents folder.

Permaban is coming to Steam later this year. You can play it via your browser on Itch right now and pay what you want.

New indie game releases

Palworld 1.0

Developer and publisher: Pocketpair

Platforms: Steam (Windows; Steam Deck Verified), Mac, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox for PC, PS5

Price: $30, with launch discounts on Steam and for Xbox and PlayStation Plus subscribers. Available on Game Pass Ultimate and Premium, as well as PC Game Pass

One of the biggest indie success stories of recent times is finally out of early access, nearly two and half years later. The Palworld 1.0 update brings 72 additional creatures to the game, along with new areas (such as an archipelago of floating islands) and points of interest, a higher level cap for players, audio and visual upgrades, an overhauled story and much more. To give you a sense of just how enormous this update is, the patch notes are over 10,000 words long. Developer Pocketpair suggests that players should start from a fresh save to get the most out of the revamped experience.

Before the patch went live, Pocketpair urged players to delete files for any mods they installed as there was a risk of those causing significant issues with the install, leading to problems like corrupted save data and being blocked from making progress. The company also announced this week that Palworld now has more than 40 million players, many of whom I'm sure have been seeking an alternative to Pokémon.

Tiny Bookshop

Developer: Neoludic

Publishers: Skystone Games, 2P Games

Platform: iOS, Android. Already on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox for PC. Available on Game Pass Ultimate and Premium, as well as PC Game Pass

Price: $8

Tiny Bookshop has been a hit on other platforms. It sold more than 500,000 copies between its debut in August 2025 and the end of that year. Now, the cozy life sim game has landed on mobile.

As the title suggests, you manage a small bookshop on a trailer that you can tow to a number of scenic locations. You'll stock the shelves and decorate the shop with items you collect. The decor seemingly affects your customers, to whom you'll be able to recommend books. There are also secrets to discover in Tiny Bookshop, all of which seems quite lovely.

Cat Mail Co.

Developer: Maracas Studio

Publishers: Maracas Studio, Gamersky Games

Platform: Steam (Windows; playable on Steam Deck)

Price: $15, with a 15 percent discount until July 23

Here's another cute-looking cat game. Cat Mail Co. is a post office simulator set on an island populated by kitties. When you arrive, you learn that there's a backlog of mail to deliver after the previous postmaster vanished. It's up to you to sort out all of the mess even as more parcels arrive every day to be delivered.

Hopefully, it won't be too onerous to manage all of that, especially since this is supposed to be a relaxing game. There aren't any penalties or time limits to worry about here. When night falls, moonlight brings a magical twist to proceedings. There's a story to discover within the mountain of mail and there's co-op support for up to four players. So, you can hang out with your friends and handle packages at your own pace, not really having to worry about any resident of Cat's Island demanding their delivery right meow.

If you pick up Cat Mail Co. within the first week (the game went live on July 9), you can snag the Supporter Edition at no extra cost. This includes the soundtrack, a digital artbook and a supporter plaque you can use in-game. After the first week, the Supporter Edition upgrades will be available as a paid DLC.

Backyard Baseball

Developer: Mega Cat Studios

Publisher: Playground Production

Platform: Steam (Windows and Mac; playable on Steam Deck), coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and Switch 2 later

Price: $40

I was eager to check out the latest installment of Backyard Baseball after enjoying the demo. But after playing a couple of games, I can see why that was effectively limited to a home run derby mode. Outside of pitching and batting, the controls don't feel responsive enough. Fielding doesn't feel great especially because the characters on defense move pretty darn slowly. The commentary quickly becomes repetitive too.

I do like some other aspects of Backyard Baseball. It's just not quite where it needs to be yet. It looks charming as heck and a lot of the animations are fun. Some of the special pitching and batting abilities are a blast, even if it's annoying to be on the receiving end. I enjoyed the light approach to team management, as you swap out pitchers when the starter gets tired. There are no microtransactions here. You'll unlock more stadiums, characters and collectibles through gameplay. And, of course, hitting a grand slam feels real good.

Alas, you'll need to wait a bit longer to play Backyard Baseball online with your friends. "In our lead-up to launch, we found that the online experience wasn't yet meeting the standard we've set for the rest of the game," Mega Cat Studios said. "Online multiplayer is still coming, just not day 1." The developer hasn't confirmed when online multiplayer will be available, but it's important to iron out any major kinks before flipping the switch.

Hyperwired

Developer: SidralGames

Publisher SelectaPlay

Platform: Steam (Windows; Steam Deck Verified; demo available), Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Price: $8

I've been looking forward to Hyperwired since I first learned about it a few months back. It's a 2D, twin-stick shooter with a neat twist. There's a plug attached to your spaceship, which you insert into a socket to recharge your energy and manage resources. However, while you're tethered to the socket, you can only move within the range of your cable, potentially leaving you vulnerable.

Because it's 2026, every other game is a roguelite/roguelike, and that includes Hyperwired. The action takes place in a procedurally generated galaxy in which you have multiple ships with various abilities to choose from. There are dozens of upgrades and hundreds of bullet modifier combos to experiment with on your runs. A slow-motion ability you can trigger at almost any moment could help you survive the chaos too.

Upcoming indie games

Vampirium: 1997

Developer and publisher: Bithell Games

Platform: Steam

It's always worth paying attention to whatever Bithell Games (Thomas Was Alone, Tron: Catalyst) is cooking up. The studio's next game is Vampirium: 1997, an immersive sim in which Dracula is the king of England. As one of his minions, you're tasked with assassinating his enemies and strengthening his grip on power.

The action plays out like a minimalist take on Hitman: World of Assassination. There are time-management elements too, much like in a previous Bithell Games title, John Wick Hex. For instance, you'll need to be wary of daylight given that you're a vampire.

A gameplay video that Bithell Games released this week offers an in-depth look at a mission. You'll make your way through secured locations and interact with various objects and individuals as you move toward the target. Every action has a time cost. The game will also tell you when an enemy will attack, giving you a chance to counter them.

On this evidence, Vampirium: 1997 looks pretty compelling. We'll get to find out just how much bite it has when it hits Steam in early access in the future.

Greedy Greedy Gnomes

Developer: Nautlander

Publisher: Future Friends Games

Platform: Steam

Release date: August 12

If you've ever wondered if it might be possible to get filthy rich by smashing loads of pots in Kakariko Village in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to The Past or mining a ton of minerals in Stardew Valley, this game may answer that question. The aim of Greedy Greedy Gnomes (which has fortunately been renamed from its previous title, Eldor'idle) is to become incredibly wealthy, because capitalism has told us that's what we should all strive for.

It would take forever to claim enough coins by manually smashing pots to become a billionaire here. So, you'll hire gnomes to carry out a lot of that work. Greedy Greedy Gnomes is billed as a short, "satirical clicker-idle RPG" from a solo developer. The trailer indicates there's more going on than you initially might suspect, as demonic presences seem to be lurking. Eek!

Hillthorn

Developers: Fool Moon, Finnegan Motors

Publisher: Raw Fury

Platform: Steam (Windows and Mac; demo available)

Given that Raw Fury is the publisher of Blue Prince and The Seance of Blake Manor, it clearly has an eye for a puzzle game. As such, it might be worth having Hillthorn on your radar. This is a detective game that challenges you to use logic and intuition to get to the root of a mystery.

There's no dialogue in this game. Instead, you'll investigate the case of a missing child using clue cards. As an outsider, you might find it difficult to obtain information from residents. There's a ticking clock that advances with every action, so you may need to be decisive as you try to uncover the secrets within this secluded community.

The card-based approach and Raw Fury's involvement are pretty interesting. I have a general aversion to card-centric games, but I think there's enough here for me to at least check out the Hillthorn demo.

Steel Maiden

Developer: Keicee

Publisher: Very Positive

Platform: Steam (PC and Steam Deck; demo coming soon)

Release window: late 2026

Steel Maiden is a roguelite action game from solo developer Cho Ki Choul, the art director of My Little Puppy. I dig the visuals in the trailer. The animations look slick. But there's one particular reason I found this game interesting: you control it using two buttons.

I recently bought a NES-inspired 8bitdo mechanical keyboard, which comes with two large, programmable buttons. I think you can tell where I'm going with this. For similar reasons, I think I'll have to revisit One Btn Bosses. Big buttons are fun, and if I can play an entire game with one or two of them, I'm in.