Not a game recommendation here, but a very useful tool for filtering when browsing itch. On any browse query, append this to the URL:
?exclude=tg.horror
e.g.,
https://itch.io/games?exclude=tg.horror
Substitute “horror” with your tag of choice (horror being the example because I’ve become very exhausted by seeing 1,000 haunted VHS PlayStation lo-fi aesthetic retro 90s horror games—using this surfaced some stuff that’s very much my shit from the main browser pages, which rarely happens otherwise; no shade if that’s your jam, but it really ain’t mine). Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like excluding multiple tags at once is possible.
i played this on android and it’s really good! it’s basically a combination of Threes and billiards, with an end goal rather than just being endless. beat Hard this morning
i just played combo pool. it’s good.
i like how pico-8 hosts a lot of games that iterate on the popular indie games of the moment, adding or subtracting stuff as they see fit. as well as suika game, there’s also a lot of games inspired by vampire survivors.
an open-world? puzzle game. uses a Waving Hands-style casting system, where spells are a string of movements. one level, but designed for multiple playthroughs with limits on the spells used.
cross of Obra Dinn & Hypnospace Outlaw. resolve the claims on the estate of the Roottrees by determining their family tree. regrettable use of AI art but a commercial remake is planned with actual artists.
I played through this a couple days ago, it’s rather good. There was a different itch browser puzzle game with the same central gimmick a couple years ago named Mimic but that one was very stage based while this is a single big space you slowly figure out so it’s got a distinct feel.
I feel bad as there’s one spell I never got as I grabbed the last star without thinking about it so I may have to go back for another run. I do like how the first spell you learn which returns you to the home tile is actually mostly a pain/trap that you gotta be careful not to fire off on accident.
