BY TRILBY BERESFORD | HollywoodReporter.Com

Troy Warren for CNT #Gaming

New releases include VR puzzler ‘Gravitational’ from Brazilian studio Electric Monkeys and roguelite village builder ‘Kainga: Seeds of Civilization’ from solo developer Erik Rempen.

The Independent Gamer is a curated roundup of news from indie gaming, landing here every other Friday.

Indie Live Expo Winter 2021 Spotlights 500 Titles From Around the World

The Indie Live Expo winter showcase saw adventure game Road 96 — from French developer Digixart — win the grand prize, with additional prizes given to action-adventure Death’s Door for best “game feel” award, social deduction game Among Us for most “stream-friendly” award, 2D adventure game Chicory: A Colorful Tale for best characters, and first-person narrative adventure Before Your Eyes for best rules of play.

Reveals during the show included Persona composer Shoji Meguro’s debut game as an indie developer, a stealth RPG titled Guns Undarkness.

If you missed the broadcast, see the entire winners list here and view the English broadcast below.

Rogue-Lite Village Builder From Solo Developer

Solo developer Erik Rempen and Green Man Gaming Publishing revealed this week that Kainga: Seeds of Civilization has made its Steam Early Access debut.

Players take on the role of the Thinker, a village leader who must make the right choices in order for his population to flourish. The game features short challenges that include different terrain, resources and technologies. Wild beasts roam the land, but may be tamed and used to one’s advantage.

Workshop Simulator Coming to Steam

Montreal-based game developer Casa Rara released a reveal trailer for its debut project Mini Maker: Make a Thing, a workshop simulator launching on PC via Steam in 2022.

Players have access to an arsenal of tools such as plastic limbs, rainbow stickers and googly eyes with which to make creations and please demanding clients.

Action Rogue-Lite Game Launching on Steam Early Access

Polish developer Vixa Games and publisher Ravenage Games are launching The Crackpet Show on PC via Steam Early Access on Dec. 16.

The game is inspired by gory cartoons such as Happy Tree Friends, and puts players in control of mutated animals competing for fame and fortune on the most violent television show in broadcast history.

The Crackpet Show can be played with four player co-op, and features cute and cuddly cartoons combined with fast-paced action.

VR Puzzler Drops on Consoles

Brazilian studio Electric Monkeys revealed that its VR puzzle game Gravitational is now playable on Oculus Quest 2, Oculus Rift, Oculus S, PlayStation VR and VR platforms via Steam.

The game follows the story of a scientist named Sebastian is tasked with repairing a prototype reactor using gravity-based technology.