As a new season of games is announced for 2023, Australian developers once again refuse to be forgotten. Creative whims and strange gameplay structures are being fully realised in this year of Australian gaming. We are doing away with traditional formulaic gaming structures and embracing the outlandish, polarising and highly stylised experiences our local talent has to offer. Although there are far more games to watch in 2023, we’ve highlighted 12 Aussie-made games of varying genres and styles that you should keep an eye on.
Bilkins’ Folly
Developer: Webbysoft | Publisher: Armor Games Studio
Platform: PC | Release: 2023 | Wishlist
Made on the beautiful island of Tasmania by Webbysoft, Bilkins’ Folly is a neat game with a vibrant and gorgeous pixel art style and a unique gameplay hook. The story sees Percival ‘Percy’ Bilkins, a treasure hunter who is searching for relatives that have been missing for many years, shipwrecked and looking for a way to continue his quest. Percy isn’t alone though, as he’s accompanied by his dog Drayton (yes you can pet the dog). With your canine companion by your side you will make good use of Percy’s skills in cartography, analysing maps and clues to discover buried treasure and solve puzzles, all the while trying to dig up life-changing family secrets. Put this one on your map in 2023.
Zach Jackson
Box Knight
Developer: We Made A Thing Studios | Publisher: We Made A Thing Studios
Platform: Switch/PC | Release: 2023 | Wishlist
My first exposure to Box Knight, the debut game from Adelaide’s We Made A Thing Studios, was at PAX Australia 2022, with the animations and art style immediately catching my attention. As it turns out, the studio also specialises in animation, which explains why they look so damn good. Box Knight is a roguelike set within an office where the workplace has become ‘toxic’, with employees turning into mindless monsters (much like any average office worker, but decidedly more violent). The powers that be in HR have summoned you, and it’s up to you to save the office, level by level. It features slick, fast-paced combat with plenty of weapons and special attacks to utilise, and best of all you can replenish your health by slamming an ice-cold beer on the job. It’s got a cracking cartoon art style and a fun gameplay loop, definitely one to keep an eye on.
Zach Jackson
Broken Roads
Developer: Drop Bear Bytes | Publisher: Versus Evil
Platform: PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC | Release: 2023 | Wishlist
If you take the narrative-driven Disco Elysium and combine it with Baldur’s Gates’ traditional turn-based combat, their love child would undoubtedly be Broken Roads. Set in a post-apocalyptic Australia where morality is individualised and classes have all but fractured, Broken Roads is an RPG from the creative minds at Drop Bear Bytes where choices matter.
While the narrative is largely under wraps until its release, Broken Roads appears to follow a group of survivors in outback Australia attempting to rebuild and lead a community after society has broken down. By using an in-depth moral system based on ethical philosophy, players can expect their choices to greatly affect the outcomes of their playthrough. Check out our hands-on preview from PAX Aus 2022.
Chantelle McColl
darkwebSTREAMER
Developer: We Have Always Lived In The Forest | Publisher: We Have Always Lived In The Forest
Platform: PC | Release: TBA | Wishlist
At PAX Australia 2022, amidst all the upcoming local games, there was a booth that stirred plenty of intrigue and attention, and that was none other than darkwebSTREAMER. This psycho-horror streaming simulator RPG not only defined itself through its randomly generated visuals and events, but its eerie, often confusing, abut always sinister tone that makes the internet feel dangerous.
The 1-bit black and white style showcased in darkwebSTREAMER’s pre-alpha is a terrifying wrapper for all the occult mysteries lurking behind the player’s browser. And stakes are made considerably higher when those creepy emails and devilish ads affect whether your character lives or dies. darkwebSTREAMER is a game that you will want to keep an eye on if you’re brave enough.
Chantelle McColl
The Drifter
Developer: Powerhoof | Publisher: Powerhoof
Platform: PC | Release: 2023 | Wishlist
Two-man Melbourne development team Powerhoof has been hard at work creating a Darksynth-inspired video game that is (hopefully) rumoured to drop in 2023.
The Drifter is a pulp adventure thriller game that positions players in the shoes of Mick Carter. A vagabond, who, after witnessing a murder, is killed. But time leaping isn’t a stranger to video games and Mick is transported back just his seconds before his death. This point-and-click adventure game sucks players deep into the brooding and shady side of corporations, crime and maybe a little of the supernatural too.
Chantelle McColl
DROS
Developer: emergeWorlds | Publisher: emergeWorlds
Platform: PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC | Release: 2023 | Wishlist
DROS is an action-adventure puzzle game from Brisbane studio emergeWorlds which sees you play as two characters: a bounty hunter named Captain, and a ball of goo named Little Dros. They both have their strengths and weaknesses, and they don’t get along, but together they have the best chance at defeating The Alchemist, an enemy that has built a tower deep in the forest where villagers have been disappearing. I went hands-on at PAX Aus 2022 and liked what I played – it reminded me of PS2-era action games such as Maximo, which I loved back in the day. Hopefully the full release can deliver on the potential.
Zach Jackson
Gubbins
Developer: Studio Folly | Publisher: Studio Folly
Platform: iOS | Release: 2023 |
You’d think after writing about video games one of the last things I’d want to do is play a game about words. Well that’s what I thought – but then I played Gubbins at PAX Australia and I was hooked. It’s billed as a roguelike word game that tasks players with creating words from select letters, much like Scrabble. However, the twist is that players will discover Gubbins, weird creatures of sorts that either work for or against you and have their own unique abilities. It’s got a gorgeous aesthetic and I can see it becoming incredibly addictive, where five minutes becomes 30. The only downside is that it’s coming to iOS devices first, so if you’re an Android person like me, you might have to borrow a friend’s phone so you don’t suffer from FOMO.
Zach Jackson
Hollow Knight: Silk Song
Developer: Team Cherry | Publisher: Team Cherry
Platform: PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Switch/PC | Release: 2023 | Wishlist
It would be a crime not to mention the highly anticipated sequel to the award-winning Metroidvania Hollow Knight. Hollow Knight: Silksong began development in 2018 and with each update, trailer, and rumour, eager anticipation has mounted for its hopeful release in 2023.
The sequel will focus on Hornet, princess-protector of Hallownest and sidekick to the Knight, as she is kidnapped and released in a haunted kingdom within Pharloom, where she supposedly must rid it of evil. From the trailers, Silksong is expected to deliver the same difficult combat, in-depth exploration and beautiful hand-drawn setting as its predecessor, and perhaps even something more. It’s time to revisit your Hollow Knight lore videos and stretch out your fingers for yet another year of hyper-fixation on the sequel to one of Australia’s greatest video games.
Chantelle McColl
Knuckle Sandwich
Developer: Andrew Brophy | Publisher: Andrew Brophy/Superhot Presents
Platform: PC | Release: 2023 | Wishlist
Knuckle Sandwich began as a ‘silly little Flash game’ in 2013 and has since become a widely supported and not-so-little Earthbound-esque RPG created by a single Australian developer Andrew Brophy.
Set on a metropolitan island in Southeast Australia, Knuckle Sandwich follows an ordinary dude working at a diner, who gets caught up in the weird and whacky underbelly of Bright City. With its psychedelic pixel art style and novelty mini-games, from cooking, boxing, dancing to diner dashing and bug catching, Knuckle Sandwich is set to be a unique and funny RPG experience that you’ll want to get your hands on.
Chantelle McColl
The Lifetime
Developer: Orchid of Redemption | Publisher: Lamplight Forest
Platform: PC | Release: 2023 | Wishlist
The Lifetime caught my interest after I went hands-on with it at PAX Australia in 2022 with its addictive time-based gameplay. It’s being developed by Adelaide studio Orchid of Redemption, which describes The Lifetime as a side-scrolling platformer with Metroidvania elements. The idea of the game is to finish each level with as much time remaining as possible, as it’s carried over and added to the next level’s timer, with each level having power-ups and secrets to be discovered that can shave time off your run. It’s a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to losing many hours when it releases.
Zach Jackson
Repella Fella
Developer: Misadventurous | Publisher: 2 Left Thumbs
Platform: PC | Release: 2023 | Wishlist
If you wanted a game that feels emphatically Australian, Repella Fella is one title you’ll want to have on your radar. It’s a point-and-click, choose-your-own-adventure game set in a future post-apocalyptic Australia where you control the story of three characters who are working towards a better life. It’s packed full of humour, has multiple endings and has an art style that is full of detail and heightens the comedic tone the game is going for. After more than six years in the making, it’s finally set to launch in 2023, and as a big adventure game fan I can’t wait.
Zach Jackson
The Sacred Acorn
Developer: A Few Dragons | Publisher: A Few Dragons
Platform: PC | Release: 2023 | Wishlist
If you’re a fan of games featuring cute animals, then The Sacred Acorn from Adelaide’s A Few Dragons is one you’ll want to check out. It’s a top-down adventure where you play as Ima, an adorable squirrel who must save their homeland of Tansira from a mysterious force that is infecting the land by harnessing an ancient power. Ima will need to explore vast and beautiful locales to uncover secrets, solve puzzles and fight creatures in challenging combat to succeed in their task. Thankfully Ima won’t have to do it alone, with the squirrel making friends who will assist in unique ways on their journey to save Tansira. It looks super cute and fun to play, and if you want to get a taste of what’s on offer you can check out the game’s demo on Steam now.
Zach Jackson
Of course, there are many more Aussie-made games worth keeping an eye on in 2023, some we have spotlighted before – is this the year we finally see Dead Static Drive and Conscript release? It highlights just how talented the local talent is, and we can’t wait to feast on the unique and creative experiences they’re cooking up. To keep up to date with all the Australian-made game releases in 2023, make sure to check out our 2023 Australian and New Zealand-made release calendar.
What Australian games are you keen for in 2023? Let us know in the comments or on social media.
