Crimson Desert this, Crimson Desert that. When people haven’t been talking about Nvidia’s DLSS 5/AI fiasco, they’ve been chatting about the much-hyped (and decently received) RPG this month. But there are plenty of other exciting games launching in March, and even more are to come in April and May, when Pragmata, Saros, Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, and more will be taking up the bulk of our free time.
Amid all those AAA heavy-hitters are too many indies and AA games to count that we’re just as excited about. Here are 12 to keep on your radar this spring, ordered by release date.
1
Damon and Baby
Release date: March 26
Where to play: PS4, PS5, Switch, Windows PC
Arc Systems Works is a wide-ranging developer and publisher, perhaps best known for its fighting games like Guilty Gear Strive and Dragon Ball FighterZ. With Damon and Baby, it shakes things up, opting for an exploration-focused twin-stick shooter. You play as an exiled demon king trying to power up and get back to his home. A tiny toddler is along for the ride, and the demon Damon is charged with protecting her with a variety of firearms and melee weapons.
2
Bloodletter
Release date: March 30 (Early Access)
Where to play: Windows PC
Roguelike deckbuilders are a buzzy genre (what’s up, Slay the Spire 2?), and Bloodletter is definitely a gnarly one to keep your eye on. You use “dubious” medicinal skills as a medieval barber surgeon in a bid to heal villagers and protect them from evil spirits. With a deck inspired by tarot, you’ll have more than 80 cards at your disposal and several abilities to upgrade and modify your deck.
3
Tombwater
Release date: March 31
Where to play: Windows PC
Years ago, Max Mraz made Yarntown, a Zelda-like tribute to Bloodborne. This month, he and developer Moth Atlas are releasing something of a spiritual successor to Yarntown with Tombwater, a 2D Soulslike with serious Western vibes. Set in a once-thriving town, you explore all the horrors it contains while battling Eldritch beasts. Like Bloodborne, you’ll have dozens of melee weapons, firearms, and spells at your disposal, and over 20 bosses to use them against.
4
Darwin’s Paradox!
Release date: April 2
Where to play: PS5, Switch 2, Windows PC, Xbox Series X
Picture this: Solid Snake, but an octopus. Darwin is a charming, highly intelligent, and capable octopus, and he’ll put those abilities on display as he has to escape from his captors who took him from the ocean and brought him to the surface. Specifically, a junkyard by a frightening factory — no place for an ocean-dweller to be. Solve puzzles, dodge danger, and stealthily sneak your way to safety in Darwin’s Paradox!
5
People of Note
Release date: April 7
Where to play: PS5, Switch 2, Windows PC, Xbox Series X
Publisher Annapurna Interactive has carved out a niche for itself in the indie space, and it’s publishing People of Note next month. It’s a turn-based RPG by way of musicals; our Feb. preview compared it to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and KPop Demon Hunters and noted, “People of Note looks to be both a love letter to music and a commentary on it, celebrating all of its sounds while also calling out pretentiousness and pointless genre rivalries.” You’ll play as a musician putting a band together as they chase stardom via musical performance battles, with each character specializing in a moveset based on certain musical genres.
6
Before I Go
Release date: April 13
Where to play: PS5, Switch, Windows PC, Xbox Series X
Metroidvania fans were treated to a real delight this past winter when Mio: Memories in Orbit was released, and they’ll be eating good this spring too. From a solo developer who’s an industry veteran, Before I Go is described as a haunting and punishing tale. It’s punishing in two ways: its tough-as-nails gameplay, and its harrowing story where you play as the embodiment of a child’s innocence on a journey about accepting death.
7
Replaced
Release date: April 14
Where to play: Windows PC, Xbox Series X
Replaced has been in development for the better part of a decade, making us wonder if it’s going to be worth the wait. It’s a stylish, Cyberpunk 2.5D platformer set in an alt-history 1980s America. You play as an AI trapped in a human body who’s on the run from cops and a corrupt corporation. Investigate the AI’s origins while duking it out with foes who target you on sight.
8
Mouse: PI For Hire
Release date: April 16
Where to play: PS5, Switch 2, Windows PC, Xbox Series X
You’ve heard Troy Baker as Indiana Jones, but have you heard him as a cartoon mouse? You will when Mouse: PI For Hire drops in April. Imagine an old, 1930s-style Disney cartoon blended with the violence of an FPS like Doom. “The gun physics are straight out of retro cartoons, like the shotgun that bends from the force of its blasts and the pistol that sways in time to the music as if it has a will of its own,” our preview from earlier this month said.
9
Kiln
Release date: April 23
Where to play: PS5, Windows PC, Xbox Series X
After Double Fine launched Keeper last fall, you won’t have to wait long for its next project, Kiln. It’s a “pottery party brawler” where you craft pottery armor and then battle friends and foes. The armor you craft influences how you play, and you can decorate your pottery armor during downtime in between matches. You’ll be able to sample Kiln a couple weeks early during its open beta on Steam from April 9-11.
10
Aphelion
Release date: April 28
Where to play: PS5, Windows PC, Xbox Series X
Developer and publisher Don’t Nod has carved out a space for itself in the AA market with recent titles like Lost Records: Bloom and Rage and Jusant. Its next endeavor is Aphelion, a tense sci-fi survival horror game. Astronauts Ariane and Thomas are sent to survey a recently discovered planet in our solar system, hoping it can be a home for humanity as Earth will be rendered uninhabitable by 2060. Of course, their mission isn’t easy: After crash landing, they’ll have to contend with an alien threat to stay alive.
