I liked the idea of highlighting two indie games a week that I either stumbled upon or that were already on my radar. So, this will be the space for me to light them up. Consider the Indie Double-Up part one — but rebranded now to Two-Game Tuesday. I spend a lot of time looking for different games to play or put out there. Sometimes, they’re straightforward. Others, more esoteric. This week is falling strictly in the straightforward category.
‘AXIS FOOTBALL 2026’ may be taking a spot in my rotation
It’s no secret at this point, I love sports. Specifically, football. I play an insane amount of Madden to clear my head. As I’ve said before, it’s a great “shut my brain off” game. But years ago, I downloaded Axis Football on my phone and really enjoyed it. What I didn’t know at the time was that this game was much bigger than I knew it to be. This series has been around for years. I picked up Axis Football 2024 on the Switch and poured hours into it. While it has some rough edges, it’s a great time.
Recently, Axis Games decided not to continue with their yearly development cycle, opting instead to drop a game every two years. So, they skipped the 2025 game. A decision I can only applaud because it tells me they really care about the indie game they’re making. With a release window of September 2025, Axis Games will be returning this year with Axis Football 2026. And it remains one of the most full-featured simulation football experiences anywhere.
Just look at this features list from their Steam page:
Full Franchise Mode Features:
Multiple league setup options (NFL-style, Tier style)
All-time record tracking
Player Contracts
Trades
Injuries
Practice Squads
Free Agency
Retiring Players
Weekly and Yearly Awards
Dynamic, tiered league structure with playoffs, promotions, and relegations
Unlimited seasons
Player progressions based on performance, age, potential, and playtime
End of season drafts
Season-long team stats
Individual league leader stats
Franchise stats
Depth chart control
Play, coach, spectate, or simulate matches
League and team schedule viewer
Spectate other matches
Customization:
Complete team creator / editor suite
Customize team name, colors, uniforms, field, play selection, logo, and more!
Having played the 2024 iteration, however, I can tell you this doesn’t even scratch the surface. You have full control of what you want this game to be. The franchise mode blows Madden out of the water. I can’t wait for this indie title to come out.
‘Desperate place’ is an indie tower defense game right in my wheelhouse
Little known fact about me: I love indie tower defense games. Almost as much as I do roguelikes. The strategy of balancing placement with firepower always lights up my brain. If I’m not careful, I will experience a full real-life day/night cycle before I realize that I’ve been doing nothing but dropping and selling towers to prevent being overrun.
Which brings me to Desperate Place, a sci-fi tower defense game with city-building elements. Oh, and it’s also a top-down shooter. Just slap my name on the game already because this must have been made for me. I’ve yet to play an indie tower defense game that gives me some level of control. While your character auto-shoots (needed), you can move him around the map. And once the game takes the tutorial training wheels off, you can then see where the strategy comes in. Desperate Place comes out on April 22, 2025, and you can also check out the demo here. I’m looking forward to seeing what developer BruceGalaxy can do.
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