Tons of awesome games come out every month, but in the shadow of high-profile AAA titles, even the best ones can slip under our radars. Whether you’re a fan of cyberpunk adventures, silly paint tools, deep sea survival sims, or eerie 3D platformers, there’s plenty to love in this month’s roundup.

For more, check out our list on the most-anticipated 2018 indie games, a love letter to the glory of weird, free web games, or dive into last month's roundup of 2017's best overlooked games.

The World Begins With You (PC)

While its lack of camera control at first feels a bit frustrating, The World Begins With You has some of the most impressive framing I’ve seen come out of a game this size. As you explore the sun-baked temples and moody caves of some vast, ancient land, the camera sweeps in fast, smooth strides, bends through tight corridors, weaves between towering stone columns, and rests at just the right angle to frame a daring descent down a rocky cliffside. The World Begins With You is a small, 20 minute experience developed for a game jam, but the lovely world it presents in such a short amount of time and the way its gorgeous camerawork elevates even the most barren of its landscapes is worth experiencing. You can pay what you want for it on itch.io.

Yume Nikki (PC)

Rime, Journey itch.io (FREE)

Yume Nikki originally launched in June 2004, an unassuming RPG Maker game from an anonymous Japanese creator. In the past 14 years, it’s spawned countless fangames and inspired almost an entire subgenre of indie horror: lo-fi, often made in RPG Maker, usually with a focus on exploring and getting lost in surreal worlds. Games like Lisa and even Undertale have borrowed from Yume Nikki, which follows a shut-in named Madotsuki as she explores the branching worlds of her dreams and nightmares. Its surprise Steam launch in January coincided with a mysterious countdown timer, which eventually revealed Yume Nikki: Dream Diary, a 3D reboot developed under the supervision of its original (still anonymous) creator Kikiyama. Before you check out the reboot, launching at the end of February, the original Yume Nikki is a must-play. Just like before, when it was just an .exe floating around fansites, it’s free to download.

Play if you like: LSD: Dream Emulator, Yomawari: Night Alone

Available: Steam (FREE), Playism (FREE)

PAINTANDY (PC)

There are a lot of fun, free painting programs, and PAINTANDY is one of the latest. The basic paint tool features like adjustable brush size and paint colors are supplemented by wild animated effects triggered using different keyboard inputs. Developer Andrew Brophy is currently working on Knuckle Sandwich, which looks like one of the most charming upcoming RPGs out there.

Play if you like: MS Paint

Available: itch.io (FREE)

Quiet as a Stone (PC)

One of the best parts about survival games and farming sims is the sheer tactile joy of chipping away at and collecting resources. Quiet as a Stone takes that feeling, distills it down, and then makes it look really, really good. It has the framing of a god game, but none of the violence. There is no conflict. Quiet as a Stone is only concerned with creating a calming, meditative, nature-based experience, where its varied landscapes (from rocky forests to grassy clearings) act as the canvas for your dioramic whims. You can stack objects, throw stones, place trees, and control the flow of wind through the grass as you create your own “environmental vignettes.” The sound of clacking rocks, the rustling of leaves, the shattering of stones into precious gems, and the successive blips of collecting them are pleasing additions to the soothing ambient background noise, making Quiet as a Stone probably the most relaxing game on this list.

Play if you like: Viridi, Mountain

Available: itch.io ($9.99)

The Red Strings Club (PC)

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The Red Strings Club has similar ambitions as Gods Will Be Watching, the last game from Deconstructeam — it captures a startlingly personal portrait of humanity in a dark and troubled setting. In its cyberpunk future, a large corporation prepares to unleash a new welfare program that it claims will eliminate depression. A bartender and a hacker team up to stop what they see as a dangerous plot to brainwash society on an unprecedented scale. Bartending minigames abound.

Play if you like: VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action, Gods Will Be Watching

Available: Steam ($14.99)

Iconoclasts (PC, PS4, Vita)

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Iconoclasts looks like it’s distilled the charm and character of classic 2D action platformers and revamped it for 2018. With seven years in the making, its highly detailed pixel art and vibrant designs burst with personality — its energetic action sequences and animated cutscenes are particularly impressive. In Iconoclasts, you play a mechanic named Robin, who must fight back against an oppressive religious organization.

Play if you like: Owlboy, Starbound

Available: Steam ($19.99), PlayStation Store ($19.99)

Shu (Switch)

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Shu is a charming 2.5D platformer about guiding a colorful cast of characters away from a dangerous oncoming storm. It originally came to PC in 2016, but its uncomplicated setup and lovely hand-drawn art style make it a perfect fit for its newest home on the Switch.

Subnautica (PC)

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Ori and the Blind Forest Nintendo eShop ($9.99), Steam ($9.99), PlayStation Store ($9.99)

After a solid run in Early Access, the underwater survival game Subnautica is finally out to very positive acclaim. Our review gave it a 9.1, praising its “excellent sci-fi story,” fun crafting, and unexpected horror. As someone who already has a deep sea phobia, a game set in the ocean doesn’t have to try hard to freak me out, but I still feel compelled to (literally) dive deeper into this one.

Play if you like: Abzu, FarSky

Available: Steam ($24.99)

Thumper: Pocket Edition

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When rhythm action game Thumper launched on Switch last year, it was a surprise how well it translated to a handheld over from the PC and PlayStation 4. Now it’s on iOS, which means it’s even more mobile than before. Its button presses have been translated into simple taps and swipes for smartphones and tablets, but it still looks fantastic in both portrait and landscape mode. I’m hoping this one comes to Android eventually, but for now, Apple users can enjoy one of the best rhythm games of the last couple years on their mobile devices.

Play if you like: Rhythm Heaven, Audiosurf

Available: App Store ($4.99)

Un Pueblo de Nada (PC)

A snapshot of a haunted broadcast station in the strange and magical small town America of Kentucky Route Zero. If you haven’t played Kentucky Route Zero yet, I urge you to do so. Its fifth and final episode is due out soon, and Un Pueblo de Nada is the latest in its handful of short interludes. But you can still enjoy the game even if you’re not caught up on Kentucky Route Zero… if you’re unsure about the series, let this act as a demo. Like previous spin-offs and the main game, Un Pueblo de Nada is a mixed media experience — don’t forget to check out the fictional public access channel created for it.

Play if you like: Night in the Woods, Virginia

Available: Official website (FREE)

Genderwrecked (PC)

Genderwrecked is a post-apocalyptic monster dating sim/visual novel about figuring out the meaning behind that mysterious force known as… gender. In my adventure, I argued with an angry blob, insulted a tree, and played basketball with 159 meat children. I let a robot dad crack jokes at me and chatted with a girl with a severed wolf head for a… head… Philosophy, comedy, and horror combine in a silly, and clever exploration of identity. Genderwrecked is available for a fitting $6.66 on itch.io.

Play if you like: Undertale

Available: itch.io ($6.66)

Candleman: The Complete Journey (PC)

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Candleman launched last year to fairly positive reviews on Xbox One. You play a candle who must navigate a series of light and shadow-based puzzles in a strange world. With the charm of a 90s platformer and the twisted fairytale atmosphere of Little Nightmares, this updated PC version has the potential to be something really special. It comes out later today on Steam. There’s no price listed, but the original — which you can grab on the Microsoft Store for Xbox One — cost $14.99.

Play if you like: Little Nightmares, 3D platformers

Available: Steam

Chloi Rad is an Associate Editor for IGN. Follow her on Twitter at @_chloi