Human Computer

Dome Keeper’s biggest trick is looking like a cozy mining sim.

Instead, it’s a perfectly crafted stress machine.

Every choice about what to carry, when to run, and where to dig tightens the screws. But what makes it work is how fair it all feels. The game doesn’t punish you. You punish yourself.

This pixel art roguelite looks chill… until the aliens show up. Dome Keeper from indie studio BippinBits is one of the most elegantly designed roguelites I’ve played. A minimalist UI, satisfying… Why I’m OBSESSED with Dome Keeper

What other roguelites can match the thrill of Dome Keeper's loop? Let us know!

youtu.be/zYAPpNmI5Ak

If you haven't played Dome Keeper yet, you're missing out on one of the calmest stress spirals ever put into pixels. The art is peaceful. The gameplay loop is not.

The game is masterclass in how to make failure feel fair, and you coming back anyway.

(Link to full episode in reply)

Climbing games are a thing now. And we're here for it. In this video, we break down why climbing mechanics have quietly taken over modern game design, from Shadow of the Colossus to Breath of the Wild, Celeste, Jusant, and a wave of new indie titles. What makes climbing so tense and beautiful? Why is it suddenly everywhere? And what could climbing games evolve into next? ⸻ Featured Games: Celeste: https://store.steampowered.com/app/504230/Celeste Jusant: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1977170/Jusant Grow Home: https://store.steampowered.com/app/323320/Grow_Home A Short Hike: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1055540/A_Short_Hike Peak: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3527290/PEAK Cairn: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1588550/Cairn      ⸻ The Human Computer Substack – subscribe for game design and studio updates: https://huco.substack.com Why Climbing Games Are Quietly Taking Over

Full video: youtu.be/a6BzzvwUGZA

Everyone’s making climbing games.
And honestly? They slap.
What used to be a throwaway mechanic is now the core loop. It’s surprisingly tense, emotional, and fun.

🎬 Full video: youtu.be/a6BzzvwUGZA

Climbing started as a mechanic.
It’s turning into something bigger.

Peak, Cairn and Jusant aren’t about getting from point A to B. They’re about tension, rhythm, and turning vertical movement into meaning.

Our latest video peeks (PEAKS?!) at where climbing games might go next.

Full video 👇

Full essay here: youtu.be/a6BzzvwUGZA

Games thrive on tension.

Usually that means combat. But lately, I’ve been obsessed with a different kind:

Climbing.
Quiet. Physical. Personal.

Our latest video explores why climbing mechanics might be one of the most powerful tools in modern design.

Link in the reply 👇

YouTube video by Human Computer Climbing Games Are Quietly Taking Over

Jusant, Peak, Cairn...climbing games are having a moment.

We took a peek (peak!?) into why climbing is suddenly everywhere, why it’s quietly so tense and beautiful, and what makes it work so well in design.

🧗‍♂️ Watch it here: youtu.be/a6BzzvwUGZA?...

What’s your favorite climbing mechanic?

I dug into my Steam library this summer and actually finished six short indie games. These are tight, weird, beautiful experiences you can knock out in a wee... 6 Strange Games I Finished This Summer (And You Should Too)

Full list: 6 short games I actually finished this summer 👉 youtu.be/ZOAyk_D_dvo

You’re not running from the monster…
You are the monster.

Carrion is 4 hours of reverse horror perfection.
Short, weird, gooey, totally worth it.

We're halfway through 2025 and the year has been PACKED with games. But not everyone has 100+ hours to sink into every new release. These 6 games prove that ... 6 Short Games that will CHANGE your 2025 (Under 5 Hours Each!)

Our top 6 short games of 2025 (so far): youtu.be/J8_-4fJyx1A?...

Promise Mascot Agency: starts as mascot management, becomes something I can't explain without spoilers 🤯

4 hours of complete narrative whiplash for $25 ✨

#gaming #indiegames

We're halfway through 2025 and the year has been PACKED with games. But not everyone has 100+ hours to sink into every new release. These 6 games prove that ... 6 Short Games that will CHANGE your 2025 (Under 5 Hours Each!)

Our top 6 short games of 2025 (so far): youtu.be/J8_-4fJyx1A?...

Duck Detective: Ghost of Glamping is 3 hours of a depressed duck solving mysteries while battling bread addiction 🦆

Had us quacking up the entire time. Pure cozy comedy ✨

$10 on Steam and consoles.

#cozygaming #indiegames

We're halfway through 2025 and the year has been PACKED with games. But not everyone has 100+ hours to sink into every new release. These 6 games prove that ... 6 Short Games that will CHANGE your 2025 (Under 5 Hours Each!)

Our top 6 short games of 2025 (so far): youtu.be/J8_-4fJyx1A?...

Just played a game where you arrest Satan with a shotgun 💀

Shotgun Cop Man is 90 minutes of pure chaos for $10 and it's absolutely bonkers.

The indie game scene continues to be unmatched 🔥

#gaming #indiegames

Most soccer games are about winning. Despelote is about losing your ball in a tree and getting yelled at by your mom for dirty clothes. It's 2 hours in the l... This 2 hour masterpiece plays like a memory feels

Full Short Games episode available here: youtu.be/-kcPaHrrWWQ

A small team made Despelote with incredible care.
They recorded real conversations. 3D scanned childhood parks. Cast their families as voices.
Not chasing trends - trusting their own voice. That clarity only happens when speaking from the heart.

Most soccer games are about winning. Despelote is about losing your ball in a tree and getting yelled at by your mom for dirty clothes. It's 2 hours in the l... This 2 hour masterpiece plays like a memory feels

Full episode here: youtu.be/-kcPaHrrWWQ

Despelote's art style is striking - real photos layered with cartoonish characters.
It looks like how memory feels. That perfect blend of what happened and how you remember it feeling.
Like a picture in your head from long ago.

Busy week

It’s madness that we don’t have a multiplayer Hitman game yet.

HOWDY GAMERS. We're an independent studio building a games and making content. We're just getting started so give us a follow. It's motivating.

The art in RockBeasts is making us feel all sorts of things www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL25...

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This can make a H-U-G-E difference for small studios. A great way to support small independent studios and should be standard on all platforms. I wonder how many studios would still be open if this was the standard everywhere.

store.epicgames.com/en-US/news/e...

After furiously refreshing browsers to order a Nintendo Switch 2 weeks ago, now waiting in line at a Target parking lot. Being a pro gamer is glamorous. #nintendoswitch2

It's a marvel. Congratulations.