Three independent games have been performing very well despite all the bad news coming out of the triple A sector, the layoffs, studio closures, and derivative crap the industry has been delivering. Naturally, each in their own manner. Their individual accomplishments serve as a ray of hope in a field that seems to be heading for yet another bubble bust that may even surpass the 1983 disaster. It only goes to show that there will always be enthusiastic individuals willing to design and publish excellent games, regardless of what happens to what is seen as the top echelon.

Hades 2, Animal Well, and Little Kitty, Big City's Indie Darlings, are crushing it.

In only its first 24 hours, Hades 2 has amassed over 100,000 concurrent players, completely surpassing the player base of the first game. It is now the fourth most popular title on Steam, behind only Counter-Strike 2, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, and the Steam Deck. After only a week, Animal Well is ranked sixteenth, which is really remarkable for Bigmode's first significant Steam release. More significantly, however, it demonstrates how effective Dunkey's publication strategy and developer-first mentality are. After only five days, Little Kitty, Big City has sold 100,000 books. Once again, a remarkable achievement for the studio's first release.

The fact that this trio has been doing so well makes me very happy. And if you haven't already, I implore you to support all three. Hades 2 is an amazing follow-up that makes just enough adjustments to maintain the familiar while yet feeling new. This is much better than the original, which surprised me. Animal Well is a game I haven't played much yet, but it's been a while since I was so engrossed in a spooky atmosphere in a game. Little Kitty, Big City is also simply an enjoyable adventure. Perhaps more significant, however, is that you should play these games to support the independent scene during these very precarious times.