5 surreal indie games to try out this Christmas holiday

Christmas is upon us and naturally we’re all quite excited about spending time relaxing with friends and family, but also pursuing some of our hobbies. With a few days available to enjoy as we please, gamers will probably be looking for the best titles to play this holiday.

But with so many games being available for Android, you might be faced with too many options. Well if you’re a fan of indie, surreal titles, below you’ll find some interesting titles we believe are worthy of your attention this Christmas:

Samorost 3

Created by Amanita Design –  maker of titles such as Machinarium and Botanicula, Samorost 3 is a wonderfully-designed point-and-click puzzle adventure game available for Android.

We can’t really describe the magic of the universe created by Amanita here, you’ll just have to try the game out yourself. Samorost 3 features a curious space gnome who uses his magic flute to explore the universe in search of its mysterious universe.

Being a point-and-click type of game, Samorost 3 might prove a bit frustrating to play on Android, not to mention you won’t be able to enjoy the full level of detail that went into creating these curious alien worlds. Fortunately, Amanita Design offers a PC version, as well.

But if you prefer to be lazy on the couch, then you should know Samorost 3 is available on Android for free as a demo. Unlocking the full game will cost you $4.99.

Sometimes You Die

While Samorost 3 taps into our fascination for the mythical and magical, Sometimes You Die has a more sinister story attached to it.

At first glance, the game seems to be a very standard platformer that requires gamers to get a cube through a series of hard-hitting arenas. But there’s a dark twist here: every time you die, you create another cube where the last one fell and this turns out to be the golden key to solving a lot of puzzles and situations throughout the game. Additionally, gameplay becomes even more haunting if you stop and ready the bits of cryptic / helping dialogue behind you.

Download Sometimes You Die for $1.79.

The Rivers of Alice

The Rivers of Alice is an intriguing indie game that features gorgeous graphics and a gripping soundtrack. Like Samorost 3, it immerses the player into a unique and surreal dream world which you must navigate in order to help Alice face her fears with the occasional help of a creature called Sloth. It’s a puzzle game, so you will be required to solve various puzzles and riddles to advance.

The Rivers of Alice is available for download from the Play Store for $1.99.

Fran Bow (Chapter 1-5)

Fran Bow is a creepy physiological horror adventure game which tells the story of a little girl named Fran who suffers from mental issues after witnessing the gruesome and mysterious loss of her parents she found dead at her home.

What’s more, Fran seems to possess paranormal capabilities, as she is able to see things hidden from the view of regular folk.

So if you like puzzles and peculiar hand-drawn 2D Art Style illustrations, this game is certainly for you.

A Fran Bow episode is available for download for $1.96.

Noir

If you’re not in the mood for anything too dark, you could try out Noir instead (ironic, isn’t it?). This is a platformer game based on a pretty simple idea: slide, stick and jump to escape the world! Sounds a bit existential? Maybe it does. Especially given the hazy graphics.

Enjoy the colorful universe with an uncanny twist, as you navigate over 90 levels. Oh, and unlike the other games in this list, Noir is free to download and play. Enjoy!