Google Stadia was one of the most innovative gaming platforms in memory. Buying a game on its storefront gave you access the newest triple-A games through a desktop web browser without the need to shell out hundreds of dollars for an Xbox or PlayStation — or thousands on a gaming PC. Other cloud gaming platforms still exist, including GeForce Now, Amazon Luna, and Xbox Game Pass, but Stadia’s demise takes with it gamer libraries featuring dozens of premium games.
Stadia Pro subscribers received new titles in their library every month to enjoy while they were active subscribers — similar to the PlayStation Plus service. I signed up to Stadia within the first month, and over its life, I received more than 80 games including Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order, Control, Saints Row IV, and a few Tomb Raiders. However, Stadia’s informal pick-up-and-play experience on whatever device I have handy frequently directed me towards independently produced, casual games.
The end of Stadia propelled me to find where else I can play these little-known games and support the indie developers who made them.
AVICII Invector
Titled after the artist who created the powerful electronic soundtrack, AVICII Invector is a rhythm game with elements of futuristic racers like WipeOut. As you pilot a spaceship along a railed path, joypad buttons (or keystrokes if you’re on the keyboard) appear in time with the thumping music.
The high-energy tunes keep you focused on the game while futuristic visuals occupy you during low-intensity moments. The early levels are easy to master, but varying game elements, demanding levels, and three dozen music tracks provide lengthy replay value.
Unfortunately, AVICII passed away in 2018 shortly after the original release of Invector on PlayStation 4. Developer Hello There Games re-released the game as AVICII Invector, and publisher Wired Productions pushed it out to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam for PC. Today, it’s also found on Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Since its appearance as a Stadia Pro game in 2021, AVICII Invector also jumped into the third dimension with a Meta Quest 2 edition.
Ary and the Secret of the Seasons
Take control of the seasons to solve puzzles and rescue the four lands from evil forces in Ary and the Secret of the Seasons. The fantasy world and 3D action make it more of a kid-friendly version of popular fantasy adventure games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Throw in the ability to temporarily change seasons to freeze over and cross a lake makes it more of a puzzle platformer with occasional hack-and-slash battles.
The art style and simple game mechanics make it an ideal choice for older kids, but some puzzles require a bit of work. There are side missions, but they require a lot of running around and (in my case) getting lost. There is some challenge here for older players, but the fun is aimed at kids. Using seasons to solve puzzles is a game mechanic I’ve seen in indie games before, but not so polished and large as the world of Ary and the Secret of Seasons. It’s very unique and was well suited for Stadia as a good pick-up-and-play game.
The game was developed by Exiin in Belgium and is available on Switch, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One and Series X|S, and Steam for PC.
City Legends – The Curse of the Crimson Shadow CE
Hidden object point-and-click games have experienced a resurgence in the last few years, perhaps as a result of touchscreen gaming on smartphones and tablets. In City Legends: The Curse of the Crimson Shadow, you play an author seeking her next novel in a supernatural mystery.
Unfortunately, the game features a thin plot, very simple animation, repetitive gameplay, and simple minigames. Even so, I enjoyed it and played all the way through. There’s something about the pacing and progression that kept me engaged. Even though I was stumped a few times, I completed the game in a few sittings. There’s little replay value, but the developer cranks out new games at an impressive pace.
Domini Games produces 1-2 new point-and-click adventures every month and has maintained that pace since early 2021. There’s no shortage of new adventures to play after completing your first. Games are available on PC through Steam or the Windows store. You can also find mobile versions on Apple’s App Store, Google Play, and the Amazon app store. Mobile versions offer a free download with in-app purchases to unlock the full game.
Epistory
The real value in Epistory—and its follow-up, Nanotale—is attacking your foes with your quick typing skills. You ride a fox through an RPG world that unfolds in front of you like pages of a book. Every creature attacking you has a word above it. Type it correctly and stop your enemy in its tracks. Fail, and it one-shot kills you. There are puzzles and challenges to complete, varying the gameplay just enough so as not to become too repetitive. While the story itself is limited, the world and narration it creates are immersive and filled with optimism. Unlike many other typing games, there’s no training program; Epistory is better suited to gamers who can already touch-type.
Epistory was my favorite game on Stadia and the inspiration for this article. Minutes after reading that Google planned to shut down Stadia, I went online and bought a PC copy to keep forever. While I was unsuccessful in bringing over my game progression from Stadia, the support team sent me a save-game file that put me in about the same place. As a writer, I spend a lot of time in front of a keyboard. The thrill of leveling up my typing speed and accuracy kept me in front of my computer after work hours
and well into the night.
You can get the game on Steam or a DRM-free download directly from the publisher, Fishing Cactus. A version is also available on Nintendo Switch that swaps out words with controller key combos. I recommend sticking with the keyboard option of Epistory. Just tell yourself you’re not gaming, you’re working on your typing skills.
Floor Kids
Featuring hand-drawn graphics by JonJon and a thumping soundtrack from Kid Koala, Floor Kids features unique gameplay that goes beyond rhythm-based button mashing and uses combos and attacks more like Street Fighter than Guitar Hero.
There is no character customization, but the moves are wild and varied. It’s easy to play casually, making it a great game for killing time. Push yourself and get higher combos to unlock more tricks and tunes. My first experience playing Floor Kids was years ago at a Nintendo Switch demo booth. I immediately loved the graphics, tunes, and gentle learning curve.
Floor Kids is available on just about every platform, including Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Steam for PC. I recommend picking it up on sale to always have something fun to play when you just need a good distraction.
The Gardens Between
Two friends share a lifetime of memories growing up next door to one another and revisit them in this 4-dimensional puzzler. It’s an emotional story cut into game levels as chapters. You must guide Arina and Frendt forward and backwards in time along a predetermined path where timing and perspective play a role in reaching the end.
I first played this game for the puzzle element but was quickly absorbed by the story. It’s not deep, but it is moving. While you guide the two characters through puzzles, they must come to terms with an inevitable future where they must part ways. The unique gameplay puts you in command of time rather than space. It is simple enough to pick up that I could play it using a keyboard, joypad, and even the touchscreen controls on the mobile version of Stadia. Like any good puzzler, there were a few places
where I got stuck and it interfered with the storytelling.
Developed and published by The Voxel Agents, the game is available on a wide range of platforms including PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and on PC through the Steam, Windows, and Mac stores. The Gardens Between is also available on mobile through the Apple App Store and Google Play. This portable version opts for a vertical view rather than widescreen, cutting out a lot of the beautiful landscape but better suiting the casual nature of gameplay. If I play it through again, I’ll probably pick up the mobile version.
Lake
Pick up the mail, drive it to its destination in your truck, then return home at the end of the day. Engage with the people who live in this sleepy community where you grew up, help them out, or choose keeping to yourself. Like its protagonist taking a break from her high-pressure, big-city job to deliver letters and packages, you may enjoy the opportunity to slow down and just do a good job while taking in the sights.
The world in Lake is quite serene and beautiful, and the gameplay is straightforward. There is a story to follow as you meet up with old friends, connect with new residents, and choose between three different endings. There are times when the delivery mechanic gets repetitive, but there aren’t many consequences to driving poorly (aside from one offhanded remark near the end of the game), so play as you like.
I recommend Lake for those nights when you want to chill out with a game and don’t want a high-pressure shoot-em-up. You can pick it up for PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and on PC through Steam and Epic.
Submerged: Hidden Depths
A brother and sister struggle to survive in a post-apocalyptic world reclaimed by nature. The second game in the series, many of the same mechanics remain like driving a boat through a waterlogged world and climbing ruined buildings to find essentials and hidden treasures. In Submerged: Hidden Depths, the siblings take turns accomplishing missions as a mysterious sickness plagues the plant life. You start off in a lonely world but slowly uncover the engaging legend that created it.
The game begins with despair as you acclimatize to this lonely world. You travel in your boat to islands formed by crumbling buildings in a flooded world. Each island is a maze of climbing, dropping, and interacting with the environment. Bringing an island back to life, the world—and your experience—becomes more hopeful. Finding the right path to scale the buildings can get frustrating, but each new piece of architecture brings unique challenges.
Submerged: Hidden Depths is available on a wide range of platforms, including PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and on PC through Steam and Epic. If you want to try it out on mobile, check out the first Submerged game available on iOS.
The Turing Test
Only recently have Portal fans been blessed with new content (thank you, Portal with RTX), but even then, it’s the original game with updated graphics. After more than a decade since the release of Portal 2, it’s still hard to find a satisfying FPS (first-person shooter) puzzle game. The Turing Test is the closest experience I’ve had to that experience so many years ago.
The goals are similar as you navigate from one room to the next. However, the game mechanics are quite different as you move power orbs from door to door and even jump out of your own body to solve puzzles. Until we get a Portal 3, this feels like the closest experience we’re going to get.
Although developed by Bulkhead Interactive, the game is widely distributed by Square Enix Collective. You can play it on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and Steam for PC.
Five Indie Stadia Games I Wish I Played More:
Adam Wolfe
After playing City Legends, I wanted another hidden object game. I began playing Adam Wolfe, but the mobile app interface covered the game’s onscreen text making it impossible to play. I reached out to Stadia’s support team for a solution, yet never heard back. It was one of the last hints that Google intended to abandon the platform.
I might give it another shot someday as it’s available on PC through Steam, the Microsoft Store, and the Apple Mac store. Interested gamers can also pick it up on Apple’s App Store or through Google Play to get a proper mobile interface in which to play it.
Gylt
Stadia’s very first exclusive looked to be its biggest loss, but this stealth horror game will find new life in 2023. Developer Tequila Works announced that fans will be able to continue playing it on other platforms, but there are no more details than that. Keep an eye on Gylt’s official Twitter feed for details as they become available.
Hundred Days
Even though I don’t typically play farming management sims, I gave Hundred Days a shot for two reasons: First, I could play it using Stadia’s new direct touch controls for smartphones making it more like a mobile game, and second, because I like wine. In addition to managing your crops, players design wine bottles and market product to distributors and restaurants. It’s a fun addition to the genre and is available for PC on Steam, GOG, Epic, and itch.io. However, the casual gameplay lends itself better to a mobile experience, so I recommend picking it up for iOS devices (not currently available on Android).
Life is Strange Remastered
The popular episodic Life is Strange and its prequel, Life is Strange: Before the Storm, received a graphical overhaul in 2022 and released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and of course, Google Stadia. I’ve played through the original releases of both games, and the graphical upgrades weren’t quite good enough to warrant paying full price for the games again. Even so, I enjoyed revisiting this world and recommend playing them if you haven’t before.
Nanotale
As the second game in the Typing Chronicles series, I hoped to complete Epistory (reviewed above) before delving into Nanotale. Alas, Google Stadia’s shutdown hampered that hope forcing me to pick it up on another platform. At present, you can buy it on Steam or GOG.
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