Locally Made Games You NEED To Play @ PAX East
If the thought of a game you’re playing could have been made by your next door neighbor wouldn’t that make you so much more excited to try it out? Well that’s what this post is aimed to help you do. And if you’re a content creator who loves indies you also will have the chance to meet some of the Devs at PAX East this weekend (booth #s will be included)
I’m gonna kick it off with the two demos we are featuring for “basically made in my neighbors house”
Nocternum is a hellish top-down shooter about a young hero and their dog fighting to save a world overrun by demons, while building a cozy home base for their allies.
(the Devs might not have said this but i will..*ahem* GOTH BADDIE ALERT…that is all)
In an apocalyptic world overrun by demons, play as a young hero summoned by a mysterious ritual in a desperate attempt to restore balance. Battle terrifying creatures that lurk in the dark with the help of your canine companion. Build a home base in hell for some new and unusual friends you meet along the way. Grow your resistance, and take the fight to those who let the world fall to corruption.
Platforms: Steam (PC, Mac, Steam Deck)
Release Date: TBA
Normal Horse is a small indie game studio based in Central Massachusetts. The studio was co-founded by two friends and former coworkers in 2025, after they were both laid off from their jobs creating educational games for kids. They seized the opportunity to continue working on games together, making the best of their circumstances! They are currently developing their first game, Nocternum.
Find them at the Boston Indies booth 13085
About the studio:
(again chiming in here….CUTE ANIME GIRLS?? Gal Gun anyone??)
I'm a solodev based in MA working with the help of freelancers for custom assets. Things like the custom character sprites, cover art, and music tracks are handled by freelancers, and I handle the programming, game design, writing, etc.
HeartLinks is my first game project, and so I'm always happy to get thoughts and feedback! I started work on it back in 2021, but since it's my first project, a bulk of that time was spent just watching tutorials and learning how to do things. The project truly moved from the "pre-production" & learning stage to actual production in 2025.
About the game:
HeartLinks is a physics-based puzzle game about solving puzzles with the power of friendship. The game takes place in a school where each students' thoughts and feelings bend the world around them in unique ways.
When you become friends with other students, by helping solve their problems, or just hanging out, you can use their abilities to solve new puzzles and explore more of school.
I'll be showcasing the game at the PAX Rising booth (13097) Thursday to Sunday!
