Looking to kick back a little from your assignments? itch.io is a popular platform for game developers and artists to publish games, assets, music and comics. The best part is that it contains a huge library of completely free games that you can play in your browser right now!
Welcome to The Indie Itch, the biweekly column where I give readers my suggestions for free games on itch.io, ranging anywhere from cozy games to roguelikes, puzzles, RPGs and anything else you can think of. This week, I’ve chosen games that can help you relax from a stressful start to the semester, because it’s always good to take a break.
First up, we have “Prerolled” from Red Sauce Games and Christophe, a casual roguelite originally made for Shovel Jam 2025 where you sell boxes of dice to people. This game combines strategy with the luck of the dice roll. You choose from several upgrades, paths and stickers to make dice boxes to fulfill your customer’s stipulations and make as much money as possible. If you can’t pay rent at any point in the path, your run is over. The visuals of the game are easy to understand and very charming, which I enjoyed a lot. While I found this game to be a little confusing at first, it quickly becomes very fun to get into as you encounter more types of dice and weirder customers.
Next, there’s “Little Troubles in Spooky Town” by Kenney, which was submitted to Girly Game Jam #4 this past August. This puzzle exploration game is both extremely adorable and very clever in its design. You play as a little ghost that wanders around Spooky Town to speak to the other ghost inhabitants, who all seem to have problems for you to solve. Some problems require specific skills or traits that you can equip after completing prerequisite tasks. Other times, you have to combine multiple skills at once. I found exploring the free-roam map to be fun and didn’t find the puzzles to be too difficult, so definitely give this one a try if you want a whimsical and simple game to take your mind off assignments!
Then we’ve got “Where’s My Red Ball?” from STUDIO PEPPERMILL, a charming point-and-click puzzle game where you go through stages to help a sad little cat find his ball and remember his past. Released only about a month ago, this title really feels like the gourmet version of a classic flash game. Despite how high quality it looks and feels to play, “Where’s My Red Ball?” still maintains the heart of a point-and-click puzzle game. The art style is overwhelmingly cute, full of smooth animations and is made up of a simple color palette that really makes the visuals stand out. I felt joy learning more about the little cat and wanting to make him happy by finding his red ball in every stage. It may not be a super complicated game, but it is very much so a worthwhile playing experience.
Finally, there’s “Peggy’s Post” by digitarium, originally made for the Ludum Dare 53 game jam. This game is very easy to get completely engrossed in; it’s like “Papers, Please” but for a cozy post office in a lighthouse (and it’s much less stressful.) You work at a desk collecting people’s mail, sending it to the right location, managing your storage and trying to earn enough money to pay off the loan for your lighthouse. I found myself messing things up constantly on my first playthrough, but I felt compelled to get everything right and follow the rules the more I played. The art style of the game is gorgeous and creates a relaxing atmosphere, even if your package-managing skills are the opposite of relaxing. The game also includes an endless mode to help you achieve the perfectly organized and functional post-office of your dreams.
While it’s a good idea to step away for a bit when you’re overwhelmed with classes, try not to spend all your free time playing these games like I’ve been doing this week. If you want more games before the next edition of The Indie Itch, explore the many offerings of itch.io for yourself!