Double Fine has opened a new chapter with a game that turns public transport into pure chaos. Thank You Bus Driver, the studio’s first post-Xbox title, arrives at a $5 price while Valor Mortis brings first-person Soulslike combat, corrupted soldiers, plague monsters, firearms, and supernatural powers to a much larger adventure.
These games stand out from a wave of indie releases and announcements arriving around recent showcase events. More than 50 games appeared in the Cozy After Dark Showcase, more than 50 featured in the Galaxies showcase, and over 50 joined The Mix Fall Showcase, giving players a packed field of unusual projects to explore.
Double Fine Turns the Bus Route Into Mayhem
Thank You Bus Driver comes from Double Fine Productions, with publishing handled by Double Fine Action Labs. The game takes a chaotic riff on Crazy Taxi and puts players behind the wheel of a bus, where the goal is not simply reaching the destination but winning gratitude from unruly passengers.
That setup gives the game an immediate hook. A bus driver faces a crowd that does not make the job easy, and every ride becomes a scramble for control, patience, and appreciation. The premise transforms an everyday route into a comedy-fueled challenge built around passenger chaos.
At $5, the game offers a low-cost way to jump into Double Fine’s first release after Xbox. Players can find it on Steam, Epic Games Store, Itch.io, GOG, Humble Store, and Game Jolt, giving the project a broad presence across PC storefronts.
The storefront range matters because the game reaches players through both major platforms and independent game shops. A five-dollar price also makes it an easy pick for anyone scanning through the latest indie releases and looking for something with a strong personality rather than a giant time commitment.
Valor Mortis Pushes Soulslike Combat Into First Person
Valor Mortis takes a very different path. Developed by One More Level and published by Lyrical Games and One More Level, it is a first-person Soulslike game about William, a British soldier fighting for Napoleon.
William was believed to be dead after a battle, but a corrupted Napoleon rouses him. From there, the game throws him into a world filled with grotesque enemies transformed by a plague, creating a grim conflict where survival depends on more than ordinary military skill.
The combat mixes supernatural powers with firearms and melee weapons, giving players several ways to face the game’s corrupted enemies. That combination creates a striking contrast: William can fight with familiar weapons, but he also has access to powers that match the game’s supernatural setting.
Players collect catalysts from enemies and spend them on upgrades at checkpoints. This system ties exploration and combat together, since defeated enemies provide the resources needed to strengthen William for the battles ahead.
The developers also took inspiration from Metroidvania games, adding another layer to the structure. The result connects first-person combat, checkpoint upgrades, supernatural abilities, and a world shaped by plague and corruption.
Two Very Different Indie Bets
Valor Mortis is available on Steam, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5, with a $40 price. It is also available through Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, giving subscribers a direct way to enter its first-person battlefield.
A deluxe edition costs $60 and includes an expansion arriving next year. That option gives players a larger package to consider, while the standard edition keeps the main entry point at $40.
The contrast between these games makes the current indie lineup especially appealing. Thank You Bus Driver uses a $5 price and a chaotic bus-driving premise to deliver a compact burst of character, while Valor Mortis builds a broader combat adventure around a soldier, a corrupted Napoleon, plague-transformed enemies, and upgrade-driven progression.
Both games also show how much variety can fit inside the indie space. One asks players to win over unruly passengers from behind a bus wheel; the other sends them into a supernatural war with melee weapons, firearms, and powers.
With more than 50 games appearing in each of several recent showcases, these releases arrive in a crowded but exciting moment for independent games. Double Fine’s first post-Xbox title gives players a strange new ride, while Valor Mortis points toward a darker first-person adventure with room to grow through its planned expansion.
