We return with the twenty-second and final edition in 2017 of our series designed to help RPGamer cater to the ever-increasing number of indie titles that our staff regrettably does not have the resources to provide full coverage to. The idea of this column is to quickly pass on the word about certain games to our readers that they might otherwise not be made aware of, and we hope both readers and developers find this useful.

This edition of our indie update column features the following titles: The Ballad Singer, My Time at Portia, Ash of Gods, and Towards the Pantheon. Due to various changes in motion for future RPGamer content (which we are hoping to announce soon) there will a bit of a hiatus before the column resumes, potentially in an altered form.

The Ballad Singer

The Ballad Singer is a title from Curtel Games that has finished a successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter and is continuing fundraising efforts through Indiegogo InDemand. The game is fantasy RPG/visual novel/game book hybrid that provides branching narratives based on the player's choices. Its story campaign features four different protagonists, with players controlling one character at a time, and can be played co-op with another player. The Ballad Singer is being developed for PC and mobile platforms and is planned for release in late 2018.

My Time at Portia

Team17 has revealed that Pathea Games' simulation RPG My Time at Portia will be available through Steam Early Access on January 23, 2018. The game underwent a crowdfunding campaign through Kickstarter earlier this year, and the developer hopes to have the game fully released by the end of 2018. My Time at Portia sees players taking over their father's workshop, where they are also able to run a farm, mingle with the neighbours, and venture into the many surrounding ruins.

Ash of Gods

Russian developer Aurum Dust has announced that turn-based strategy RPG Ash of Gods is set to be released for PC in March 2018. The game combines aspects of visual novel storytelling and promises that player choices will have significant impacts on the fantasy story, with characters able to die if certain choices are made. Ash of Gods' combat system utilises card-based mechanics and will feature both cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes.

Towards the Pantheon

Developer Connor O.R.T. Linning has released a new trailer for Towards the Pantheon, a pixel-graphic RPG. The video shows a short campfire event featuring the game's four main characters Freyja, Bam, Mishima, and Phenez. Towards the Pantheon is planned for release in 2018, but the developer has released a free prequel mystery minigame, which is is available through Steam, itch.io, and Game Jolt.

Please note that coverage is solely at staff discretion. Developers are asked to please not personally petition RPGamer staff via e-mail or social networking. Coverage is not guaranteed. If you are a developer looking for coverage please check our indie submission guide. Thank you!