Please note a few of the games I recommend here are best suited for an adult audience.
Genres: Tower defense, action
This is a Bloons TD game that is set in the land of Ooo from Adventure Time. Pairing the locations and characters of the show with an appropriately wacky theme (stopping an invasion of balloons) has kept me entertained for a long while.
Heads up, the Cartoon Network logo in the opening has flashing lights.
On Itch?: No
Paid DLC?: No
Microtransactions/in-game purchases?: Yes
Genres: Role-playing game, action, turn-based, adventure
A girl fights to save her brother in an afterlife where she has become a reaper of souls. It balances some cute, spoopy reapers with a more serious and emotional story.
On Itch?: Yes, where it's pay-what-you-want
Paid DLC?: An artbook with behind-the-scenes stuff and bonus wallpapers.
Microtransactions/in-game purchases?: No
Genres: Strategy, puzzle
Do you like sexy demon women in business suits that can and will destroy you? Then give this game a look. There are turn-based puzzles, but they aren't really the biggest focus and you can skip every one.
On Itch?: Yes, and it's still free there.
Paid DLC?: Technically yes. You can buy the artbook, but you can also unlock it by getting a particular ending.
Microtransactions/in-game purchases?: No
Genres: Kinetic visual novel
This is a prequel to The Case Of The Serialized Killer (which is also free on Steam). It shows how the characters Hawley Faraday and Harold Ludicael bonded: They wrote each other letters about academia, life at sea, and demons. It's sweet and made me appreciate the other game more that I did originally.
On Itch?: Yes, where it's pay-what-you-want
Paid DLC?: No
Microtransactions/in-game purchases?: No
LATEX, LEATHER, LIPSTICK, LOVE, LUST
Genres: Interactive fiction
This is a drama set in 2020's Britain. Here, a trans man navigates his sexuality, self-loathing, friendships with people who aren't good friends, and bad online discourse about LGBT+ topics. Before you go in, be aware there are slurs used on the main menu before you get to the other content warnings (“f*ggot” and “tr*nny”).
On Itch?: Yes, where it's still free.
Paid DLC?: A wallpaper pack.
Microtransactions/in-game purchases?: No
Genres: Visual novel, kinetic novel
A fat 18-year-old learns to love her body. The story acknowledges that self-love isn't always easy, especially when people around you are unkind. Heads up for some weight-shaming from a family member justified as concern.
On Itch?: Yes, where it's still free.
Paid DLC?: No.
Microtransactions/in-game purchases?: No
Genres: Action, horror
A short, gruesome game about finding fleshy anomalies in an otherwise ordinary office. Heads up for themes related to mortality and terminal illness.
On Itch?: Yes, where it's pay-what-you-want
Paid DLC?: The soundtrack.
Microtransactions/in-game purchases?: No
Genres: Puzzle, horror
A short puzzle game with a horror plot. Kudos for making the monster scary even after seeing its gaze multiple times.
On Itch?: No
Paid DLC?: No
Microtransactions/in-game purchases?: No
Road Trip to the End of the World
Genres: Visual novel
A 23-year-old med school drop-out takes a road-trip to crash her ex-friend's wedding, with an imaginary friend as company. Along the way, she grapples with the pain of wishing things could be the same as they used to be.
On Itch?: Yes, where it's still free.
Paid DLC?: No
Microtransactions/in-game purchases?: No
Genres: Idle game, clicker
A clicker/idle game where you build a haunted house and collect screams. At least on the outer part of the house, you get plenty of things to click on.
Be aware it includes some flashing lights, flavor text presenting voodoo as part of its spookiness, and a doomsday-prep shelter with COVID-19 references, in case you don't want to deal with that.
On Itch?: No
Paid DLC?: No
Microtransactions/in-game purchases?: Yes
Genres: Visual novel, dating sim
You play a temptress learning the sins of angels who have been banished to a slum before they fall for good.
It contains glitch effects and flashing lights.
On Itch?: Yes, where it's pay-what-you-want.
Paid DLC?: A guide
Microtransactions/in-game purchases?: No
Genres: Puzzle, adventure
A puzzle game that manages to be both goofy and dark.
On Itch?: Yes, where it's also free.
Paid DLC?: No
Microtransactions/in-game purchases?: No
Genres: Idle, clicker, role-playing game
An idle/clicker game set in outer space where you make contact with someone unexpected and make a new friend.
On Itch?: Yes. There are two versions; one is pay-what-you-want, while the other is $10 and includes bonus material like the soundtrack, artwork, and some behind-the scenes stuff.
Paid DLC?: The artbook and the soundtrack.
Microtransactions/in-game purchases?: No
Genres: Action, horror comedy
A mansion full of both delibrately silly crap and terrifying monsters.
On Itch?: No
Paid DLC?: Yes, though it's technically a different game. There's also the soundtrack.
Microtransactions/in-game purchases?: No
Genres: Visual novel, horror, fantasy
A short story about a detective helping a family that may be cursed. I don't want to say too much so I don't spoil it, but if supernatural horror involving private investigators and gay couples sounds like fun, give this a look.
On Itch?: Yes, where it's pay-what-you want.
Paid DLC?: No.
Microtransactions/in-game purchases?: No
(val)iant: or, val's guide to having a broken vag
Genres: Point and click
A story about the screwed up messages we get regarding sex and how it can make living with vaginismus more difficult that it needs to be. You follow the life of a young nonbinary person named Val and see how their relationship with sex evolves from their teen years to their twenties, and the uncomfortable moments that affected that.
On Itch?: Yes, where it's still free.
Paid DLC?: No
Microtransactions/in-game purchases?: No