Great games that I’ve tried and that you should too.
I've got a great video up for Bum Ballon on my YouTube channel because I found this game on a Steam sale for 89 cents! With some investigation, I narrowed down some impulse options for pixel art platformers in the likes of some recent faves like Grapple Dog (which hopefully I'll get to) and PomPom. It's a game with unique characters and a traditional SNES-type side scroller plot--a game that personally puts me into an optimized chill mode. Basically, hop in a cannon, and, after blast-off, interact as you're taken for a ride through a colorful world with unique obstacles and moderate challenges.
Plot your way as a tadpole through a polluted river. When you heal corrupted wildlife with a splash of water, they move back underwater so you can navigate your way through. Some creatures are bigger than others and more challenging. Tadpole Tales is quite challenging in general though. These are occasionally known as shmup games. The developers, who are a small team under the Pinnacle Games brand publishing, have dubbed the game a "Clean-em Up." Don't you love that?
Hivemind 2: Stargrove Scramble is a 2D pixel art platformer part of a 2021 Newgrounds dev jam with an “egg” theme by the dev group Team Bugulon. You play a little cloaked lizard, progressing through various spring-sunset-toned environments, collecting candies that in turn give you eggs that you can use to hurl at enemies and unblock paths. The music is a touch above fun, along with the sound effects, making the game have a polished SNES quality that is so adored in these kind of games. Stargrove Scramble is a generous product as far as free games on ItchIO go in my opinion. It holds a really nice balance of ease to play with rewarding character abilities. I also couldn’t help but notice the subtle hark back to Mario 2’s “Birdo” egg sound effects, which is a nostalgic touch. The controller support is a nice plus that I always look for too. I recommend checking it out if you play ItchIO games and want a pleasant free one that seems to be a cohesive one. You can also play Stargrove Scramble in your browser if you like!
This is one of the games that I hesitated to add because I am not any good at playing it yet. Then again, that is basically the reason I decided to create this side blog because I can share the actual game info quicker than I pick up the learning curve. Anyway, Moonstuck is a 2D platformer from CozyGames and Black County Games available on Steam just released today. It utilizes a very difficult mechanic involving rocket propulsion and a scenario where touching the majority portions of the platform can result in being kicked back to the start, or checkpoint if you proceed far enough. The aesthetics of the game, especially the environment, music, and character are really pleasant. It offers a cozy place to zone out and cuts no corners in creativity. Some comments on Steam described it as a “calm rage game,” which I think is a perfect description. As usual, the game is totally free and even offers controller support, so it is worth checking out!
e of the octopus!) Using your squiggly limbs and momentum, propel yourself around the interior of the factory with the intention of escaping. You can use suction cups to climb structures and hurl objects at switches to reverse conveyor belts and such. There are three modes: speed mode, story mode, and “the floor is lava.” Despite the dire situation, the game is pretty pleasant and amusing. The graphics and art style are spot on, making use of mid-range graphics cards, which I confirmed on my desktop build. It’s best played with a controller in my opinion. The story is short and sweet, but this is a free game that rewards you for wanting straight-to-the-point gameplay to appreciate its concept. The game is from an academic dev at FH Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, which has some other projects out too.
With You is from Carol Mertz and Insatiable Cycle, the same publisher of “We should talk.” It’s a simple co-op puzzle platformer that can be played with a keyboard. It can also be played as one player using the respective sides of their keyboard to control the two main characters. Solve puzzles by figuring out geometric obstacles, flipping around your square and half circle buddies so that they can fit into the floating sections on the two-dimensional plane behind them, unlocking the next levels. The game features a cute style, with a pleasant soundtrack, and is described on the Steam page as a game “that hopes to inspire couples to connect, communicate, and collaborate.” I think it succeeds, and that’s why it is my free game this today, which has also got me back on the hunt for more free Steam games!
This is a 2D pixel-art platformer about a little alien named “bobe” who needs to clean dust-bunnies around a space station using a vacuum called a clean0tron. Solve path puzzles to navigate your way through the cozy mechanical environment and progress through the game. The vacuum has space for one item at a time, so you’ll have to figure out what order to vacuum and relocate blocks so that you can complete each level. The puzzles are challenging enough to keep things interesting, but you’ll most likely find the gameplay light and pleasant.
There’s a really neat ItchIO developer called “eggnog.” They’re publishing all sorts of harmless, fun games apparently. In Super Star Duck: Escape From Nefarious Castle, you’ve got the option to play as Esdee, Flan, or Bean, a duck, hippo, and dog (respectively.) It works best with keyboard input in my experience, but a mapped controller would work too (technically the game supports controllers too so you can try it but that’s just my opinion.) You’ll notice on the ItchIO page by eggnog that there is a whole backstory to Super Star Duck, and the gameplay, although a platformer, has a casual storyline as well. Also, just look at these pastels here on the cusp of spring. I think it looks amazing!
Mostly created for its novelty probably, Gummy Shooter is an amusing side-scrolling thumb blaster. To be honest, I’ve never tried anything like it before, but I was moved to try the Android category of ItchIO as I was out and it was really quite easy. Everything here is a purple orange anime’ish pixel sci-fi. There’s really not much to it. The controls are a little confusing but just keep experimenting and you will get it. Want to check it out? It is, as everything here, free.
Here’s an amusing little platformer over on ItchIO called Eats Shoots and Leaves. The name is a parody of the famous writing device expressing the difference punctuation and grammar makes in the comparison of the words “Eats Chutes and Leaves” and “Eats, Shoots, and Leaves.” The game is about a panda, so this is most certainly true. In the game, you play a mama panda who needs to rescue her cubs from bad guy poachers wandering around the jungle. Collect leaves, climb vines, open cages. You can also, appropriately, shoot little missiles at enemy poachers. This game is simple but really well made and I really loved playing it. It also offers full controller support.
