Great indie game reviews.
Genesis Noir is an experimental detective story that takes place in a cosmogonic setting in different parts of the universe. If that already sounds mind-blowing, it's artistically extravagant in the creative gears that turn its two-dimensional, or even 5-dimensional, gameplay mechanics--metaphorically at least. The game starts wandering the streets of some strange alternative 1950's cityscape and blows open a new case to investigate with a bang, a big bang. Yes, that one. In this review, I'll talk about the game--and also talk to you about a new project I'm working on involving space exploration in games.
Nyaa-Kuza is an illustrated half-action interactive fiction title from the self-dubbed Catzooka Studios out of the University of Utah's EAE program. Play as Mochi, an ex Nyaa-Kuza brawler cat, whose cat wife, Hime, has been "catnapped" by the syndicate. You'll traverse the outskirts of a Japanese city interacting with leads and allies in a conventional visual novel style to find Hime. At other times, the game is highly interactive with button-mashing fight scenes with cat gangsters. The game is free on Steam, and I sincerely suspect you've never seen a game like this.
Til Nord is a free open world snowmobile game released by students at Breda University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. The gameplay is straightforward with its mobile open-world gameplay and pulls off a finished level of design from the beginning. Drive your snowmobile around the Loften Islands of Norway, day and night bright snowy roads and northern lights skies at night, solving delivery missions for enterprises around the village like lumber mills and fisheries. Or test your skill at time-lapse contests with your learned speeding abilities.
RailRoute is a railroad dispatch strategy game for PC. Trains that travel between stations, railyards, and tracks do so at the discretion of railroad dispatchers that use special display maps to direct traffic. This game takes most of the nuances of this real technology and has created a simulation that uses simple mechanics to build a railroad empire. With many options, an informative tutorial, and room to expand, you'll be keeping an eye on your fleet timetables for engaging gameplay.
Lab Rags is an upcoming title from the student project studio Salt Mine Studios. It is an art-deco era puzzle level game that shares mechanics with games like Portal and its descendants. Get started right away as a mechanical android with a neat gun similar to the classic gravity gun. You can advance within the game by respawning and then grabbing your previous housing to fling at door-opening buttons, traverse over spike pits, and even build structures like stairs out of crushed cubes made from your metal leftovers. The environments and music are very charming, and it is an appropriate level of challenge and enjoyment.
Vecter is a free racing game available on Steam from Taranasus. The game is a procedurally generated vector based graphic racer/flyer with a catchy background. It has thousands of overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam. It has recently come to a conclusion and left a legacy of the power of free game and participants from an adoring community. Up until April 3rd, 2021 the game was served with constant improvement and imaginative gameplay. It is still available for free on Steam. It has also left a legacy of inspired indie developers who have created their own games based on it, which is expected to continue moving forward.
BattleCakes is a game in development by Volcano Bean, an indie studio. Play as a customizable cupcake person and explore the town you live in. Talk to other cake-like characters around town and even solve some mysteries. You can solve the problems around town when you head out the gates and take on the gumdroplins, some goblin gum drops, in the park. You can battle, you do indeed have a sword, but you can also defeat the enemies by befriending them.
Escaping Winter is a strategy game about a forest colony that has to survive the winter every few turns. It's safe to say that this is more of a JAM than anything, solely representing some conceptual ideas. Indeed, civ strategy games are not my forte, but I think this idea is unique enough. If unprepared a winter might be the downfall of a society if it lasts long enough. Luckily it just makes the fire put-put a couple of times. This is a small solo project, nothing to overanalyze. I liked the title screen though and this demo has what it needs.
