itch io - Mr. Dave Pizza

Recommendation: Ducksoup Dungeon

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:April 27, 2022
Post category:FREE GAME REVIEWS

Let's jump right into Ducksoup Dungeon. It's a free web browser playable rogue-lite on Itch.io by developer Richard Lems, also known as Blastmode Games. You might have heard of Lems' work on the game Mighty Goose. In the game I'm discussing here, Ducksoup Dungeon, you choose one of four heroes. It is playable in a web browser or can be downloaded. Starting with "Slashchicken," the first hero is a chicken. With amazing firepower at your side, you'll blast your way through and collect coins. Each play's collection can be used to unlock the other three heroes. Every level features hidden procedurally generated areas, meaning it can be a different layout every time you play. The levels, of which there seems to be an infinite number, are filled with containers destructible for coins, reached by eliminating various mobs.

Dogurai – Heck Yeah, a Doggo Samurai!

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:April 25, 2022
Post category:GAME REVIEWS

Dogurai by HungryBear is a Game Boy-style indie Metroidvania. I know about it through, a couple of co-creators from Indie Game Collective. Thank you, Jaunty Adventures and Pursuing Pixels. Their taste is superb, as this turned out to be an exciting game. I've covered very few Game Boy titles here, aside from Lasagna Boy and... actually, that might be it. It's a great genre if you want to get into indies. In summary, the designs are aligned with the palette and rendering of old-school Game Boy games. This one in particular is a nice platformer/Metroidvania that takes you through some moderately challenging levels. There are ruffian henchmen, shielded hulks, and old-school SMB 3-style bosses. In my video, I had to jump around like more of a ninja to obliterate the first boss.

Hivemind 2: Stargrove Scramble is a Stylish & Satisfying New Indie

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:April 20, 2022
Post category:FREE GAME REVIEWS

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!

Octarina, A Game About an Octopus Trapped in a Sushi Factory

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:April 20, 2022
Post category:FREE GAME REVIEWS GAME REVIEWS

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.

Bunny Bye-Bye is a Cute, Simple Indie Game

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:April 20, 2022
Post category:FREE GAME REVIEWS

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.

Easter Pick: Super Star Duck

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:April 20, 2022
Post category:FREE GAME REVIEWS

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!

Gummy Shooter is a colorful pixel graphic blaster game

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:April 20, 2022
Post category:FREE GAME REVIEWS

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.

ItchIO Spotlight: Eats Shoots and Leaves

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:April 20, 2022
Post category:FREE GAME REVIEWS

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.

More ItchIO Binging: Space Adventure by e9k9

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:April 20, 2022
Post category:FREE GAME REVIEWS

Just a fun little platformer today. Found this on ItchIO. You play as a small alien crashlanded somewhere, a moon perhaps, wandering around collecting green dots. Works great on a controller, and the music is pleasant. The original language of this game is German, so if you don’t speak German you might not totally understand what’s going on. Everything is pretty intuitive though, including the universal basics of all platformers (left, right, up, down, jump, etc.) Released within the last month.

Caves Ablaze Feels like a Super Old School Platformer

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:April 20, 2022
Post category:FREE GAME REVIEWS

Caves Ablaze is a 2D Metroidvania Platformer. Play as a ball of fire that completes puzzles deep underground by using flames and dashing abilities to unlock paths. Avoid water and slowly make your way to the surface. Playable with an X-Box Input Controller or keyboard. This was the inaugural free games post for the FGV blog. Not a lot documented here, but a perfectly enjoyable game.