All indies–mostly PC, many on Nintendo Switch, and some otherwise.
I've been waiting way too long to try Cult of the Lamb. From its conceptual uniqueness to its popularity, I've been waiting (shudder.) I like to ask why people do certain things--like why everybody from a certain culture believes in the same thing but others don't. OR: Why does this cute indie game exist about a tiny lamb who is forced to destroy hordes of cultists and collect woodland creature followers to build a powerful cult of his own? Isn't that a bit... much? But this isn't an anthropological midterm, it's just the type of indie quirk I love. So…
Nordic Ashes: Survivors of Ragnarok is a ride and a vibe--or whatever these new Midgardians call things. It was a great time trying the early access on Steam, and I'll tell you about it. This is a passive auto-combat... roguelike--it's a Vampire Survivors type game basically. Overall, these are good fun, and anybody can play them with a little familiarity with the genre. In this one, you play a Viking warrior (is that a redundant term?) It's all about piling on the mobs and vanquishing them here. There are several upcoming characters, skills, and weapons on the horizon for its…
Hey, thanks to JustWall Games for letting me try Terrene: An Evidence of Life. This is an indie open-world space exploration game with some sweet pixel graphics and the types of deep-cut quirks that make me play indies, seriously. I didn't know what to expect at first, to be honest. I suspected some kind of multi-faceted character system based, but that is only part of it. Actually, there are so many open-ended exploration features that I could see exploring the vastness of space could be relaxing and interesting. If you like games like Starbound or Terraria, be sure to check this out.
DreamCell: Lost in Nightmares is a 2D action twin-stick rogue-like that landed on my desk today. I have been hooked on the rogue-like/lite genre quite a bit lately. You may want to navigate to my YouTube channel for proof with the video below. Despite that, games like DreamCell: Lost in Nightmares give enough content to chew on for a regular day's gaming. The game is currently in a demo stage, scheduled for release on November 25 2022 on Steam. It's a challenging but ultimately amusing rogue-like that I could see evoking repeatable gameplay. It has challenging but anticipated enemies, and perhaps not just with the weapons available but also a large cast of unlockable and playable main characters with different abilities.
Here we go with Kraino Origins. Add this to your Halloween Indie Game countdowns, because it's got enough spook for the whole community. This game feels like it was made from the plucking of my own seasonal heart string, with its borderline creep-fest color scheme and environment. Slash your way through constant monsters, zombies, and ghouls in this 2D platformer that spans 8 bosses--now out on Steam!
Haiyai is a pretty cool game. I played another game like it recently called Pizza Tactics, but only in the sense that the main mechanic is drawing a path with my mouse. Really though, Haiyai is a full-feature game aimed at casual play. Control one of 5 Ronin, and clear hordes of enemies swarming from the sides of the map by dragging a line between the individual enemies in one long swipe. It could double as a mobile game, but I really enjoyed playing it on my computer. Huge cool feature here though,you can actually play this with a drawing tablet if you like! That is a new one for me. I am guilty of saying that I will replay a lot of games that I never do but this one is so easy that I could just open it up and play whenever.
So, first off, a correction to my YouTube video here, Firegirl: Hack 'n Splash Rescue actually released in December. With the permission of the publisher, we've been allowed to take another look at this game. According to reviews and members in the Indie Game Collective, patches to this game earlier in 2022 have made the game substantially more playable. I never tried that original version, but concur that the current state of the game is as seamless and responsive as it could be.
Yep, Haiku the Robot is about robots, although you're more likely to catch on fire before most of its poetics! It's a dystopic pixel platformer with a variety of routes to navigate through. The tunnels are left from the aftermath of an apocalyptic turn. It does have somewhat of a narrative for the first minute. Mostly, you'll be in the heat of battle. You are thrown into the general theme of trying to find your way around immediately. Thankfully, maps are available.
Vesper: Zero Light Edition is out on Nintendo Switch and PC today! Players can find this new version, plus the big debut Switch release, on eShop and Steam. It's an innovative platformer with arcane space vibes and shimmering, colorful environments. It also includes a compelling and innovative storyline told through holographic recordings and plentiful checkpoint diversions. I played the first twenty minutes on my Switch for you. I have to say it's one of the more stylistically compelling platformers I have played a release version of.
Back with another Indie Game Collective showcase for Rotund Zero. It's a precision platformer with a Game Boy monochrome style that uses directional keys only to solve puzzle levels made of bouncing blocks. It's only $1.99 on Steam at the moment and encourages problem-solving in timed runs. You have 5 minutes to complete as many levels as possible, and there are 26 levels, 1 for every letter of the alphabet! You'll be on your toes to speedrun all of those levels, but the pressure is mild. Watch the YouTube video at the top of this article to see me run, a genuine but beginner, 5-minute run. I've been trying to cover more Game Boy-style retro games, so thank you to the developer and publisher Dahku for providing the key!
