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[More_Badass]

No wonder Deadbolt is so good. It's the next game from the devs of Risk of Rain

 

[Phawx]

No wonder Deadbolt is so good. It's the next game from the devs of Risk of Rain

I thought I mentioned that, but now I see I only mentioned it in the cross post on the steam thread.

Woopsie daysie.

 

[MrNinjaSquirrel]

Shelter 2 - $14.99 (PC/Mac/Linux)

http://store.steampowered.com/app/275100/

Guide a powerful Lynx through vast open landscapes. Give birth to your cubs, raise and strengthen them by mastering your skills for hunting prey. Explore the wild beauty of nature and do everything possible to prepare your family for the vicious entities dwelling on the cold tundra.

For those who care I reviewed this and found it...complicated.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget the moments which really spoke to me in Shelter 2, like getting caught in a sandstorm and frantically looking for my cubs, or stumbling upon a giant herd of elk as my cubs were beginning to starve. But Might & Delight has greatly deluded them by placing them under the weight of mechanics which never grow past their primitive first impression, and too much time searching for something which doesn’t exist in its huge world. I appreciate the risks which were taken with Shelter 2 and how much it avoids attempting to repeat the experience of the first game. I only wish it had been confident enough in what Shelter has always been – bold and elegant and personal – instead of trying to crib from games it couldn’t hope to match.

http://kritiqal.com/2015/03/09/shelter-2-review/

 

[titch]

I can see Deadbolt getting a few votes this next month

 

[More_Badass]

I can see Deadbolt getting a few votes this month

Next month. The games posted throughout the thread make up the next month's voting list

But yeah it's really fun. Obviously feels early, but for an alpha, it's polished and enjoyable. I like the little details like how you pulls knives from the knife block. The dev has cool plans for enemies, like vampires being night club owners, each faction having special traits, and a Mordor-esque system where you take out gangs by killing different lieutenants to reach the boss and who you decide to kill affects what kind of reinforcements the boss has

 

[titch]

Doh!!!

I was enjoying it too much and got excited

 

[MrNinjaSquirrel]

Fantastic Witch Collective - PC/Mac/Linux

http://bluesweatshirt.itch.io/fantastic-witch-collective

Fantastic Witch Collective is the world's premiere digital witch simulator. You experience the life of a young witch in a bizarre, magical world full of vibrant and diverse characters.

I feel like this had to have been mentioned already, but it wasn't listed in the upcoming games section so here it is again. Also I finally got around to checking it out and posted some brief impressions.

The current build is only around five minutes of gameplay, but even taken in such a brief vertical slice, I’m already totally on board with the direction Fantastic Witch Collective is heading. It’s still uncertain when the final version will arrive, but I’m more than eager to be able to take my witch on a full adventure.

http://kritiqal.com/2015/03/09/indie-impressions-fantastic-witch-collective/

 

[epmode]

Deadbolt's pretty rad but I really *really* hope he gives us the option of removing the framerate counter in the lower right. It distracted me in Risk of Rain and I'm pretty sure you still can't remove it there.

 

[More_Badass]

Haste - Free (PC, Mac)

http://gamejolt.com/games/action/haste-time-bending-action/29365/

When you run, time runs slower for everything but you.

 

[More_Badass]

Do Not Cross - ????

http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=45864.0

Do Not Cross is a game about the work of a forensic cleaner.
I am aiming to create a slow paced single player game with a unique premise and dark atmosphere. Your job is to clean up the aftermath of different crime scenes, which gives you the chance to explore the belongings of the victims and learn more about their past.
The gameplay will be a mixture of classic adventure and puzzle game.

Party Hard - 2015 (PC, IOS, Android)

http://tinybuild.com/partyhard

In Party Hard, you play as someone who is really tired of the neighbors having loud parties. Instead of calling the police, you decide it’s a better idea to kill everyone – using your faithful knife and the environment.

The Deep - Free (PC)

tonytalent.itch.io/the-deep

Control a small submarine, bomb giant rocks, find long lost artifacts and new species. You can also get out of your ship to explore, but who knows what might lay its eye(s) on you.

 

[Phawx]

My LP of Parallax:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxfueb8HT-s

Quick Impressions: Parallax is a first person puzzler, in the same vein as Portal. There are portals, but they transport you to an inverse world that may or may not have the same platforming elements. The whole of Parallax is governed by extremely simple rules yet the puzzles can get extremely complex as you iterate through the chapters, requiring you to keep another world in your head as you manipulate the inverse world to bend the other.

The game is also executed perfectly. Each chapter introduces a new iteration of puzzle design that "shows you the ropes" and from there the puzzles get progressively harder. Game runs smooth like butter even when downsampling from 3200x1800.

Recommended.

 

[PandaPedinte]

My LP of Parallax:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxfueb8HT-s

Quick Impressions: Parallax is a first person puzzler, in the same vein as Portal. There are portals, but they transport you to an inverse world that may or may not have the same platforming elements. The whole of Parallax is governed by extremely simple rules yet the puzzles can get extremely complex as you iterate through the chapters, requiring you to keep another world in your head as you manipulate the inverse world to bend the other.

The game is also executed perfectly. Each chapter introduces a new iteration of puzzle design that "shows you the ropes" and from there the puzzles get progressively harder. Game runs smooth like butter even when downsampling from 3200x1800.

Recommended.

I gives me an Antichamber vibe

 

[MrNinjaSquirrel]

Oh my gosh, the Hotline Miami 2 OST is so freaking rad. I've been so anticipating this and it's just brilliant.

 

[Messofanego]

My LP of Deadbolt:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiYXFfOxNTs

Quick Impressions: It literally is the mashup of Gunpoint (presentation) and Hotline Miami (mechanics). It is amazingly satisfying to play. Game requires KB&M and your aiming reticule changes based on distance + type of weapon you're using. You can go through vents and toilets sneak/evade enemies in the area. You can shut off the lights by either triggering the light switch or shooting the actual light bulb on the ceiling. There are a few ways to get the attention of the enemies. You can either quickly show yourself and then evade through the stairs, you can fire your gun within radius of the enemies or you can knock on a closed door to get their attention. It's only an alpha right now but the game feels crazy polished. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED​

Mmm that looks awesome, thanks for the fantastic video and impressions!

 

[More_Badass]

Bought Hotline Miami 2 on PS3 because there's no way I was going to miss out on it, and I'm really enjoying it so far. I'm only four levels in at the moment (police station), but it feels good to be back in that addicting die-repeat-slaughter everything cycle of the first game. The more story-driven approach provides a greater variety by forcing you to mix your approach, rather than always relying on the same masks. Soundtrack is amazing as expected. Will post more impressions later

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number - $14.99 (PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, PS3, PS Vita)

http://www.devolverdigital.com/games/view/hotline-miami-2-wrong-number

A brutal conclusion to the gruesome saga, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number follows the escalating level of violence through multiple factions born from the events of the original game and driven by uncertain motivations. Step into the murderous mind of several distinct characters - each with their own motivations and methods of execution – as storylines intersect and reality slips away into a haze of neon and carnage. Blistering combat, an unmistakable visual style, and a powerfully intense soundtrack will once again push you to the limit and questioning your own thirst for blood.

Ori and the Blind Forest - $19.99 (PC, Xbox One)

http://store.steampowered.com/app/261570/

The forest of Nibel is dying. After a powerful storm sets a series of devastating events in motion, an unlikely hero must journey to find his courage and confront a dark nemesis to save his home. “Ori and the Blind Forest” tells the tale of a young orphan destined for heroics, through a visually stunning action-platformer crafted by Moon Studios for PC. Featuring hand-painted artwork, meticulously animated character performance, and a fully orchestrated score, “Ori and the Blind Forest” explores a deeply emotional story about love and sacrifice, and the hope that exists in us all.

Parallax - $9.99 (PC, Mac, Linux)

http://toastygames.com/parallax/

Parallax is a first-person puzzle game with two overlapping worlds. Weave back and forth between black and white as you try to be in the right place, in the right dimension, at the right time. Use switches, boosters and gravity to help you reach the exit. Can you conquer every mind-bending level?

Cities: Skylines - $29.99 (PC, Mac, Linux)

http://www.citiesskylines.com

Cities: Skylines is a modern take on the classic city simulation. The game introduces new game play elements to realize the thrill and hardships of creating and maintaining a real city whilst expanding on some well-established tropes of the city building experience.

Mussel - Free (PC, Mac, Linux)

http://jonathanwhiting.com/mussel/

A brash underwater shooter, synced to a single killer chiptune track.

 

[titch]

All in not a bad day for the indie scene!!!!

 

[Toma]

Another avatar change for baddy, woop.

Also, I am in full on addiction mode for Cities.

 

[More_Badass]

Another avatar change for baddy, woop.

Also, I am in full on addiction mode for Cities.

Got to love that minimalist Hotline Miami art

And yeah, that's what I figured

 

[One Foul Note]

Wait, Ori is out now? I thought it was a timed exclusive for a bit at least. Probably mixed it up with another game. Good times.

 

[More_Badass]

Cluster - Free (PC, Mac, Linux, Browser

http://kobusvdwalt9.itch.io/cluster

Experience finger bleeding difficulty while trying to dodge, smash, and curse blocks.

 

[MrNinjaSquirrel]

Still catching up on last month's games, I played through Sandstorm last night. That game...really got to me. *cue pretentious review*

I did eventually make it through the desert, camel reluctantly refastened to my carriage as I entered the city I’d been searching for. The journey was over, I’d found what I’d been looking for, and for a moment I was content with that. And yet, it still felt as if this was another con; as if the storm was attempting to fool me again to hide what was really hidden within it. I returned to the desert.

http://kritiqal.com/2015/03/11/sandstorm-review/

 

[Toma]

Still catching up on last month's games, I played through Sandstorm last night. That game...really got to me. *cue pretentious review*

http://kritiqal.com/2015/03/11/sandstorm-review/

Yep, very, very well made and emotionally powerful game. Lovely experience.

 

[More_Badass]

The Last Sorrow - Free (PC)

http://toothandclaw.itch.io/the-last-sorrow

You are the Last of the Sorrow, a small group of humans living on the brink of extinction in a harsh and dangerous world that your kind once ruled over.
Fight your way out of the Ancient Fortress in which you have been held prisoner for so long. Escape the Prison and find the other Sorrows....

Spirit of the Sky - $1 (PC)

http://toothandclaw.itch.io/spirit-of-the-sky

A randomly generated quest in a snowstorm.
You are a brave young Seer, sent out by your village to stop the endless snowstorm which is destroying your village's crops and killing its people.
To do this, you must venture atop the old Mountain to the Ancient Shrine and light its four corresponding Shrines.
It's easy to get lost in this storm and you will freeze to death if exposed for too long. Be sure to take refuge in the old caves to hide from the storm.
Upon lighting the all the Shrines, the gods will be appeased and the storm will stop. Saving the village and its people.

 

[MrNinjaSquirrel]

Spirit of the Sky - $1 (PC)

I saw this and immediately though "so it's Sandstorm but with snow." Still sounds like it could be cool though.

 

[More_Badass]

I saw this and immediately though "so it's Sandstorm but with snow." Still sounds like it could be cool though.

Same here. It sounds like the dev will be adding more threats, next update will be adding wolves

 

[More_Badass]

Looks like there's going to be a gameplay teaser for The Last Night shown at Rezzed tonight.

New logo

 

[More_Badass]

Insatia - Free alpha (PC)

http://insatia.kozinaka.com

A carnivorous worm simulator with an innovative control system and a dark atmosphere; you guide your worm as it devours everything it sees. You can also fight other worms and hunt for prey, each with its own unique behavior.

Gibbous - PC, Mac, Linux

http://www.indiedb.com/games/gibbous-a-cthulhu-adventure

Gibbous is a classic 2d point and click adventure and a loving spoof of everything Lovecraftian

---
Been following some pretty cool 7DRL entries

Firetail

Space Hellion

Outlaw Space

Synthesizer

 

[More_Badass]

Finally, a new screenshot of The Last Night

Kickstarter happens this month

---
Rezzed game impressions from Messo

Day 1 impressions

Knee Deep
Definite comparisons with Kentucky Route Zero, which the developers said they were influenced by. American swamp noir set in modern times so there's mentions of social media (twitter on the highway) and a clear Scientology reference (the We-ists that measure Opa levels). The dialogue is pretty funny. The levels are very theatrically staged like a diorama. You'll go into a building and the roof of it comes off like a cardboard box to reveal the inside. You're moving from set to set. There is no direct character control, so it's on-rails and all your input is the face buttons which are the dialogue choices. The vignetting of different characters and seeing the immediate consequences of your choices from one scene to the next makes it stand out along with being satisfying. There was one person protesting about native american rights and I signed his petition but that backfired a bit later on. Like with Virginia and KRZ, I'm glad to see American set adventure games.

Superglad
Supercute. Has the perspective of a 2.5D brawler, but is an adventure puzzler. You're a little girl with a bear companion moving right to left. A squirrel takes something from you (I forget) but it hits a wall and becomes sad. I didn't console it, no matter how many times its eyes were begging for pity. I didn't go much further cause I got stuck on geometry where I was trying to pour some liquid in singing plants (the bear got annoyed by their sequence and would slap the last one). I'd definitely like to see more.

Mushroom 11
Hella intuitive physics puzzler with a post-apoc background. You only move a mouse around, so like a photo editing software, you erase some parts of your blob which will then reform in the one area you want it to. If you want to push the blob forward, you use the mouse as an eraser on the back right, and keep going up and down so it moves to the left. Sometimes the floor is falling into lava, so you got to move quicker which is where the intensity comes. You can be super specific with your blob, cutting it into various sections that can move independently so like one blob is on a switch while the other keeps a gate open. I didn't even notice the really interesting environmental storytelling going on in the background, which reminded me of that Spyder game. Can definitely see the hype cause it's challenging and feels very different.

Not A Hero
Duuuuuude. 2D shooter with Max Payne and Hotline Miami vibes. ALWAYS BE SLIDING. From cover to cover, and for executions. If you come across a heavy, you might automatically dodge jump back like Max Payne. Breaking through windows and causing havoc never gets tiring. The gore is really satisfying. Various characters with their own gameplay quirks (3 in this demo) and conditions as side objectives (don't get punched, 3 slide kills, etc) in the levels will make for quite the replayability as you're given a rating at the end of a level. Plays like a dream. The London gangster flavour and anti-hero dark comedy is refreshing. I want this now!

Ragnarok
Chilly, brooding exploration of a Norse mythic world full of giants and giant wolves (probably Fenrir). Great desaturated look. It was demo'ed on the Oculus Rift. The scale is fantastic. There is a valley you walk through where like Neverending Story, there are gigantic human statues with solemn weeping looks presiding over. There are some tree like structures that sprout up, probably to guide you with scripting so you know you're going the right way. I'm glad there finally is a game that reminds me of the Troll Hunter movie. It seemed like the developers were mostly women (3-4), which was cool.

Beacon
Pretty early but pretty fun isometric sci fi action game. The aesthetic is fabulous. Rolling around crystallic humanoid enemies and shooting/flanking them feels good. There are bugs, too. There is a lot of map to explore. I wasn't sure where to go though, so when the developer said he was asking for feedback, I mentioned an arrow marker could be helpful.

Kromaia
Super fluid 6-degrees-of-freedom space shooter. I don't play many space games, but man are the movement capabilities so great. You can go up and down with the mouse wheel up/down and strafe left to right with Q/E. It's really intuitive. The enemies you get don't really do much, so I wonder if there will be more real threats that force you to take advantage of the great feeling moveset. At one point, my ship's weapons became like blades, which reminded me of Zone of the Enders. The Greek architecture is interesting, I don't know what it's doing here but it looks awesome.

Aviary Attorney
I've never played a detective visual novel like Ace Attorney but can now understand the appeal. Multiple locations and people you interrogate, then use the info in the court to trip up the opponent. The hand-drawn posh animal aesthetic reminds me of childhood books. The dialogue is hilarious and witty. Even a pun like "if we don't have any proof, we could just...WING IT" got chuckles from me.

HER STORY
Possibly the most unique experience of a game that I played. It's from Sam Barlow, who wrote Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. A woman is being interrogated by police, it seems to be a crime story about her missing husband Simon. It's like a live-action visual novel with the freedom of text adventures. The game view is, you're looking at a desktop of a computer. The game is all about searching. You see a bunch of videos on the middle of the screen and play them. The words in these videos are stenographed and archived, so you can literally use what she says, put those words into the search bar, and find more videos on that subject. So like, she might mention Rapunzel as one of her favourite stories as a kid. You can just type Rapunzel in the search and get related videos that you haven't seen. So, with this kind of non-linear storytelling, can understand what happened and what's going on with her. This very much intrigued the psychologist in me, even it feels voyeuristic. Definitely will play this when it comes out.

Between Me and The Night
It's really impressive that this 2D adventure game is just 3 months in development. The art director did a bang up job. There's a very 90s vibe evidenced by the trapper keepers in your room. You can interact with every object in your room. It's a mix of mundane reality and escapism into virtual worlds which end up being the other levels where it's either a retro action platformer or a Superbrothers Sword and Sworcery-like fantasy melee game. It's definitely pre-alpha as the art guy was aware of my issues with the game such as moving the analog stick around as a cursor around the inventory that forms like spokes from your character being very floaty. Collision detection is iffy. There is some combat with an enemy on a bridge that repeats again which is monotonous cause all it does is one hit then a three hit combo which you block with a shield. You only have one attack which has the first attack be a downward attack, not very useful against an enemy who has their weapon raised up straight and you really just only want the automated second attack which is a horizontal stab. Either way, there's a lot of promise here.

Aerobat
Lawd the gamefeel of this! The fluid animations, particle FX, wispy style, and clanging audio design make this such a satisfying arcade play that you just want to keep on restarting for 30 minutes straight. It's a 2D schmup where you don't aim. It's all about jumping. So, you hold down the mouse, go as low as you can, and let it go up to jump high and automatically shoot the enemies. It's more about placement and the risk/reward of waiting to prime your bar to the max versus getting swarmed by enemy ships or getting too low to get the big jumps without falling to death.

Radial-G
Oculus Rift used here. Since you're not just moving on one flat plane, the rotations cause headbob in you. First time I've ever mentioned being motion sick in a good way. It's an intense firstperson tube racing game, might remind of Wipeout/F-Zero. There are green speed zones to hit while avoiding red zones that slow you down. Was getting quite the queue. It's on Steam Early Access already.

Toren
Ico and dark child fantasy vibes. The story is much more intriguing and tragic than I expected with the age shifts and pools of blood (representing maturity?). The soundtrack is very memorable. You're climbing up a tower with a giant tree in the middle. There are some puzzles. At one point you can pet a deer which reminded me of Uncharted 2 village. In that same area, there are reptilian enemies that jump at you and you hold Square to throw them off the platform. Later on, you get a sword that you use against a dragon. There's a spreading black corruption that the dragon can dole out, though. The sword and getting behind cover is the only way to avoid instant death where you get petrified by its stony wave. Having this little girl get petrified made me feel really bad! You whack the dragon with the sword, and when the dragon throws away your sword, you have to move some blocks to use as cover while trying to recover the sword. So yeah, rather than having dull combat sections, it's more about puzzling even in combat scenarios.

There are some technical niggles like collision where the girl's hands don't quite connect with objects. The sound goes off-sync a couple of times. The framerate dips quite a bit at the start. The textures are not so good looking up-close. Either way, it's still a very impressive 3D effort considering it's not a big team working on this.

 

[titch]

Last Night's looking good!!

Just had another look at this months games - just don't know which f2p or demo to try first.

 

[More_Badass]

Just realized no one ever made a post for Monstrum. Saw the trailer today, looks really intense

Monstrum - $14.99 (PC)

http://teamjunkfish.com/game/monstrum/

Monstrum is a first person survival horror game which finds players stranded aboard a vast, derelict ship filled with traps, environmental hazards, and another passenger in the shape of a terrifying and deadly beast.

 

[PandaPedinte]

Finally, a new screenshot of The Last Night

Kickstarter happens this month

---
Rezzed game impressions from Messo

It's looking really good.

 

[More_Badass]

It's looking really good.

Devs released a cleaner image

 

[epmode]

Devs released a cleaner image

Looking forward to the inevitable "omg pixel art lazy devs" post in the Kickstarter thread.

 

[More_Badass]

Looking forward to the inevitable "omg pixel art lazy devs" post in the Kickstarter thread.

Perhaps not. The game got a pretty positive reaction when someone made a thread for the original jam version. Slain and Halycon 6 got nice responses too despite being pixel graphics

 

[More_Badass]

Finally got around to making a thread for The Masterplan
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1009507

---

Chambara - Free (PC, Mac)

http://www.chambaragame.com

Chambara is a local multiplayer stealth-deathmatch game with only two colors, allowing players to seamlessly camouflage themselves with the environment. This empowers players to sneak, search, and ambush each other in dramatic, stylish duels.

Path of the Empyrean Pyre - Free (PC, Mac)

http://wandermayer.itch.io/path-of-the-empyrean-pyre

You are a prodigal prince on the run. You seek refuge on a mysterious cargo cruiser only to be faced with a difficult decision

 

[More_Badass]

Spacejacked - Free alpha (PC, Mac, Linux)

http://www.indiedb.com/games/spacejacked

Stranded in space and faced with an alien threat. The only crew members left can't fight. This is where the engineer comes in. Test your skills in a side-scrolling tower-defence cum multi-arena shooter where a lone engineer must protect his spaceship from hordes of alien scum!

 

[More_Badass]

Lovely new Last Night GIF

---

[encrypted]
A really cool and incredibly minimalist roguelike. There's zero handholding here. It's a world of odd runes and roaming enemies. You will die, but each death is a learning experience as you slowly but surely learn how each enemy behaves, how to avoid their attacks, and what spells do. Learn the rules of the world through experimentation and gameplay. The available build lacks the encryption/decryption system from the current version of the game, but in terms of enemies and mechanics, game is pretty much complete.

Beyond 35000
A nice chunk of content in this 3D racer: numerous tracks and ships, multiplayer, and more. You speed through open sprawling levels, skimming along surfaces to charge your boost meter. The low-fi visuals are colorful and vibrant and the sense of speed provides some intense moments as you move through, under, around, over the environment. You can use a keyboard, but the game is definitely better suited for a controller

1) Catacomb Kids
2) Dark Echo
3) Reassembly
4) [encrypted]
5) Hyphen
6) Beyond 35000
7) JET/LAG
8) Strength of the Sword 3

 

[MrNinjaSquirrel]

Beyond 35000

Must have missed when this was posted, but looked up the trailer and wow, this looks incredible! Will have to download and try it later.

 

[SerTapTap]

Is Aviary Attorney at conferences only or should I be bugging someone about a review copy? That looked pretty cool

 

[Phawx]

Is Aviary Attorney at conferences only or should I be bugging someone about a review copy? That looked pretty cool

Don't know.

 

[More_Badass]

More Rezzed impressions courtesy of Messo

Day 2 impressions

Fossil Echo

This is bar none the most beautiful game I've seen here! The demo starts off at a really "oh...I'm controlling this now?!" feeling where I was just stunned by the look and animation to forget this wasn't concept art. It has a bit of roto-scoping feel, or maybe that's just me thinking about Prince of Persia. It's a cinematic platformer through and through, so it can be a bit unforgiving. The devs apparently watched people fail time and time again on a platforming segment on the first day so they tweaked some things overnight. While I was playing a bit with human enemies and found the timing to be too hard, they tweaked it right in front of me in a few min haha. Put this game on your radar if you're at all into lovely art or cinematic platformers.

Planet of the Eyes

Another 2D cinematic platformer, this one has quite a retro 50s sci fi colour palette and even the robot itself looks a bit 80s with its chunky design. I love the snail-like eyes following you, gives a more surreal vibe. Pretty typical fare of moving objects around to cross gaps but the game really kicks up a notch when the Log Ride segment shows up. Much like the log ride in Teslagrad, it's an intense ride, where you have to edge backwards and forwards to make the log descend but not fall off yourself. Has one of the most horrific deaths in a game where if you fall on yellow spikes, they literally skewer your robot into its little parts

Cave! Cave! Deus Videt (episode 1)

I guess I should really get into visual novels now after Aviary Attorney and now this, if they're going to look so striking now. This one is about art museums and also about women, it seems. A couple of women are the main characters, voicing frustrations with their lives and one of them finding so much satisfaction with Hieronymus Bosch art (the dude famous for painting heaven and hell, etc). As someone who saw Bosch art in my history books in school, that was kind of rad. There's one puzzle where the woman mentions colours and their representation, so you have to pick the right one (white for ambiguity, green for earth, etc). If you make the wrong choice, a set of eyes flash and a loud noise shakes you, so definitely want to avoid that! The story seems vignette-y as you jump from one woman to another. "Hoodie" has such a cool look. I just wish the dev was there so I could ask some things You can play Episode 0 right now, vote for it on Steam Greenlight if you want to.

Line Wobbler

It's an amazing game. You know what? This one is tough to explain. Or tough to visualise. So I took a video of it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv3hGYGVk5c

So yeah, pretty experimental but loads of simple fun. It's described as a "1D dungeon crawler" and is apparently procedurally generated. As you can see from the video, you move green dots around that can be sped up by moving the joystick harder. If you whip or "wobble" the joystick, the green dots let off a yellow wave that can be used to kill the red enemies. There even is a pink boss battle continuously spitting out red grunts so you have to get through them first and kill the pink boss but three times and in the opposite direction. I couldn't hack it, so I gave other people a try. Unique experience so give it a go downstairs at the Leftfield Collection in the back if you're going tomorrow.

Blues and Bullets

3D detective noir adventure game with one on-rails shooting section. It will be episodic, and the devs are hoping to release the first episode of five around May-June. There are some dialogue choices and the writing can be quite funny at times. I think the funniest aspect of the story is that the detective has become just a dude who makes burgers now. You walk around your restaurant, give a lady officer some blueberry pie, and then an annoying cop a burger. I put ALL THE SAUCE in his burger, which led to him feeling sick, and from what the dev Ramon said, this will affect a future event haha!

There's one flashback to when Eliot Ness was a detective, and here's where the on-rails shooting occurs. It's a bit abrupt and awkward, like moving the analog stick and lining up headshots takes way too much time and cause this was last minute, you're aiming + shooting with Left Bumper + Right Bumper rather than the triggers. The enemies were a bit spongy. One part got me laughing where I killed a dude on the stairs next to my cover, and then two others decided to get right there for my easy potshots. The dev said they're not sure what to do with these sections, whether to excise them, but I don't see foul in having some shooting in a detective game. LA Noire did way too much of that, and it's interesting to hear the devs were making this as students back in 2009 before that game came out.

The most interesting part of Blues and Bullets comes up next, where you end up at a house investigating a grisly murder where someone has been crucified with steel bars. You search for parts of the body that can be used as clues such as teeth having pulled out so he has a mouth full of just blood or a glass being wedged into the back of this poor fella. The camera controls here where you can move the camera on a rail and use the right analog stick to look around are a bit slow and imprecise. Technical niggles aside, picking up the clues around the house and then fitting them onto the board (like the ones you see in serial killer cases on TV where they show the connections) was pretty cool cause you have to think about which clue would fit with what bit of the case. If you're successful, it all culminates into a recounting ala Vanishing of Ethan Carter. I love any kind of detective game, so this is right up my alley.

Armikrog

My god, is this really beautiful. Being from the developers of Neverhood, that's not surprising. The atmosphere of that game is back, although with full-on and absolutely top notch voice acting. Apparently Tommynaut is the dude from MST3K (Michael J Nelson) and the dog's voice actor from Pinky and the Brain (Rob Paulsen). If you're going to play this tomorrow, PLEASE LOOK OUT THE WINDOW 4 TIMES! Maybe it's just the adventure game fan in me, but I knew if I kept on looking out, I'd see cool stuff each time. A monster chases some smaller creatures, the blue one gets eaten, and is then pooped out, who is then eaten by a fellow creature. Circle of Life! You can control the dog by just clicking him, and can go into little holes. The colour-blind look is a nice attention to detail. Only as the dog can you figure out the symbols needed for one puzzle later.

It's still very early. Sound is missing in spots. The shadows all look the same, probably placeholder. There is a game-breaking bug if you decide to do things out of order. The first cutscene goes from fully animated to becoming storyboards. But I'm really glad they showed the game at all in whatever state, cause those kind of bizarre worlds are begging to be explored.

Heat Signature

I've seen plenty of this game but have only until now, got the chance to play it. Can I just say, some of the best camera zooming in a game? Cause you can zoom really far out when you're riding in space and then zoom all the way in when you've hijacked a ship and it becomes like a top-down stealth-action game like Hotline Miami. There's some great inertia to moving the spaceship around, which makes for attaching to other ships for docking a bit finicky. Thankfully, right mouse click allows you to slow down so you can get more precise with the docking. I didn't realise it until playing it, but this loop of hijacking a ship, getting killed, body being thrown out back into space, and using your remote-controlled spaceship to retrieve your sorry ass body before you pass out in 20-30 seconds is pretty flipping awesome!

Volume

I've played this before, so no need to explain to you the intricacies other than it's a non-violence stealth game. The few things new in this build are the new mechanics. You can jump over walls now and wear a masquerade (mask) to do a bit of social stealth that lasts for a few seconds. Jumping over walls just feels really good. I just like vaulting in games and the animations for some reason. It's a very precise game. Since quite a few pure stealth games are pretty much puzzles, it feels more of a puzzle game of figuring out a course of action and then executing it. A tricky one is if you decide to change rooms, you'll be dropped right in front of an enemy. So before changing rooms, throw out a bugle (noisemaker) that bounces off surfaces and you can remotely activate it with just the second mouse click. Once you've alerted the guard to go somewhere else, then warp to the other room and go about your business.

I don't remember hearing any voice acting last time I played it, apparently the dude you play as is voiced by a Youtuber (charlieissocoollike) and your AI is Danny Wallace. I love the colour palette changing up for each level, like one level is all pink and it's gorgeous.

Tulpa

Ok, so I had no idea this game was already out. So many games come out on Steam now, that it can be sometimes hard to keep track of even though the premise and concept of this game is pretty cool. It's a grim 2D adventure puzzler where you either control a girl or a dead floating guy. Since the guy floats he can go to certain places but also then you can use a mouse cursor to grab objects, so like making a claw to drop a crate for the girl to push into a pit to traverse across. The puzzles themselves are intuitive and fun. There's a narrative reason for keeping the girl and guy nearby because you lose sanity if he's too far away. The surreal art and colour palette was great, and since I already bought it for half price from their booth, I'm excited to play more of it. Apparently, the story gets way more intriguing.

Beyond Eyes

Wow. 3D adventure game where you play as a blind girl and need to fill out the world by feel. Definitely reminds of Unfinished Swan. The soundtrack is touching. Just an all around enriching experience. The game was being played on gigantic TVs and yet the art for an 3D indie game still stood strong which goes to show good art direction saves all. The effect of filling out the world looks cool, like you're painting in real-time.

I really like that there's a consistent colour theme which is purple, which happens to be my favourite colour right now You see the purple on the edges of the filling effect, and the blind girl is wearing mostly purple.

You can sometimes go off the beaten path to explore other optional areas like a group of chickens. They're just there, the area doesn't lead you back to the main route but just to add flavour and visuals to the world. I would sometimes just walk all around an area just to fill out the white space even though I knew those were dead ends. There are negative things that you'll avoid, like the crows' shrieks or dog's barks that send out waves of sound. You don't fail or anything by going close to them since the girl won't enter those waves. One very cool thing is near the end of the demo where you suspect a woodpecker hitting on a tree but as you get closer, it's actually a traffic light sign.

I asked the devs if there would be more optional exploration and auditory-to-visual illusions cause those were the coolest aspects, and they confirmed

 

[titch]

Radium - $5.99 (WIN/MAC/STEAM/LINUX)

http://store.steampowered.com/app/355410/

Radium is physics-based skill game, featuring unique game controls. A game which avoids any non-essential elements and focuses on the elementary minimum. By pressing the left or right arrow key, the orb is pulled into the direction of the corresponding tractor beam. Entering yellow mode, polarization gets inverted and the orb will be pushed away. Switching from normal to yellow mode can happen multiple times per level.
Easy to learn and hard to master. A must-have for every fan of arcade games, who doesn't shy away from challenges.

Zombie Kill of the Week - Reborn - $6.99 (WIN)

http://store.steampowered.com/app/342300/

Zombie Kill of the Week - Reborn is a challenging, fast paced, 2D survival shooter! And when we say fast, we mean breakneck, flat-out, adrenaline fuelled fast! What’s different from the other shooters is your goal isn’t to run through levels and finish the game, but to survive for as long as possible under increasingly frantic conditions (we say as long as possible because ultimately you will die!).

 

[titch]

La Cops - $14.99 (WIN/MAC)

http://store.steampowered.com/app/278810

LA Cops is a fast, action packed 3D top down shooter set to a theme of 70s Cops in LA trying to do a tough job in a tough town. Gameplay includes an extra edge as you control two cops, using them strategically to get one up on the bad guys!

In Exilium - $9.99 (WIN/MAC/STEAM/LINUX)

http://store.steampowered.com/app/344880/

In Exilium is a 3D, "isometric" hack and slash RPG with an emphasis on minimalistic design and player discovery. It is a simple, exploration driven experience, comprised of action based combat, character attribute customization and random item generation to accommodate many diverse play styles. There are many enemies and bosses to defeat as well as plenty of puzzles to solve and secrets to explore. There is no hand-holding throughout the game, no other characters, no mindless quests, everything must be discovered by the player. If you like RPG's and have become disenchanted with typical RPG design practices, In Exilium is for you.

 

[More_Badass]

An oldie but I just learned about it today

Prom Week - Free (Browser)

https://promweek.soe.ucsc.edu/play/

Prom Week is a social simulation game.
In Prom Week the player shapes the lives of a group of highschool students in the most dramatic week of their highschool career. Using our sophisticated social artificial intelligence system, Comme il Faut, Prom Week is able to combine the dynamic simulation of games like the Sims with the detailed characters and dialog of story driven games.

 

[CheesecakeRecipe]

xra just dropped some beautiful new shots of Memory of a Broken Dimension on twitter. Looks like he may be experimenting with bringing it over to Unity 5 (or has already done so, I need to check up on his posts) and has integrated some new features. The detail in that distortion shader is impressive!

Hopefully the move won't add too much extra dev time. I've been needing this for a few years now. Buuuuuuuuuuut I guess I can wait if it will allow him to make the corrupted bits slightly more pretty. Or ugly. You get what I mean.

 

[PandaPedinte]

I'm so hooked on Castle In The Darkness, there are alternate paths, hidden secrets, tons of references/homages, and it has a great sense of discovery like accidentally reaching a boss with the right magic and weapon makes some of them a walk on the park while you may die several times trying to figure other bosses. I can't recommend this game enough.

 

[More_Badass]

Saw on Twitter that Managore helped out with this 7DRL game, love the art style

With 7DRL almost over, some entries are finished

Synthesizer - Free (Browser)

http://thebroominstitute.itch.io/synthesizer-7drl-2015

A roguelike where the damage you and the mobs do is controlled by a synthesizer. The game can be pretty complicated without instructions.

Garbage In, Garbage Out - Free (PC, Mac, Linux)

http://jonathanwhiting.com/games/garbagein/

A roguelike about using cards to inadequately control a robot. My jumping off point was “What would RoboRally the roguelike look like?”

Malleus Goblinficarium - Free (PC)

www.7drl.org/2015/03/18/malleus-goblinficarium-finished/

Roguelike featuring deterministic tactical dice-based combat

Heart of Morning - Free (PC)

www.seregsarn.net/heartofmorning/

Heart of Morning is a pretty straightforward retrieve-the-MacGuffin dungeon crawl, with one twist: You start as an endgame-level character, the victorious hero of a previous roguelike. The wrinkle is that the dungeon is very gear-hostile, featuring rust monsters and dire astrojags and the like; replacement equipment is highly uncommon, so you’ll struggle to lose as little gear as possible as you make your way through the dungeon, hoping to retain enough of it to fight and win the final battle at the bottom.

ROLLGUE - Free (PC)

www.rustltd.itch.io/rollgue

Rollgue is hybrid turn-based Roguelike and Action-Physics game.

Never To Tell - Free (PC)

http://www.niallmoody.com/games/never-to-tell

A shortform puzzle roguelike watched over by a pair of capricious disembodied heads. All combat is indirect; enemies must be dealt with by manoeuvering them into an advantageous position.

Rogue Station - Free (Browser)

http://ptrefall.itch.io/rogue-station

You are awoken a clone on a space station wreckage drifting in space, falling apart. Systems fail and the hull breaches, energy is sparse and oxygen is leaking; the broken rescue beacon is your only hope! But who knows how long this old wreckage can stay together, or which scavengers it might attract…

scroll - Free (Browser)

https://joeyh.name/code/scroll/

In scroll, you're a bookworm that's stuck on a scroll. You have to dodge between words and use spells to make your way down the page as the scroll is read. Go too slow and you'll get wound up in the scroll and crushed.

RobberyRL - Free (Browser)

http://7drl.org/2015/03/14/robberyrl-success/

It is a turn-based platformer roguelike with sneaking and thievery.

Scattered Dungeon - Free (Browser)

http://www.scriptology.de/rl/

Build your dungeon before you can crawl it like a rogue.

No Soldier Left Behind - Free (Browser)

http://nosoldierleftbehindgame.com/7drl/

No Soldier Left Behind is a cooperative wargame set during the Battle of the Bulge of World War II
Players take the role of individual soldiers, struggling to complete the mission and not take a bullet in the process

Beware The Space Bears - Free (Browser)

http://tapiov.net/7drl-2015/#game

You are a lone astronaut on a hostile red planet. Your base shelters you and its devices supply everything you need for survival if you bring them materials to work with.
Oh and Beware the Space Bears!

Heavy Axe - Free (Browser)

http://heroicfisticuffs.com/heavyaxe/

Heavy Axe is a small-scale classic roguelike featuring extremely tactical combat.
Journey through the temple to slay the gods themselves, using a massively heavy axe.

Seventh Saga - Free (Browser)

www.dragonxvi.itch.io/seventh-saga-7drl

Take control of an evil demonic overlord and conquer the world with minimal help from your hellish armies.
The end result is a fairly simple little turn-based RPG when you charge around the map slaughtering everything.

DelveRL - Free (PC, Mac)

www.agoodpointpoorlymade.itch.io/delverl

Travel through caves in search of gems and answers...

 

[More_Badass]

There's a new build out for Hac
http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=44437.msg1120014#msg1120014

 

[More_Badass]

Whoa, stop the presses. Somehow I missed the announcement that Distance is coming to PS4. Awesome! Finally an arcade racer with split screen that I can play on consoles.

 

[More_Badass]

Proto Raider - Free Demo, $1.99 (PC, Mac, IOS)

http://protoraider.com

You can run and jump, scuba dive, surf the waterfalls, fight monsters, fly in tornadoes etc. But you must be careful because you can be burnt to ashes, drowned, poisoned, stabbed, annihilated or turned to stone!
To complete the quest and collect all loot, you'll need agility, speed and special items that give you various superpowers.