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"Indie Games [May] Now Voting - Post 573!"

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
In this thread, we are currently prototype-testing a program to rate Indie games and write impressions that can be read out and analysed with that program. For more information, see this post:http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=57495778&postcount=364
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| 1. Header Information |
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GAF Indie Steam Group (For announcing votings, contests and Greenlight collections):
http://steamcommunity.com/groups/NeoGAFIndie

Older threads[ (which are by no means "outdated" and still contain awesome games to check out and/or look forward to):


As before, voting going to happen in the last week of the month.

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| 2. Overview |
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Post 1:
1. Header Information
2. Overview
3. Introductory Blurb
4. Voting Results "Best of March"
5. Contests for the current month (You can win games! And have fun!)

Post 2:
6. Recently released Indies to check out!

Post 3:
7. Upcoming Indies to look forward to!

Post 4:
8. Screenshot Saturday Posts (Peeking into ongoing Indie game design via weekly screenshots)

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| 3. Introductory Blurb |
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This month officially proves that Indies are the answer to the question of life, the universe and everything. 42 games in the released part, 42 games in the future part, the coincidingTowel Day on the 25th of may and my birthday on the 4+2th ;) I need to voice another big thank you to the ones participating in the Indie thread so far. Without you, it wouldnt have the content or the fun conversations/partners to play some more obscure MP games with (The obscure but fantastic Clairvoyance was a great example) This month, once again, has a ton of stuff you can check out for free with quite a wide variety to choose from.

We will also have a vote on the best games of the month in the last week of the thread. The results for march can be seen below. For some first time readers that wonder about my definition of "recent": We didnt have any major Indie thread in 2012 on GAF, so we are also catching all the titles that slipped through our net last year. Anyway, have fun with the games from this month!

We also managed to get 26 more non-Toma posts in the april thread than in march. Now thats a trend I'd like to see improving ;p

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| 4. Voting Results "Best of March" |
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Hey! I assume you are new in this thread series and want to see what we were up to? Or you didnt have enough time to play through all of the games from the last month but still want to catch up with the best ones? Then this list is for YOU! These were the games we enjoyed the most in the previous thread, voted on by the community (More thorough descriptions and impressions in the previous thread, especially the last few pages with the voting):

1. Waking Mars (8 votes) - $9,99 (PC, Mac, Linux)
4PfomXL.jpg

http://www.tigerstylegames.com/
Surprisingly thoughtful, delightfully atmospheric, smartly written, carefully designed...it gradually unfolds its secrets without holding your hand. A game that entranced not by violence or being visceral, but by a story and gameplay mechanic that grew subtly but steadily into something quite memorable.
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2. Super House of Dead Ninjas (7 votes) - Free Browser version/ $6,99 (PC, Browser)
ss_28ce76b8b6b4f6dcc5b5cfda24c80e59a38c288d.1920x1080.jpg

http://store.steampowered.com/app/224820/
A roguelike-like with absurdly fast-paced ninja platforming action. The beautiful daughter of Shinobi and Spelunky, it plays even faster than any of them. Travel down the 250 levels of a tower, armed with your katana and a supply of shuriken that you can reuse if you pick them off walls or dead enemies.
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3. Unepic (6 votes) - Free Demo, $9,99 (PC)
sc_2.png

http://www.unepicgame.com/en/game.html
Fantastic non-random story rogue-like with devious traps and an engaging world. Beautiful 2D visuals, atmospheric lighting and a forebonding soundtrack converge to create an ominous and truly engaging experience. The game is heavy on injokes, so that might put some people off, but its a very great game and my personal favourite this month.
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4. BroForce (5 votes) - Free (PC, Mac)
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http://www.freelives.net/?p=225
Coop Action platformer with destructible environment. Need I say more?
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4. Intrusion 2 (5 votes) - $10 (PC)
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http://www.intrusion2.com/
Highly polished action game with tons of crazy bosses.
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4. Teleglitch (5 votes) - Free (PC)
gwoB9AM.png

http://teleglitch.com/
PEW, BRRRZ, BAMBAM, KALABAPUNCH.
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7.-25.
7. Atum (4)
7. Cart Life (4)
7. Clairvoyance (4)
7. Freedom Planet (4)
7. Marvin's Mittens (4)
7. The Plan (4)
13. Cook, Serve, Delicious (3)
13. Darkout (3)
13. Qasir Al Wasat: A Night in Between (3)
13. Reprisal (3)
17. Triad (2)
17. Wooden Sen'Sey (2)
19. War of the Human Tanks (1)
19. OpenRA (1)
19. A nation of Wind (1)
19. The Castle Doctrine (1)
19. Door Kickers (1)
19. Driftmoon (1)
19. Legends of Aethereus (1)

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| 5. Contests for the current month |
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We might add contests later if the demand/gifts allow it.

1. Burn & Turn Highscore contest
  • Save princesses, kill merchants and enemies
  • Don't cheat
  • Post a screenshot of your score, like:
  • The user with best score wins a game from the gift pile.

2. 2x0ng Highscore contest
  • Survive
  • Don't cheat
  • Post a screenshot of your progress once you died, like:
  • The user with the highest level progress wins a game from the gift pile.

Gift pile:
Bientot
Gnomoria x2
Titan Quest
Binding of Isaac + Wrath of the Lamb DLC
Cave Story+
Mark of the Ninja
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
The Adventures of Shuggy
Tobe's Vertical Adventure
Geneforge Saga
Pid
Cargo Commander
Back to the Future
Dungeon Hearts
Alan Wake American Nightmare
Dear Esther
Capsized
Thomas was alone
Awesomenauts
Hotline Miami
Proteus
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
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| 6. Recently released Indies! |
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7 Grand Steps - $10-15 (PC)
OZUnFmc.jpg

http://p10.hostingprod.com/@mousechief.com/7GS/Beta_Sale.html

You play with the mouse. The game is similar to monopoly, but not this much strategic. There are some options in the dialogue to create the storylines of your family. Every turn, you decide how to move the main character, help him/her find a partner, try to mate, collect tokens, invest in abilities for your children. It is a really strange game, but I ended up playing it for several hours during several evenings

18 Cadence - Free (PC, iPad)
Oj5N7eJ.jpg

http://18cadence.textories.com/home.html

In 18 Cadence, you can explore a century of living and assemble your own story from thousands of narrative fragments. Capture one life or juxtapose people from different eras. Slide, position, and recombine details like magnetic poetry. Decide what's worth telling, and what should be left out. What story will you tell?

2x0ng - Free (PC, Mac, Linux)
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http://blocky.io/2x0ng.html

You definitely shouldnt dismiss this game based on its simple looks.Its basically a mashup between breakout, roguelikes and adventure games. It has procedurally generated levels, and your task is to destroy the colored barriers to enter the next level, while every level pits some more dangers at you. This game is as tense as its graphics are simple.

Assembling the Void - Free Demo (PC)
scene02tvx4x.png

http://rpgmaker.net/games/4502/

The main concept behind this game is puzzles and there are some good mechanics combined with that. The Battle System is strongly influenced by Secret of Mana and similar games, and it really works surprisingly well. Great respect also for making almost every single tile or sprite by himself.

Boredom - Free (PC)
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http://www.desura.com/games/boredom

Hard ass 2D platformer, but before you stop reading: Its worth it. I mean its free, so theres that, but its actually fun, especially due to the "narrative", which is very well integrated. I really laughed hard at a few points because the developer knew how the player would react in some cases and made comments in regard to that. Simple graphics, but quite imaginative game design in which the narration is an integral part of the player experience.

Burn & Turn - Free (PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android)
ZwvmZhl.jpg

http://robotbear.org/index.html

The game seems to be getting all kinds of exposure, considering its basically on every platform ever and even Edge reviewed it. Crazy fun Arcade action game about saving princesses and grabbing loot. Give this game a try! Starts out rather easy, but the gameplay mechanics are very, very fun and more involved than what it might seem at first.

Cities in Motion 2 - $19,99 (PC)
NJDJfNT.jpg

http://store.steampowered.com/app/225420/?snr=1_7_15__13

Managing city transport systems with a depth that the newest SimCity can only dream of. Its not really a city management sim, so not that comparable, but its a very interesting game with lots of options and challenge to set up your own transport systems. Definitely recommended if setting up a bus/train company and everything that entails sounds interesting to you.

Draconian Wars - $2,99 (PC)
AgaRbb4.jpg

http://www.desura.com/games/draconian-wars

Its an inexpensive (3 bucks?) Collectible Card Game without ANY sort of microtransactions, which allows for free deck building, SP matches and Online play! Take that you greedy wizards of the $$$ coast! (I still love you <3). I think I read that there are currently about 150 cards in the game and they plan on adding more over time. The game in its current state is already PLENTY deep with tons of stuff to take care of and lots of different cards abilities. Highly, highly recommended to check out for Card Game lovers.

DreadOut - Free Demo/Currently on Crowdfunding (PC, Mac, Linux)
ss05.jpg

Funding: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dreadout
Download: http://www.indiedb.com/games/dreadout/downloads

An indie PC Fatal Frame, where you wander about as a high schooler, lost on a trip, taking pictures of the various hauntings/ghosts/etc. It's crowd funding through IndieGoGo at the moment if any of you are interested.

Eador: Masters of the Broken World - $19,99 (PC)
comp4.06.png

http://www.snowbirdgames.com/eador/?lang=en

Masters of the Broken World takes elements from franchises like Heroes of Might & Magic, Total War, and Galactic Civilizations to turn it into a PC turn-based strategy fan&#8217;s wet dream. Unfortunately, no demo, but you can check out the prequel for $5,99 on GOG: http://www.gog.com/gamecard/eador_genesis.

Endgame:Syria - Free (PC, Browser)
dtRrF6O.png

http://www.desura.com/games/endgamesyria
http://gamethenews.net/wp-content/games/endgamesyria/

[Quick note: Desura version doesnt work for me, try the flash version web browser link] Smart, smart. This looked like a normal card game at first with a real life background, but actually its an educational game with a pro rebel agenda in the syria conflict. The actual card game rules are rather simple, but the implications of the "game" concepts and the information conveyed are smartly presented to engage players with some deeper insight in the conflict that otherwise might not have come in touch with the subject.

Entropy - $5,99 (PC)
uR8j720.png

http://www.desura.com/games/entropy2

I originally dismissed it as "Just another 3D puzzle game", but its actually surprisingly clever and imaginative. You need to alter electricity, gravity, temperature and mass to solve the puzzles. One example is a gravity gun that allows you to pull blocks together or use the pull of the gravity center and a release at the right time as a sling shot. Falls into the category of games that let the player explore the mechanics, and due to that seems to allow for different player approaches.

Fez - $9,99 (PC, XBLA)
BP7z1gN.png

http://fezgame.com/

An enigmatic puzzle disguided as a cutesy platforming game. I dont want to spoil anything here, but its safe to say that Fez is one of the most interesting Indies that ever graced our hobby.

Fortune Winds: Ancient Trader - $9,99 (PC, Mac)
ie0Zjtu.jpg

http://www.legendo.com/fortune-winds-ancient-trader/

The style of this game, based on 16th century cartography, is simply amazing. In this game you need to travel around trading commodities while fighting of oversized crabs, starving leviathans and a legendary Kraken. Its really unfortunate that this game seems to be missing a bit of depth and is more meant for casual play, but I feel that it definitely deserves a spot here nonetheless.

Freedom Fall - $6,99 (PC)
zxoGLIW.png

http://www.desura.com/games/freedom-fall

Unfortunately, its a tad expensive for a non-demo game, but the 2 people who actually tried this downward action platformer so far liked it. Very polished, interesting narrative and great controls. Planned leaderboards soon, highly recommended.

From Pulse - $2,99 (PC)
Q5wxx55.jpg

http://www.desura.com/games/frompulse

Inexpensive (3 bucks?) rhythm game. This game has a neat art style, an interestingly told story, good music (a rhythm game with good music, hooray!), a good amount of polish, a free soundtrack with the purchase of the game and I overall really enjoyed the game. Only issue: Its was over way too soon.

Future Development Company - Free (Browser)
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h02.gif
h03.gif

http://nigoro.jp/en/games/mirai/

It's a mix of corporate management sim and tower defense. It's in Flash like many of NIGORO's other games (Rose & Camelia, Mekuri Master). You essentially are given an objective depending on the map you undertake, and build buildings and pipelines to research and build what you need. I actually wish it was a bigger game with more content. Really well executed concept in a bite sized format.

Gretel and Hansel - Free (Browser)
OqwDpb9.jpg

http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/515322

Adventure game inspired by the fable with the same name. The art style is really, really interesting and the puzzles are surprisingly competent. The game lives a bit off the style and background story it revolves around, but for free you should definitely give it a whirl.

Homesick - Free (Browser)
wxAOC5S.png

http://www.theindiestone.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=10614

An intriguing Horror Adventure game in which the task of the player is to find out how to survive the experience. Lots of trial and Error, but the game actually has quite a few interesting interactions.

Humans must answer - Free Demo (PC)
axYf26N.png

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1166550020/humans-must-answer-an-explosive-2d-shmup

The game is still in development, but thankfully the kickstarter was succesful in getting the humble amount of $5000. Its simply a pretty PC shmup with different paths and good replay value via Highscores that definitely deserves to get made. The demo is free and definitely convinced me that the full version of this game is something to look forward to.

Kairo - $7,99 (PC)
N746mu2.jpg0

http://store.steampowered.com/app/233230/?snr=1_7_15__13

Kairo is a place where nothing is left to chance or at least in unintentional way. Every little piece is constructed to deliver a clues to decipher the logic that lies behind the creation of this world and, with one small exception, it never uses text in any form to do so. That's the beauty of it, it tells a rich story not by randomly scattering audiologs in the most absurd way possible &#8211; like Bioshock for example, but with its architecture, sounds, details peeking out the cracked walls, etc., and of course puzzles.

Katabasis - Free (PC, Mac)
TFAUNty.jpg

http://www.desura.com/games/katabasis

An exploratory horror game without cheap scares and unnecessary mechanics, which only drive you away from the core of the experience. Even though, there's no typical gameplay, through this journey in search for your lost son, I've never felt bored, not for a second.

Kenshi - Free Demo/ $13 (PC)
pAagQEz.jpg

http://www.lofigames.com/

A mix between RPG and RTS, where you spend your time building up a character and recruiting for a squad that you can individually control, training each member, and you can continue playing as long as any member of your squads survive. You can build your own base, raise an army, join an army, become a trader or whatever you'd like. Currently in early-access on Steam, it's in alpha, but definitely worth playing.

La-Mulana - $15 (PC)
WuAoc4v.jpg

http://store.steampowered.com/app/230700/

A very challenging "Archaeological Ruin Exploration Action Game" held to highest acclaim. Art, music, breadth of content, game length -- La-Mulana gets the highest marks.

Legend of Dungeon - $10 in Beta (PC)
VUnJxz6.jpg

http://robotloveskitty.com/LoD/index.html

A 4 Player Co-op Rogue-Like-like Beat'em'up with Dynamic Lighting on AWESOME Pixel Art by the awesome dev Robot Loves Kitty (Tiny Plumbers). Definitely worth a look if you have a few friends interested as well.

Mayhem Triple - Free (PC)
DEpiDrk.png

http://www.sniperdiplomat.com/?page_id=46

Super awesome sidescrolling action game. The focus on bunnies being the source of all evils takes some getting used to, but tight controls, weapon variation, an overall very fun feeling and it being free make this a game you NEED to check out this month.

Memory of a Broken Dimension - Free Demo build (PC, Mac)
3Pi4KsS.png

Windows version
Mac version

Whoever said this game is melting your brain was right on the mark. This game is... something else entirely. Best to just check out the old build linked above, since its easier to show than to explain this glorious madness.

Monaco - $14,99 (PC)
kcFond3.jpg

http://store.steampowered.com/app/113020/?snr=1_7_15__13

Its an arcade style light stealth game that focusses on the player using the skills of different character classes to successfully infiltrate and escape several locations. Lots of content and replay value.

Music of the Spheres - $4,49 (PC)
GoFL7jG.png

http://www.desura.com/games/music-of-the-spheres

A puzzle game which deserves more than the 7 rating it has currently, where people are being put off by graphics. Once again. RPS said it best: "There&#8217;s a beauty in the apparent simplicity of the design, which like much that is contemplative is far more complex than it first appears. It&#8217;s somehow reassuring to play a puzzle game that is entirely disinclined to frustrate, hoping to create mindful, soothing spaces instead."

Out there somewhere - Free Demo/ $4,99 (PC)
screenshot122.png

http://www.desura.com/games/out-there-somewhere

This is a fast paced puzzle-platformer incorporating many of the design and aesthetics from 16-bit games. It is centered around the use of a teleportation device, that sends you to wherever your bullets hit.

Pioneers - Free Beta (PC, Mac)
105.png

http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=4bf474a9f5cc6cd414be88949c9776b9&topic=25699.0

It's a turn based exploration game with some RPG elements where you lead a party of pioneers each with different professions, skills and attributes. You start out in a town where you first have to assemble your party from the tavern, plan out and buy equipment you need from the supply store and get yourself a ship. Or two. Then by conversing with different people you get quests, which may be to follow the steps of the previous explorers that never came back and find out what happened, find treasures, compose an accurate map, find contact with unknown native tribes and 'export' religion or simply be the first to disover a piece of the world.

Pulse - Free Alpha/$10 for full version on release (PC, Mac, Linux)
ivVAY5KBlPfBf.gif

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/teampixelpi/pulse-reveal-the-world-through-sound

Basically an 3d adventure/platformer that revolves around exploration of the world which you can see by "sound". Anything that makes sound is made visible to you, basically like how echolot would guide you. I am glad they managed to secure their funding via Kickstarter, unique concept.

Remembering - Free (PC)
HNGknJP.jpg

http://www.remembering.nl/

Very radical and minimalistic execution. The visuals are used only as an entry point for what's happening in the sound space. It's interesting how much power those audio samples contain. Pretty cool experience, just be sure to change the controls to mouse only &#8211; forward to LMB and interact to RMB &#8211; it's much better this way.

Rhythm Destruction - $4,99 (PC)
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http://www.desura.com/games/rhythm-destruction

A genre bending rhythm shmup! I didn't know shmups and rhythm games could go well together. Knewing the songs (In the Groove) helps, but the concept mix feels pretty unique overall.

Risk of Rain - Free Demo (PC)
EsDat9F.png

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/riskofrain/risk-of-rain
http://www.indiedb.com/games/risk-of-rain/downloads/risk-of-rain-demo-v101

Sidescrolling Action roguelike with tight controls and Metroidvania style progression. Others might not have been able to warm up to it yet, since there is still some variety missing in the content, but I am very glad to see that it already got funded, because I really like the demo.

Shadow Era - F2P + ingame purchases (everything)
Shadow-Era.jpg

http://www.shadowera.com/content.php

Another TCG game, this one however is financed with in app purchases, unlike Draconian Wars which has no IAP. Its an engaging execution with the major advantage of already releasing expansions/cards. Draconian Wars is way deeper, but Shadow Era still manages to be a fun game in its own right, even though it seems very simple initially. Shadow Era is also probably the better choice for newcomers to the genre.

Shadow Spire - Free Beta (Browser)
directlink_BGnTJneCYAAtt5W.png

http://www.2tonstudios.com/ShadowSpire/Default.html

This is a pretty interesting sidescrolling Action Adventure taking cues from Zelda style puzzles and Diablo style inventory management. Unfortunately, they dont have a download installer and the browser version takes ages to "download". (Ignore the "0%" thing, its still loading)

SoundSelf - Free Prototype (PC, Mac, Linux)
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http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/soundself/soundself

SoundSelf is a sensual exploration game about the intrinsic pleasure of playing instead of the rewards of winning. You use your voice to explore a hypnotic world of sounds and visuals that feel like they are emerging directly from your body. Each tone will navigate you through strobing tunnels-of-light, impossible shapes, and into a meditative trance.

Souvenir -Free (PC)
screen9.jpg

http://souvenirgame.com/

Souvenir is about growing up and leaving home. The disorientation of becoming an adult is reflected in the surreal M.C. Escher-inspired world with multiple gravities. As the player delves into the fragmented world of her childhood memories, she chooses certain "souvenirs" to take with her to adulthood, to form the narrative of her coming of age.

The Aurora Wager - Free (Win, Mac, Linux)
the_aurora_wager_1-1024x576.png

http://7drl.org/2013/03/17/the-aurora-wage-success/

Entry for the 7DRL, where the devs didnt go for a literal roguelike concept, but instead were inspired by the rough and solitary nature of these games as the concept for their game. Its a small exploratory game where the player embarks on an completely unknown adventure.

TowerClimb - $5 in Beta (PC)
ss13.png

http://www.davioware.com/towerclimb

Instead of digging down, this game makes you climb up. The procedurally generated levels offer a bigger challenge than what a simple screenshot might show off at first. Climbing is VERY satisfying and managing your potions and skills will need some training. Really, really fun game. 50% off in Beta.

Xing - Free Demo/$15 for full version on release (PC)
capture11.jpg

http://xingthegame.com/demo.html

Absolutely amazing atmosphere. This is a contemplative journey through the afterlife, incorporating puzzle design akin to the Zelda series, with emphasis on environment like Dear Esther and Myst. The story of XING is told through gameplay and poetry. There is no dialog, no subtitles, only elegant poetry and cryptic messages etched into stone monuments.
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
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| 7. Upcoming Indies! (Not yet released) |
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A.N.N.E - PC
ANNE_gamesbymo_02.JPG

http://www.gamesbymo.com/p/games.html

I just spotted this game on Rock Paper Shotgun. It is described as "Metroidvania meets Gradius". It seems like they've sprinkled some Twisted Planet over it as well.

Assault Android Cactus - PC,Mac,Linux
assaultandroidcactus_03.png

http://www.assaultandroidcactus.com/

A very stylish coop arena shooter made by another Gaffer. Check out the announcement trailer at the link.

Axiom Verge - PC, 360
OWkeVkg.png

http://www.axiomverge.com/

It&#8217;s a metroidvania inspired by the likes of Cave Story, Contra, Blaster Master, Rygar and plenty more. On top of old school gameplay, this game also seems to have some pretty interesting fresh ideas as well. Hyped for this.

Businessman - ?
758245653.png

https://twitter.com/_Teejay5

Stealth Action game very early in development, but on my radar due to the awesome art design. Very low profile yet, so not many information other than the occasional pic on Twitter.

Citizens of the Earth - PC
MountPomPom-980x400.png

http://edenindustries.ca/blog/?page_id=233

The games basic premise sounds interesting, although it definitely is not garuanteeed to be a good game yet. Its a real World RPG where you are the Vide president of the earth and recruit normal people to fight.

Cradle - PC
jukR4E6LVgsVq.jpg

http://flying-cafe.com/en/#/main/

Cradle is woven with mystery, and with more of an interest in allowing the player to find character through exploration. Assembling the mechanical female part by part requires a trade off by means of you investigating the details of the Mongolian hills, which isolate you from just about everything except nature itself.

Dog Sled Saga - ?
twitpic_cfp9md.gif

http://www.dogsledsaga.com/

I really like the pixel graphics of this project, even though I dont know hardly anything about it. Apparently you need to race other teams, upgrade your sled and take care of your dogs to climb up the rankings. Considering that its going to be my first Dog Sled Racing game, I am actually interested.

Dusty Revenge - PC
directlink_BGlSo-JCAAAbt6G.jpg

http://dustyrevenge.com/

Sidescrolling Brawler with SICK art, also on Greenlight. Link on their website.

Dying Sun - PC
Screenshot20.png

http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=32302.0

Dying Sun is a Real-Time Survival game with permadeath, organic gameplay systems and life experience engine that compliment a pseudo-RTS framework with unforgiving, precision combat.

Exil - PC
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http://www.froyok.fr/exil.html

Third person fantasy parkour, with strong emphasis on vertical exploration. It looks like it has been heavy inspired by Shadow of the Colossus - in my opinion that's a good thing, right.

Extrasolar - PC
gvch.jpg

http://www.lazy8studios.com/

Discovering and traversing the worlds outside of our solar system by the makers of Cogs.

Ghost of a Tale - PC
kq6cTLK.jpg

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ghost-of-a-tale

Basically a 3D action adventure game starring a mouse fighting against undead rats. Watch the trailer, this looks seriously cool. Too bad the first game wont be all that big, since the dev is operating on a rather tight budget so far, but this is super charming. Indiegogo campaign currently, still needs support: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ghost-of-a-tale

Glorious: Companions - PC
BIVk5S5CQAA84Fo.png:large

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BIVk5S5CQAA84Fo.png:large

Turn-based multiplayer strategy game - unique story for each of 9 factions, items customization, tons of equipment, improving skills.

Gunpoint - PC
i7bJwbS.jpg

http://www.gunpointgame.com/

Gunpoint is coming to Steam soon. You play a freelance spy, your clients hire you to break into high security buildings and steal sensitive data.

Icefishing V - PC
8587517DB59D2D0412806C2959EB91BFE3EFCF69

http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=28630.0

It's an exploratory experience through the abstract sound driven world - according to dev it sounds like Aphex Twin, Oval, Merzbow etc. You may find similarities to games such as FRACT for example, but there're no artificial puzzles and other annoying fillers, just interaction with the surroundings - more like sound oriented Memory of a Broken Dimension.

Kitbash - PC, Mac, Linux
BHufHtKCAAA7YO1.jpg:large

www.devtactics.com

A turn-based squad game. X-COM meets Firefly, with a smattering of Paranoia (the RPG), Moon (the movie) and Sudoku (the logic puzzle) about assembling a crew of jumpsuit-wearin&#8217; space professionals with trust issues.

Krautscape - PC, Mac
krautscape_4-689-1689-FIT.jpg

http://www.mariov.ch/portfolio/project/krautscape

Racing game, where the currently leading player builds the track during the race. The track, as the most important part of any racing game, emerges dynamically during gameplay.

Loot Legends - PC
BIN6nhSCQAIgJum.png:large

https://twitter.com/ausroachman

Think of Super Mario Bros 2 with some RPG elements thrown in to the mix, by fellow Gaffer AusRoachman. Pixel Plunderers or Dungeon Bludgeon sound better, though.

Maia - PC
file.php

http://www.maiagame.com/

Ambitious space colony simulator where you manage and build a prospering community set in the dangerous ecosystem.

Miegakure - PC, Mac, Linux
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http://marctenbosch.com/miegakure/

Miegakure is a platform game where you navigate the fourth dimension to perform miraculous feats and solve puzzles.

NaissanceE - PC
NaissanceE_Screenshot_04.jpg

http://www.moddb.com/games/naissancee

WOW! This video made my day - the sense of scale is absolutely amazing.

Path of Shadows - PC
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https://twitter.com/xDavidLeon

Stealth game inspired by Tenchu, where you can manipulate shadows to reach your goals.

Rex Rocket - PC
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https://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/assets/000/507/150/3e35540c7ffe887489cc21935878973c_large.png?1365642656

Inspired by the retro glory days of 8-bit games, Rex Rocket is a traditional 2D platformer brought into the 21st century. Paying tribute to classic NES platformers like Mario, Mega Man, and Metroid, old-school platformer fans will find Rex Rocket a breath of fresh air. Kickstarter still in need of support.

Rogue Legacy - PC
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http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=136969358

2D procedurally generated action-platformer. Every time you die, you play as the next generation of your children who have specific disabilities like color blindness, dyslexia, gigantism, near-sightedness and irritable bowels. I shit you not.

Sarcia - PC
jB86MKkeUMapi_e.jpg

http://www.sarcia.net/

SARCIA is a music-heavy adventure game set in a mysterious land. You play as a creature that has just awakened here and is learning to communicate with the other denizens. Suuuper interested in that game.

Solstice - PC
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http://moacube.com/games/solstice/

Mystery fairy tale about consequences of your choices with two protagonists at you disposal, each one having different goals.

Soundodger - PC, Mac, Browser
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http://www.soundodger.com/

It's a rhythm game that plays like a bullet hell shooter, with original music and choreography. Music and gameplay sync up to create something that looks really cool. Out soon-ish.

Sprout - PC
xQGuT2U.gif

http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=32712.0

Taking place in a far distant future in which all life is gone, the player takes on the role of the living and literal embodiment of Hope, bringing life and color back to the planet while defeating enemies.

Stasis - PC
jHNbtxPdKRqeR.jpg

LINK

STASIS is a classic adventure game through and through with puzzles and inventory sorting, though it&#8217;s realized from an isometric viewpoint and teases a horror theme.

Storyteller - PC, Mac and iOS
storyteller_6.png

http://www.storyteller-game.com/p/about-storyteller.html

Omg, storyteller is going to be an amazing little puzzle game. They already got a Steam distribution deal too, so I am not worried about it not getting any exposure, but damn you really should check out the trailer on the website. It basically revolves around influencing miniature stories by using/arranging characters and elements to result in different endings.

Sully, a Very serious RPG - PC, Mac, Linux and PS Vita
widescreen-glamor-shot.png

http://breadbros.com/sully/

Lighthearted RPG romp. Although the trailer is way too over the top, the battle sprites look really great. I am somewhat interesting in whether this game manages to have some decent standards. Supposed to come out this summer, definitely on my radar.

SUPER Witch Hunter Pro - PC
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http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=31136

A single screen arcade game project themed around preemptive witch hunting.

TBRS - Browser
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http://danielorellana.ca/filter/games/TBRS

Part bullet hell, part music game! Play as a Trip, a bounty hunter as he fights a one on one duel against interstellar criminals.

The Last Crown: Haunting of Hallowed Isle - PC
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http://www.thelastcrown.com/

Sequel to the 2007 ghost hunting Point n Click.

The Mims: Beginning - PC, Mac
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http://www.mimsthegame.com/

Lead your minions in search for their new home in this alien colonization sim.

The Realm - PC, Mac, Linux, Tablets
idTQPT4ZDReXT.gif

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/995134339/the-realm-game

Point and click adventure game with insanely gorgeous art

The Swapper - PC
jboDXssr9odjlN.jpg

http://facepalmgames.com/the-swapper/

The Swapper is an atmospheric 2D puzzle platformer, constructed using clay models and other everyday materials for a uniquely detailed look and feel.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter - PC
TVoEC_reveal_screenshot.jpg

http://www.theastronauts.com/2013/02/the-vanishing-of-ethan-carter/

By ex-People Can Fly devs: As a detective with the supernatural ability to visualize scenes of lethal crimes, you investigate the kidnapping of a young boy, hoping to save him before it&#8217;s too late.

The Yawhg - ?
mapsmall.png

http://damiansgames.com/post/22077553467/theyawhg

In the game you play as a citizen living out your life while the threat of the horrible, mysterious Yawhg slowly approaches. Magical oddities, secret ruins and other weirdness can all be discovered while spending your time in the village, and when the Yawhg comes, what will you do to survive?

Traversia - ?
OBHguZm.png

http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=30360.0

Metroidvania ''with a heavy focus on exploration, ambiance, and atmosphere. You play as an older man who's on a "space vacation," when his ship malfunctions and crash lands on an uncharted planet, scattering the parts across it.

Valence - ?
directlink_BGo5LBJCYAA7WOn.png

http://valencegame.tumblr.com/

Valence is a roguelike platformer with randomly generated elements and a strong focus on stackable upgrades.

Wander - PC, Mac, Linux
wander.jpg

http://www.wanderthegame.com/

Life begins as a tree. As you explore, you begin to discover others in the the sprawling rainforest. Working together, you unlock new experiences, piece together the plot and enjoy the varied beauty that Wander has to offer. Check the trailer on the website.
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| 8. Screenshot Saturday |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These are in progress screenshots by small and sometimes not so small developers. They give a great insight into what smaller stuff is cooking in the scene currently. Click the links for more games and further links to the devs.

27/04/13:

 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
Edit --
What platformers are out this month. I really like what indies are doing in that space

Games that release in may will be in the june thread.. if people post about it here.
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
Freedom Fall isn't a rhythm game... Looking at the URL, methinks your URL tag broke :V

Yep, tag broken. Correcting it now, let me know if you find any other issues.

Edit, correct version:

Freedom Fall - $6,99 (PC)
zxoGLIW.png

http://www.desura.com/games/freedom-fall

Unfortunately, its a tad expensive for a non-demo game, but the 2 people who actually tried this downward action platformer so far liked it. Very polished, interesting narrative and great controls. Planned leaderboards soon, highly recommended.

From Pulse - $2,99 (PC)
Q5wxx55.jpg

http://www.desura.com/games/frompulse

Inexpensive (3 bucks?) rhythm game. This game has a neat art style, an interestingly told story, good music (a rhythm game with good music, hooray!), a good amount of polish, a free soundtrack with the purchase of the game and I overall really enjoyed the game. Only issue: Its was over way too soon.
 
Goddamn at this month. Nice work Toma

I was trying to go no games for a few month, bu the indie deluge of 2013 is too good. I've limited myself to about 15 a month for games for a bit, that way I can catch up, and jump in on some new stuff.

I'm playing monaco right now myself. I really like it, especially the comraderie of it.

I also have fez untouched on my xbox, I should dive into that this month, and a bunch of the free ones here.

And I may go try castle doctrine from last month, because the concept is just so cool.
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
And I may go try castle doctrine from last month, because the concept is just so cool.
If you have any interest in Castle Doctrine, make sure to grab it for 50% during the Beta. I really like it and its a damn cool concept, but I'd have a bit of a hard time justifying full price ($16) for it.
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
And for the new thread as well since the bundle is so crazy good:
http://www.indieroyale.com/
What the eff.

- Back to the Future alone is worth way more than the asking price.
- Pid + Cargo Commander + Dungeon Hearts are worth the 4&#8364; on their own. In fact I bought the bundle for those, as I already had BttF. I've only tried Dungeon Hearts out of these; in fact I came into this thread to post that I've been playing it for two hours straight just now, and it's quite addicting.
- More stuff on top of this? Crazy!

Best non-Humble Bundle ever?

Oh my gooooooood, the current Indie Royal Bundle now also contains Micron and The Sea will claim everything for now &#8364;4,30! :-ooooooo
 

Hofmann

Member
Thanks Toma for the hardwork you put into this, much appreciated. It's even better than the first thread - we need a least ten votes this time.
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
Thanks Toma for the hardwork you put into this, much appreciated. It's even better than the first thread - we need a least ten votes this time.
I'll also probably include an at least 3 games rule to avoid drive by posts from people who didnt try other games. Sucks for the ones tat tried more, but only like one, but it feels a bit needed.
 
I scroll down and read about several interesting looking games and I scroll down and there are more interesting looking games there and I scroll down and there are even more interesting looking games and I love you Toma and I scroll down and there are still more interesting looking games there.

And I'm not even done with Super House of Dead Ninjas yet because that game is too awesome.
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
Still hoping to get Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 4 released at the end of May.

We should have a firm release date set at the end of this week.
Feel free to throw a post in here on release so that I dont forget to add it to the june thread.
 

El Sloth

Banned
Whoa, this thread is awesome. Thanks for all the info, Toma! It's really hard trying to find a place where you can keep up with the glut of indie games out there, so this thread is super convenient.
 
I had no idea Eador had been released! Any thoughts from folks who have played it? Does the genre mashing work here, or is it a little too jumbled? That's my fear, that it's trying to be too many things.
 

gabbo

Member
A good month to my birthday fall in it seems. So many good indies, of which I've actually already played a few.
I want to give Aurora another go, and see if I can 'win' the wager. I failed, seemingly out of the blue last time.
 

Nillansan

Member
2. Super House of Dead Ninjas (7 votes) - Free Browser version/ $6,99 (PC, Browser)

http://store.steampowered.com/app/224820/
A roguelike-like with absurdly fast-paced ninja platforming action. The beautiful daughter of Shinobi and Spelunky, it plays even faster than any of them. Travel down the 250 levels of a tower, armed with your katana and a supply of shuriken that you can reuse if you pick them off walls or dead enemies.

Fixed that for you ;)

I am very pleased to see that SHoDN made it into the top 3.
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
Hofmann sponsored a few more games to the gift pile, thanks! ;)
 

Pepboy

Member
Yay! Each month feels like Christmas morning thanks to this thread. New, interesting games that I hadn't heard of and excited to try. Thanks Toma!
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
Yay! Each month feels like Christmas morning thanks to this thread. New, interesting games that I hadn't heard of and excited to try. Thanks Toma!

Thanks, but a big thanks also goes out to the community carrying and collecting all these games here, since I cant possible check/choose them all myself for these threads.
 

Kiriku

SWEDISH PERFECTION
I guess this is a good thread to mention that Residue is being released for PC on May 6: http://www.desura.com/games/residue

It's being released on Desura, more places later, price is &#8364;4.99/$5.99/£3.99.
A demo version is also available through Desura.

It's a 2d platformer/adventure with a focus on story, and takes place around the dried out Aral Sea in Uzbekistan.



And to make things clear, I'm the sound designer for Residue. We've been working on the game on and off for a long time (since 2009, I think). Feels good to finally release it.
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
I guess this is a good thread to mention that Residue is being released for PC on May 6: http://www.desura.com/games/residue

(Through Desura, more places later, price is €4.99/$5.99/£3.99)

It's a 2d platformer/adventure with a focus on story, and takes place around the dried out Aral Sea in Uzbekistan.




And to make things clear, I'm the sound designer for Residue. We've been working on the game on and off for a long time (since 2009, I think). Feels good to finally release it.

Congrats, I hope someone manages to check it out :) I guess you wont release a demo?
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
Thanks! A demo has been out for quite some time actually (available through Desura).

Ah, thanks. You should add that to your posts when mentioning the game ;) Will check out the demo!
 

Gilby

Member
Wait, are we voting for best of April in this thread too? Because I definitely want to throw my vote for SSP as #1. I haven't gotten around to Monaco yet.
 

Toma

Let me show you through these halls, my friend, where treasures of indie gaming await...
Wait, are we voting for best of April in this thread too? Because I definitely want to throw my vote for SSP as #1. I haven't gotten around to Monaco yet.

Best of April is over, we'll vote on the may games at the end of may.
(What is SSP? If its a game that wasnt included in any of the threads yet, we might put it up for a future month)
 
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