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More_Badass · Mar 17, 2017

Mobile has always been a great place to get good indie games on a regular basis, but 2017 has been a steady stream of quality games, both exclusive and ports. This week especially has been the focus of a major indie promotion on the App Store, with a new game coming every day and sales on popular and critically acclaimed titles.

Along with the games listed, Sunless Sea is coming to iPad next week, and games like detective noir co-op interactive fiction Antioch, far future roguelike Caves of Qud, Amanita Design's next point-n-click Chuchel, and popular tactical card game Duelyst, among many more, are slated for this year

App Store indie game promo:
Mushroom 11 - $4.99
Kingdom New Lands - $9.99
Beglitched - $3.99
Euclidean Lands - $2.99 (regular price $4.99)
Ticket To Earth - $3.99 (regular price $6.99)
Oxenfree - $3.99 (regular price $4.99)
Cosmic Express - $4.99
Pavilion - $3.99

Other recent games:
The Warlock of Firetop Mountain - $4.99
Pan-Pan - $3.99
After The End - $3.99
Tavern Guardians - $2.99
A Normal Lost Phone - $2.99
Red's Kingdom - $2.99
Hidden Folks - $3.99
The Binding of Isaac - $14.99

Currently on sale:
Prune - $0.99
Botanicula - $0.99
Sorcery 3 - $0.99
Bicolor - $0.99
Spider: Rite of the Shrouded Moon - $0.99
Road Not Taken - $0.99
The Room 2 - $0.99
Crashlands - $1.99

LogicStep · Mar 17, 2017

No Android love?

More_Badass · Mar 17, 2017

LogicStep said:
No Android love?

Not very knowledgeable about Android, and focusing on iOS because Apple's currently doing its indie game promo

epmode · Mar 17, 2017

Soooo where's that VA-11 Hall-A iPad port? It was supposed to come out last year!

Saucycarpdog · Mar 17, 2017

Surprised the indie promotion hasn't got more coverage on media sites. A new, mainly premium, game everyday for 12 days straight is something that should please those that say mobile is nothing but F2P.

Pachimari · Mar 17, 2017

epmode said:
Soooo where's that VA-11 Hall-A iPad port? It was supposed to come out last year!

Wait, this is getting an iPad version? If so, damn I'm excited about that one, even though I got the Steam one.

Also adding to the fine list in the OP, Death Road to Canada is coming to iOS next week. And Card Thief is hitting within the next three days.

Vic_Viper · Mar 17, 2017

Been looking for a good iOS game to play after getting a new iPhone.

Are there any good new rougelikes out or anything similar to stardew valley?

epmode · Mar 17, 2017

Pachimari said:
Wait, this is getting an iPad version? If so, damn I'm excited about that one, even though I got the Steam one.

Yeah, I have it on PC too. Seems made for a tablet though so I've held off.

The dev's site says the Vita and iPad ports are due by the end of 2016 and I haven't heard anything since.

RelentlessRolento · Mar 17, 2017

I wanna play Beglitched but am on android only currently

Falk · Mar 17, 2017

It's a bad time to get into Granblue though since the 3rd anniversary pulls

where you get nothing anyway

just concluded.

More_Badass · Mar 17, 2017

Impressions of some of the listed games

Beglitched

More_Badass said:
This is pretty good so far. Part Minesweeper, part 868-Hack, part Puzzle Quest

Mushroom 11

More_Badass said:
Out of the ones so far, Mushroom 11 is fantastic. One of the most unique indie games of 2015, and it plays like a dream on touch

After The End

More_Badass said:
After The End is excellent. A single level can range from 5 to 15+ minutes. It's a little bit Journey, a little Poco Eco, a little Monument Valley

awp69 said:
Wow. How far is anyone else that's playing After the End? I'm on Episode 9 after spending an hour and a half on Episode 7. What an absolutely brilliant game!

The use of perspective, emotional story and action oriented puzzles is phenomenal. The boss battle at the end of E7 nearly killed me a bit finger wise but it's so well done.

I actually think this may be in my top iOS games of all time and most definitely a GoTY contender.

Kingdom New Lands

Pachimari said:
I'm really happy I bought Kingdom: New Lands though. I'm on Day 19 and noticed I got a knight but I don't know if I got him because I put up two shields on the building in the middle. And I have no idea how to get coins now, and I am badly in need of it so I can reinforce my defenses. I were out in the woods and exploring by the water at night and comes back to a stonewall broken and only one archer instead of three of them in my watchtower.

Oh, and did I tell you how beautiful this game is? Guess I'm okay with pixelart, just thought I had fatigue.

Cosmic Express

More_Badass said:
Cosmic Express is pretty fantastic. A Good Snowman Is Hard To Build shined through its clever level design and air-tight rules/mechanics, and Cosmic Express is brilliant in the same way. With just a few elements - the placement of tiles, the location of entrances and exits, how many passenger sections you have - the game crafts varied puzzles that ask you to think and plan carefully. Some stages have multiple solutions, and you're incentivized to solve them not for stars or move pars, but because doing so unlocks new levels on the map.

Not only is the gameplay satisfying and challenging, the game feels very polished, from the vibrant easy-to-read aesthetic and the simple responsive controls

Between Cosmic Express and Ticket To Earth, this has been a good week of puzzlers

Pachimari said:
This game seems to be very well polished and it's stylish to look at for one. It might look simple but it quickly becomes convoluted and you will need to think ahead in how you plan your route to pick up each passenger and get them to their destination. I'm only at level 9 in the first galaxy but I'm already scratching my head. I suck at puzzles.

Ticket To Earth

More_Badass said:
Ticket To Earth is really good. It's SRPG first, puzzle game second. I just unlocked the talent tree; this game has an impressive amount of depth. I only have one character so far, so the strategy and complexity is only going to increase when you have control of multiple characters, plus their abilities and talents

bonesquad said:
After playing about an hour the game is as good as advertised. The SRPG plus Dungeon Raid combo is really cool. My biggest criticism is the dialog (motherfleckers? Really?).

PittaGAF said:
I don't know of to say it nor how you will you cope with your time and wallet....but feel free to simply add Ticket to Earth on your most wanted list.

I'm super impressed.

A blend between Banner Saga, Steamwolrd Heist, Puzzle Quest and Dungeon Raid.
Yet, it feels really fresh and damn, it's SUPER polished.
The tutorial takes its time but when it opens up...woah, it really opens up.
So many choices, including during the fights, interesting story set in a credible world.
iCloud sync the icing on the cake.
Also, a big plus, fights while being pretty strategic doesn't seem (so far) to take ages....on the contrary everything is kept pretty compact for perfect playing on the go....unless like me you played one hour straight in the blink of an eye.

Definitely GLORIOUS so far.

Lostconfused · Mar 17, 2017

Falk said:
It's a bad time to get into Granblue though since the 3rd anniversary pulls

where you get nothing anyway

just concluded.

Better time than a year ago now that things are easier and you get more stuff.

TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared · Mar 17, 2017

I'll give Mario Run a proper try when it eventually goes on sale.

More_Badass · Mar 17, 2017

TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared said:
I'll give Mario Run a proper try when it eventually goes on sale.

Why Mario Run? It's a decent game, but not anything special or unique in any way

sd28821 · Mar 17, 2017

Lostconfused said:
Better time than a year ago now that things are easier and you get more stuff.

yeah but now you have to go rainbow so you can grind your grid so you can grind your other grid so you can actually do something during guildwars etc.

jon bones · Mar 17, 2017

I wish I had waited to play Oxenfree - would be perfect on a phone with headphones in bed at night.

Switch has taken all my steam away from the monthly iOS threads though... sadly.

Saucycarpdog · Mar 17, 2017

Tron#1 said:
Switch got me covered.

Didn't know you could only have one device to play games 😉

awp69 · Mar 17, 2017

Nice thread MB. Yep, there's plenty of great stuff on mobile these days.

SatoAilDarko · Mar 17, 2017

LogicStep said:
No Android love?

Humble Bundle alone makes gaming on Android amazing.

They regularly do so many bundles that basically every other week you spend and buck and get three games.

I have over 200 games.

awp69 · Mar 17, 2017

LogicStep said:
No Android love?

Mushroom 11, Kingdom New Lands and Pavilion are all on Android. Can't link to them right now, sorry.

protonium · Mar 17, 2017

Remembrance · Mar 17, 2017

I have had Pavilion on my Steam wishlist since it released there last year, but I have not seen a single person talk about playing it on Steam. Worse, even the positive reviews on Steam are ambivalent or unenthusiastic.

So, please, spoil as needed to explain the virtues of this game (other than "eye candy"). Or is there even anything to spoil?

TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared · Mar 17, 2017

More_Badass said:
Why Mario Run? It's a decent game, but not anything special or unique in any way

Just cos its Mario? I assume there's a base of quality there no matter what.

Conkerkid11 · Mar 18, 2017

LogicStep said:
No Android love?

The Android gaming OT is also lacking anywhere near as much traffic as the iOS one. Guess that's the way it goes. Kind of surprised though. Thought GAF would be more into Android. There's pretty big OTs for pretty much every flagship Android release.

More_Badass · Mar 18, 2017

TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared said:
Just cos its Mario? I assume there's a base of quality there no matter what.

I mean, it controls nicely and the level design is good, but overall, it's a game that has been done before and better (ie Lost Socks, Rayman, etc)

7DollarHagane · Mar 18, 2017

I always feel like I have too many distractions on my phone to play games on it. Forums to read, twitter to read, giantbomb vids to catch up on, YouTube subscriptions coming in, etc.

I buy a few games now and then but they just seem to get played once or twice and forgotten about.

The Gorby Congressmanz · Mar 18, 2017

Not to big on indies. Right now duel links is the only game I've found to be fun on mobile. The endless runners are all the same, and fighting games on a touch screen don't work unless I'm using fba for mvs.c

More_Badass · Mar 18, 2017

TheGorby said:
Not to big on indies. Right now duel links is the only game I've found to be fun on mobile. The endless runners are all the same, and fighting games on a touch screen don't work unless I'm using fba for mvs.c

What do runners and fighters have to do with the games listed here?

Mushroom 11, Ticket To Earth, and Cosmic Express are my favorites this week so far. Card Thief is coming soon, that'll be worth watching out for

whitehawk · Mar 18, 2017

Roller coaster tycoon classic. All you need.

The Gorby Congressmanz · Mar 18, 2017

More_Badass said:
What do runners and fighters have to do with the games listed here?

Mushroom 11, Ticket To Earth, and Cosmic Express are my favorites this week so far. Card Thief is coming soon, that'll be worth watching out for

The first sentence.

But if you highly recommend these indies I will give some a shot.

DirtyLarry · Mar 18, 2017

Any of the games on this list only utilize just a One Press Mechanic? Meaning I prefer mobile games like Time Surfer, Jetpack Joyride, Alone, Alto etc. The only game I could get into with 2 "buttons" or a virtual joystick is Downwell & Pinball games.

More_Badass · Mar 18, 2017

DirtyLarry said:
Any of the games on this list only utilize just a One Press Mechanic? Meaning I prefer mobile games like Time Surfer, Jetpack Joyride, Alone, Alto etc. The only game I could get into with 2 "buttons" or a virtual joystick is Downwell & Pinball games.

Pretty much all of them are one finger/touch/swipe/etc. Only ones that really need another finger are After The End, Binding of Isaac, The Room, and Crashlands

sheaaaa · Mar 18, 2017

More_Badass said:
I mean, it controls nicely and the level design is good, but overall, it's a game that has been done before and better (ie Lost Socks, Rayman, etc)

Those games don't hold a candle to Super Mario Run IMO, and I've only played the first world of Mario.

awp69 · Mar 18, 2017

sheaaaa said:
Those games don't hold a candle to Super Mario Run IMO, and I've only played the first world of Mario.

Have you actually played Lost Socks? It's probably one of my favorite platformers on any platform in the last decade.

More_Badass · Mar 18, 2017

Death Road To Canada is coming out on the 22nd. Initial price will be $7.99, and then go up a dollar in price with each major update like Wayward Souls

Sunless Sea is releasing on the 23rd

DirtyLarry · Mar 18, 2017

More_Badass said:
Pretty much all of them are one finger/touch/swipe/etc. Only ones that really need another finger are After The End, Binding of Isaac, The Room, and Crashlands

Thanks but I think I did not explain myself fully. I am not really into swiping as a mechanic either. I just like "one button" mechanic games like I shared. Mario Run is a good example of what I do like. Rayman too. Tiny Wings. Games with simpler mechanics like that are what I believe works best on mobile and what I enjoy.

awp69 said:
Have you actually played Lost Socks? It's probably one of my favorite platformers on any platform in the last decade.

Hmmm, I may need to check this game out. That's what I was referring too I think.

ViolentP · Mar 18, 2017

Binding of Isaac on a touchscreen sounds like a hell catered just for me.

outunderthestars · Mar 18, 2017

Life of an Android device owner:

"Oh that game looks awesome, I wonder if they have an adroid version?"

googles game

"Our game is available on Steam, iOS, Apple TV, Linux, toasters, the Microsoft Kin, AOL, and Android (in the future but not really)

Clunker · Mar 18, 2017

Ticket to Earth makes a stunningly great first impression. I'm glad that I wasn't the only person to think of Dungeon Raid; I lost hours upon hours on that one, and this feels super-polished and engaging. Can't wait to get a second party member.

And Oxenfree for $4 is criminally low. Double-dipped in an instant.

Thanks for the heads up since the OT thread is bound to get skipped over.

CheesecakeRecipe · Mar 18, 2017

outunderthestars said:
Life of an Android device owner:

"Oh that game looks awesome, I wonder if they have an adroid version?"

googles game

"Our game is available on Steam, iOS, Apple TV, Linux, toasters, the Microsoft Kin, AOL, and Android (in the future but not really)

If they even acknowledge Android as a possibility. Many times, I'll have to dig through a dev's twitter feed to find if they've even mentioned wanting to do it or not. Applies for apps, too. Development does take time! But, you're really doing a disservice to Android users by taking anywhere from 1-3 years to port your game/app over.

Anyways, don't mean to derail when the topic is iOS-centric, sorry!

Shizuka · Mar 18, 2017

I wish there were more visual novels on the platform. Other than a few noteworthy ones like Steins;Gate and Banshee's Last Cry, there aren't a lot left. Maybe Fragment's Note.

nynt9 · Mar 18, 2017

Shizuka said:
I wish there were more visual novels on the platform. Other than a few noteworthy ones like Steins;Gate and Banshee's Last Cry, there aren't a lot left. Maybe Fragment's Note.

Higurashi too! Also there are few more, but you're right. The platform is great for it. There are a lot of western "choose your own adventure" style VNs though.

Zeus The Dino · Mar 18, 2017

Thank god my jailbreak can get me all of these for free

heringer · Mar 18, 2017

More_Badass said:
I mean, it controls nicely and the level design is good, but overall, it's a game that has been done before and better (ie Lost Socks, Rayman, etc)

I beg to differ.

Zeus The Dino said:
Thank god my jailbreak can get me all of these for free

Wow.

JJH · Mar 18, 2017

I'm glad a Mod made this thread, because if it was any other person without a red name it'd be a shit show. Anyways; this weeks indie showcase on the App Store has a lot of great titles that work well with touch screen controls. I probably game more on my iPhone than my three consoles combined.

More_Badass · Mar 18, 2017

JJH said:
I'm glad a Mod made this thread, because if it was any other person without a red name it'd be a shit show. Anyways; this weeks indie showcase on the App Store has a lot of great titles that work well with touch screen controls. I probably game more on my iPhone than my three consoles combined.

Actually mobile game discussion has improved substantially over the last year or so. Go into a recent thread where someone is asking for recommendations, and people actually give decent recommendations instead of the old "mobile aint real games" stuff

Sorcerer Supreme · Mar 18, 2017

Zeus The Dino said:
Thank god my jailbreak can get me all of these for free

bruh

CheesecakeRecipe · Mar 18, 2017

Zeus The Dino said:
Thank god my jailbreak can get me all of these for free

👀

Vorg · Mar 18, 2017

Zeus The Dino said:
Thank god my jailbreak can get me all of these for free

Huh...

tim.mbp · Mar 18, 2017

Any differences between the mobile and PC version of Cosmic Express? It looks pretty great, reminds me of Mario vs Donkey Kong with laying out tracks.

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