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[Nabs]

Hi!

If anyone wants to try the shiny, brand new Rise & Shine press demo, hit me up with a PM to send you a download link. I've got more or less 10 copies to give away, but that number can vary. First come, first served!
It's PC only and you'll need a controller in order to play it properly.

New trailer just released yesterday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQN-f9Isi9s

Beautiful game. The floaty-bullet type was pretty cool, and I enjoyed the puzzles that used it. I can't wait to see what other types come into play later in the game.

The game's also hilariously violent. I blew this grunts head off, walked back to grab a chest, and his eyes rolled down the hill towards me. I didn't see that coming.

 

[Moobabe]

Hi!

If anyone wants to try the shiny, brand new Rise & Shine press demo, hit me up with a PM to send you a download link. I've got more or less 10 copies to give away, but that number can vary. First come, first served!
It's PC only and you'll need a controller in order to play it properly.

New trailer just released yesterday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQN-f9Isi9s

This looks great! Very impressive stuff.

As for KR0 goes I would thoroughly recommend it. I played through Acts 1 and 2 back to back but the wait for 3 was bad, then, as far as I understand it, the wait for episode 4 has been even worse.

I've put it on the back burner until episode 4 comes out and I'll start over from the beginning.

 

[PandaPedinte]

Beautiful game. The floaty-bullet type was pretty cool, and I enjoyed the puzzles that used it. I can't wait to see what other types come into play later in the game.

The game's also hilariously violent. I blew this grunts head off, walked back to grab a chest, and his eyes rolled down the hill towards me. I didn't see that coming.

I can say neither the grunt saw that coming.

 

[SuperMega]

@nabs Thanks for the comments! Glad you enjoyed the demo

 

[One Foul Note]

Hi!

If anyone wants to try the shiny, brand new Rise & Shine press demo, hit me up with a PM to send you a download link. I've got more or less 10 copies to give away, but that number can vary. First come, first served!
It's PC only and you'll need a controller in order to play it properly.

New trailer just released yesterday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQN-f9Isi9s

Thanks for the demo, very much enjoyed it. If you can keep the challenge variety as diverse and interesting as in the demo then you are on to a winner. My only bit of criticism would be an autofire mode for the pistol might be nice, having to hammer out the bosses health at one click at a time really killed my trigger finger. Especially since it took me a few goes to finally get the hang of fighting it.

 

[More_Badass]

Subscout - PC

http://subscoutgame.com/

You play as a failed explorer who always wanted to explore the depths of the ocean. In a world where no one is interested in the ocean you are the only one who thinks that there is more than just water and a few fish. You decide to scrape together your last money and to buy a boat. Where the ocean is deepest you decide to start your journey.

INT - ????

http://www.int-game.net/

A science-fiction/western themed roguelike RPG set in the year 2249 amidst an interstellar civil war between two rival factions of humanity.

Arakion - PC, Mac, Linux

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

Arakion takes everything that made classic role-playing games like Might & Magic great, then adds an expansive set of new features. Lead your heroes through the breathtaking, desolated world of Arakion. Explore every alcove for the resources you need to customize your characters, build your town, and more. Relive the glory days of role-playing games with this one-of-a-kind experience. Arakion aims to build a beautiful world where you'll get lost in the exploration.

Luisa: The Sorceress Awakens - 2016

http://www.luisagame.com/

Luisa: The Sorceress Awakens is a pixelated, exploration platformer. The game is heavily inspired by NES action adventures

Nova Voyager - PC, Mac, Linux

http://www.novavoyager.com/

Travel among the stars, explore planets and starports, trade and combat in a procedurally generated 1:1 universe with seamless planetary flight.

The Land Of Lamia - $4.99 (PC, Mac, Linux)

http://store.steampowered.com/app/385310/

The Land Of Lamia story revolves around two characters (Lily and Thomas) who you'll be controlling simultaneously with a unique mechanic. Master the controls, look for clues, and unravel the mystery.

Unnamed Game - ????

http://neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=186911903&postcount=150

A non-horror exploration game inspired by legendary science fiction writers like Stanisław Lem and Arthur Clarke

Previously Mentioned

Manifold Garden

Rising Islands

Niffelheim

RedOut

Razed

 

[Toma]

Voting November!

RULES THIS MONTH IN SHORT: Up to 10 games, at least 4.

Why?
Because we want to offer people who first step into the thread an easy go-to list for great games. Plus it gives more attention to the titles that really deserve it.

How?
Everyone votes on his top 10 games out of the ones that already have been released AND are mentioned in the OP (So everything in Post 2). I'll tally the results and put the best 5 in the next thread. A minimum voting count of 4 is required. Feel free to vote for games that you deem "important" or the ones that you enjoyed the most. Since this is a rather communicative thread, feel free to include a short description why these games ended up on your list. Every list entry gets 1 point for the overall ranking.

When?
This thread is still open until the end of the month, so you can drop your list in here whenever you want. You can also change your list up to the last day. I wont start the count before the last day of the month, so everyone has still time to revise their lists and play some games. Speaking of which, if you dont even KNOW 7 games to vote for, there are plenty free games in the OP to check out. Most of which are rather short too. Use the remaining week to catch up with 1 or 2 titles you didnt get around to yet!

Which?
Since the list got rather long, here is the complete list of games to vote for for this month.

5 Seconds of Fire - Free (PC)
Albert & Otto - $4.99 (PC)
Ancestory - $14.99 (PC)
Brigador - $19.99 (PC, Mac, Linux)
Broforce - $14.99 (PC, Mac)
Bulb Boy - $9.99 (PC, Mac)
Castles - $7.99 (PC)
Downwell - $2.99 (IOS, PC)
Eastward, Towards The Violent Light - Free (PC)
Exoplanets - $5, Free demo (PC)
Expand - $5.99 (PC, Mac, Linux)
Galak-Z - $19.99 (PC, Mac, Linux)
Home Free - Late 2016 (PC, Mac, PS4)
Human Resource Machine - $9.99 (PC, Mac)
Kane County - Free (PC, Browser)
Knossu - Free (PC, Mac, Linux)
Masochisia - $7.99 (PC, Mac, Linux)
Morse - Free (Browser)
Mushroom 11 - $14.99 (PC, Mac, Linux)
Paint The Town Red - $9.99 (PC)
Pathologic Classic HD - $12.99 (PC)
Poncho - $14.99 (PC, Mac, Linux)
Prison Architect - $29.99 (PC, Mac, Linux)
Read Only Memories - $14.99USD (PC/MAC/LINUX)
Relive - Free (PC, Mac)
Skyhill - $14.99 (PC, Mac, Linux)
SkyScrappers - $12.99 (PC)
Spellrazor - Free alpha (PC, Mac)
The Admin - Free demo (PC)
The Age of Decadence - $29.99 (PC)
There Was A Caveman - $6.99 (PC)
Void And Meddler - $4.99/$7.99 Season Pass (PC, Mac)
You wake up every morning and see the footsteps - Free (PC, Mac, Linux)

 

[Toma]

OP impressions (Yes, I am back):

5 Seconds of Fire
Extremely simple game without any progress and just 2 mechanics. Moving your character with the keyboard and lighting the way with the mouse. The asynchronous input use is interesting, but far too inconsequential for a prototype game. You barely need the mouse and as such, even the interesting mechanic falls flat in the end.

Albert and Otto
Not a big fan tbh. The episodic format doesnt lend itself very well for a 2 hour platformer, in which a game needs to provide a substantial difficulty curve and enough time left to let the mechanics gel. I also felt it retreads a bit too much of the same ground that other games like Limbo pathed before it and the art style reminiscent of Limbo doesnt help with that feeling either. Its not bad, but fails to carves out its own identity.

Broforce
Broforce just works. An action game with the most cliched and archetypical well known characters, destructible environment, an unhealthy dose of ironic pathos, fun and very tight gameplay and chaos everywhere. Its also currently super cheap in the sale. Highly recommended to pick up if you like 2D Action games.

Downwell

Wins the best Indie Game website of the year award. Seriously, take a look at how they present their game on their website: http://downwellgame.com/.
Doesnt hurt that the game is seriously good either. It has all the bells and whistles you'd expect of an action platformer. Tight gameplay, rewarding upgrades, unlockables, a distinct and very adorable art style and so on and so forth. They also absolutely nailed the learning curve, by allowing players to go slower or gradually switching over to a more frantic high octane gameplay style. Pulling that off feels very rewarding and the game is pretty cheap to get. Broforce is objectively the "better" game with the content and features, but this wins the Toma award for "I just extremely like how this game plays".

Eastward, Towards The Violent Light
Still a prototype. Has some promising aspects, but overall is still far from being recommendable. Tries to mix crafting, combat and exploration with a sidescrolling adventure game. The progression doesnt quite work, the game feels to sluggish, controls are a bit unintuitive, etcetc. Unique art style and genre mix though, so might be worth keeping an eye on.

--------------------------------------------------

Highly Recommended
Broforce
Downwell

Recommended


Not recommended
Albert and Otto
Eastward, Towards The Violent Light

Avoid
5 seconds of fire

 

[tim_pkmn89]

I just recently picked up a PS4. Are there any amazing titles that are notably not available on PC/WiiU/3DS that I should take a look at?

The only must-have PSN game I've heard about is Resogun, which I already have from when I had PS+ for my PS3.

 

[More_Badass]

Unfortunately, Eastward, Towards The Violent Light is only ever going to remain a prototype. The dev stopped working on it and released what he had for people to check out

 

[Toma]

Unfortunately, Eastward, Towards The Violent Light is only ever going to remain a prototype. The dev stopped working on it and released what he had for people to check out

Unfortunate, Downwell was a good find though so far.

 

[Nabs]

I just recently picked up a PS4. Are there any amazing titles that are notably not available on PC/WiiU/3DS that I should take a look at?

The only must-have PSN game I've heard about is Resogun, which I already have from when I had PS+ for my PS3.

N++? People seem to like it. It's eventually coming to Steam, but it's 30% off right now on PSN.

 

[Toma]

I just recently picked up a PS4. Are there any amazing titles that are notably not available on PC/WiiU/3DS that I should take a look at?

The only must-have PSN game I've heard about is Resogun, which I already have from when I had PS+ for my PS3.

Tough question, most Indies are multiplat. I tend to go PS4 with multiplat Indies though, so i could vouch for:
Journey
Flower
Shovel Knight
Guacamelee
Binding of Isaac
FEZ
Towerfall Ascension (Only if you have 2-4 guys over sometimes)
Velocity 2X
Rocket League
Rogue Legacy
Life is Strange (If you like Telltale games)
N++
Transistor
Golf Club
Axiom Verge
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee - New 'n' Tasty
The Swapper
Jamestown+
Dont Starve
Hand of Fate

Those are all very good, but there are likely quite a few more that I havent played yet or forgot to mention.

 

[More_Badass]

Finally picked up Elite, and I'm shocked at how well optimized it is. I thought I would only be able to run it on low settings; the Hardware Detection set it to High and it runs so smoothly

 

[More_Badass]

Will add impressions later

1) Broforce
2) Galak-Z
3) Downwell
4) Mushroom 11
5) Prison Architect
6) Brigador
7) Spellrazor

 

[Toma]

Ancestory

Strategy game with random card draws from a deck. I am still not the biggest fan of the art style, but my biggest issue is that the game is just missing... quite a bit. You dont get a campaign and I am missing at least a "hook" into the world, similar to Hand of Fate does it. The general gameplay is dragged down a lot by some UI issues regarding unit/spell placement/navigation of a 2D plane in 3D behind obstacles. Additionally, its generally too slow, especially if you are waiting for enemy movement and how much time it takes for relatively few strategic decisions.
Speaking of strategic decisions, the game feels too limited overall with most of the creatures and spells mostly focussing on movement and damage. No traps, exotic abilities, and not enough variation overall, which is a huge downer for this type of game. The game has a decent foundation, but would need quite a bit of polish regarding the game speed/length and the actual content. A similar game that pretty much does everything better: Card Hunter (F2P).

Bulb Boy

Beautifully surreal Cute-Horror adventure game with very unique settings and solutions. Highly recommended, unfortunately a bit expensive side for a 3 hour experience. Do grab this once its on sale though.

Human Resource Machine

Lovely programming game, with some added challenges through additional tasks. The biggest plus is its charme and intuitive interface. However, that is also its biggest negative, as the game makes tinkering with the code a bit cumbersome. The programming part is a long list, hard to oversee and annoying to adjust. Its a good game and I still liked it. If you are in need of a new programming game, this serves as a good solution, but due to the mentioned issue, I would put it at the bottom end of my programming list ranking.

Exoplanet
Solid foundation for an action platformer/roguelite but still too unpolished. Repetetive level design, enemy patterns and generally a bit lacking in the controls departmentn. There already is quite a bit of content here for such an early version though, so this might be worth keeping an eye on.

Knossu
That is one trippy game. They sure got the non-euclidean part down, but its not unlikely this game will likely lead to real life head aches and motion sickness instead of providing scares.Neat art style, but couldnt stomach to play for more than 10 minutes.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Highly Recommended
Broforce
Downwell
Bulb Boy

Recommended
Human Resource Machine
Exoplanet

Not recommended
Albert and Otto
Ancestory
Eastward, Towards The Violent Light
Knossu

Avoid
5 seconds of fire

 

[eyeball_kid]

If you mean Rain World, nope. Not out yet.

That's the one. Looks like the release date is still a question mark? One of the indie titles I'm most looking forward to.

 

[More_Badass]

That's the one. Looks like the release date is still a question mark? One of the indie titles I'm most looking forward to.

The devs will be finished all the regions this weekend, so they're definitely in the final stretch. Releasing sometime in 2016, next up is polishing the game, improving the earlier regions, adding the narrative and set pieces, etc.

 

[One Foul Note]

VOTING

1 Broforce
2 Human Resource Machine
3 Mushroom 11
4 Pathologic Classic HD
5 Prison Architect
6 ?
7 ?
8 ?
9 ?
10 ?

I'll try to fill out the final slots asap.

 

[Toma]

It seems I really need to try out Mushroom 11 still.

 

[Toma]

Pathologic HD
One of the most original and engrossing games I ever played. It requires an open mind, the willingness to fully sink into a story and a lot of patience. But if you can dig into this, it will swallow you whole. Its hard to not want to figure out what exactly happened here, even though some elements seem a bit... slow for todays game design standards.
Disclaimer: Didnt play the HD version, but I dont see people having technical issues, so my impressions from the original still should apply.

Prison Architect
One of the best, if not the best Dwarf Fortress style game (outside of Dwarf Fortress). Heavy theme, marvellous execution, interesting dynamics, lots of possibilities. There is so much attention to detail here, that every person who likes these kind of simulation games will love Prison Architect. I also really love the "story" integration, that most similar games are lacking. Unfortunately, the game has a rather high premium price, but its 40% off now in the current Steam sale.

Mushroom 11

Wow, yeah you guys were totally right about this game. Its one of the most original puzzle "platformers" I've played in the past few years. Its a bit unfortunate that there are not that many levels, but that shortcoming is excused as the levels that they have are filled with interesting and unique challenges, quite many of which I didnt see in any other games so far. The games main mechanic is also inherently satisfying and just awesome to play around with. Highly recommended, even if you are a bit jaded of "Puzzle Platformers". Wouldnt hurt to wait for a sale, but definitely put that on your wish list.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Highly Recommended
Prison Architect
Mushroom 11
Broforce
Downwell
Bulb Boy
Pathologic HD


Recommended
Human Resource Machine
Exoplanet

Not recommended
Albert and Otto
Ancestory
Eastward, Towards The Violent Light
Knossu

Avoid
5 seconds of fire

Good month.

 

[epmode]

Pathologic HD
One of the most original and engrossing games I ever played. It requires an open mind, the willingness to fully sink into a story and a lot of patience. But if you can dig into this, it will swallow you whole. Its hard to not want to figure out what exactly happened here, even though some elements seem a bit... slow for todays game design standards.
Disclaimer: Didnt play the HD version, but I dont see people having technical issues, so my impressions from the original still should apply.

Did you play a version with the new translation? Even the developers admit that the original release had a poor English localization.

I'm excited about the upcoming remake too. To anyone interested in Pathologic, I highly recommend reading the Kickstarter updates from Ice Pick Lodge. Really insightful stuff.

 

[Toma]

Did you play a version with the new translation? Even the developers admit that the original release had a poor English localization.

I'm excited about the upcoming remake too. To anyone interested in Pathologic, I highly recommend reading the Kickstarter updates from Ice Pick Lodge. Really insightful stuff.

Pretty sure it was the original one, but back then it hardly mattered to me.

 

[Toma]

Only managed to do one more before the end of the weekend:

Masochisia
Very moody light adventure game dealing with a more... tougher topic than most. However, the way they presented some elements sort of felt like a retread of other games in the Indie genre that had a more focussed approach. Its still good and interesting to experience,but you really need to be in for the experience, instead of the puzzles, environments etc. Although a ton of others mentioned how shocked it left them, I found it rather tame compared to what I was expecting.

Highly Recommended
Prison Architect
Mushroom 11
Broforce
Downwell
Bulb Boy
Pathologic HD

Recommended
Human Resource Machine
Exoplanet
Masochisia

Not recommended
Albert and Otto
Ancestory
Eastward, Towards The Violent Light
Knossu

Avoid
5 seconds of fire

 

[Matt Frost]

There is an upcoming game called Unravel that looks to be epic. Platformer with a knitted hero that uses his ability on a lot of different situations. Coming to PS4 and Steam soon. I. Want. This. Game.

Voting in no particular order (dont know what for or with what purpose hope is for 2015 lol):

Galak-Z
This War of Mine
Environmental Station Alpha
Cryptark
Feist

 

[More_Badass]

If you preordered GRIP, beta keys are going out today

There is an upcoming game called Unravel that looks to be epic. Platformer with a knitted hero that uses his ability on a lot of different situations. Coming to PS4 and Steam soon. I. Want. This. Game.

Voting in no particular order (dont know what for or with what purpose hope is for 2015 lol):

Voting is for the featured games next thread. The possible games are the ones in this thread OP, also listed in Toma's post here

Did you pick up any games in the sale last week?

 

[Matt Frost]

If you preordered GRIP, beta keys are going out today


Voting is for the featured games next thread. The possible games are the ones in this thread OP, also listed in Toma's post here

Did you pick up any games in the sale last week?

Thanks, will keep that in mind

Just BADLAND and Blocks that Matter, they were really cheap. I am too much into the PS4 now, bought Grow Home, and Journey (PS4 black friday sale) and cant wait to play them at home. Looking forward to Home Free and Unravel the most along with Rime and a few others cant remember the name. PS4 is the best unified place to play games. And it has Destiny.

 

[Moobabe]

Thanks, will keep that in mind

Just BADLAND and Blocks that Matter, they were really cheap. I am too much into the PS4 now, bought Grow Home, and Journey (PS4 black friday sale) and cant wait to play them at home. Looking forward to Home Free and Unravel the most along with Rime and a few others cant remember the name. PS4 is the best unified place to play games. And it has Destiny.

Mmmmm... Grow Home.

Also Blocks that Matter was amazingly fun.

 

[Toma]

Last impressions for this month:

Spell Razor

Quite a bit more interesting than it seems, but I dont really want to spoil it as most of my enjoyment came from figuring out how the game works... on more than one level. Lets just say its a free game and an experiment worth experiencing. Free and recommend.

Skyhill

Pretty engaging little crafting roguelike. Its pretty simplistic and probably would be more at home on a mobile platform, but I enjoy my time working down the house, crafting and unlocking more upgrades for future playthroughs. Doesnt hold a candle to most games in the genre, but if you get it super cheap, this is still rather enjoyable.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Highly Recommended
Prison Architect
Mushroom 11
Broforce
Downwell
Bulb Boy
Pathologic HD

Recommended
Human Resource Machine
Skyhill
Spell Razor
Exoplanet
Masochisia

Not recommended
Albert and Otto
Ancestory
Eastward, Towards The Violent Light
Knossu

Avoid
5 seconds of fire

 

[Moobabe]

Man I have played ONE game in the OP... better than the 0 last month though!

I am going to pick up Downwell though, promise!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Pathologic HD. I, like Toma, have not played this version - but it's an HD version of one of the most interesting, unique and deep games I've ever played. It requires a lot of patience and a lot of effort to get started (and throughout) but it really is something special.

If you keep the thread open another day I might be able to squeeze some playtime in tonight - but don't do so on account of me!

 

[Toma]

If you keep the thread open another day I might be able to squeeze some playtime in tonight - but don't do so on account of me!

Will see whether I'll have time for it tonight, but I am really glad I finally got around to finishing thread games once again.

 

[More_Badass]

Has anyone played Renowned Explorers: International Society (from the devs of Reus)? I had kind of lumped it in with Curious Expedition and assumed they were relatively similar, but I was watching some reviews, and it sounds really unique and different. The "combat" is all about manipulating the mood and attitude of your opponents, so you can charm and then deceive, or be friendly with them, or just be an aggressive jerk. Seems quite deep, challenging, and innovative.

 

[Ferrio]

Has anyone played Renowned Explorers: International Society (from the devs of Reus)? I had kind of lumped it in with Curious Expedition and assumed they were relatively similar, but I was watching some reviews, and it sounds really unique and different. The "combat" is all about manipulating the mood and attitude of your opponents, so you can charm and then deceive, or be friendly with them, or just be an aggressive jerk. Seems quite deep, challenging, and innovative.

Speak of the devil. I picked up the game recently was was floored how good it was and how little anyone was talking about it. So I did a pretty big write up about it last night and created a thread today.

More people need to know about this game, it's great.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1149561

 

[Moobabe]

Speak of the devil. I picked up the game recently was was floored how good it was and how little anyone was talking about it. So I did a pretty big write up about it last night and created a thread today.

More people need to know about this game, it's great.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1149561

Saw this - great write up!

 

[Toma]

Sorry, new thread needed a while as my week was horribly busy. Going to take care of it tonight.

 

[titch]

Can only apologise for my lack of input over the past few months.

Stuff going on in RL that has left my free time and energy pretty low and these threads took a hit.

Still reading them when i can and really appreciate all the hard work the folk put into them.

 

[Moobabe]

Can only apologise for my lack of input over the past few months.

Stuff going on in RL that has left my free time and energy pretty low and these threads took a hit.

Still reading them when i can and really appreciate all the hard work the folk put into them.

Same for me, still, Christmas is coming up so I'll have some time then.

 

[arcanadei]

Hand of Fate released the third of four free holiday DLC's yesterday. I missed the second one completely somehow, no time as well. Had to mention this though, these devs are cranking out some amazing free content and very active with users. They really are doing a great job of being an example of why indies>AAA's. Kudos to them.

 

[More_Badass]

Toma, got space for one more release? It's a relatively big one

New game from the designer of The Stanley Parable

Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist - Free (PC, Mac)

http://store.steampowered.com/app/409160/

A 15 minute heist game by Crows Crows Crows & Directed by William Pugh (The Stanley Parable). Slip into the soft-soled shoes of the mastermind responsible for the greatest heist- oh god I can’t do this any more, i’m joining the strike. good luck writing the steam description.

 

[Toma]

Alright starting with the next thread now.

 

[Toma]

Thread up, still filling in the blanks:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1151064

This thread is now CLOSED

 

[Epix]

Sorry, wrong thread.