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Indie Games 2016 [December] Indie GOTY Voting time

Wok

Member
Got the links to his tweets about it?

Anything Blow-approved is an assured purchase. His puzzler recommendations are always top-notch

I will look for it, but I am pretty sure the game got greenlit really fast thanks to his tweet.

Edit: Not very verbose. Not many retweets or likes. Not so sure, lol. But the dev worked on Fallout, Oblivion and Skyrim before going indie. And there is a demo.

xkzsFLb.png
 

Valahart

Member
Hey everyone,

just want to share that I'm currently playing through GoNNER and it might have become my favorite indie of the year.

header.jpg


http://store.steampowered.com/app/437570/

The game feels so good, the art and sound design is top notch and the gameplay is so simple yet so complex at the same time.


==============

There was this thread last week in which people would recommend these hidden gems that won't run for GOTY but should. I can't seem to find it, can anyone please link me to it?

Thanks!
 

epmode

Member
Hey everyone,

just want to share that I'm currently playing through GoNNER and it might have become my favorite indie of the year.

Yeah, it's good times. Reminds me of Downwell, what with the color scheme, the roguelikelike thing, Mario-stomping your enemies, and the smooth movement/animation.
 

epmode

Member
Has anyone else played the new Shantae game? Is it supposed to run at 33-34 FPS?

I have a 144hz G-Sync monitor if that matters, but switching the refresh rate to 60 and disabling G-Sync doesn't bring it up to 60.
 

Wok

Member
Has anyone else played the new Shantae game? Is it supposed to run at 33-34 FPS?

It runs at 60 FPS for me, according to the framerate montioring tool in Steam.

I am using, but not specifically for this game, just in general, RTSS to cap my framerate to 60 FPS for all of my games, since for some games, the GPU is over-used to achieve an uncapped framerate. I don't know whether it helps.
 

epmode

Member
It runs at 60 FPS for me, according to the framerate montioring tool in Steam.

I am using, but not specifically for this game, just in general, RTSS to cap my framerate to 60 FPS for all of my games, since for some games, the GPU is over-used to achieve an uncapped framerate. I don't know whether it helps.

Good, I was worried that the dev locked the game to 30 FPS. Sounds like I'm running into a bug. No one responded on the developer forum yet. ..which isn't surprising considering it's the weekend.

edit: This is weird. If I force my monitor into 24hz before launching the game, my in-game framerate is stuck around 20-21 FPS. Again, G-Sync makes no difference. Neither does RTSS for that matter.

PC gaming!
 
Kosmonaut - ????

Past Cure - PC, PS4
DXBxi3d.gif

http://imgamestudio.com/

A third-person stealth-shooter

Tesla vs Lovecraft - PC, Consoles
alpha-02-logo.jpg

http://teslavslovecraft.com/about-the-game/?nabw=0

From the developers of Crimsonland, Tesla vs Lovecraft is an arena shooter inspired by the namesakes. Play as the enigmatic inventor Tesla who is the last bastion of reason against the neverending waves of madness. Harness the static energy to power up your Tesla-Mech and give the lovecraftian nightmares a lesson in horror!

Feral - Free demo (PC)
tumblr_ohjum9rqpx1si4jeeo5_r1_500.gif

https://row.itch.io/feral

Feral is a hunting game in which you play as a feline animal at the first person view. You have to hunt and survive in an imaginary and hostile environment. But be careful! You are not the only predator in this world…

Neon Death Pact - ????
CyvXhYsWgAAgA6a.jpg

http://neondeathpact.com/

A cyberpunk strategy-novel about android affairs

Chessaria - PC
Cywmzl6XgAArVw3.jpg

http://chessaria.com/

Chessaria is a unique turn-based tactical game that combines the compelling story and fast paced nature of classic adventure video-games, building on the traditional strategic gameplay of Chess.

It Lurks In The Woods - PC
CynLhy2W8AAe2P8.jpg

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=810118082

A short horror game based on French Canadian folklore.
New France, 1682. A man is traveling from Ville-Marie to Trois-Rivières. The woods are a dangerous place. No one should wander in alone, but his dying brother needs its aid. On the road, as the sun settles down, something attacks him. It wasn’t an animal, or a man. It was something else. To save his brother’s life, he’ll have to find a way out before the night falls. But what lurks in the woods?

Sword Legacy: Omen - PC, Mac, Linux
CywVI7rWIAA5wcK.jpg

http://www.swordlegacy.com/

Sword Legacy: Omen is a challenging tactical RPG set in the candlepunk realm of Broken Britannia. Embark on a thrilling journey as a vengeful knight aided by an eldritch sorcerer in search of the long-lost Excalibur sword, the only hope for a land devastated by plague and intrigue. Explore rich environments, live a riveting storyline, and survive intense turn-based combat, in the veins of classic games, such as Final Fantasy Tactics and X-COM.

Apartment 327 - 2017 (PC)
CyxGvu5XUAUlMUJ.jpg

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=810510497

Apartment 327 is a first-person adventure whose main feature is a time travel cycle, which keep you locked in an old house between the years 1923 and 2016. It will be necessary to go through the same places, in the different time lines, to be able to solve all the time-based puzzles necessary to unlock new areas and to be able to go further in the adventure.

Space Shipyard - ????
4tWiDPN.gif

http://spaceshipyardgame.com/

Space Shipyard is real time spaceship battle simulator inspired on FTL, create your own ships and fight for survival in a singleplayer or multiplayer mode.

Previously Mentioned

The Devil’s Eight

Unforeseen Incidents

Mare

Toryansé

Deliver Us The Moon

Katana Zero

Desolus

Aegis Defenders

Totem Teller

Children of Morta

Emporium
 
Arkin - 2017 (PC)
CzWH8oCUsAAJHBV.jpg

https://www.arkingame.com/

Arkin is set in a future where humanity has been at war for decades, only to find that their true enemy, a threat to their very existence, has just appeared. As a veteran pilot in the TDF navy outfitted with the latest in starfighter technology, you are on the front lines of the battle for our survival.
Prepare for an experience full of epic battles and intense dogfighting, where the ability to quickly change tactics is the only way to fight and survive.

Corax - PC
CzWK4Y7XUAACDIH.jpg

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

A single player stealth game set in a grim cyberpunk setting.

Meawja - Free alpha (PC, Mac, Linux)
tumblr_ohwxso1fML1si4jeeo2_540.gif

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

Meawja is a 2D platform game where you will control a black cat, who is in his final way to become a ninja. You will slash and cut your way through 5 unique stages and sub-stages, all this with colorful retro graphics inspired in classic 8-bit games. It will be an arduous journey where the hero will face the Masters challenges to prove your worth.

Cube Snake - 2017 (iOS, Android)
QYawAer.gif

http://cubesnake.com/

Journey your way through a puzzling world as a snake made entirely of cubes. Scales heights and delve into the unknown as you make your way solving puzzles in an effort to save your family.

Graywalkers - PC, Mac, Linux
CzVrWnaUAAAb-42.jpg

http://graywalkers.com/

Graywalkers: Purgatory is the first in a series of Emergent Strategic and Tactical Turn-based 3D Role-Playing Games set in a stylish supernatural post-apocalyptic world, where parts of Heaven, Hell and Earth have merged together in an event called "The Rupture".

Evangeline - ????
EFT6phm.gif

https://twitter.com/RaconteurDev

A game about love. In Evangeline, color guides you.

The Mind's Eclipse - Free demo (PC, Mac, Linux)
CzUE6s2XcAEy4nY.jpg

https://themindseclipse.itch.io/the-minds-eclipse

A genius scientist must rely on a playful but mysterious AI to help him find his loved ones in the ruins of a fallen utopia.
The Mind's Eclipse is a science fiction visual novel featuring beautiful hand drawn scenes and emotional narrative driven gameplay.

A Mortician's Tale - 2017 (PC, Mac)
CysFH-8VEAAqBVA.jpg

http://laundrybear.com/a-morticians-tale

A Mortician's Tale is a narrative-driven death positive video game where you play as a mortician tasked with running a funeral home—preparing the cadavers of the deceased (via embalming or cremation), attending their funerals and consoling their loved ones, and running the business.

Tales of a Spymaster - PC, Mac, Linux
Srp9gQr.jpg

https://twitter.com/ClackClackGames

Tales of a Spymaster is a simultaneous turn-based strategy game taking place within the land of Elas, where 8 kingdoms vie for control, and the time has come for you to play the part of the trusted right-hand as you take on the mantle of Spymaster.
Determine the truths and lies of what is going on in the kingdoms. Compete with the royal court for the trust of your Monarch. Plant information for opposing Spymasters to have to deal with. Use agents to perform sabotage, assassination, theft. Unleash poisons and plagues upon your enemies.

Previously Mentioned

Death's Gambit

Sharp Flint

Hollow Knight

Innerspace

A Light In Chorus

A House of Many Doors
 

epmode

Member
After playing Nuclear Throne off and on for ages, I finally dropped Lil' Hunter. Got to the last group of stages but still couldn't make it to the Throne.

In related news, Nuclear Throne is so goddamned good, even stuck at 30 FPS.
 

DNAbro

Member
I posted about it in the Steam thread, but people should really give OneShot a chance. Apparently it was originally a free RPGmaker game in 2014 but this update was well worth the 9 dollars I spent on it. It released on the 8th and is 10% off for the first week.

poster_small.png


The connection between you and the main character feels pretty amazing and by the end of it I really cared for the little guy. The world that was built and interesting and builds a wonderful atmosphere, the music and graphics also complement it really well. The way that the game interacts with you and your computer also felt pretty refreshing and great.

Definitely in my top 10 this year and more people should know about this game.

Edit: Actually top 5. Just wrote out a list lol
 

epmode

Member
I posted about it in the Steam thread, but people should really give OneShot a chance. Apparently it was originally a free RPGmaker game in 2014 but this update was well worth the 9 dollars I spent on it. It released on the 8th and is 10% off for the first week.

That other thread and this new RPS review finally got me to bite. Seems good so far.

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/12/12/oneshot-review/

This is an incredible game. I started it with no expectations at all (as I mentioned before, I can’t even remember why I’d flagged the game to look at), and have come away from it as one of my favourite games of 2016. It rather nicely book-ends the year for me with Pony Island, two utterly different games that both explore similar themes from extremely different angles. Completely charming, delightfully written, and extremely clever – stick this on your Christmas playlist.
 
poster_small.png


Definitely in my top 10 this year and more people should know about this game.

Edit: Actually top 5. Just wrote out a list lol
That RPS review really interested me, but I feel I was spoiled on some really cool things reading it. Which is part of what dulled my interest in Undertale. Are there still many interesting/clever aspects to uncover beyond the scope of what was mentioned in the review?
 

DNAbro

Member
That RPS review really interested me, but I feel I was spoiled on some really cool things reading it. Which is part of what dulled my interest in Undertale. Are there still many interesting/clever aspects to uncover beyond the scope of what was mentioned in the review?

I would say much like Undertale, just knowing some of the meta elements doesn't really hamper the enjoyment of what occurs. Used as a narrative device I think it just enhances your connection to the world, rather than being a one and done gimmick and that being it. Also yeah there are more interesting things that happen.
 
This might be the best unknown gem of the year. It's so under the radar that it released in September and we never even featured it in these threads. Learned about it today thanks to a great RPS review, and I've had already two "wow, that was clever" moments in 30 minutes.

The dev also released a free expansion last month with new mechanics too

Recurved - $9.99 (PC, Mac, Linux)
yOaS3ac.gif

http://store.steampowered.com/app/497780/

Recursed is a 2D puzzle-platform game where the structure of the world can be twisted. Stack up boxes and use keys to unlock doors to get the crystal at the end of each level. Jump into chests to enter other rooms, or pick up the chests and move the rooms around. Duplicate, destroy or alter the structure of the level to solve the puzzles.
 

Wok

Member
This might be the best unknown gem of the year. It's so under the radar that it released in September and we never even featured it in these threads. Learned about it today thanks to a great RPS review, and I've had already two "wow, that was clever" moments in 30 minutes.

The dev also released a free expansion last month with new mechanics too

Recurved - $9.99 (PC, Mac, Linux)

From the description of the game mechanic in the article, there are some similarities with Spoolside, which is a puzzle-platformer, part of a Humble Monthly Bundle, with time-travel-based fetching quests.

Regarding the graphics, it reminds me of Another Perspective.

Definitely under the radar.

Trials of Azra - 9.99 € (PC, Mac, Linux)
ss_a075e1619b10d81f4893fbaee9123e5ecd11e69e.1920x1080.jpg

http://store.steampowered.com/app/487160

Play as Sam, a kid that controls the dead! Defeat your enemies with magic and control their bodies to solve challenging puzzles!

Edit: I have looked at the dev's whishlist and found another kind of hidden puzzle gem.

 

Wok

Member
IndieDB has tallied a list of the 100 "best" indie games of the year:

http://www.indiedb.com/groups/2016-indie-of-the-year-awards/top100

After tallying up the 41,651 votes, nominations have ended and voting for the Top 100 indie games are underway (see also top mods, apps and vr). Now another 10 days of voting begins as the Top 100 indies battle it out to crown the 2016 winner. You have up until the 21st of December pick who will take away the 2016 Indie of the Year!

Popular picks among the Top 100 this year include The Isle, Stellaris, Guts and Glory, alongside indie darlings like INSIDE, Stardew Valley and Firewatch and many other great indies worth exploring. It is always incredibly exciting looking at the calibre of entries (and those who missed out by a whisker), and knowing that us gamers are spoiled for choice.
 
This might be the best unknown gem of the year. It's so under the radar that it released in September and we never even featured it in these threads. Learned about it today thanks to a great RPS review, and I've had already two "wow, that was clever" moments in 30 minutes.

The dev also released a free expansion last month with new mechanics too

Recurved - $9.99 (PC, Mac, Linux)

Cheers for making me aware of this, seems like potentially my kinda game. Playing a lot of Helldivers at the moment but when I want a quieter moment I will check Recurved out.

IndieDB has tallied a list of the 100 "best" indie games of the year:

Ahh that's cool. Glad they are going for broke with the top 100. You just list the top 10 and you generally get the usual suspects but go 100 and all kinda of crazy games might pop up in that list.
 

Wok

Member
Ahh that's cool. Glad they are going for broke with the top 100. You just list the top 10 and you generally get the usual suspects but go 100 and all kinda of crazy games might pop up in that list.

They are categorized by genre. And you can still vote for GOTY among them.
 

Naeval

Member
I posted about it in the Steam thread, but people should really give OneShot a chance. Apparently it was originally a free RPGmaker game in 2014 but this update was well worth the 9 dollars I spent on it. It released on the 8th and is 10% off for the first week.

poster_small.png


The connection between you and the main character feels pretty amazing and by the end of it I really cared for the little guy. The world that was built and interesting and builds a wonderful atmosphere, the music and graphics also complement it really well. The way that the game interacts with you and your computer also felt pretty refreshing and great.

Definitely in my top 10 this year and more people should know about this game.

Edit: Actually top 5. Just wrote out a list lol

When I have time, I want to take a look.
 
Has anyone here played Lichtspeer? I've been playing it on PS4 and wondered if anyone else had any opinions on it. I'm pretty divided to be honest; was quite enjoying myself and then I hit a difficulty wall with the third boss.
 
Pit People is coming to steam early access early next year (the 13th of Jan to be exact). Happy days. It has a steam page and everything, although I am on mobile so not 100% sure how to link it.
 

epmode

Member
Pit People is coming to steam early access early next year (the 13th of Jan to be exact). Happy days. It has a steam page and everything, although I am on mobile so not 100% sure how to link it.

I played that beta for a bit. Can't speak for the combat system but man I really liked the music.
 
Looks and sounds great! Some of these would make for some great backgrounds. Also, I never noticed before, but there are quite a few minigames to play?

I wasn't aware of the mini games shown in the trailer, but one exciting thing to know is that there is a full fledged video game inside the game: Demontower. Devs seemed pretty happy with it have teased it quite a bit.
 

Anno

Member
Not really sure where to post this, but I figured the fine folks here may enjoy this particularly good itch.io game I ran across in one of Rami Ismail's tweets today. Only takes 5-10 minutes to play and I think is worth it. Found out afterwards it was made by Nicky Case who might be known to some people around here.
 
Astroneer - $19.99 (PC, Xbox One)
489CC7DDA882F5FCED4A9DB7394ED1624664FC1C

http://astroneer.space/

Explore and reshape distant worlds! Astroneer is set during a 25th century gold rush where players must explore the frontiers of outer space, risking their lives in harsh environments for the chance of striking it rich.
On this adventure, a player’s most useful tool is their ability to shape their world, altering the terrain and extracting valuable resources from planets, and moons. Resources can be traded or crafted into new tools, vehicles, and modules to create everything from massive industrial bases to mobile rover bases.

Botolo - $14.99 (PC, Mac)
XzHJu1.gif

http://botologame.com/

BOTOLO is a beautiful, new multiplayer game from The Floor is Jelly creator Ian Snyder. BOTOLO is a fast paced mindreading competition, a dance inside the negative space between your opponent's thoughts. Mind-wrestle your opponents into submission inside hypnotic fields of pattern and color. Steal the ball and protect it from your opponent in this hybrid game of keepaway and king-of-the-hill.

Drive!Drive!Drive! - $19.99 (PC, Mac, PS4)
LoopTheLoopTheLoopTheLoop3.gif

http://drive-drive-drive.com/

Drive!Drive!Drive! is a racing game unlike any other, where players must drive their cars to victory across multiple tracks at the same time.
You are able to switch between the different tracks of a race any time you like. When you switch away from a track, a computer racer takes over driving on that track for you.
Unfortunately, the AI racers aren’t what you’d call competent. They are what you’d call incompetent. In other words, to place well in every track you're racing on, you’re going to have to hop track-to-track on a regular basis to account for the subversively cretinous computer cars.

Pocket Kingdom - $6.99 (PC, Mac, Linux)
Czl3tjsWIAE3DXv.jpg

http://store.steampowered.com/app/462620/

Pocket Kingdom is an authentic throwback to Amiga era. Signature steampunk pixel art, winsome chiptune soundtrack and retro-inspired gameplay with modern twists make Pocket Kingdom an unparalleled journey.
Wander around the island's enchanted districts. Unlock access to new areas by collecting objects scattered here and there. Trick gravity, discover helpful devices and listen to the weird stories told by the locals. Getting out of the Pocket Kingdom depends on it. So does unveiling the place's mysteries.

Tangent - Free (PC, Mac)
FdEZBU.gif

https://rxi.itch.io/tangent

A world-shifting platformer

Samurai Lantern - Free (PC)
eXboetl.gif

https://adventurebit.itch.io/samurailantern

Embrace your inner samurai and collect those lanterns! Collect them all and exit through the door!
 

SapientWolf

Trucker Sexologist
I had the opportunity to play BOTOLO at IndieCade and it felt like the mental equivalent of arm wrestling. It's a reactions based tug of war with deceptively simple mechanics. It's right up there with Videoball in terms of feeling like a sport. The other interesting thing is that those tittles both seem to draw inspiration from Street Fighter. BOTOLO's ball control mechanic has the same footsies and mind games as the parrying of SFIII.
 
Finished OneShot in one sitting (5 hours), amazing game that oozes atmosphere.

Many compare it to Undertale for the ingenious 4th wall breaking elements, but besides that it's an entirely different type of game.

There aren't combat or RPG Elements in this game, it's more an adventure game with exploration and puzzle-solving. Talking to NPCs, combining items, looking for clues in the environment etc.

I really loved the world, the darkness and the sense of wonder, the unique NPCs :)

It's really worth the money and i even prefer it to Undertale, because of it's relaxing gameplay.
 
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