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Indie Games [August] Now Voting - Post 937!
- Thread starter Toma
- Start date
Ah no clue why I missed those. Thanks!
Alright, quick impressions of some Steam Indies I finally caught up on.
Adventures of Shuggy - Interesting puzzle/action plaformer with the hook that every level has different rules/goals. Cool idea to keep the gameplay fresh all the time. While I overall like it, some levels seem rather tedious, but thankfully you arent required to solve every level to progress through the story. This is an easy recommendation if you like platforming games even if it probably isnt going to light up any favourite games/GOTY lists.
Cargo Commander - While the general idea seems rather appealing to me (a roguelike platformer in a space station), I cant get over the rather bland procedurally generated "level design". I just didnt find it appealing to explore smaller rooms in this game which all seem rather... pointless? No clue why since other Roguelikes also arent really the most exciting games ever. Will need to give this another try eventually.
Dyad - The core game is a pretty fun arcade game, but maybe I just wanted it to be a bit more rewarding with the audio like the PS2 game Frequency. I just dont feel too much engaged with the barebones feedback the game is giving me for correctly hitting the marks. Most levels having pretty similar sounding tracks doesnt really help either. I think I'd also prefer playing it on TV with a gamepad.
English Country Tune - Smart puzzle game that at first seemed to be of the Sokoban variant. However, every new world introduces a different gameplay mechanic, which makes this a varied and interesting puzzle game that also offers very hard challenge levels. Good one.
Fairy Bloom Freesia - I am sorry, I cant stand the style, at all.
FLY'N - Gorgeous "platforming" game with an art style on par with Rayman Origins. Not sure yet how intricate it will become later on since the beginning seemed rather simple, but definitely something I'll go back to.
Gateways - Holy mother of god. Metroidvania... with Portals. This game blows my mind and I have no clue how people arent raving about this game 24/7. Definitely seems like a game that should be pretty popular but I rarely hear about it. Awesome stuff.
Karateka - The combat system seems really simple and once you did the block, it just devolves into button mashing. Meh.
Papo & Yo - Very imaginative Ico style 3D puzzle game. I love the metaphors attached with the story and visual elements. And moving around buildings and playing WITH the world is just so damn fun and visually rewarding. Gem of a game and I really hope it keeps that up.
Pid - Sidescrolling puzzle game with a style that evokes thoughts of KRZ. Really damn pretty game with an interesting beam puzzle mechanic. Another game which I definitely will continue playing.
Receiver - The gun mechanics are the most precise ever conveived in any game and its rather mesmerizing to watch how the gun is being reloaded and individual bullets are being swapped out. The actual game revolves around walking around in a warehouse area and trying to collect story cassettes while avoiding being killed by the enemies walking around. Reminds me a bit of roguelikes with its high focus on retrying the game because of permadeath. Very unique.
Strike Suit Zero - I usually get motion sickness from flying games in space, but this one seems to work. Its rather satisfying to destroy your enemies, but I cant see much tactics in this game. Might still go back to it eventually because I dont have many other games in the genre that I can play.
Super House of Dead Ninjas - Very satisfying combat in a hack & slash platformer, but the level design seems a bit too simple and repetitive.
They Bleed Pixels - Another hack& slash platformer with actual platforming and not just dropping down levels like in SHoDN. Surprisingly deep combat system with juggles and pushes too. Will probably play it at one point.
Ziro - Complicated puzzle game which is usually in alignment with my tastes, but the puzzles just seem a bit.. boring? Not sure how to say it, I just dont feel engaged playing it.
Adventures of Shuggy - Interesting puzzle/action plaformer with the hook that every level has different rules/goals. Cool idea to keep the gameplay fresh all the time. While I overall like it, some levels seem rather tedious, but thankfully you arent required to solve every level to progress through the story. This is an easy recommendation if you like platforming games even if it probably isnt going to light up any favourite games/GOTY lists.
Cargo Commander - While the general idea seems rather appealing to me (a roguelike platformer in a space station), I cant get over the rather bland procedurally generated "level design". I just didnt find it appealing to explore smaller rooms in this game which all seem rather... pointless? No clue why since other Roguelikes also arent really the most exciting games ever. Will need to give this another try eventually.
Dyad - The core game is a pretty fun arcade game, but maybe I just wanted it to be a bit more rewarding with the audio like the PS2 game Frequency. I just dont feel too much engaged with the barebones feedback the game is giving me for correctly hitting the marks. Most levels having pretty similar sounding tracks doesnt really help either. I think I'd also prefer playing it on TV with a gamepad.
English Country Tune - Smart puzzle game that at first seemed to be of the Sokoban variant. However, every new world introduces a different gameplay mechanic, which makes this a varied and interesting puzzle game that also offers very hard challenge levels. Good one.
Fairy Bloom Freesia - I am sorry, I cant stand the style, at all.
FLY'N - Gorgeous "platforming" game with an art style on par with Rayman Origins. Not sure yet how intricate it will become later on since the beginning seemed rather simple, but definitely something I'll go back to.
Gateways - Holy mother of god. Metroidvania... with Portals. This game blows my mind and I have no clue how people arent raving about this game 24/7. Definitely seems like a game that should be pretty popular but I rarely hear about it. Awesome stuff.
Karateka - The combat system seems really simple and once you did the block, it just devolves into button mashing. Meh.
Papo & Yo - Very imaginative Ico style 3D puzzle game. I love the metaphors attached with the story and visual elements. And moving around buildings and playing WITH the world is just so damn fun and visually rewarding. Gem of a game and I really hope it keeps that up.
Pid - Sidescrolling puzzle game with a style that evokes thoughts of KRZ. Really damn pretty game with an interesting beam puzzle mechanic. Another game which I definitely will continue playing.
Receiver - The gun mechanics are the most precise ever conveived in any game and its rather mesmerizing to watch how the gun is being reloaded and individual bullets are being swapped out. The actual game revolves around walking around in a warehouse area and trying to collect story cassettes while avoiding being killed by the enemies walking around. Reminds me a bit of roguelikes with its high focus on retrying the game because of permadeath. Very unique.
Strike Suit Zero - I usually get motion sickness from flying games in space, but this one seems to work. Its rather satisfying to destroy your enemies, but I cant see much tactics in this game. Might still go back to it eventually because I dont have many other games in the genre that I can play.
Super House of Dead Ninjas - Very satisfying combat in a hack & slash platformer, but the level design seems a bit too simple and repetitive.
They Bleed Pixels - Another hack& slash platformer with actual platforming and not just dropping down levels like in SHoDN. Surprisingly deep combat system with juggles and pushes too. Will probably play it at one point.
Ziro - Complicated puzzle game which is usually in alignment with my tastes, but the puzzles just seem a bit.. boring? Not sure how to say it, I just dont feel engaged playing it.
Wow. Pid is really, really, really damn pretty.
All the levels are beautiful. I was surprised by the variety of environments in the game when I played it, it deserved more attention than it got.
I'll definitely make sure to let others know if it keeps that level up.
Also, Shuggy just deleted my save for the second time (even with disabled cloud saving). Hey Shuggy, you are already deleted.
More_Badass
Member
I remember Gateways getting a bit of attention when it released. Not much now, but that's how I found out about the game
How long is it? I remember reading it was on the short side. Probably should have picked it up during the Sale.
How long is it? I remember reading it was on the short side. Probably should have picked it up during the Sale.
5-6 hours apparently, but I havent played through it yet. Currently playing Aztaca (highly recommended!)
One Foul Note
Member
I can confirm, it does go some real interesting and wild places once you get into it. It never goes bananas hard but I found it a very enjoyable level of challenge once you hit the later worlds. It's well worth going back to.
I played it a few months back and didn't finish it. I think for once not just out of apathy, the puzzles were just getting too hard. Especially once you can use all your abilities at once.
More_Badass
Member
Too hard like the platforming and gameplay portion was difficult or the solution was too hard to figure out? IMO, the harder the puzzle, the better. Makes that aha momen so much more satisfying
The puzzles yes. I don't mean it's a bad thing as such. I just meant it got to the point where I was done with it.
I guess the puzzle mechanics didn't interest me enough to persevere, and it didn't have the atmosphere of something like the Swapper to bring me back. I was probably fairly near the end anyway, as I seemed to have all the abilities
Found this other great looking game on Greenlight, and because of the artstyle I decided to purchase it.
Savant Ascent is an action shooter where you play some wizard thats beaten out of his castle. Now you have to get back up to the tower and destroy who ever is responsible for it. You can only dodge and jump incoming enemies as the game is on-rails, yet the artstyle is gorgeous and the music in the background is from DJ Savant. It plays very decently and it came out two days ago on their store.
Here's my impression:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeHGSewqskw
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=166110563
Savant Ascent is an action shooter where you play some wizard thats beaten out of his castle. Now you have to get back up to the tower and destroy who ever is responsible for it. You can only dodge and jump incoming enemies as the game is on-rails, yet the artstyle is gorgeous and the music in the background is from DJ Savant. It plays very decently and it came out two days ago on their store.
Here's my impression:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeHGSewqskw
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=166110563
Wok
Member
I have played this game for hours and the same levels are literally repeated over and over. It is a bad game in my opinion.
Wok
Member
Hope. Plus I had not found any review of the game on the websites which I usually browse, so I could not really know how long the game is.
SapientWolf
Trucker Sexologist
Ingueferroque
Banned
It is absol utely gorgeous.
Wok
Member
No, they are definitely repeated. There are different puzzles, but if you try to finish the game, you see the exact same ones (solved with the exact same solutions). The time needed to finish the game is artificially long.
More_Badass
Member
Played the demo to Zafehouse Diaries, which I posted about here
It's a text based zombie survival game, where you manage your survivors and more importantly have to deal with and mend (or not) their relationships as you try to survive as long as possible. Spread rumors to keep tempers low or turn the others against a unliked survivor. There are roguelike elements as well, such as procedurally generated towns and survivors and permadeath. An endless mode was recently added in an update
$9.99 on the official site
It's a text based zombie survival game, where you manage your survivors and more importantly have to deal with and mend (or not) their relationships as you try to survive as long as possible. Spread rumors to keep tempers low or turn the others against a unliked survivor. There are roguelike elements as well, such as procedurally generated towns and survivors and permadeath. An endless mode was recently added in an update
$9.99 on the official site
Not to mention dirt cheap, 1.99$ buy this, also support developer on greenlight.
Hey Toma, I think you put it in the wrong section - the game has been released last month.
The unnamed game from the last batch is called A Good Husband and it's a sequel to 2010 A Good Wife, by the same guy who made The King of the Wood from the first Indie Thread. It's a first person shooter that deals with problems of dysfunctional marriage from the perspective of frustrated husband. The game mainly consists of doing usual house chores, like cleaning or cooking a meal for your constantly dissatisfied model wife, and encountering your past in a form of flashbacks, the one nearing the finale in the bedroom is particularly interesting - I mentioned it's a shooter, rightThere are few endings depending on what you choose to do, but like most of these weird indie titles it's really short, so there's no reason not to check it out, it's free of course.
Ah thanks.
Also, Aztaka is such a fine game. Should be about halfway through now. So good.
phantomspiker
Member
I have played both levels.
I got about 4 hours out of Cargo Commander before I started to getting the feeling that the game showed me all it had to offer.
Maybe my reaction times are terrible, but Super House of Dead Ninjas is a little too fast for my taste. Still need to put more time into it though.
Yeah, I figured that might be an issue. Considering there are plenty of other games worth my time, I dont think I'll go back to it anytime soon, maybe never with some other impressions I seem to be reading. Still, overall I was rather surprised at the games I tried in the past few days. Papo&Yo, Pid, (to a somewhat lesser extent) Fly'N, Aztaka and Gateways are all magnificient and outststanding games.
Will try pushing through Aztaka in the next 2-3 days and then catch up on some August Indies before either tackling Papo or Pid.
One Foul Note
Member
Further impressions of this months lineup.
Previous Post: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=74585635&postcount=232
Chester
Fairly simple but enjoyable platformer which an absolutely crazy gimmick that make the entire experience rally memorable. Also metric fuckton of extra content to locate and unlock.
4/5
Contre Jour
Loving the music and artstyle, but the game just doesn't feel like it goes well with mouse control. The rapid demands of the game and slight mouse instability make it unenjoyable to play. I imagine it might be superior on it iOS incarnation (I presume that was the original version).
2/5
Crayon Chronicles - Didn't Buy
Honestly, you'd have to pay me to play a traditional roguelike game.
-/5
Crypt Run
Controls felt a little loose and I wasn't really a fan of the graphics. But other then that their is potential here, I do like the sudden changes into the ghost world. I also like the glitch I ran into when it forgot to turn off any of the music pieces I was encountering so I ended up with like 4 tunes playing over one another in a nightmareish cacophony.
3.5/5
Cube World
Man...this is a game that doesn't want you to like it. The leveling hurdle at the beginning is huge, but after you get past that it becomes fairly enjoyable although in its current state the beta is a little lacking and I might give it a few months before I try it again.
3/5
Dead Pixels
Didn't really resonate with me. Gameplay is a little dull, repetitive and slow as hell. It does still gain an extra 0.5 for the infringly charming way that everyone is Megaman.
1.5/5
Desperate Gods
Little fiddly, but really cool idea. Totally not surprised it comes from Wolfire, they do love to make to get games and physics simulations and cram them together. Basic game totally reminded me of Talisman but I couldn't get too good of an idea of how it would play due to lack of opponent. Dunno how long it takes to play, but if anyone want to go round then my steam name is in my profile.
4/5 (subject to change if it ends up being total shit multiplayer)
Previous Post: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=74585635&postcount=232
Chester
Fairly simple but enjoyable platformer which an absolutely crazy gimmick that make the entire experience rally memorable. Also metric fuckton of extra content to locate and unlock.
4/5
Contre Jour
Loving the music and artstyle, but the game just doesn't feel like it goes well with mouse control. The rapid demands of the game and slight mouse instability make it unenjoyable to play. I imagine it might be superior on it iOS incarnation (I presume that was the original version).
2/5
Crayon Chronicles - Didn't Buy
Honestly, you'd have to pay me to play a traditional roguelike game.
-/5
Crypt Run
Controls felt a little loose and I wasn't really a fan of the graphics. But other then that their is potential here, I do like the sudden changes into the ghost world. I also like the glitch I ran into when it forgot to turn off any of the music pieces I was encountering so I ended up with like 4 tunes playing over one another in a nightmareish cacophony.
3.5/5
Cube World
Man...this is a game that doesn't want you to like it. The leveling hurdle at the beginning is huge, but after you get past that it becomes fairly enjoyable although in its current state the beta is a little lacking and I might give it a few months before I try it again.
3/5
Dead Pixels
Didn't really resonate with me. Gameplay is a little dull, repetitive and slow as hell. It does still gain an extra 0.5 for the infringly charming way that everyone is Megaman.
1.5/5
Desperate Gods
Little fiddly, but really cool idea. Totally not surprised it comes from Wolfire, they do love to make to get games and physics simulations and cram them together. Basic game totally reminded me of Talisman but I couldn't get too good of an idea of how it would play due to lack of opponent. Dunno how long it takes to play, but if anyone want to go round then my steam name is in my profile.
4/5 (subject to change if it ends up being total shit multiplayer)
More_Badass
Member
Don't later Conte Jour chapters require multi-touch? I found it a perfect fit on my iPad
Also, I had no idea that Wolfire started Humble Bundle. No wonder they can take as long as they want on Overgrowth, with all the $$ they must get
Also, I had no idea that Wolfire started Humble Bundle. No wonder they can take as long as they want on Overgrowth, with all the $$ they must get
One Foul Note
Member
I Imagine Conte Jour working a lot better on a touch device. But on this PC version it, unless I am missing something, it feels virtually impossible to pass anything but the earliest levels. As a demo it probably does the final game somewhat of a disservice.
Also concerning Wolfire, yeah. I always think of them as the indie version of Valve in the business sense (a link that got ever stronger since they opened the humble store). Both are organisations that can basically sustain themselves from their other practices so they can take their sweet time polishing and polishing their games to an insane level.
More_Badass
Member
Are there any free or cheap programs online to make games? When I was younger, it was something of a pie in the sky dream of mine, and now that I have a passion for the indie scene, that dream is kind of rekindling. I'm a total neophyte,though, regarding coding. Any programs that would be beginner friendly?
I do not know of any free programs (not sure if those exist?) but GameMaker is easy to begin with and hardly needs coding to create something playable. Yet if u have a big game in your mind, then you should atleast learn the basics etc.
I've just recently started getting into Indie games, and Toma's threads have been a godsend - amazing stuff, Toma. I've gone back and read through every one.
So many unique, high-quality, and shockingly affordable experiences out there. It's overwhelming, and I love it.
I just played through both acts of Kentucky Route Zero, and found them fascinating and totally engaging. It will be a painful wait for act 3.
Currently playing The Swapper and Gunpoint. Can't wait for the full versions of Broforce and Mercenary Kings.
Antichamber, Home and To The Moon waiting to be played. An always-growing wish list that includes Proteus, McPixel, Tiny and Big, and Little Inferno.
Having a blast. Don't know why I waited so long to dive in.
So many unique, high-quality, and shockingly affordable experiences out there. It's overwhelming, and I love it.
I just played through both acts of Kentucky Route Zero, and found them fascinating and totally engaging. It will be a painful wait for act 3.
Currently playing The Swapper and Gunpoint. Can't wait for the full versions of Broforce and Mercenary Kings.
Antichamber, Home and To The Moon waiting to be played. An always-growing wish list that includes Proteus, McPixel, Tiny and Big, and Little Inferno.
Having a blast. Don't know why I waited so long to dive in.
KodeAndGame
Member
On the cheap side, there are some great games that were made with gameMaker including spelunky and hotline miami. I can also record scirra construct but that's not as popular yet. Finally, if you're ready for a full toolset, take a look at unity (and even xna).
KodeAndGame
Member
Yes! Gateways deserves some love. One of my faves along with frozen synapse and spacechem
More_Badass
Member
Welcome to the thread! The more indie enthusiasts, the better. The best part is that a lot of great indies are free.
And now for my obligatory recommendations for Nitronic Rush,
Welcome to the thread! The more indie enthusiasts, the better. The best part is that a lot of great indies are free.
And now for my obligatory recommendations for Nitronic Rush, Warning Forever, and Iji
RockPaperShotgun is also a great site for info on released and upcoming indies, freeware games, and promising Kickstarter and Greenlight games
(And if you like roguelikes, Teleglitch is awesome)
Construct 2 is pretty damn fantastic for hobbyists:www.scirra.com. There's a free version that comes with a few limitations (I've run into walls by not having the parent object feature and, to a lesser extent, having layers limited at 3 or 4), but if you're just getting started and are aiming for something 2D, I don't think there's anything better. You don't need any coding knowledge either, all of that sort of stuff is set up in easily understandable statements that allow you to do pretty much whatever you need to. Plus, there's an ever-growing stable of behaviors being put online by users that can help you work around anything you can't seem to get just right yourself.
I was in the same boat as you in terms of those pie in the sky dreams and coding, but Construct 2 really opened my eyes and made me realize that those dreams were actually very attainable (if I ever had the time and money to do it seriously, of course). Also, if you're doing 2D, be sure to grab Spriter for your animations.
o I was browsing Desura and cam across Xenominer which is a voxel based space/planet sim
it caught my eye initially as it is 50% off at £3.99, then I read the reviews and I bought it...
currently not listed on Greenlight...
http://www.desura.com/games/xenominer
My thoughts...
Well I like it as it has a story, you crash landed etc etc, it has aliens to kill (these cane be turned off)...
you start with nothing and have to mine/search/ build shelter etc, it is not fast paced either... I just lost 3 hours to it...
it has a free demo, which is the full game without the save ability live....
give it a shot, I am really enjoying it... it also has controller support
it caught my eye initially as it is 50% off at £3.99, then I read the reviews and I bought it...
currently not listed on Greenlight...
http://www.desura.com/games/xenominer
My thoughts...
Well I like it as it has a story, you crash landed etc etc, it has aliens to kill (these cane be turned off)...
you start with nothing and have to mine/search/ build shelter etc, it is not fast paced either... I just lost 3 hours to it...
it has a free demo, which is the full game without the save ability live....
give it a shot, I am really enjoying it... it also has controller support
PandaPedinte
Member
Listen to the Panda:
The closest thing you'll get to a free GameMaker. I also played around with it for a good while and you can definitely dig around the basics of game design without needing to worry about the the more intricate programming concepts.
Welcome! Always glad to hear people are enjoying the threads and thanks for going the extra mile and letting us know about stuff you liked and anticipated
Also a very recent recommendation that should be very much up your alley: Pid
Still amazed at how good this game looks and how special it makes it feel. Gives me a bit of a KRZ vibe.
More_Badass
Member
Even better than Burt's Construct?
But I guess the big plus is the Stencyl is complete free, while Construct's free version is limited. Besides the ease of us for beginners like me
More_Badass
Member
Also on XBIG for 80 points ($1). Not sure if it's being updated thougho I was browsing Desura and cam across Xenominer which is a voxel based space/planet sim
it caught my eye initially as it is 50% off at £3.99, then I read the reviews and I bought it...
currently not listed on Greenlight...
http://www.desura.com/games/xenominer
My thoughts...
Well I like it as it has a story, you crash landed etc etc, it has aliens to kill (these cane be turned off)...
you start with nothing and have to mine/search/ build shelter etc, it is not fast paced either... I just lost 3 hours to it...
it has a free demo, which is the full game without the save ability live....
give it a shot, I am really enjoying it... it also has controller support
Well you might as well try Construct if you want to stick with it for a while since Stencyl is a bit more simple but also easier to learn. If you arent afraid of learning some more intricate concepts, I'd recommend going Construct since Construct also allows you to use your own code within the programming building blocks.
Actually overall I'd recommend Construct, but Stencyl IS easier even though I find that Construct has a rather low entry barrier already.
More_Badass
Member
Thanks. I'll probably start out with Stencyl, see if I can bring any idea to life, etc. Then move to Construct. And if I really forsee a future in this, GameMaker
Wasn't Gunpoint made in GameMaker? I remember reading that the dev made a profit after like a minute of being released
Wasn't Gunpoint made in GameMaker? I remember reading that the dev made a profit after like a minute of being released
I actually thought that Construct was easier than Stencyl when I tried it, but maybe it just depends on what kind of person you are, or maybe some of the stuff I picked up while goofing around in Stencyl helped me jump into Construct faster.
This game is actually from the makers of the upcoming indiegame Owlboy, an Norwegian developer called DPAD Studios.
Construct is way better and more flexible than GameMaker in my opinion. If you want to stick with something of the intro level programming, make it Construct. But eventually, you'll likely try other programs anyway to see what might fit your own style better.
BudokaiMR2
Member
Well if anyone is interested in the Japanese indie game Unholy Heights we are releasing this month, thetrin and I did a Let's Play over the weekend.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yuRwsjcdU0
We are still having trouble with the second mic setup so hopefully we can get clearer sound next time!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yuRwsjcdU0
We are still having trouble with the second mic setup so hopefully we can get clearer sound next time!
PandaPedinte
Member
I'll keep an eye on it. Already saw the trailer and the game looks interesting.
Shadow Hog
Member
Hey, I didn't know we had a Greenlight collection. That's neat!
I've always been kind of partial to the Clickteam products, like Multimedia Fusion 2... It's the engine behind plenty of good games, like Noitu Love 2, Knytt, NightSky, I Wanna Be The Guy, Freedom Planet, etc. I hear it's kind of getting behind the times, though. Notably, no native Mac or Linux exporters; the games run fine through WINE, but native would be better. I dunno, I got a copy of The Games Factory from, like, '96, and still use it on rare occasion, so I'm weird.