This thread really slowed down compared to the others. Same time last month, thread had five pages
---
Crimsonland
Crimsonland's addictive, bloody, intense, and just one hell of a fun satisfying shooter.
In terms of story and gameplay, Crimsonland is as simple as can be. You and hordes of hundreds and hundreds of creatures on the battlefield, kill them all. But while the actual mechanis are not complex, Crimsonland adds a layer of strategy underneath the run and gun gameplay, turning a game that might seem shallow from the screenshots into a compelling thrilling experience. Every moment consists of countless decision. Which gun is best for the current situation? Should I rush for that power-up but risk having to run through a horde to reach it? Which order should I use power-ups? Which perks should I choose?
Crimsonland is a must play for top-down shooters. The visuals and effects are stylish, the gameplay is deeper than you'd might expect, and seeing the screen literally turn red with blood and gore as you mow down hundreds of creatures is very satisfying.
Nekro
This was the game that surprised me the most in June. I bought the Groupees bundle for Nekro and Spate, but had no expectations for the games. I had heard of Nekro before, but the game hadn't been on my radar at all.
Now that I've played the game, I've very glad I decided to shell out the extra money for the game. Nekro is a mix of action and RTS elements, as you gather resources, spawn devastating minions, and slaughter everything. The gameplay is great and has a strategic element as well, since you're advised to gather resources and plan your tactics before attacking towns and villages. It's very satisfying how levels end up littered with blood and body parts by the time you're finish. The game is in Early Access, and has a lot of content missing, but what's available is solid, fun, and only makes me eager to see more
But my favorite aspect of Nekro has to be the art style; everything from your necromancers to enemies to minions just look really unique, with original interesting designs.
Subray
I have a lot of respect for the talented students over at Digipen. They have, and still do, make some of the most interesting unique indie games around; their pedigree includes the likes of Nitronic Rush and its spiritual successor Distance, Narbacular Drop (the game that inspired Portal), Perspective, The Fourth Wall, and many more. Now we can add SubRay to that list.
At a glance, SubRay might bring to mind the indie title Luminesca, another game set in the dark depths of the ocean, where you're guided by the illumination of your headlight. But while Luminesca leaned more towards puzzles along with exploration, SubRay is all about discovery and navigating the vibrant dangerous world beneath the surface. The game is just a wonderful visual experience filled with colorful life and encroaching darkness, a world that just feels alien and weird. But SubRay isn't just about exploration; you need to survive. As you explore the caverns and passages, you collect parts and pieces that give you new abilities, allowing you to fight off predators or even cloak yourself to avoid larger creatures.
SubRay is still in development; currently there's no way to save the game (as far as I can tell) and the developers are looking for feedback on the game's current state.
Inside My Radio
Inside My Radio is a Ludum Dare entry. Essentially, you can only move, jump, and dash to the beat. It's a stylish precision platformer wrapped in a music game skin. There's not much to say about Inside My Radio. The concept is a lot of fun, and quite challenging, and the devs combined rhythm-based obstacles and hazards with the platforming in numerous inventive ways. Seaven Studio, the devs of Ethan Meteor Hunter, is expanding the game into a full length experience.
UnSummoning: the Spectral Horde
Basically you're a bumbling necromancer who finds himself being attacked by his own summoned creatures. To survive, you need to fight off waves of enemies. Enemies come in various colors, and they can only be defeated by attacks of the same color. The floor is covered in colored tiles, and by stepping across like-colored tiles, you charge up your shot. The more tiles you cover, the more powerful your attack. Chains of 5+ give your attacks an area of effect, 15+ make your attack affect all enemies not just those of the same color. Special tiles give you new attacks, like a spinning blade blast or a triple shot
The game is slower paced than your typical shooter. You need to look at the layout, think about where you want to move and which color enemy you want to focus on, all while also avoiding enemies. It becomes quite challenging to chain together lager groups of tiles as more enemies are introduced and the floors before more varied. UnSummoning won't win any awards but it's different and I think it's fun
Chained
Along with SubRay and Arc, Chained was one of the three games to win top honors in the DigiPen Game Awards. Chained easily deserves such recognition, thanks to its interesting mechanics and wonderful art style.
Chained is a short puzzle platformer, the story of man traversing an otherworldly environment, tethered to an ethereal ball-and-chain. What stands out from the start is Chained's art style, a gloomy world filled with dilapidated structures, in an expansive cavern...where something lurks. The gameplay is equally enjoyable; your heavy weight is a versatile tool, able to smash down obstacles and be used as a grapple hook of sorts to climb up high ledges and swing from special points. Simple controls make traversing the various gaps and buildings easy. The world of Chained is a dangerous one; while there are no enemies, it's a world in ruin, as buildings collapse and plummet with you inside.
Chained is pretty buggy; more than a few times, my chain got stuck on a different floor or I'd find my guy floating through the level. Luckily, the developers seemed aware of this and added keyboard shortcuts that let you restart the position of your character and his ball.
The World Beneath
Developed for Ludum Dare 29, The World Beneath is a first person exploration game set in a network of subterranean caverns. It's a short experience, but well worth playing. The abstract environments are wonderful to discover, the light from your limited torches illuminating the depths with vivid colors. There's a sense of urgency and tension as well, as your torches fade away and darkness closes in. A new cave system is generated when you restart so there's always something new to explore.
The World Beneath is simple and short, but it's also a wonderfully artistic experience thanks to its abstract angular style and lighting effects.
---
1. Crimsonland
2. Subray
3. Nekro
4. Inside My Radio
5. UnSummoning: the Spectral Horde
6. Chained
7. The World Beneath
