Indie Games 2014 [October] Now Voting - Post 280!

[inserts insightful comment about games and the state of indie development today]

[insert awe struck comment about the enorm eloquence and insight shown in your post]

Also: Thanks for pushing to page 2! Page 1 always crashes my iPad browser (if you were wondering why I cant play 80 days then: Its a first generation iPad and new games dont run on it because I cant install a newer iOS).
 
Saw this article in the GamerGate thread
http://www.theverge.com/2014/10/2/6...-feminist-campaign-by-pulling-ads-from-gaming

But the piece quickly drew flak from those who saw the acknowledgement of video gaming's depth and breadth in 2014 as a personal attack on their very own identity.

Seriously, what the hell? People really think like this? Film ranges from shlock and teen dramas to b-movie action and dark comedy, indie dramas to Korean serial killer horror. Books, music, television, all forms of media appeal to a vast range of preferences, age groups, tastes, themes, etc.

I am shocked that there are people who feel video games shouldn't have the same variety and diversity
 
Remember Enterchained?
GameplayBattle.png
The full expanded game will be releasing on PC and IOS next week
http://www.featherweightgames.com/enterchained/
 
Damn, I really need to play Metrocide. Within two days, it went from "Never heard of the game" to one of my most anticipated game of the fall. Just check out this piece the dev wrote about the game's AI:
http://gamasutra.com/blogs/RohanHar...or_How_I_Rolled_My_Own_Cyberpunk_Dystopia.php

After generating a name, a sex, a sexuality, a marital status, a family, pets (okay, so I was going overboard a bit), a personality and a home for each person, I then tried to figure out what they were doing. Visiting friends? Going out to a club? (We labelled clubs and other notable places on the map as 'points of interest') If they're a smoker, perhaps they're just walking around the corner to huff a cigarette without their partner finding out?
The result is exactly what we'd hoped for - an environment where all sorts of insane things can happen. A typical story might be that you're hiding in an alleyway, waiting for your target to pass so you can blast him apart with your blaster. Raising your weapon and starting it charging makes a sound, and your target turns to face you. Unluckily for you, the reaction times of the target and the fact that he is *also* armed mean that he is very quickly pointing his weapon at you.

For a moment, you think you're dead, as his pistol will fire much faster than your crappy blaster. But then there's a loud bang as a shotgun goes off - neither of you noticed some gang-member standing on the corner until he saw your target (but not you, as you were hidden in the alley) raise a weapon... and he reacted as you'd expected. Some guy with a gun on my turf? I'm putting this fella down!

And of course this begin a chain-reaction. Someone sees this exchange and calls the cops - identifying the gang-member as the victim.

Soon the cops turn up, and a firefight with the gang-member ensue. Of course, all of this is good for you - you were paid to ensure your target became fish-food. Just how that happened was never specified. Result? No blame, but all the reward. Good job, TJ Trench!

It opens up a lot of interesting play-styles, too. Achievements for tricking bodyguards into shooting their own employers, hacking the police system to replace your wanted mug at a crime scene with some other poor innocent. It may have always been designed as a very tense, fast game, but that doesn't mean we couldn't find other ways to add nuance and complexity by the very way we built the simulation.
 
Thats the spirit!

Hopefully, I get to try more games earlier this month to hype some of those games up in this thread before the thread ends.

Me too - I left it way too late to play games last month. Not this time Toma!!

Also Hope Slide MESSED ME UP - I HATE the puzzles where you have to shift blocks around, I have some kind of dyslexia with them and simply cannot do them. Daniel (the developer) even asked me how I was doing on twitter with the game..

"Badly Daniel. Badly."
 
Didn't Outland come out centuries ago? Or was it console-only?

Two games about particle accelerators in one month is odd.

Yep, Outland previously was console only.

Me too - I left it way too late to play games last month. Not this time Toma!!

Also Hope Slide MESSED ME UP - I HATE the puzzles where you have to shift blocks around, I have some kind of dyslexia with them and simply cannot do them. Daniel (the developer) even asked me how I was doing on twitter with the game..

"Badly Daniel. Badly."

Gonna check out Mountain now, then start with the stuff for this month.

And Hop & Slide is so genius. That guy should make a more involving game, longer. Make it a full on Metroidvania =p
 
I've been following these threads for the past few months and thought it was about time I popped in and said hello! It's always been a fantastic way to keep on top of how other indie games are going and which to keep an eye on.

Also, thank you for all the kind words (and constructive criticism) regarding my games.
 
I've been following these threads for the past few months and thought it was about time I popped in and said hello! It's always been a fantastic way to keep on top of how other indie games are going and which to keep an eye on.

Also, thank you for all the kind words (and constructive criticism) regarding my games.
Welcome to the threads and the forums! Always great to have another dev here.

Hop Slide was one of the games I didn't get to try last month, so I definitely plan to check it out this weekend.

Can't wait for Sun & Moon. The Ludum Dare version was already pretty tough and the full game looks even more challenging
 
Considering I just spent 1hour with mountain, I officially declare it worth my $1 investment. As Panda said, it really is whatever you want it to be. If someone needs a game to justify his hate for art games, this game will fit perfectly. On the other hand, the game is actually an interesting experiment.

Its all very simple and obtuse at the same time so I probably should spoiler-tag it :
The initial impression is indeed that of a screensaver. No controls, no discernible progress, no fancy graphics.

Then things start changing. Thoughts of the mountain, items appearing on the mountain, sounds, seasons. Eventually, you figure out that there actually might be an input method and a way to influence the mountain through unnamed and unexplained song bits. This isnt the main part of it though, its just something to divulge in, while ... being a mountain. "Mountain" is meant to run while you do other things. I developed a peculiar attachment to this land mass running on my PC for two hours now.

Would I recommend it to others? Probably... not. Do I think its a good game? No. Do I think its a unique concept, that with an open mind is rather inspiring? Yeah. Did I just say in the same text that I played this game for 1,2 and now almost 3 hours? Yes, because its that hard to put into words what this actually is. Its not good, its not bad, it just... is. It didnt ask for my full attention, sometimes I had it running for a while without me checking on it, but then I return and there is a bit of solace in realizing that the world still... keeps turning. I am currently pondering whether this is the closest form of digital abstract art that I ever encountered, and whether I am insane to be planning on leaving Mountain running tomorrow just because it kept me thinking. I think I'd actually like having this as an interactive picture frame on my desk.

Its so weird, why am I still thinking about it. Aaaah. I might have gotten the point across that its just stupidly hard to write something coherent about this, especially considering I have this text open for 2 hours now. Then I noticed that I already wrote the most fitting description and impressions for this game here:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=132789257&postcount=63

I've been following these threads for the past few months and thought it was about time I popped in and said hello! It's always been a fantastic way to keep on top of how other indie games are going and which to keep an eye on.

Also, thank you for all the kind words (and constructive criticism) regarding my games.

Thank you for Hop & Slide :)
I didnt check out any other of your games yet, but maybe I should rectify that. Do you have quite a few more? Any you'd recommend yourself? (Stupid question if they are your own games, but maybe you do actually have a good answer)
 
You haven't played Javel-ein, Toma? I thought you had, I'm pretty sure I recall you had recommended the game

Daniel also made Roguelight and The Sun & Moon
 
You haven't played Javel-ein, Toma? I thought you had, I'm pretty sure I recall you had recommended the game

That was him too? :-o Hot damn, you are good Managore. (Sorry, I gave up on trying to remember developer names for all the small games we feature here) Javel-Ein was a very smart realization of the "You only have one" LD theme in an appealing game. Maybe I should just check what other games he put out and see for myself.
 
I've been following these threads for the past few months and thought it was about time I popped in and said hello! It's always been a fantastic way to keep on top of how other indie games are going and which to keep an eye on.

Also, thank you for all the kind words (and constructive criticism) regarding my games.

Welcome!

Remember Enterchained?

The full expanded game will be releasing on PC and IOS next week
http://www.featherweightgames.com/enterchained/

I'm interested to read impressions about the expanded version.

Considering I just spent 1hour with mountain, I officially declare it worth my $1 investment. As Panda said, it really is whatever you want it to be. If someone needs a game to justify his hate for art games, this game will fit perfectly. On the other hand, the game is actually an interesting experiment.

Its all very simple and obtuse at the same time so I probably should spoiler-tag it :
The initial impression is indeed that of a screensaver. No controls, no discernible progress, no fancy graphics.

Then things start changing. Thoughts of the mountain, items appearing on the mountain, sounds, seasons. Eventually, you figure out that there actually might be an input method and a way to influence the mountain through unnamed and unexplained song bits. This isnt the main part of it though, its just something to divulge in, while ... being a mountain. "Mountain" is meant to run while you do other things. I developed a peculiar attachment to this land mass running on my PC for two hours now.

Mountain spoiler:
Did you discovered the song that makes rain blood? Have you tried to move the objects that landed on your mountain?
Would I recommend it to others? Probably... not. Do I think its a good game? No. Do I think its a unique concept, that with an open mind is rather inspiring? Yeah. Did I just say in the same text that I played this game for 1,2 and now almost 3 hours? Yes, because its that hard to put into words what this actually is. Its not good, its not bad, it just... is. It didnt ask for my full attention, sometimes I had it running for a while without me checking on it, but then I return and there is a bit of solace in realizing that the world still... keeps turning. I am currently pondering whether this is the closest form of digital abstract art that I ever encountered, and whether I am insane to be planning on leaving Mountain running tomorrow just because it kept me thinking. I think I'd actually like having this as an interactive picture frame on my desk.

Interesting, I didn't thought about considering Mountain a digital abstract art.

Its so weird, why am I still thinking about it. Aaaah. I might have gotten the point across that its just stupidly hard to write something coherent about this, especially considering I have this text open for 2 hours now. Then I noticed that I already wrote the most fitting description and impressions for this game here:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=132789257&postcount=63

I had the same struggle when trying to explain it.
 
Rain World's coming together nicely. After reading all the technical dev updates and the gradual progress since they switched to Unity, it's great to see the game looking like this again

bMaC.gif


And here's another GIF-tastic game that's progressing nicely: Wings of Saint Nazaire

HuntDown_01.gif
 
YoYo Games is starting its own digital store
http://gamemakerblog.com/2014/10/04/its-official-digital-store-will-replace-gamemaker-sandbox/

---

Posted some thoughts on Fenix Rage in the game's thread
I feel this game has a distinct style compared to the pixels of 1001 Spikes, Spelunky, and Electronic Super Joy or the more cartoony style of Super Meat Boy. Actually the game is reminiscent of SMB but I think Fenix Rage does stand out through its vivid colors and the sense of movement. The levels are bustling, far more active than other precision platformers I've played. And the cool matchstick-style wall slide mechanic is really cool, adds a new dynamic visual touch to the maneuver
It's great so far. I had read reviews that slammed the game for being bland and boring compared to SMB and ESJ, but I'd totally disagree. As I said in my other comments, no way is this game boring, either mechanically or visually. The levels are colorful and bright and you're damn fast. You really have to adjust to the unlimited dashes and jumps. You're not merely evading hazards; you're grinding along a wall to light yourself on fire, dashing through an ice wall, then deftly weaving between a vertical array of enemies. You're more agile and have a greater range of movement than other precision platformers, allowing for the devs to go all out with level design. Very tricky stuff that wouldn't be possible in other games

PolishedGleefulCuckoo.gif
 
Mountain spoiler:
Did you discovered the song that makes rain blood? Have you tried to move the objects that landed on your mountain?
Yea, I found a list of stuff in the Steam Community Hub, but the interesting thing is... its probably far from complete. There still seems a lot here that no one has discovered yet.

Even though
I couldnt figure out how to move the items.

Interesting, I didn't thought about considering Mountain a digital abstract art.

I really took a liking to what you said earlier about the game being what you want it to be, but it really feels more like an actual art experiment than pure "game" to me, especially considering the way it makes me think about it.
 
Yea, I found a list of stuff in the Steam Community Hub, but the interesting thing is... its probably far from complete. There still seems a lot here that no one has discovered yet.

Even though
I couldnt figure out how to move the items.



I really took a liking to what you said earlier about the game being what you want it to be, but it really feels more like an actual art experiment than pure "game" to me, especially considering the way it makes me think about it.

To move the items you need to click and hold the left mouse buttom for a few seconds.
 
Did the demo of Cosmochoria had the music on it? I don't remember

Anyway, I'm playing Cosmochoria and unsurprisingly I'm liking it a lot, comparing with the demo we featured months ago there are more upgrades to unlock, the planets creates an atmosphere when you enough trees grows, and I've found a new enemy the space insects. The music is simply superb, and work very well setting the tone of the game.

After landing on a very small planet I'm hoping to find a Le Petit Prince reference soon. xD
 
Thank you for Hop & Slide :)
I didnt check out any other of your games yet, but maybe I should rectify that. Do you have quite a few more? Any you'd recommend yourself? (Stupid question if they are your own games, but maybe you do actually have a good answer)

You're welcome, I'm really glad you enjoyed it! The games I'm most happy with are probably Roguelight and The Sun And Moon. I'm hoping to work on Roguelight some more after my other project is complete.
 
I've been following these threads for the past few months and thought it was about time I popped in and said hello! It's always been a fantastic way to keep on top of how other indie games are going and which to keep an eye on.

Also, thank you for all the kind words (and constructive criticism) regarding my games.

Hey man! I didn't know you were a GAFfer!
 
You're welcome, I'm really glad you enjoyed it! The games I'm most happy with are probably Roguelight and The Sun And Moon. I'm hoping to work on Roguelight some more after my other project is complete.

Just played the Sun and Moon. I've seen the negative space traversal quite a few times in other games, so this doesnt feel quite as novel as Javel-Ein or Hop&Slide, but its very well polished and fun to figure out. Great level design too. Definitely a platformer worth playing. Gonna try Roguelight later when I got to it in the monthly list.
 
Just played the Sun and Moon. I've seen the negative space traversal quite a few times in other games, so this doesnt feel quite as novel as Javel-Ein or Hop&Slide, but its very well polished and fun to figure out. Great level design too. Definitely a platformer worth playing. Gonna try Roguelight later when I got to it in the monthly list.

Roguelight is legit good
 
Going to be a smaller update today, since there doesn't seem to be a 10/4 page on the Screenshot Saturday site

Beyond Human - 2016 (PC, Mac, PS4, PS Vita)
8517c7d1d175c09fd6ecddbc13d1ecb7_large.gif

http://beyondhumanproject.com/

Beyond-Human is a combination of platformer and hack & slash inspired by Metroid, Megaman, and Devil May Cry. Beyond-Human builds upon the classic open-world Metroidvania style by mixing a deep hack and slash combat system, exploration, and 16-bit pixel art

Ancestory - PC
ancestoryshot3_7206hrul.jpg

https://twitter.com/AncestoryGame

Ancestory is an upcoming Turn-Based Tactical Card Game for PC

The Memory of Eldurim - $20 (PC)
oQHDGwq.jpg

http://store.steampowered.com/app/268670/

The Memory of Eldurîm is a 3D open-world action RPG set in an original fantasy world.
Terms like "Action RPG" and "Open world" get thrown around a lot these days, so let's be a bit more specific. The Memory of Eldurîm is a 3rd/1st person game where you control a character that lives in an unique fantasy world. The combat is fast paced. You'll have to time your attacks, blocks, and dodges for maximum effectiveness.

It Always Ends In Nuclear War - ????
WTJ9ep3.png

http://www.danieljosephpetersen.com/projects/

A project about human history, allowing you to guide a people from the dawn of civilization into modern times.

Previously Mentioned

Death's Gambit

TerraTech

Dawn of the Ronin
 
OP impressions:

Absolute Drift
Top down drifting game and surprisingly fun. Unfortunately not that much content yet, but its pretty fun to play around with, especially because its not all that easy. It takes a while until you start to get a feeling for the amount of steering needed to control the vehicle, but the presentation and actual challenges/levels here are very well made. A game I wish I could get on my Vita. Definitely check out the free demo.

Antbassador
Surprisingly charming game. Very short, but the wacky control mechanics together with the subject matter actually makes for a really cute game concept. You are the antbassador (a finger) and you move through ant village with your (often clumsy) hand, trying to help the ant population. Reminds me a bit of QWOP in controlling your limbs kinda feels random. Too bad its really THIS short, but interesting idea and execution in any case.

Atom Smasher
Super geeky theme, but the puzzle part isnt quite as engaging as it probably should be. The game revolves around correctly arranging cable layouts and the setup for the atom collider and incrasing the energy output.The puzzle levels in itself dont stay easy, but they just arent interesting to do or feel rewarding. Not sure why its not sparking for me.

Beyond Gravity
Pretty simple one button ... jumper with the typical upgrade unlock structure you can earn by replaying the game. Its simple, but it works well enough, just not something I have more interest in playing anymore, especially considering there are a million of those games out there on flash game portals.

>----------< Highly Recommended >----------<


>----------< Recommended >----------<
Absolute Drift
Antbassador

>----------< Decent-ish >----------<
Beyond Gravity
Atom Smasher

>----------< Bleh >----------<
 
Unnamed game - ????
BothTalkativeChicken.gif

https://twitter.com/tehbignic

Gladiator arena game from bignic (Corporate Lifestyle Simulator)

Dawn Of The Tyrant - ????

Rituals - Free alpha demo (PC, Mac)
BzDsbkSCEAAGGBz.jpg

http://oleomingus.itch.io/rituals

Rituals is a narrative driven, exploration game with element of stealth. The game is set in an alternate Colonial India and explores the strange consequences of the search for a mythical city called Kayamgadh.
Explore this convoluted construction, celebrate its absurity, and piece together its strangely crafted stories

Dungeon League - ????
BzGAVj3CEAE4a9W.png

https://twitter.com/achebit

Multiplayer dungeon crawling

Quasar - PC
PeskyNiceIndianskimmer.gif

http://www.quasargame.com/

Quasar is a top-down multiplayer shooter built in Unreal Engine 4. It features procedurally generated arenas, multiple game modes, and some RPG elements.
Player ships will each have 10 slots which a player can equip various weapons, engines, and armor in.

Super Daryl Deluxe - PC
BothGloriousGraysquirrel.gif

http://www.superdaryldeluxe.com/

Super Daryl Deluxe is a 2D Action-RPG being developed for PC. It has a ridiculous story, and a flexible combat system where the player creates their own combinations of abilities to learn, level up, and use.

RocMoto - PC
sykpKJ3.png

http://maximumcrash.tumblr.com/

Galaga and Wipeout meet at a F-Zero party.
This vertical shmup aims to make players play shmups more aggressively by encouraging players to crash into enemy ships.

Uncrewed - PC
Wynb50v.png

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=318795503

Uncrewed is an RTS with ability to design your own units. Another key feature of the game is that the units are physical entities (they can collide, sink, get stuck, etc.)

Antihero - 2015 (PC, Mac, IOS, Android)
fdAJNp7.jpg

http://antihero-game.com/news/

Antihero is a fast-paced 4X strategy game set in a gaslit city overrun by corruption & greed. In Antihero, you run a Thieves' Guild. You recruit and train thieves and street urchins, scout the city, infiltrate banks and factories, perform assassinations, and generally behave in a very un-hero-like fashion.

Previously Mentioned

Lacuna Passage

Apocalypse Cow

That Which Sleeps

Zombie Night Terror
 
If you found some really good stuff, make sure to post them here in the proper format for next month. :)
Sure

The Legend of Light - Free (Browser)
26150-shot3.jpg

http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-30/?action=preview&uid=26150

Play as the Hero of Light on his adventure through the world of darkness.

Arktrail - Free (Browser)
22396-shot2.png

http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-30/?action=preview&uid=22396

A FTL/Oregon Trail hybrid! You are the captain of a futuristic interstellar ark that quite honestly, left space-dock months too early.
Will you patch up your ship and survive the long journey between worlds to finish the space gate you are tasked to build, or will your ship succumb to the perils of interstellar space?

Fluid Perspectives - Free (Browser)
10217-shot2.png

http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-30/?action=preview&uid=10217

Fluid Perspectives is a cute game about running around with birds and fun little puzzles! | Fluid Perspectives is a hardcore platformer set in a fiery world full of danger and mind-bending challenges!

Computer, Open That Door! - Free (PC, Mac, Linux, Browser)
29748-shot1.png

http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-30/?action=preview&uid=29748

During a space exploration mission the ship computer of the Starship Explorer gained consciousness. The crew can't know -- otherwise they would erase the entire computer system immediately.
The ship is 20 star systems away from the next station. This should be enough time to remove all 'biohazard' from your decks.
Use the ship's systems wisely to kill one crew member at a time. But be careful: The crew will reset systems once they discover they are not working as intended.

Chipset-0 - Free (Browser)
2982-shot1.gif

http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-30/?action=preview&uid=2982

You are Chipset-0, mechanized maintenance unit. You have a mission: plug disconnected humans back into the System.
Chipset-0 is a puzzle platformer: you have to connect power sources with mechanisms in order to progress throughout the level
 
OP Impressions:

Absolute Drift
Solid little game and love the minimalist look they are rolling with. A little tough for my liking, but very enjoyable for a quick go. Especially like the use of the driving line.

Antbassador
Cute concept, but didn't really entertain me. Never really got into the very plodding speed of the game.

Atom Smasher
Very proof of concept-y. Potentially interesting, but the interface isn't fantastic and the puzzles themselves were a little dull. Applaud the developer for trying such a weird idea though.

Dr. Spacezoo
A game I am shocked I didn't like more given my general enjoyment of shooters, but it really didn't click. The control of the ship doesn't feel tight enough for the time trial game they are aiming for and the graphics can be a little ugly and distracting. A well constructed game, but one that just isn't too enjoyable to play.

Drone Core
Cool, fairly simple turn based strategy but the clean interface and precise rules give the game a nice quick snappy feel. You probably won't play this one more then 3-4 times, but those game will be pretty enjoyable.

List of Quality:

- Absolute Drift
- Drone Core
- Antbassador
- Dr. Spacezoo
- Atom Smasher
 
Haven't posted in Indie threads in some time. I've missed you guys! :p

IndieGAF curation page added so much to my steam wishlist. I'll try to get some impressions in this month.
 
Haven't posted in Indie threads in some time. I've missed you guys! :p

IndieGAF curation page added so much to my steam wishlist. I'll try to get some impressions in this month.

Haha, welcome back Kode :)
 
Finally! Been watching this game's progress for months

Environmental Station Alpha - Free demo (PC)
A9ChPw5.gif

http://www.hempuli.com/esa/

Environmental Station Alpha is an action adventure platformer with a retro aesthetic and heavy emphasis on exploration. In the game the player controls a robot sent to investigate a mysterious, abandoned space station with the mission to find out what exactly took place there
 
Obviously this thread :p

Best answer.

Usually, people like Baddy, post the most interesting stuff from other channels here, saving me and Toma Bot a shit load of time

(<3)
 
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