Indie Games 2015 [October] Let's talk about anything Indie!

PandaPedinte said:
Which were the game that mostly caught your attention this month?
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SOMA. It's going to be very high on my GOTY list

Favorite October releases would be Downwell and Mushroom 11. Although with Galak-Z and Sun Dogs releasing tomorrow, that might change

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Thread hasn't a fresh dose of Rain World this month yet. Hope you're not insect-phobic
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More_Badass said:
SOMA. It's going to be very high on my GOTY list

Favorite October releases would be Downwell and Mushroom 11. Although with Galak-Z and Sun Dogs releasing tomorrow, that might change

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Thread hasn't a fresh dose of Rain World this month yet. Hope you're not insect-phobic
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Have you played Undertale, Baddie? I still haven't finished it (I barely had time to play this month) but the game clicked with me quuckly.
 
PandaPedinte said:
Have you played Undertale, Baddie? I still haven't finished it (I barely had time to play this month) but the game clicked with me quuckly.
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I've had my eye on it but to be honest, it doesnt really interest me. Maybe if Galak-Z wasn't coming out, I'd have picked it up
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Anyway, played some Sun Dogs and...eh, kind of disappointing. The prose is pretty good, with interesting descriptions, but that's about it. I'll admit, games like Sorcery have definitely spoiled me in terms of interactive fiction. The Sun Dogs universe is cool, but the super-minimalist approach makes for a really boring experience

Some art for the transhumanist cities and settings would have really added a lot. They really enhanced the atmosphere of 80 Days and Heavy Metal Thunder
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Compared to Sun Dogs
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The tech and descriptions are interesting, especially for me because I love far-future, transhumanist, post-Singularity settings. But besides that Sun Dogs hasn't coalesced into a compelling experience
 
Nabs said:
I have $16.70 in my Steam Wallet...

...but the delay has kind of killed my enthusiasm. I'll wait to hear what everyone thinks of it first.
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Played for about an hour, just died.

I'm really enjoying it. It's less fast-paced bullet hell shooter, more..."Rain World" of dual stick shooters. Got that kind of vibe. Each stage has multiple factions that you can bait into fighting each other, you're outnumbered and can easily be overwhelmed, and it's always better to try and remain stealthy and use the environment to your advantage. Enemies have sight cones and you can reduce your sound to hide and outmaneuver larger forces.

Being chased by an oversized alien bug ship and boosting into a tunnel where it can't follow reminds me of dodging vultures in RW; pulling off jukes around enemies and deftly maneuvering around hazards and tight caverns has the same satisfaction of mastering fluid physics-based movement.

The visuals pop with color and effects. Really does look awesome in motion
 
Here's a question for you guys. Out of all the indie publishers out there, which do you respect?

Meaning, if an indie publisher picks up a game, you know it's going to be good.

I have my own personal opinions on this, but I don't want to flavor anyone's decision and I'd like to hear what you have to say.
 
Phawx said:
Here's a question for you guys. Out of all the indie publishers out there, which do you respect?

Meaning, if an indie publisher picks up a game, you know it's going to be good.

I have my own personal opinions on this, but I don't want to flavor anyone's decision and I'd like to hear what you have to say.
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Hmm, hard to choose between Devolver and Adult Swim. Probably Adult Swim, because they picked up Rain World

An indie game getting published by AS, I know it's going to be something I'm going to like. Volgarr, Jazzpunk, Death's Gambit, DESYNC, etc.

Even made a thread about it: Adult Swim Games is becoming the next big indie-friendly publisher
 
Phawx said:
Here's a question for you guys. Out of all the indie publishers out there, which do you respect?

Meaning, if an indie publisher picks up a game, you know it's going to be good.

I have my own personal opinions on this, but I don't want to flavor anyone's decision and I'd like to hear what you have to say.
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Devolver has my trust right now. They seem to recruit the best stuff early. They seem to give devs time to do their thing.

Adultswim is on the come up, for sure. I really like what they have on the horizon, but I'll have to wait until I get a chance to play to be sure.

TinyBuild definitely has my respect. I wasn't a fan of their first game, but I love how they took the success of it, and put it into other games. Not only do they publish games, but they help develop them.
 
Phawx said:
Here's a question for you guys. Out of all the indie publishers out there, which do you respect?
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Kinda no one. I mean their are some pubs I respect in regards to how I feel they do good for their clients but their are none that have a 100% good record of games on their catalog. I tend to view published games and random stuff that has popped up on steam or this thread as having exactly the same chance of being potentially good.

But if I had to give daps to at least one publisher, I do have a soft spot for tinyBuild. They seem quite likeable in any interviews I seen them in and they really push their clients games on social media and the like.
 
So I agree with all of you. We've all seen the rise of the indie publishers. But the one's who've *actually* made an impression on us are the one's who are being curators. Literally to the point that if Devolver or AS picks up a game that I haven't heard about (honestly only Downwell comes to mind) I instantly give it more credit than I would have in the past.

Then you have the others who are seemingly just doing it to make money off of developers. And we know who those are as well. And then you also have some that are in between.

I'm thinking of doing a video documentary on the Rise (and fall?) of indie publishers. It's on the back burner for now, but I'm trying to secure some video interviews for now.

Also, one that is actually a big indie publisher in my head but they are like an anonymous benefactor is IndieFund. If a game secures funding from IndieFund, I also think that it's going to be a big game. But on the otherside, indiefund doesn't really do any PR for anything past giving money. So that's an interesting one for sure.

Thanks for the input.

One Foul Note said:
But if I had to give daps to at least one publisher, I do have a soft spot for tinyBuild. They seem quite likeable in any interviews I seen them in and they really push their clients games on social media and the like.
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FWIW, tinyBuild had the best presence for indies at PAX East the last time I went. Devolver has a space, but it's more of the developers being at the forefront whereas tinyBuild proper was handling things. Which I tended to prefer if only because tinyBuild seemed to care about the quality of the *space* they were presenting on. Devolver was drab.
 
Team17 is also on the rise too IMO. Sheltered, Beyond Eyes, Strength of the Sword, The Escapists, Penarium, Allison Road. That's a really good indie library
 
More_Badass said:
Team17 is also on the rise too IMO. Sheltered, Beyond Eyes, Strength of the Sword, The Escapists, Penarium, Allison Road. That's a really good indie library
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The problem with Team17, for me, is that they leaned on their Worms franchise for so long and the newest thing they could do was to become an indie publisher was ... weak? I will concede that I'm being too hard on them.

Gotta talk with them as well.
 
Phawx said:
FWIW, tinyBuild had the best presence for indies at PAX East the last time I went. Devolver has a space, but it's more of the developers being at the forefront whereas tinyBuild proper was handling things. Which I tended to prefer if only because tinyBuild seemed to care about the quality of the *space* they were presenting on. Devolver was drab.
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To be honest, I don't really rate Devolver Digital. I mean they are fine generally and they do have a few really really good games in their catalogue but they also publish a lot of really flawed works and sometimes I wonder if they are more interested in shotgunning out as much games as possible then actually taking the time and care to make sure each one is as good as possible. Don't want to be too harsh, they do good work too but in the spectrum of indie publishers I generally put them and Team 17 fairly near the bottom.
 
Just played Ninja Tag at IndieCade this year, and wow it is good. Maybe even Towerfall good. It's a really fast paced action stealth game, with a lot of satisfying backstabbing.

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Ninja Tag- 2016 (PC)
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http://www.playninjatag.com/

Ninja Tag is a local multiplayer stealth brawler where 2 to 4 players compete to be the ninjaest ninja. Armed with crossbows or swords, each ninja lurks in the dark for unexpected backstabbing or zips around the map to strike opponents before they can react. Quick reflexes and a keen eye will tell where your enemies hide and ensure you live long enough to take them out.
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Galak-Z is different from what I thought it was going to be. Is a stealth shooter, you have to carefully navigate and try to evade radar ships and other ships as you try to reach your destination. You even get an achievement for not triggering the alarm before warping to the other section. When you get discovered or want a fight the controls are easy to use with a pad and usually the combat is nice and the missiles apart from the visual spectacle are VERY useful. Visually the game is very appealing and I like how seamless the transitions between everything is. So fluid as well. Need to transform into the mech yet. Looking forward to that.

Thought it was going to be more like Cryptark (sort of my current favorite along This War of Mine). Cryptark is more action oriented, disabling ship security before taking the core. Galak-Z is more stealthy and has checkpoints. Both are awesome.
 
Matt Frost said:
Galak-Z is different from what I thought it was going to be. Is a stealth shooter, you have to carefully navigate and try to evade radar ships and other ships as you try to reach your destination. You even get an achievement for not triggering the alarm before warping to the other section. When you get discovered or want a fight the controls are easy to use with a pad and usually the combat is nice and the missiles apart from the visual spectacle are VERY useful. Visually the game is very appealing and I like how seamless the transitions between everything is. So fluid as well. Need to transform into the mech yet. Looking forward to that.

Thought it was going to be more like Cryptark (sort of my current favorite along This War of Mine). Cryptark is more action oriented, disabling ship security before taking the core. Galak-Z is more stealthy and has checkpoints. Both are awesome.
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Yes, I'm surprised by how important stealth and precision and caution is in the gameplay. I too was expecting something more hectic, and am really glad to find that the gameplay is more deliberate.
 
The Alienware coupons I mentioned earlier stack with this sale. You can get games like Dropsy for less than 5 and Talos for 12.
 
More_Badass said:
Steam Halloween Sale!
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Yes! Out There Somewhere is 19 cents and Escape Goat 2 is 4$. Grabbing both, let's see what else is there :D

.... Dungeon of the Endless is 6$, half price... how it it? ....

More_Badass said:
Yes, I'm surprised by how important stealth and precision and caution is in the gameplay. I too was expecting something more hectic, and am really glad to find that the gameplay is more deliberate.
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Yes I am really glad is that way also. Don't know how it will me with the robot yet and looking forward to that :D

Nabs said:
The Alienware coupons I mentioned earlier stack with this sale. You can get games like Dropsy for less than 5 and Talos for 12.
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Got OlliOlli 2 for 1.29 or something like that, thanks! :D
 
Matt Frost said:
.... Dungeon of the Endless is 6$, half price... how it it? ...
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Excellent. Posted some impressions of the iPad release over in the IOS thread
Been playing some Dungeon of the Endless.
It's hard as fuck. Your goal is to travel through 12 floors, roguelike style, and so far I haven't been able to reach the second

You have a lot of things to juggle
- Four different resources, for powering rooms, leveling up, building modules (think towers), etc
- Your heroes, each with different stats and abilities
- Choosing which rooms to power and which modules to build

The gameplay is divided into two phases. The first has you exploring the floor, searching for exit. The game is pseudo-turn based, each "turn" occurring when you open a door. Each time you open a door, it's rife with tension, because you don't know what lies beyond. So you better be prepared beforehand

Then once you find the exit, you need to transport your power crystal to the exit, as hordes of enemies pour in. This is where the rooms you powered and the modules you've placed really matter.
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Not just a tower-defense dungeon crawler roguelike, also some squad-based strategy DNA in there too. A little bit of everything

Once you get the gist of the game, you realize one of the most critical aspect is planning your route from start to the level exit.

See, enemies only spawn in dark rooms, and you only have enough energy to power a certain amount of rooms. So the ideal route is short and has rooms filled with modules acting buffers along your main route.

It's really tense planning your path and then enacting it, as hordes of enemies flood the level.
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One Foul Note said:
To be honest, I don't really rate Devolver Digital. I mean they are fine generally and they do have a few really really good games in their catalogue but they also publish a lot of really flawed works and sometimes I wonder if they are more interested in shotgunning out as much games as possible then actually taking the time and care to make sure each one is as good as possible. Don't want to be too harsh, they do good work too but in the spectrum of indie publishers I generally put them and Team 17 fairly near the bottom.
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That's interesting. I have seen a few meh games from DD, but for the most part, they are well received.

On a side note, I already got shot down by PR for Devolver on an interview request. Realization that if I'm going to do this documentary, I might have to do it without any thirdparty video.
 
Matt Frost said:
.... Dungeon of the Endless is 6$, half price... how it it? ....
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Everything Amplitude has released is worth playing. They're also known for two brilliant 4X strategy games, Endless Space and Endless Legend. All three games take place in a shared universe, BTW. The lore's pretty interesting too.

Endless Space 2 is currently in development.
 
Heh, perhaps I need to switch gears on this and talk to devs how their experience was with indie publishers.
 
One Foul Note said:
To be honest, I don't really rate Devolver Digital. I mean they are fine generally and they do have a few really really good games in their catalogue but they also publish a lot of really flawed works and sometimes I wonder if they are more interested in shotgunning out as much games as possible then actually taking the time and care to make sure each one is as good as possible. Don't want to be too harsh, they do good work too but in the spectrum of indie publishers I generally put them and Team 17 fairly near the bottom.
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Huh, what? They do get some flawed gems (or just flawed games period), but seem to give each game the time needed to shine. Dropsy stayed in dev quite a while.

More_Badass said:
Team17 is also on the rise too IMO. Sheltered, Beyond Eyes, Strength of the Sword, The Escapists, Penarium, Allison Road. That's a really good indie library
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Don't forget Yooka Laylee!
 
Matt Frost said:
Ok I am browsing through the sale and added Dungeon of the Endless and The Swapper. I also see CaveStory+... how is it?
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Cave Story is considered the game that showed that one person can produce a game as good as regularly published games. It's the game that set the stage for indies today. The developer also made Kero Blaster

So yeah as a Metroidvania fan, it's a must play. Here's the original freeware version if you wanted to check it out:
http://www.cavestory.org/download/cave-story.php
 
Matt Frost said:
Ok I am browsing through the sale and added Dungeon of the Endless and The Swapper. I also see CaveStory+... how is it?
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The Swapper is amazing. One of my favorite games of that year. It has really heavy atmosphere, and amazing puzzle design. It's a 3 or so hour game (much longer if you go for 10 or so bonus puzzles), and worth every penny.
 
More_Badass said:
Cave Story is considered the game that showed that one person can produce a game as good as regularly published games. It's the game that the stage for indies today. The developer also made Kero Blaster

So yeah as a Metroidvania fan, it's a must play.
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The new art in the + version is pretty good too. Just make sure you use the old music. It's a great soundtrack almost entirely ruined by "improved" instrumentation.
 
As someone who prefers the more basic and harsher sounds of authentic chiptunes over "enhanced" soundtracks, I can say that I was surprised that I like both versions of the Cave Story soundtrack.
 
Did you hear the enhanced version when Cave Story+ launched? It sounded like the programming on the sound banks was screwed up. Like, the wrong instrument was being selected for most parts.

I think there's a second updated soundtrack now but I still prefer the old.
 
So far... The Swapper, CaveStory+, World of Goo (2$, I want to own it) and Dungeon of the Endless for 16$ in total. Is there anything else I am missing?

More_Badass said:
Cave Story is considered the game that showed that one person can produce a game as good as regularly published games. It's the game that set the stage for indies today. The developer also made Kero Blaster

So yeah as a Metroidvania fan, it's a must play. Here's the original freeware version if you wanted to check it out:
http://www.cavestory.org/download/cave-story.php
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If is by the same dev as Kero Blaster I am sold. What a good game that was.

Nabs said:
The Swapper is amazing. One of my favorite games of that year. It has really heavy atmosphere, and amazing puzzle design. It's a 3 or so hour game (much longer if you go for 10 or so bonus puzzles), and worth every penny.
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Had The Swapper in mind since I saw it and now, for 3$ I can't resist, much less with your "endorsement"... :)
 
Phawx said:
Looks like they removed Olliolli 2 from the sale.
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I'm not sure it ever was on sale. I think Matt used a coupon from Alienware along with his regional price.

Now, it should be on sale because it has Carnival of the Dead.
 
Phawx said:
Ah, thanks for the clarification.
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Yeah I used the coupon. Guess it wasn't my best timing with the Halloween sale going on. Sorry for the confusion. That sale Nabs mentioned also links the voucher to your account until 2016, you can use it anytime you want, it goes to you Inventory. If you are interested I would grab a coupon.

Ok today I bought: TheSwapper, CaveStory+, The Deer God, Full Bore, World of Goo, Dungeon of the Endless, Out There Somewhere, Galak-Z and Escape Goat 2. And yesterday This War of Mine. :D

I think I am done buying games for the week.
 
Voting

1 Assault Android Cactus
2 Concrete Jungle
3 Lovers in a Dangerious Spacetime
4 Ravenmark: Scourge of Estellion

Sorry for the short list this month. Had my main computer out of commission for most of the month for reasons I won't bore you with but long story short I have been gaming more on my phone and console as of late.
 
Does anyone have any news about Routine? Looking on the developers site the last update was in March. I think it was one of the first games I voted on Greenlight.
 
Damn, The Swapper... this is on the description:

Additional:Intel HD Graphics are not officially supported. But if you've got yourself a 3000 or better then there is a reasonable chance it will mostly/sorta work. No promises, but we've been working hard on it, at any rate.
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And of course I have an Intel 4000 and the game crashes as soon as it starts :crying-emoticon:
 
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