Indiegogo Friday

Welcome to our new feature that will be every Friday from now on - the Top 5 Indiegogo Games and Game-Related projects of the week.

Titanic: Honor and Glory by Four Funnels Entertainment
Sail through history on board the ill-fated RMS Titanic, the largest moving object in the world in 1912, and a technological wonder of the time. As Titanic races through the icy waters of the North Atlantic, Robert Morgan battles the odds to clear his name of horrible crimes. When the brand new luxury liner strikes an iceberg, and threatens the lives of 2,200 souls, Morgan must race the rising waters and the clock as the ship sinks out from under him.

Funding Goal - $250,000 by April 21st

(Flexible Funding - so they will get whatever is raised, even if it doesn't reach the goal)

My Opinion - They are recreating the Titanic and 1912 Southampton and building a game around it - awesome!  I'll be backing this, if nothing else for the chance to free-roam around the ship, docks and Southampton (I'm a history nerd).

Indiegogo Link

Game Website

Icy by Inner Void

Icy is an RPG set in a post-apocalyptic world witnessing a new Ice Age. The player will create his/her own character and live an adventure across the White Wasteland, struggling each day to survive, without losing hope to find a better place where to thrive. Icy mixes role-play and survival dynamics, allowing the player to lead a nomad family in their fight for survival, and to take care of all the responsibilities a leader has, such as keeping the group together and planning how to face a hostile world.

Funding Goal - $2,500 by March 26th

My Opinion - A unique survival game, both in terms of style and setting.  The gameplay looks like it has a lot of choice and customisation, as well as a compelling story.  Check it out on Indiegogo and consider backing it - they are nearly at their goal already.

Indiegogo Link

Greenlight Link

GoG Link

Game Website

CrossCode by Radical Fish Games

Take the best out of two popular genres, find a good balance between them and make a great game. That’s what CrossCode does. And it works pretty well. You get the puzzles of Zelda-esque dungeons and are rewarded with the great variety of equipment you know and love from RPGs. During the fast-paced battles you will use the tools you find on your journey to reveal and exploit the enemies' weaknesses and at the same time will be able to choose equipment and skills for a more in-depth approach in fighting your enemies.

Funding Goal - €80,000 by March 27th

My Opinion - I checked out the demo (available on their website) and CrossCode is fun, fast-paced and engaging, with an interesting story concept as well.

Indiegogo Link

Game Website

A Demon's Game by RP Studios

A Demon's Game is a first person horror game with a focus on atmosphere and pure survival.

Funding Goal - $500 by March 26th 

(Flexible Funding - so they will get whatever is raised, even if it doesn't reach the goal)

My Opinion - A Demon's Game looks genuinely scary and it it relies more on atmosphere than combat, then it is one I will be keen to revisit in the future.

Indiegogo Link

IndieDB Page

Dispersion by Bernardus Muller

Dispersion is a Augmented Reality RPG/Hack-n-Slash Survival.  It is compatible for both android and iOS devices. With augmented reality technology the game makes use of your smartphone's camera, to place virtual characters on your desk, lawn or wherever you choose!

Funding Goal - $8,600 by March 23rd

(Flexible Funding - so they will get whatever is raised, even if it doesn't reach the goal)

My Opinion - Our final selection this week is a bit left-field but if I had the chance to play an augmented reality RPG on my desk, then I'd probably take it.  Check out the video and the link below for full details on what this is all about.

Indiegogo Link

Early Access Thursday

A fuller week of early access titles this week, with enough to actually make a Top 5!

Medieval Engineers by Keen Software House
Medieval Engineers is a sandbox game about engineering, construction and the maintenance of architectural works and mechanical equipment using medieval technology. Players build cities, castles and fortifications; construct mechanical devices and engines; perform landscaping and underground mining.

Price - £14.99 for Basic, £18.99 for Deluxe - 4-packs and a promotion including Space Engineers is also available

My Opinion - So I can build my own medieval castle? I'm sold! It does look awesome and if you've ever tried Space Engineers this is worth playing as well.

Steam Link

Game Website

Battle of Empires : 1914-1918 by Great War Team
Battle of Empires : 1914-1918 is a series of tactical games, which tells the story of one of the bloodiest wars in mankind's history - The First World War.

The first game of the series - Battle of Empires: France - is devoted to the battles between French and German armies on the Western Front - you will take part in the battle of the Marne, the battle of Verdun, and the final battles of 1918. Campaign includes a wide variety of story driven missions such as: large-scale battles with several thousand soldiers, ambushes, tank attacks, sabotage tasks.

Price - £10.99

My Opinion - Finally it appears that there is a WWI strategy game that captures the conflict properly, whilst also being a lot of fun to play.  The game has been described by many as Men of War but WWI - so if you like MoW this is probably for you.

Steam Link

Game Website

Victor Vran by Haemimont Games 
Victor Vran is an isometric Action-RPG with a massive selection of weapons, items, outfits,demon powers and destiny cards. Experience intense combat action with dozens of enemies attacking you from all sides and unleash powerful skills to finish them off! 

Victor Vran lets you decide how to play the game. Forge your own personal version of Victor thanks to a vast array of powerful weapons, game-changing outfits, wicked demon powers and destiny cards. Use special moves, combine skills and weapons to wipe out hordes of hideous beasts and clever boss monsters.

Price - £15.99

My Opinion - Victor Vran to me looks like Diablo crossed with Van Helsing. I'm a big fan of isometric RPGs, including Diablo and Torchlight and VV looks as interesting and enjoyable as those titles, whilst offering a different twist on the genre.  Instead of point-and-click, the game has WASD control, as well as offering controller support.

Steam Link

Game Website

Airships: Conquer the Skies by David Stark
Design steampunk pixel airships out of functional modules and conquer the skies!

In the game, ships are viewed side-on, and their modules are operated by individual crew members. During combat, players give high-level commands to a small fleet, positioning their ships, ramming and boarding others. Ships and terrain are fully destructible: they can catch fire, explode, break apart, and fall. Players can also compete against one another in Internet and LAN matches.

Price - £6.99

My Opinion - Ever wanted to build a steampunk airship and battle against other steampunk airships?! Regardless if you have or you haven't, this looks like a lot of fun and the multi-player could be potentially awesome.

Steam Link

Game Website

Catacomb Kids by FourbitFriday
Catacomb Kids is a procedurally generated platformer, with an equal emphasis on quick reactions, tactical engagement, and strategic character growth. Wield swords, spears, axes, and daggers -- unleash powerful magicks to burn, freeze and poison foes with -- overcome traps and beasts both deadly and unrelenting.

Price - £11.99

My Opinion - A platformer rougue-like that looks and sounds really good.  Having quick reactions is not my strong point so I would likely suck at it, but if you like unforgiving platformers with a sense of humour, this might be for you.

Steam Link

Game Website

Greenlight Wednesday

Here's my Top 5 Greenlight Games of the week:

The Darkside DetectiveWhere cultists crawl, where demons dwell, where the occult… occults? you’ll find Detective Francis McQueen, the sole member of the criminally underfunded Darkside Division. When evil darkens the doorsteps of Twin Lakes City – hell, even when it just loiters around shop fronts or hangs out in shady alleyways – he’s there, ready to investigate the cases that nobody else will. He is The Darkside Detective.

My Opinion - There aren't enough innovative detective games out there but The Darkside Detective fits the bill for me. I tried the demo today and it is really engaging and fun.  Give it vote on greenlight!

Greenlight Link

Game Website

Demo Link

Home is Where One Starts 

Home is Where One Starts is a short, first-person exploration game in the same vein as Dear Esther or Gone Home. It’s a story about childhood, memory, and hope. Exploring the lonely countryside reveals clues and vignettes which can help the player answer the question of where home is—and how one can get there.

My Opinion - There seems to be more and more of these story-light yet beatifully created worlds.  I'm all for this though, sometimes you want a bit of quit introspection instead of an FPS or a brain-heavy strategy game.  I'm looking forward to 30 minutes here and there on Home is Where One Starts to escape from it all.

Greenlight Link

Game Website

Orc Assault

Once upon a time all was peaceful and serene in the far off land of Camalon, but the silence has been broken as the Orc hordes have returned to the kingdom to claim the land that they once held sacred. The only thing stopping them from conquering the innocent people of Camalon is your arsenal of weapons and advanced research towers.

My Opinion - I like tower defence games, I like fantasy-themed games and I like most things that include orcs; added to that there is going to be Oculus Rift support.  I'm sold on this one.

Greenlight Link

Game Website

Infernax

Infernax is our tribute to the NES era. Basically, if we had been devs back then, this is the gameBerzerk Studio would have came up with. We did our best to capture everything that made games captivating, challenging and sometimes frustrating in that era and give it the Berzerk treatment.  Gameplay wise, it's a side scrolling platformer with some RPG elements, you gather spells, armors and weapons all while exploring a vast world and destroying everything that moves on the screen, it's a game for simpler times.

My Opinion - A side-scrolling hardcore RPG in the NES style. Looks like good fun and if you like RPGs back from the 80s or early 90s it is definitely worth a look.

Greenlight Link

Kickstarter Link

Developer Website

Stargazer

When stargazer Zach watches the sky one night, he sees a star fall and land in the nearby woods. He rushes to check it out, only to find that out the star was actually a girl, and with her, magic returns to the world.

My Opinion - Another old-school RPG with Stargazer, although much more in the style of a JRPG.  The plot reminds me of the film Stardust (a film I like) and overall the game has a real charm.  A demo of the game is also available on the game website.

Greenlight Link

Game Website

Kickstarter Tuesday

Some great games to choose from this week, including a personal favourite of mine that is our Top Kickstarter Game of the Week:

Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire by Whale Hammer Games
A character driven journey across a dying planet, in an age of darkness after the collapse of space faring civilisation.

Funding Goal - $68,000 (Australian) by Friday 20th March

My Opinion - I love the look of Tahira; it has all the makings of another Banner Saga but with a completely original and interesting story.  You should definitely check this out and consider backing it.

Kickstarter Link

Greenlight Link

Developer Website

Call of Combat by KAVA
Real time strategy multiplayer war-game. You cunningly maneuver your squad and closely cooperate with your team in order to win.

Funding Goal - €30,000 by Friday 20th March

My Opinion - A really interesting take on WWII combat, with you taking control of a squad of 4 soldiers, but with the ability to team up with other squads vs the enemy.  For more information check out the demo that is available for both Windows and Mac on their Kickstarter page.

Kickstarter Link

Game Website

Spooky Poo's HAPPY HELL by Occultimate Games
A 3D platformer set in cartoon Hell. Sell Spooky Poo's soul to The Devil in exchange for black magick powers & one wicked wish.

Funding Goal - $13,666 by Thursday 19th March

My Opinion - Mario 64 on acid - for me, that's a good thing!  Check out the trailer to fully understand what this game is about, but if you like old-school platform games, this could be a game for you.

Kickstarter Link

Greenlight Link

Game Website

Unraveled by RosePortal Games
Based on real events, adventure through a child’s imagination as she seeks out her lost parents, with music by Hiroki Kikuta.

Funding Goal - $15,000 by Saturday 21st March

My Opinion - This game has a fantastic story, beautiful music, lovely artwork and looks like a really engaging adventure.  If you like JRPGs or any of the brilliant animated films by Studio Ghibli then this is for you.  It has already been greenlit but the Kickstarter Campaign is to improve the game and allow them to release it earlier than they otherwise would.

Kickstarter Link

Game Website

Seventeen Uncles: A Pug's Life by Seventeen Uncles
A Point n Click Adventure Game following our hero Kirk the pug and his quest with dozens of exotic and surreal locations and characters

Funding Goal - £3,000 by Wednesday 25th March

My Opinion - Our final entry this week is certainly left-field but as a fan of classic point-and-click games from the 90s I couldn't pass up on it.  As with Spooky Poo you need to see the trailer to fully appreciate what it is all about; words won't do it justice.

Kickstarter Link

Greenlight Link

Game Website

Monday Recap

Welcome to my Monday recap of past featured games - the main focus this week again being the final push for Vidar.

Vidar by Dean Razavi

A despairing RPG-Puzzler set in a town on the brink. Random storytelling. Random puzzles. Constant loss.

Current Status - as of 23rd February, it is $16,259 towards a final target of $18,000 on Kickstarter; it needs to reach the target by Friday 27th February.  Check it out and strongly consider helping the final push for funding for what is a really interesting project.

Our Feature on Vidar from 16th January

Kickstarter link

Game Website

Demo Link

Arco by Last Minute Games

A fast-paced puzzle RPG set in a fantasy world. Fight hordes of monsters, meet quirky characters and challenge epic bosses.

Current Status - as of 23rd February it is kr11,989 (Danish) towards its target of kr165,000 by Monday 16th March.  Btw kr165,000 = $25,000

Our Feature and Interview on Arco from 20th February

Kickstarter Link

Greenlight Link

Developer Website

Tiny Robot Justice Squad by Mind Realy
Tiny Robot Justice Squad is a 2D action platformer/arena shooter for Windows, Mac OSX and Linux platforms. It has explosions, big guns, big bosses and quick-paced platform gameplay. The game is being developed by Mind Relay (which is actually just one person!), with all proceeds generated by the game to be donated to the charity GamesAid which helps disabled and disadvantaged young people. Carry on reading to learn more about the game and how it will support good causes!

Current Status - A fun-looking game with proceeds from it being donated to a good cause. Check it out and make sure it gets greenlit.

TRJS Feature and Interview from 30th January

Steam Greenlight Link

Game Website

Barbara-ian by Studio Owlbear
Break-neck dungeoneering with 1 hit point. You play Barbara-ian, a mythical badass with perma-rage & a penchant for smashing. Featuring super fast paced physics based mayhem, one hit is all that stands between you and a quick restart 

Current Status - went up on Greenlight on 14th February but still needs your votes to get Greenlit - highly recommended for 30 minutes of high quality fun.

Our Feature and Interview on Barbara-ian from 21st February

Greenlight Link

Game Website

Mad Games Tycoon by Eggcode
"Form your own game studio in the early 80s in a small garage.
Develop your own game concepts, create a team and develop million-selling video games.
Research new technologies, train your staff and buy larger office buildings.
Expand your business and dominate the world's market for video games!

Current Status - currently at 0.150215A with changes and bug fixes being made on a consistent basis; the latest update added Russian Language support.  It is worth noting that it is very playable at the moment and worth supporting if you like these types of games.

Feature from 9th January

Steam Link

Game Website

Mordheim: City of the Damned by Rogue Factor
Mordheim: City of the Damned is the first video game adaptation of Games Workshop's cult classic tabletop game Mordheim. Set in the Warhammer World's decimated Empire city, Mordheim: City of the Damned is a turn-based tactical game where you lead warbands into bloody and lethal skirmishes. The game blends RPG elements, fast-paced tactical combat and intricate unit customization in a time wrought by chaos and rivalry where only the strongest survive.

Current Status - Recently had it's third update, adding a new warband, warband management and some new battle types. Last week it had a significant patch as well, fixing a number of bugs from the last update. There is a really handy guide on their early access page for what will be coming in future updates as well.

Feature from 6th February

Steam Link

Game Website

War for the Overworld by Subterranean Games
Tired of invading dungeons? It’s time you build your own.
War for the Overworld is a Dungeon Management Game that employs your favourite aspects of the RPG, RTS and god game genres. 

Current Status - The final game will be released on 2nd April 2015 but in early access you can currently access a lot of content from the latest update from Christmas Eve, including a short tutorial campaign of 3 missions, a sandbox mission and a survival mission.

Feature from 13th January

Steam Link

Game Website

Featured Game - Barbara-ian

Recently, one of our Top 5 Greenlight Games was Barbara-ian, a dungeon crawler at a breakneck speed, where your character only has one hit point.  I was lucky enough to play a beta version of the game, as well as speaking to the creators, Sam Chester and Kristian Andrews.

Beta Impressions

I’m a big fan of dungeon crawlers with my most recent explorations in to them being the Torchlight series.  There is something satisfyingly simple about such games, particularly if you’ve come home after a long day at work and don’t fancy dealing with a complicated RPG or strategy game. 

Barbara-ian takes dungeon crawling to the simplest level possible and I mean this in a good way.  Upon firing up the beta, I ended up playing for 30 minutes non-stop without realising how much time had passed.  It was the perfect remedy to what had been a busy day, with a particular satisfaction to hitting things and blowing stuff up!

All hell breaking loose

The premise is pretty simple – Barbara-ian (who is a woman incidentally) gets dropped in to a randomised dungeon armed with just a simple weapon.  After that, it is a case of running around, hitting things and avoiding getting hit.  Both your character and all enemies have one hit point so a game can be over very quickly!   However you get thrown right back in to the action straight away and before you know, you’re saying to yourself “just one more game and I’ll stop”.  That one more game ends up being hours and hours if you aren’t careful!

Overall I’m really impressed and I’m sure the final version will be even better.  If you get the chance, check the game out on their Greenlight Page and vote yes for it.  There is also the chance to sign-up for beta on their Website.

Interview

Q. Tell us about Barbara-ian

Barbara-ian is a super fast paced twin-stick dungeon crawler focused on pure action. It's all about the smashing - enemies, doors, torch sconces that look at you funny etc. The hero herself, Barbara-ian, isn't the kind to put up with hours wasted hacking at enemies - she's got stuff to smash after all - so it's 1-hit kills all round!

Q. What inspired you to make the game?

Sam - The first prototype for the combat system which would eventually lead to Barbara-ian was inspired by old samurai movies - principally Shogun Assassin. I loved the immediacy of the combat in those films, it was one vs many with no duelling at all, just one well placed hit.
I was interested in exploring that kind of combat without trying to simulate sword play (which I feel is a dead-end), making it more about the spacing and timing of attacks, and pushing for improvisation on the part of the player, rather than the sort of tight planning that Hotline Miami (rightly) focused on.

That door isn't going to last long

Kristian - A while ago I made a few doodle films for Comedy central featuring a D&D character called Barbaraian (https://vimeo.com/24606015) and for some reason she stuck with me.

The low-poly aesthetic followed on from my last short film 'Let's Play Nomad X' which was inspired by the 3D Amiga games of my youth, like Frontier Elite II. When I finished that film I wanted to further explore what can be achieved with graphical limitations and I knew should try and make a game rather than go on making films about games. When I eventually played Sam's melee prototype I was so riveted I shot off an email with a 3D model of Babs to see if he'd like to work together.

Odds have been better on staying alive...

Q. How long has it been in development?

Development started in earnest in July 2014, so around 8 months, part time as both of us work other jobs, though as mentioned there was work done on a prototype about a year prior to that, before it had any of its current style or character.

Deeper down...

Q. Have there been any particular highs or lows during development?

It's been surprisingly smooth! There was a low a couple of months in, when the procedural generation system had to be rewritten from scratch because the first iteration wasn't up to the task.

Luckily we were able to build on the mistakes from the previous one, so although it took some time out from other features, the game benefitted immeasurably from it.

A particular high came just last week, after we implemented a bunch of new sounds & particle effects, which together had a huge impact on how exciting the game was to play. Sound had taken a back-seat before that as we don’t have a dedicated sound designer, so spending time getting it right was a big plus.

Also we mustn't forget that wonderful moment at the end of a long coffee fuelled dev week when we made the magic wand chuff out blue explosions!

Q. Do you have any advice for other Indie studios?

Keep it small, and keep it in scope! It's definitely not unique advice (we're working off the same), but it's always worth hearing again. If you're not being paid to do it & there's no guarantee of getting paid at the end of it, it helps if it didn't take 2 years of your life to do.

I'd also say that for people in a similar situation to us, where you don't have a particularly unique concept, make sure you market it in an interesting way. We opted to sing our own trailer music & filmed ourselves failing miserably at it! There's nothing worse than obscurity, so make sure there's something worth talking about

Q. What are your plans for the future?

With enough support for Barbara-ian we'll continue to develop new features for a little while at least. There are many, many cut features that we always planned for but became increasingly impossible to do in a reasonable time, so working some of those in (hopefully as free updates) would be wonderful.

Otherwise, we're already planning for a new, drastically different game. We're the kind of people that love exploring new avenues for ourselves and our ideas, so I wouldn't expect a Barbara-ian 2 any time soon...

Featured Game Arco

One of our recent Top 5 Kickstarter Games was Arco, a fast-paced puzzle RPG set in a fantasy world that is also looking to be greenlit on Steam.  Arco is being developed by Last Minute Games, a small indie studio from Aalborg in Northern Denmark.   I spoke to Jonas Christensen, the CTO of Last Minute Games about how the studio was formed and the development of Arco.

Q. How did Last Minute Games come about?

A. Let’s take it from the beginning. Dennis Risborg and Juan Garcia, two of the founders, used to work together at a former game company called Progressive Media. Juan is our lead graphics artist, and while he was working at Progressive, he wanted to do a simple, yet unique game set in a fantasy setting, since this wasn’t something they ordinarily did. But due to commitments to the company’s other games, the idea had to be put on hold. When the opportunity presented itself, Juan teamed up with Dennis and a programmer to develop the idea into a more complete concept, and when Progressive Media went under, they continued with the development. When the original programmer left the project, I replaced him, and the company began to take shape.

We began working on the game about a year ago, but in the beginning it was mostly as a hobby project. However, in October 2014 we established the company Last Minute Games and started working full time on the game.

Q. Tell us all about Arco

A. Arco was originally called Archer, but in order to avoid any conflicts with the show Archer, we changed it to Arco. The overall concept of the game is similar to Plants Vs. Zombies, where you control a character, and you have to defend yourself against enemies coming towards you in lanes.

The game takes place in a fantasy world, where a large earthquake has created a large chasm throughout the world. The player controls the archer Arco, who sets out to unravel the cause of the disturbance. You travel through many varied environments, where you encounter hordes of enemies.

What sets our game apart from many similar games is that we have an interesting and innovative way of combining the environment, skills and enemies to achieve various effects. As an example, when you kill an enemy in the fungus forest, they can drop a spore that will send any enemy that comes into contact with it into a frenzied state. Also, we have a wide range of skills, that you can combine, that will either help or hinder your efforts. You can freeze an enemy with an ice arrow and then shatter it with another arrow, but if you use the wrong arrow, you might actually unfreeze the enemy instead. This is just one example of combinations, and we have many, many more, that we will be unveiling throughout our Kickstarter campaign.

Q. Have there been any particular highs or lows during development?

A. There have been a couple of highs and lows throughout the development. When we first started working together, I had to suddenly move out of town for six months due to a consultant gig, and the two others were still committed to other projects, so the progress was slow, and it was difficult to work in a coherent manner. When I moved back, we found an office space, so we could finally sit together, and the game quickly began actually looking like a game. To finally see the game taking shape, to see the hard work finally paying off, that was such a motivation.

Another low was when we recently launched our Kickstarter. We knew how difficult it would be to get the game out to a lot of people, and it’s been tough to see how slowly our Kickstarter campaign has been going. But we’ve finally begun getting some press attention, and we’re hoping to get some traction from that.

Q. Do you have any advice for other indie studios?

A. Our biggest advice for other indie studios is to work hard (and early) on getting a good online presence. Also, try and establish connections to game sites or reporters early, so you will have your network in place, when you launch a new title or a Kickstarter campaign.

Q. Do you have any plans for other games in the future?

A. If we can get funding for Arco and release that, then we certainly plan on releasing more games in the future. We don’t currently have any specific games in mind, as we’ve been focusing solely on Arco, but I’m sure we’ll come up with something great.

Kickstarter

As mentioned, the game is currently in a Kickstarter Campaign and is looking to raise kr165,000 by Monday 16^th March – in US Money that is approximately $25,000.

I particularly recommend going for the kr165 ($25) reward tier.  This is an early bird bundle (max 200 backers) and includes:

·         Digital Copy of the Game

·         Digital Artbook

·         Digital Soundtrack

·         Beta Access

·         Super Secret Instruction Manual

·         Name in Credits

·         Digital Wallpaper

Further Info

For further information on Arco, check out their Kickstarter Page, Greenlight Page and Last Minute Games.

Early Access Thursday

A quiet week with only two games but both are very interesting:

Offworld Trading Company by Mohawk Games
Offworld Trading Company is a real-time strategy game in which money, not firepower, is the player's weapon. Players lead their developing companies in cutthroat economic warfare against other companies looking to become the dominant economic power on Mars.

Loosely inspired by such classics as M.U.L.E., Offworld Trading Company forces players to make tough choices on what resources to acquire, what goods to build and sell, how to interact with the planet's thriving underworld, and when and what stocks to acquire.

Price - £29.99

My Opinion - I love the concept of this game and the focus on trading rather than combat.  Feedback from the community has been very positive and as soon as I actually have some money, I'll be buying an early access copy of this.

Steam Link

Game Website

CroNix by MAGICS
CroNix is a fast-paced, action-packed multiplayer PvP game where your team battle against another team of players to achieve victory.

Price - Free-to-play but you can buy various tiers of starter packs from £6.99 to £22.99

My Opinion - A multiplayer pvp team game with a lot of potential.  It sounds like there are a few issues with connectivity at the moment but the feedback so far on the gameplay has been very positive.  If this is your kind of thing, it is definitely worth keeping an eye on.

Steam Link

Greenlight Wednesday

Another bumper week on Greenlight this week, here's my Top 5:

Karaski: What Goes Up... by Unbound Creations
Slavic-Steampunk RPG Adventure unraveling a plot onboard the world's first Airship!Focus on Nonlinear Investigation, Exploration, Stealth and Dialogue. Inspired as indie mish-mash of classics including Deus Ex, Arcanum, 30 Flights of Loving and Jazzpunk 

My Opinion - Probably the first Slavic-Steampunk RPG (apologies if I'm wrong) but based on this, I really hope it isn't the last! It is a superb concept and I know the art isn't finished, but I actually really like the blocky graphics; it gives a certain retro feel to things. I will be following this one with a lot of interest.

Greenlight Link

Developer Website

Spellsworn by Frogsong Studios
Spellsworn is an Online Player vs. Player Arena, where wizards use their wits and spells to wage war in a constantly changing arena.

My Opinion - It looks like exactly the kind of game I would be rubbish at but also have a lot of fun failing at! It is a really good idea though and with upgradable spells and customisable characters, there is a lot of potential with this game.

Greenlight Link

Developer Website

Reflections by Broken Window Studios
Reflections is a real-world adventure game where every action you take has meaningful consequences that radically shape the experience. The game takes a new approach to story, where everything you do can be woven into a narrative that drastically changes, thanks to our Storyteller engine.

My Opinion - Brilliant concept by a very good developer.  I've always liked the idea of a game like this and to see it as a reality is going to be very interesting.

Greenlight Link

Developer Website

Barbara-ian by Studio Owlbear
Break-neck dungeoneering with 1 hit point. You play Barbara-ian, a mythical badass with perma-rage & a penchant for smashing. Featuring super fast paced physics based mayhem, one hit is all that stands between you and a quick restart

My Opinion - It look like hardcore dungeon-crawling for gaming masochists!  Love the idea though and look forward to trying it out.

Greenlight Link

Game Website

House of Caravan by Rosebud Games
A spine-tingling horror adventure, House of Caravan takes place in a single mansion in Candlewood, northeast USA, in the early 20th Century. Stepping into the role of a young boy captured by strangers on his way to school, you’ll be tasked with exploring the house, uncovering clues as to your kidnapping, while attempting to find a way out. 

My Opinion - It looks fantastic and if the gameplay lives up to expecations it has the potential to be a very worthwhile puzzle / horror adventure.  Greenlit by me.

Greenlight Link

Developer Website

Kickstarter Tuesday

Here's this week's Top 5 Kickstarter Games; a very indie selection this week.

Sneaky Ninja by Starfall Studios
A Mario-meets-Mark of the Ninja 2D stealth platformer for PC/Mac/Linux and Wii U. Use your weapons and your wit to escape the enemies!



Funding Goal - $10,000 by Thursday 12th March

My Opinion - A humorous platformer that has a really nice graphics style as well.  Although the game has been created they want to make it bigger and better with this Kickstarter Campaign.  Check it out and see if you want to help fund its expansion; I know I will be.

Kickstarter Link

Developer Website

Arco by Last Minute Games

A fast-paced puzzle RPG set in a fantasy world. Fight hordes of monsters, meet quirky characters and challenge epic bosses.

Funding Goal - kr165,000 (Danish) by Monday 16th March

My Opinion - I'm a big fan of tower defence games and although Arco isn't strictly tower defence, the mechanics of it are pretty similar.  The story, world and gameplay look really well thought through and I could see myself playing this for an hour here and there when I should be working!

Kickstarter Link

Greenlight Link

Developer Website

Mini Racing Adventures by Minimo Studios

A fun yet challenging side scrolling physics based 3D racer for iOS & Android. A game aimed to remind all, of the kid in each of us.

Funding Goal - $5,000 by Wednesday 18th March

My Opinion - I really like the look of Mini Racing Adventures with it's crazy physics and potential for crazy jumps and crashes.  It is being developed for mobile devices and if I could play this on my commute, I'd be a very happy man.

Kickstarter Link

Developer Website

Azmara by Rollplay Games Ltd

Action/Adventure RPG inspired by SNES and Gameboy classics. Reinvented for your Android and iOS phones and tablets!

Funding Goal - $20,000 (Canadian) by Thursday 2nd April

My Opinion - As you can see, Azmara harks back to an old-school style of RPG.  What makes it stick out for me though, is the game engine that blends 2d and 3d together.  It is another mobile game and one I wish I would have been able to play when I did a two-hour commute each way every day.

Kickstarter Link

Developer Website

The Floor is Made of Lava by Salvadora Studios

Take on the role of Jimmy as he searches for his brother. Traverse his transformed house, and battle the creatures that have invaded.

Funding Goal - $60,000 (Canadian) by Friday 13th March

My Opinion - I've always sucked at hardcore platform games, ever since playing the original Sonic on the Master System.  However The Floor is Made of Lava has such a charm behind it that I couldn't leave it off this week's list.  Check out the video above and their Kickstarter page to see for yourself.

Kickstarter Link

Developer Website