All told, Defense Grid 2 packs in a vast amount of stuff, all with a great finish. While I'm hard-pressed to recommend many indie games sporting a Steam price of $24.99 ($29.99 for the Special Edition), Hidden Path has likely put enough into this one to make it worth it. It's quite the jump from 2008's Defense Grid: The Awakening and the tidy $9.99, but with the great slew of game modes, phenomenally polished content, and great replay value, a fan of the genre would easily find a lot to love. I'd probably wait to see one of Steam's famed sales hit this title before taking the plunge myself, but that's mostly because I'm a cheapskate when it comes to my gaming.
The Talos Princple succeeds in many ways, with smooth controls, a gorgeous environment, and an engaging backdrop of thought-provoking story and theme. The puzzles begin simply, and slowly evolve with new elements to test your mettle; since you can tackle any open area in any order, there's a certain freedom that goes well with the thematic overtones.
Ultimately, The Old City: Leviathan is about as far from 'a game for everyone' as can be. Slow-paced, directionless, and requiring an inquisitive mind, those who deride so-called "walking simulators" would do best to leave this title alone.
If there's one trend I've found myself loving from the modern surge of indie titles, it's a well-executed minimalism. With simple graphics, clever yet natural controls, and a unique mechanic for a classic genre, The Sun and Moon is a title that shines.
If I'm being entirely honest, This War of Mine is one of the best all-around games I've played all year. A crisp, consistent atmosphere, intuitive gameplay, and surprising depth create a fantastic experience.
Rollers of the Realm gets points for its unique play style and responsive, approachable play. It's definitely not an easily mastered mix of genres, but it's well-done enough that it takes more skill and concentration than it does luck.
In the end, I, Zombie creates a fun, approachable setting that’s still plenty challenging.
All in all, iO puts together a simple but effective package that presents a wide skill range of available puzzles. With plenty of variety to the obstacles you'll face, there's lots to do no matter which type of puzzle you're best at.
Altogether, Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds offers a great mix of insane action and intriguing story, though the combat is definitely the meat of the game. Slick, responsive controls and a variety of characters and abilities keep the game fresh.
As a whole, Gravity Ghost puts together a wonderful fantasy experience, with enough interesting elements and over 100 levels to play through. While it's still relatively short — experienced gamers could likely speed through in one or two hours — there's still enough to recommend.
Stardust Vanguards is, at its core, a well-made game for players that have plenty of local players to jump in on the fun. With a $9.
Oblitus puts a whole lot of content into a small, tightly-made package. The overall aesthetic and backing music are great, and the constant threat of death taking all of your accomplishments away drives play very well.
Aaru's Awakening is a phenomenal piece of art, and a solidly built game to boot. With numerous levels across the domains of each entity, and fierce challenges standing between players and the goal.
Shelter 2 is a tough game to pin down. With gorgeous artistic design, ambitious goals, and a unique spin on the survival genre, there's a lot to love.
A Pixel Story puts together a great, complete package that has a ton of ingenuity and fun to offer. From pits of lava and deadly spike traps to bright landscapes and colorful characters, the story unfolds in a great progression that adds more challenge and more reward the deeper that players explore into each of the substantially-sized generations.
With a reasonable $19.99 price on Steam, stillalive clearly knows its place in the market, but without sacrificing on the effort that clearly went into creating the game.
I suppose the best way to wrap up Fire is to say that it's a good, well-made point and click adventure. While this genre isn't what everyone is looking for in their games, fans of the style definitely have reason to keep an eye on it.
Even more impressive, according to one of the game's trailers, is that the whole affair is the work of one-man developer Ivan Venturi. Fetching a neat $14.
Exploring themes of horror, personal relationships, and personal agency, The Charnel House Trilogy weaves a fantastic tale that is well-written, and relatively well-acted. As more and more of the truth started to become clear nearing the game's conclusion, I found myself completely drawn in.
There's no mention of price there or on the game's official site just yet. If it is sold at a low cost though, there's merit in the game as a pick-up-and-play timekiller with some addictive qualities.