Indie Games Devel
HomepageIndie Games Devel's Reviews
It’s impressive how after dozens of hours of play, you come across situations never seen before, or you manage to build an entirely new deck. Among attack, defense, support cards, or even curses that hinder battles and our ascent, we have almost endless possibilities, even in the synergy that sparks with the use of potions and the possession of relics. It’s almost a pity to win a game because when starting over we will lose our powerful deck that allowed us to triumph.
Murders on the Yangtze River presents a complex picture, characterized by elements of strong appeal as well as by significant limitations. On one hand, the game succeeds in capturing the interest of players by offering a deduction and puzzle-solving experience that, at various moments, shines for its ingenuity and proposes some original ideas that stimulate the mind and invite deep engagement. The ability to immerse players in a fascinating historical context, along with the construction of a narrative that weaves mysteries and investigations along the banks of the majestic Yangtze River, contributes to creating a memorable setting that enriches the gaming experience.
Skaramazuzu is a 2D graphic adventure, hand-drawn in a black and white style, simple yet expressive and impactful. Its aesthetics and storytelling are its strengths. It’s an enjoyable and at times moving title, full of beautiful positive messages conveyed with irony and lightness, but also with more intense and incisive moments. At times, it can be a bit tedious when continuously revisiting the same areas and talking to the same characters, even though the dialogues change each time. Skaramazuzu is a philosophical video game that utilizes the concept of archetypes and myth to create an original story that touches on universal themes.
Death of a Wish is a game where simplicity has its own sense of being. Despite its apparent simplicity, it hides a depth of interesting mechanics both in the combat system and in the general gameplay. It is certainly a game that expects the player to learn its mechanics quickly. The visual style, although fascinating and original, sometimes works against the player and the combat system, creating confusion during some battles and when viewing the character menu. If you love an original style and a good challenge, Death of a Wish is definitely made for you.
Stalker: Legends of the Zone brings the historic Stalker trilogy to old gen and next gen. A remarkable work that demonstrates GSC’s love for the series. Some small errors that can be solved in the future via patches, overall an excellent job.
Every mistake, every waste of valor points, every death of an ally, every failed mission, serves as a teacher. There are few videogames (and I assure you, being a hopeless lover of the most difficult games) that manage to convey such a sense of triumph and achievement as Wartales. We as players grow alongside our characters, treasure the harsh lessons taught by the game, devise ever more imaginative tactics to bypass or nullify the obstacles in our path, and eventually come to dominate the game.
Alterium Shift certainly has some excellent ideas and you can see that the developers love and know the world of JRPGs well. Perhaps they are tied too much to that world and inevitably bring into their game the defects and dynamics of games created almost 30 years ago. However, this is not a final judgment because the game is still in early access and the story ends exactly at the best moment. We have to take into account whether the mechanics and ideas will hold up throughout all the title and whether the rough edges will be fixed.
Penny’s Big Breakaway is a 3D platformer that harks back to the old days, creating a positive nostalgia effect, especially for its music and graphical choices. Its core and ideas work, proving to be original and well-thought-out. Even the aspects that aren’t original are well executed and have their own charm. It has some flaws, especially on a technical level, but still guarantees hours of fun
Emerging on the verge of death from a dungeon, with the party on the brink and afflicted by a chain of debuffs, without supplies or potions, and returning triumphantly to the fortress to sell the loot and invest all the earnings in new equipment and upgrades, provides a unique satisfaction, one capable of curling the corners of the mouth into an involuntary smile.
Please, Touch The Artwork 2 is an incredibly immersive and evocative experience that tells a story. Its developer, Thomas Waterzooi, has gifted us a true gem, through which we now know so much not only about Belgian art, but about art in general, without ever being didactic. He entrusted us with everything, merely allowing us to touch the artwork.
Don’t underestimate Doki Doki Literature Club! Whether sensitive to the subject or not, this game hurts. Dan Salvato manages to give so much personality, so much life to sprites, that you’ll perceive them as people, empathize or even associate them with someone you’ve known or heard of. And seeing the slow, agonizing nightmare he’s prepared for them (and for you) is painful.
A Thug’s Ascension is a first-person shooter where the narrative component takes the lead and becomes the protagonist, alongside the direction, of this video game that, however, still seems to be in draft phase, especially from a graphical point of view. The story comes to life after a while, but as soon as you delve deeper and get to know the characters’ twists and nuances, you can truly appreciate the aspect Moonwalk Games gave more importance to, namely the quality and truthfulness of the dialogues and the depth of the themes addressed. It’s a shame that equal importance wasn’t given to the rest, to make it something that could be defined as a full-fledged video game, rather than a visual novel with some shooting, which leaves a bit to be desired.
Enshrouded showcases an excellent fusion of survival elements and creativity, establishing itself as a notable title in the action role-playing game scene. While players eagerly await the full launch, the early access version already provides a significant glimpse into the game’s potential.
BlazBlue Entropy Effect presents itself to the player with style and a strong personality despite being a spin-off. The Characters are extremely refined and charismatic. The game shows its best in gameplay. Frantic, fast, satisfying and extremely varied. Despite this, a certain brevity of the main narrative arc and the few stages could discourage more “casual” players from replaying. An excellent title that gives hope for the future of this year.
If you’re looking for a captivating and somewhat atypical point-and-click adventure, if you’re passionate about animation styles as bizarre as they are classic, or if you simply want to enjoy a beautiful story with crazy puzzles all in one package, then The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo is the game for you!
Headbangers is definitely a fun, well-edited and completely crazy title. The minigames are very accessible but become frenetic as the rounds go by and the light-hearted mood puts you in a good mood even when you lose. The cross platform solution is excellent, so as to be able to involve a greater number of players. Regarding this, I noticed that unfortunately it didn’t often happen to me to be among 30 real people, because when the time ran out in the pre-match hub, the game adds bots to complete the session.
Elden Ring stands as a timeless masterpiece that combines the best in game design with narrative brilliance. The challenge, exploration, and depth of the plot converge into a gaming experience that captures and immerses players in an unmissable and fascinating story. For those seeking total immersion and stimulating challenges, Elden Ring is undoubtedly the right choice, a game full of facets that will remain among the best released by FromSoftware.
Vaudeville, with its peculiarity and innovative use of AI, stands out as a pioneering and unique video gaming experience. Despite potential limitations in terms of longevity, the title has managed to capture the interest of the gaming community, enchanting it with its distinctive dialogue system and engaging gameplay. If you are a fan of mysteries and wish to immerse yourself in an innovative gaming experience, Vaudeville is a title that unquestionably deserves exploration. Dive into its world and test your investigative skills in this AI-powered adventure, marking a new chapter in the evolution of video game storytelling. Vaudeville, an investigative video game released on June 30, 2023, by Bumblebee Studios and published by BBS Games AB, has captured attention with its unique eccentricity and humor.
Baldur’s Gate 3 stands as an absolute masterpiece in the realm of video game RPGs. It combines the narrative richness of D&D with engaging gameplay, creating a wonderful experience. Larian Studios has not only treasured the legacy of RPGs but elevated it to new heights, demonstrating astonishing commitment to creating an interactive work of art. Baldur’s Gate 3 is much more than a mere video game; with a compelling plot, memorable characters, and gameplay expertly balancing tactics and freedom, it stands as a cornerstone of the genre. For anyone who loves epic adventures, fantastical worlds, and decisions that shape destiny, this gem will undoubtedly be an unmissable experience, a work that will be remembered and appreciated for years to come.
Inscryption asks itself questions about its genre and uses us as a mirror to carve a path within itself and see what there is at the bottom of a card game. It uses various game styles as a camouflage, mutates in order to peek at itself from another point of view and ends as any movie should end: giving a certain answer to the player and, at the same time, leaving him/her thirsty for the whole truth.