Indie Games Devel
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Developed by Tiny Roar and published by Daedalic Entertainment, this indie title has won the hearts of PC gamers since June 19, 2024. In Into the Emberlands, players take on the role of an explorer called the “Light Bearer,” and embark on a unique adventure. Their noble and challenging task is to rescue the lost, rebuild the village, and keep the mysterious miasma threatening their hometown at bay.
Crawling on a precarious beam with a thirty-meter drop to the sea below, swimming in a flooded duct, climbing a damaged ladder battered by storm winds, making our way through a destroyed and completely dark compartment… The mental assault on the player is continuous, relentless, and unforgiving. Still Wakes The Deep grips us in an oppressive hold and refuses to let go until the end. The story’s rhythm is heart-pounding; we will have no peace or respite throughout the adventure.
In the beginning, the vast majority of doors will be locked. Often we’ll know where to go, but it will be cryptic to understand how to get there. We’ll collect items and keys of dubious use, trying to make sense of them through the diaries and documents we find around, sometimes very well hidden. The homage to the early Resident Evil chapters was greatly appreciated. Personally, the game managed to take me back in time, making me feel disoriented and confused again. Hats off.
SCHiM is a small gem, original, intelligent, and engaging, with evident care from the developers. The game stands out for its graphics and music, although replayability and variety may be limited. Despite these minor flaws, SCHiM offers a relaxing and captivating adventure, with moments requiring timing and precision worthy of a challenging platformer.
3D Realms missed a great opportunity with Phantom Fury. Serious gameplay and technical problems drastically lowered the quality of a title that had the potential to be a good shooter. Luckily the plot and the artistic level save the title from a complete and much more serious rejection. Although Phantom Fury is a courageous title, it shows the consequences of the incorrect balance between graphics, narrative, level design and gameplay.
Homestead Arcana, born from the minds of Serenity Forge developers and published by Skybound Games on April 21, 2023, presents itself as a bucolic adventure infused with magical elements. Available on PC and Xbox, the game invites players to take on the role of a witch grappling with the challenging task of rebuilding a farm in a land corrupted by a mysterious miasma.
The puzzles are well-designed, the controls are responsive and precise, and the environments are always extremely well-crafted, colorful, and rich in detail. Music and sound also does well, especially the ambient sounds. My impression was that of playing a sort of Limbo, which we have discussed before, or Another World, an old glory for the Atari ST, but with less dark atmospheres and much more inspired by sci-fi like Star Wars.
Combat and exploration are entirely automated in Loop Hero. We need to be able to influence the world and the enemies around us to turn the challenges the game throws at us against itself. And this cannot be achieved without a good dose of tactics, courage, and adaptability against the whims of Lady Luck.
Little Witch in the Woods, developed by Sunnyside Up and published by Dear Villager, is a magical life simulation game that captivates players with its bucolic charm and relaxing pace. Released in early access on May 17, 2022, for Project xCloud, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Classic Mac OS. This title catapults players into an enchanted world, where they take on the role of a young witch dealing with everyday life in a village lost in the woods.
The Land Beneath Us presents itself with an almost chess-like tone where the strategic element is predominant and increases considerably as the experience progresses. The game is not free from flaws. You can replay the old areas by increasing the difficulty, but the replayability is not very high. The Boss fights are well characterized and well done, with very original and never frustrating patterns. It’s a shame that the mid-bosses are a bit repetitive even in the creatures. The balance, especially in the fourth area, can create serious problems for the player. Despite these solvable little things, The Land Beneath Us doesn’t have any huge critical issues, even if it comes down hard on the player, it is almost never “dishonest” towards them. If you like challenges, you will find something for you.
Life of Delta is a captivating point-and-click adventure where a small robot, Delta, navigates a dystopian hostile world to save his friend. The game is light, fun, and enjoyable, featuring stimulating and engaging puzzles. The storyline delves into philosophical themes such as the consciousness and morality of artificial intelligences, and the urgent need to escape from a state of oppression and unbearable slavery at the hands of evil creatures. With original and flawless graphics, accompanied by well-integrated music, Life of Delta offers an immersive experience enriched with nostalgic references and tributes to the video game past.
The game makes its storyline its main strength throughout its short but intense duration. Although anyone who has played BioShock will undoubtedly notice the similarities, such as the isolated location in the middle of the sea where scientific research knows no bounds, a brilliant and revolutionary experiment gone awry, and the protagonist’s connection to one of the minds behind the experiment, Close To The Sun manages to establish its own identity within minutes, distinguishing itself from the giant created by Irrational Games and showcasing the developers’ great creativity.
Lightyear Frontier is an open-world farming simulator with exploration and adventure elements, released on March 19, 2024, in Early Access on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Developed by FRAME BREAK and published by Amplifier Studios, the game invites players to take on the role of a space pioneer tasked with cultivating alien resources and building a thriving farm on a remote planet.
Rotten Flesh, the brainchild of Steelkrill Studio and released on January 22, 2024, plunges us into a survival horror adventure set in the bowels of the sewers
Ready Steady Ship is undeniably a fun experience, designed for local cooperative play but not online. Developed by Martynas Cibulis, the sole creator of the game, it caters to a wide range of players, promising enjoyment and challenges. Despite some noticeable flaws, its creativity and entertainment value remain intact when played in pairs. The game has been meticulously crafted, although some parts have not been executed successfully. The variety of implemented ideas and their originality are to be appreciated. By the way, I highly recommend playing in local mode with a friend.
Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons Remake is a product that has breathed new life into the 2013 original, enhancing graphics and gameplay and bringing back a title that will undoubtedly captivate new generations. With its evocative atmospheres, fantastic landscapes, and selfless brothers Naia and Naiee, whose dramatic yet message-rich story is ready to thrill us once again.
Despite having consumed my fair share of survival horror, I must admit that some sections of Jawbreaker managed to unsettle me a lot. The game handles the oppression and distress of the situation quite well, thanks also to excellent graphics. The police station is truly enormous, and even with the help of the map, it won’t be easy to navigate. The inspiration from genre classics like Outlast and the early Resident Evil games is clear, as admitted by the developer himself.
Seek a relaxing gaming experience centered on exploration? Then I Am Future is a title you shouldn’t miss. The deep crafting system and vast world to discover guarantee hours of fun, while the serene atmosphere helps create a unique gaming experience. Despite the initial learning curve for crafting, I Am Future stands out as a haven of peace in the survival landscape, differentiating itself from its competitors with its calm and contemplative approach. I Am Future, developed by Mandragora Studio and published by TinyBuild, made its PC early access debut on February 15, 2023.
Setting aside some naivety and technical aspects that require immediate attention, Cookie Cutter is a Metroidvania that will provide you with hours of wholesome fun, intense and blood-pumping battles, and a story that, despite its apparent simplicity, hides beneath its seemingly bare shell a soul waiting to be discovered. It’s an ideal choice for those seeking an unconventional Metroidvania in terms of themes and expressive language, yet equally enjoyable and familiar in gameplay mechanics.
The graphical style of this game is hauntingly beautiful, in the sense that it remains fixed in the player’s mind like a spell, just to stay on theme. And the ambience sound is no less. Take a moment, and take the time to listen to the chatter and laughter of children, the flow of a stream, the wind caressing the leaves, the call of a distant bird. The quality of the audio catapults you into the scene, ensuring constant and powerful immersion, especially with the help of a good pair of headphones.