Bundle Stars Deal #7: Shooters, Strategy And Sordahon In This Latest Indie Jam…

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I can’t even run a few of these games in this newest Bundle Stars bargain pack, but I still want it. Well, common sense took over as I typed that and smacked me over the head with an encyclopaedia (Ouch. it HAD to be the “S” volume, too!) so I’ll instead tell YOU to take the plunge and pony up a measly five bucks plus nine cents US to get these nine huge games. Hell, the quirky epic RPG Two Worlds II alone will take you a few weeks to complete if you get into it and HAVE to explore every creature-packed nook and cranny… Continue reading

Silent Enemy: Minority Media’s New Game Tackles Bullying

Bullying certainly isn’t new, nor a “phenomenon” at all. Hell, I was bullied over 40 years ago and a few times after that in a few schools, but I managed to overcome the stress of those incidents over time thanks in part to an immersion into gaming, art and a few other hobbies. Living is the best revenge against the evil ones out there, I say. Sadly, technology has actually greatly enabled those who make the lives of millions of others miserable on a daily basis and in fact, access to it has allowed some of the more daringly deluded types who pick on others to use the Internet as a means of spreading their misplaced rage and energy in every direction. Is there a way to stop this by making them see the errors of their ways or is fighting back never a decent solution? Questions, questions. Hopefully developer Minority Media has at least part of an answer… Continue reading

Random Indie Game of the Week Review: Lumber Island

 

Lumber IslandDean Forge Studios’ methodically-paced, unsettling horror game Lumber Island is one of those well made indie games that’s great and effectively creepy as it puts you through its paces, but it’s hard to see it not being so as soon as you fire it up.

The first moments where the game credits play out (as if you’re watching a film) as your character makes his way slooowly up a dark pathway on the island he drifts to in that small boat set an appropriately chilling mood, so play this at night for best results.  As you cautiously make your way around with that flashlight you’re fortunately equipped with, the beautiful Unity engine visuals pull you in even further to the madness about to ensue…
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Random Indie Game of the Whatever* Review: Pushcat

*Yeah, yeah, it’s been a WHILE since I reviewed an indie game here on DAF, but that’s because I’ve been downloading SO many of them and am slowly but surely going through what I can when I can. It’s YOUR fault, developers for churning out so darn many cool games. It’s a hell of a challenge, kids. Anyway, more indie reviews to come on a hopefully semi-regular basis…Onward!

screenshot__0003_title Damn you, Pushcat! There goes an hour wasted playing you (again). Granted, I did go in thinking I’d get a timed “grab the gems, get out of Dodge” game like my beloved Crystal Mines, but Pushcat’s a lazy bastard and that makes for a much better game that will burn up a few brain cells as it gets more challenging. There’s NO timer ticking down and forcing you to make mistakes and by the time the game’s handful of enemies and explosive surprises appear, you’ll have built up a healthy enough stock of lives that make the going not frustrating at all. The game’s combination of Boulder Dash, Crystal Mines and Match-3 gameplay makes it instantly addictive to puzzle fans, the retro visuals are sharp and cute, and the game has an amazing, catchy soundtrack made up of a bunch of ragtime and other ancient classics that has to be heard to be believed… Continue reading

Orc Attack: Casual Brothers Cooks Up A Cool-Looking “Gas & Slash” Game…

OrcAttack Box Art With SO many indie developers getting so many games out there and not enough time in the day to cover them all, they need to be either really innovative or really amusing to catch my attention. Orc Attack isn’t innovative at all, but seeing it in action made me smile because it reminded me of some of the classic arcade beat ’em ups I spent way too much money on back in the day.

This may be developer Casual Brothers Games first project, but it certainly looks as if it won’t be their last if the right audience snaps this one up. It’s already getting interest as a potential Steam Greenlight candidate )go vote if you’ve an account there!) and is coming to PS3, Vita (yes!) and Xbox Live Arcade soon. I’ll have to check this out once it’s out because my retro sense is tingling, shiny 3D visuals aside. Alrighty, then – my work here is done. For now… Orcs, I’m coming for you (and holding my breath, you gassy brutes)…

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing Katarina Trailer: A Little Ghost Recon For You…

That’s LADY Katarina, to you, mister. Yeah, you can take your jiggered jump scares “reality” TV ghost shows and stick them in the circular fish tank where they belong. Me, I’ll be running around in some mighty pretty (and pretty deadly) environments with a ghost that’s actually useful against other supernatural creatures. Katrina might be fake, but at least she doesn’t give a crap and knows you’re going to like her for her skills and not just her good looks. NeoCore Games must have read my mind, as The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing has got “sleeper hit” stamped all over it, but “Mega Hit” is glowing away in BIG neon letters for fans of these action RPGs like me. Keep it coming guys. Did you know you can pre-order this one and get a beta key on Steam? NO? Well, hell – I’m not doing my job right then… (takes out Hypno-Coin)… Go do that pre-order thing NOW.

And you’re welcome…

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GOG.com Weekend Sale: Some Great Odds ‘N Ends of the “Buy Me!” Variety…

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This weekend’s gog.com sale is a really cool one that features some classics from back in the day up to recent hits I all highly recommend and yes, they’re all at great prices. Psychonauts for five bucks? GET IT! You’ll fire your psychologist after a weekend with this game (seriously). Of course, FAHRENHEIT will make you hire that shrink right back. Tiny & Big: Grandpa’s Leftovers will get you wishing you were paying more attention in physics class while you groove on the awesome visuals and indie tunes from your screen and speakers, while Enclave will get you hacking and slashing with care, as playing it mindlessly will drive you back to a new shrink (or a second one).

Alien Shooter 2: Reloaded is simple and brilliant, bloodily effective at delivering the alien-blasting goods and the double-retro rainbow of Retro City Rampage and Hotline Miami are actually two VERY opposite poles of the same retro planet. One is a hilariously funny send-up of classic NES games and 80’s/90’s pop culture, while the other is a hilariously brutal and gory send up DEFINITELY not for the kiddies. Both are awesome.  There are more games to check out, but stop reading this and go see for yourself. Less time reading, MORE time playing is a good motto today. That sale actually ends on Tuesday, April 30, so take an extra day off work if you need to. It’s OK… just tell the boss I said you could…

Among the Sleep: Child’s Play Gets A Whole New Meaning In this Upcoming Indie Game…


 

among the sleep logoI can only think of a very few games that are played from the perspective of children and all of them are indie-made sleepers. In addition to a few RPG Maker games, there’s Papo & Yo, Baby Blues and now, Among the Sleep, which looks to be the most intriguing for a few reasons. First, the protagonist is a mere two years old, second, it’s a horror-themed game that doesn’t revolve around combat (I don’t know any two-year old babies who can carry around a rocket launcher and Rambo-sized knife). It’s also a recent Kickstarter project that’s garnering a lot of interest for its theme and excellent visuals. Hamar, Norway-based Krillbite Studios is crafting this gem up carefully.

There are minor similarities to Baby Blues in that the game has a young child and a teddy bear as key elements of the experience. However, Among the Sleep focuses on its child escaping from a nightmare and from the production art shown so far, the game looks to take on a more fantasy-themed twist as it progresses. Hmmm… Keep an eyeball on this one, pony up a pledge if you like what you see and someone get Guillermo Del Toro on the horn – a film version looks right up his strange, dark alley. That or, hell, I’d ring up LArry Cohen and get his blessing to do his cult 1974 flick, It’s Alive as a game, complete with that creepy Bernard Herrmann score and the film’s shocks and scares intact.

GOG.com Wants to Telltale You Some Stories This Weekend…

Oops. Once again, I got so stupidly busy burying myself in some new games here that I almost forgot about some of the old (and not so old) ones I needed to let you know about! Anyway, go boogie on over to gog.com and check out their Telltale Crazy Sale. You’ve got two days left to grab this bundle or bits of it for some HUGE savings. if you’re a fan of Telltale Games’ more recent adventure titles like the Walking Dead, all of these come recommended because they’re also well-crafted games but trade in the rib-ripping gore and cussin’ for some hilarious rib-tickling comedy and chuckles. Six complete game series for under $27 is a total STEAL, so get yours and get smiling, I say. also check out that video above for some other fine suggestions. Now, if you’ll pardon me – I’ve got some gaming of my own to get done!

Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures Trailer: My Conflict of Disinterest Is Somewhat Activated…

Hmmmm… Not sure how I should feel about this, as I think if you REVIEW games for a living, you don’t necessarily NEED to be in one. Granted, the folks at Penny Arcade get a free pass because they do so much for charity and all. But I guess TAVGN gets a big, sloppy pass as well because he’s so damned popular and good at what he does that the bulk of his fan base will buy this up as soon as it’s available. Granted, if the game is “bad” (and not intentionally, mind you), he’ll hear about it (but probably shrug it off completely). I’ll play this at some point but probably not review it, as it’s a bit strange trying to do that and not feel as I’m fitting into someone’s master plan… Well, we’ll see… You can’t muck up this kind of “retro” that much anyway. Hopefully…