Published , by Ozzie Mejia
Published , by Ozzie Mejia
How have your spent your weekend so far? The team at Indie Obscura spent their Saturday spotlighting some exciting indie games that are set to release in the months ahead. Shacknews was happy to host the Saturday IOX Digital Direct Showcase stream, hosted by our very own Greg Burke. But for anybody who wasn't able to check it out, we have a full recap of everything you might have missed.
Here are all of the games featured in Saturday's IOX Digital Direct Showcase.
Aeolis Tournament, from Beyond Fun Studio, is a 3D party game that pits two sides against one another in some odd competitions, where the main gimmick is that everybody has an air blaster that can suck up or blow objects or even opponents. There are different game modes like Sportsball and Explosive Dodgeball, just to name a few, with full physics-based gameplay on display. Up to eight players can participate in co-op and competitive play either locally or online.
It's set to release this May on PC and Nintendo Switch. Look for it to come to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One at a later date.
Foregone, from developer Big Blue Bubble, is a side-scrolling Metroidvania-style adventure that follows a warrior across a dangerous world filled with undead enemies and giant monsters. The Harrow is filling the world with revived creatures and it's up to the player to discover their secrets and stop them from infecting the world of Calagan. Wander across this 2D pixel-art world and build your arsenal of weapons to help you against the Harrow.
Foregone is available for Early Access on the Epic Games Store.
Roki is a non-violent narrative adventure from Polygon Treehouse. It follows a young girl in search of her family. Her journey takes her across a snowy landscape, as she interacts with strange creatures and unforgettable characters. Designed in the vein of games like the old LucasArts adventures, Roki invokes a lot of Scandanavian folklore in its character design and its narrative beats. You'll run into a lot of monsters, but you're not looking to slay them. You're looking to understand them and maybe even help them, as they'll help you in exchange.
If this looks familiar, you might have seen Roki during March's Indie World presentation from Nintendo. It's coming soon to PC and Nintendo Switch.
We've talked about Maneater before in the past on Shacknews. This is Tripwire Interactive's single-player, open-world action-RPG where players take on the role of a baby bull shark torn from its mother’s belly. You'll explore the seas, eating whatever gets in your way, on the way to becoming the ultimate apex predator and proving who really rules the seas.
Maneater is coming to PC and consoles on May 22.
Revenant's Reach comes from the team at Homunkulus. The Revenant rises from a dungeon with no memory and finds a world shrouded in darkness. Players will look to discover what happened to them while also exacting revenge on the forces of darkness. This 2D Metroidvania game will challenge players with tough platforming sequences, which players will navigate with their Crescent's Hook weapons. It'll also act as your means of defense against dark creatures and monsters.
Revenant's Reach is very early in development and should be ready for 2021. Learn more about its unique style, which includes photographic 3D backgrounds, on the Revenant's Reach website.
Coffee Talk comes from Toge Productions and is a dialogue-driven game largely about small talk. Step into a nighttime coffee bar called Coffee Talk and meet some interesting characters, share stories, and dive into the atmosphere, thanks to a relaxing low-fi soundtrack.
Coffee Talk is available right now on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Torn Banner Studios made a name for themselves years ago with the original Chivalry: Medieval Warfare, which proved to be a big favorite among the Shacknews Chatty community. Now they're teaming up with Tripwire Interactive, the publisher behind Killing Floor and Maneater, for the long-awaited sequel. With over 20 years passing since the events of the previous Chivalry, this sequel ups the ante with a significantly more cinematic approach than its predecessor that features 64-player battles.
Chivalry 2 will release later this year on PC as an Epic Games Store exclusive.
Liberated, from developer Atomic Wolf, is a comic-book style adventure, one that takes players into an increasingly dystopian future. The government has fully embraced a world that monitors all of its citizens and intentionally sows dissent to keep everyone in line. Take part in the insurgency as you look to rise against the sinister ruling forces through intense gun battles, puzzles, and challenging platforming sequences.
Liberated is coming to PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch later this year.
She Dreams Elsewhere comes from Studio Zevere and is presented as an Earthbound-style RPG. It follows a young girl, who finds herself in the middle of a dream state. She doesn't recognize her surroundings and in an effort to find out what's happening and how she can get back to the real world, she journeys across this strange world and battles far-out enemies in turn-based RPG combat.
She Dreams Elsewhere is among the more psychadelic RPGs to come along in a while and has drawn the attention of players and critics alike, partly because of the way it addresses themes like mental illness. It's coming in 2020 to PC and Xbox One.
We've seen dating simulators before, but Bloom Digital is going a step farther with Later Daters. This is a game about senior citizens finding love towards the end of life. Meet interesting characters, all of whom have their own traits and desires, and get a unique insight into what it means to find love as a forlorn senior.
Find love in the form of an older man or woman (this game is fully LGBTQ+ inclusive) with Later Daters. It's an episodic effort, with the first episode set to release on PC and Nintendo Switch on April 16.
Haven, from developer The Game Bakers, follows two lovers who explore a lush, colorful planet by gliding across fields and seeking to bring life back to a once-desolate world. They follow the forces of nature and take flight, while spreading nature's light across the world. In-between restoring life to the planet and tackling wild creatures in RPG-style combat, the two main characters will engage with one another and further get to know one another. Control the couple on your own or let a significant other join in with co-op play.
Haven is coming later this year to PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Garden Story is an adorable overhead RPG from Rose City Games, where players take control of a living grape named Concord, the village's last guardian. Concord will seek to reunite different areas of the Grove, while seeking to stop the spread of the mysterious Rot. He'll also need a hand, so he'll meet up with unique characters and recruit them to help him out. And of course, you'll gather resources and look to tend to the village's gardens. Be sure to maintain a balance between pushing the story forward and also tending to the village.
Garden Story is set to release this spring on PC.
If you're looking for something distinctly artistic, you'll find that in spades with Infini. This puzzle game is a true oddball of a game and one that almost defies explanation. Watch the trailer above and try to make it out for yourself. And enjoy that soundtrack!
Infini is coming later this year to Nintendo Switch, but it's out right now on PC.
Half Past Fate, from developer Serenity Forge, is an interesting story-based narrative adventure. Think of it as a game of telephone, where one person meets another person, who then meets another person, and so on. Watch as their stories unfold and inevitably intersect, as their story unfolds over the course of eight years.
Half Past Fate is out now on PC and Nintendo Switch.
Learn the ways of the ninja in Sneaky Ninja, which puts players in the role of a little roly-poly ninja. You'll embark on a 2D adventure, where you'll use your ninja skills to take down blob-like enemies, take on numerous platforming challenges, and practice impeccable stealth.
Sneaky Ninja is coming this summer to PC and Nintendo Switch.
A Space for the Unbound, from Mojiken Studio, is a story-based effort that tackles some heavier subject material, taking players into 1990's rural Indonesia. Meet a boy and girl with supernatural powers, as they look to cope with their abilities while also dealing with the harsh realities of growing up. While its premise is a bit fantastical, it does deal with real themes like anxiety and depression, largely driven by Atma's supernatural ability to dive into the minds of others.
A Space for the Unbound is coming soon.
Anybody who has ever been in a subway station knows how tough it can be to navigate crowds. In Stationflow, from DMM Games, you are managing the crowds and designing train stations in such a way that crowds can flow freely and make their trips with little hassle. Place signage, design corridors, and keep your user base satisfied.
Stationflow is out right now on Steam Early Access.
Mojiken Studio returns with When the Past was Around, a point-and-click adventure puzzle game. Follow the story of aspiring violinist Edda, as she looks to live out her dreams. She runs into a strange owl-headed man, who takes her on a strange and fantastical journey. This one stands out largely thanks to its unique art style, one that exercises warmer illustrations, a soothing piano soundtrack, and a children's book-like presentation.
When the Past was Around is coming soon to PC.
Mystic Pillars, from Holy Cow, is billed as a unique puzzle experience and it indeed looks to offer that, testing players with many series of pillars that must be arranged in a certain order. The pillars will help save the dilapidated kingdom of Zampi and as you solve puzzles, you'll learn more about this once-prosperous kingdom.
Mystic Pillars is out now on PC, iOS, and Android.
Necronator: Dead Wrong, from Toge Productions, is being called a micro-RTS with elements of tower defense. Where it stands out is that it contains card mechancis, more akin to Slay the Spire. Play as the game's villain and lay out your units in an effort to defend your territory. Point them in the right direction and watch them go! But make sure to use spell cards to keep your units strong and buff them up whenever needed.
Necronator: Dead Wrong is out now on Steam Early Access.
Sons of Ra is competitive tower defense that takes players into the sands of Egypt. It's presented like a board game, right down to units that look like chess pieces. You'll have to destroy your enemy's base to achieve victory, but winning means more than getting your units across the board. Place various structures, while also mastering the powers of the Egyptian gods, to bolster your units' power.
Sons of Ra is coming later this year to PC and Xbox One.
Those are all of the games featured during today's presentation. If you're curious to learn more, keep it right here on Shacknews, as we'll be sure to keep an eye on many of these games. You can also visit our friends at Indie Obscura.