Under the Radar - Four games you may have missed in April

The month of April is coming to a close and while Shacknews covers a wide spectrum of video games across PC, consoles, and even mobile devices, there are some games that inevitably fall under the radar. Today, Shacknews is spotlighting a handful of games from this month that did not receive a proper review. These are not full reviews or recommendations, but rather a handful of noteworthy releases that have simply slipped notice.

I Am Bread

This ranks up there among the games I most regret not giving my full attention. I Am Bread is one of the most off-the-wall concepts for a video game I've seen in years. Take a piece of bread and become toast. Yet Bossa Studios made this concept easy to pick up with an intuitive physics-based movement scheme and tossed in some variety to help keep gameplay (as well as your bread) fresh.

I Am Bread was on Steam Early Access for several months, with Bossa Studios releasing the finalized version a few weeks ago. Along with it came some new features, like a tutorial, revamped game modes, and an end-game scenario that finally allows players to become the toast they so desperately set out to become. It had a bit of a rough start, but Bossa has issued a performance patch and is looking to continue supporting the game for months to come.

Paperbound

Alright, this is kind of a cheat. Paperbound technically came out on March 31, just hours after the last Under the Radar feature was posted. That doesn't make Paperbound any less deserving of mention, with its addictive multiplayer formula and its distinctly different visual design.

Paperbound sees players go at it on a 2D papercraft plane, where players run along the ground and the ceiling with the ability to turn gravity on and off. Think of it like the control scheme for VVVVVV. The idea is to slice opponents to ribbons, using either a melee attack or by chucking your weapon forward. It's a manic, fast-paced affair and one that'll offer plenty of opportunities for laughs. The only major downside is that there's no online multiplayer, so be sure to grab your friends for some local battles on either PC or PlayStation 4.

Dungeons 2

It's been a long time since there's been a good Dungeon Keeper game. (And not... whatever this was.) Kalypso and Realmforge Studios may very well have the next best thing on their hands with Dungeons 2.

This game makes the jump between strategy game and dungeon management, tasking players with building an impenetrable dungeon and laying out units of minions across its many halls. While minions can fend for themselves, there's also an option to take direct control and take the fight to those heroes personally. Dungeon Lords can even put their own skills to test against others in multiplayer. It may not quite bear the Dungeon Keeper name, but this looks to come pretty darn close.

Kerbal Space Program

Cheating again? Yes and no. Yes, this is a game that the Shacknews staff took for granted, seen largely as a game in a perpetual state of Early Access. However, it definitely wasn't overlooked by our Chatty community, who literally counted down to the game's official launch date.

Kerbal Space Program is a rarity in games, one that faithfully simulates the idea of space travel and what it means to organize a space expedition. Over the course of the last year and change, Squad and the game's loyal community refined the game and added enough mods to make it one of the most unique experiences in games. The final 1.0 release added even more to the game, like an overhauled aerodynamics system, new fairings, and resource mining to give space travel an additional goal.

It's been a long journey for Squad and fans of the game couldn't be happier. It's definitely one of the more unsung releases of the week across the gaming media landscape, but this is a game that should not be missed by any space travel enthusiasts.

Any other games we missed over the month of April. Let us know your unsung favorites over the past month and join the conversation in the comments.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?