Early Access Thursday

A very nice selection of 5 new early access games this week:

1. Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power by Frozenbyte
Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power is a fairytale journey which takes you on a quest with three heroes: Amadeus the Wizard, Pontius the Knight, and Zoya the Thief. This tale of a grand adventure as well as the additional challenge levels provide true tests to the three heroes' skills in combat and of solving puzzles in the most creative ways. Playable either in singleplayer, and with friends online or in local co-op.

Price - £14.99 or £34.99 for a triple pack

Steam Link

Game Website

2. Killing Floor 2 by Tripwire Interactive
Killing Floor 2 will be the successor to the ridiculously fun and successful original title, that was released in 2009. All your old favorites will be back, with a whole host of new features, characters, monsters, weapons and story in due course. Keep watching for more information!

Price - £19.99 for Basic, £26.99 for Deluxe, £99.95 for 6-pack

Steam Link

Game Website

3. The Next Penelope by Aurelian Regard
Set in a futuristic Odyssey, "The Next Penelope" is a fast paced action racing game with loud colors, an original story and a challenging risk-reward system.

Price - £6.99

Steam Link

Game Website

4. Survival: Postapocalypse Now by TB Games

Brand new indie-survival game in the setting of Syberian forests! Grab your winter clothes, as you are going in the deep Syberian forest where your only task is - to survive.

Price - £3.99

Steam Link

5. Deepworld by Bytebin
Deepworld is a massively-multiplayer 2D crafting adventure game. Mine and craft your way through a persistent online universe where there's always something new to discover!

Price - Free-to-play

Steam Link

Game Website

Early Access Thursday

1. Sovereignty: Crown of Kings by Slitherine

The old Empire is crumbling. Younger hungrier realms wait like vultures for their chance to pick at the carcass. Thus begins the grand campaign of Sovereignty. Rule your realm wisely and decisively. Play as the Boruvian Empire and try to recapture former Imperial glories. Or play any of 34 other realms, each with their own rich history, culture and play-style.

Price - £18.99

Opinion - A deep and rich grand strategy game - a bit like a fantasy Crusader Kings but with tactical battles and tons of features.  Think I'm going to buy this one...

Steam Link

Game Website

2. Space Beast Terror Fright by nornware AB
S.B.T.F. is a very hard arcade-style / rogue-like / perma-death first person shooter. You play as Space Marines who must brave dark, claustrophobic and terrifyingly intense Space Beast infested spacecraft in order to extract critical data and lucrative upgrades. Can you make it out alive?

Price - £10.99

Opinion - A first-person horror shooter, reminding me a bit like the premise of Space Hulk.  The gameplay does look very good though (similar to Halo) and the option of split screen co-op is a real plus.

Steam Link

Developer Website

3. March of War: Face Off by ISOTX
Face Off is a collectible card game combined with tile based tactics. Playing units to the battlefield is only the start - once they're in the field, you will take advantage of their combined strength to outflank your opponent. By controlling the battlefield you will deal domination damage to your opponent and will seal their fate.

Price - Free-to-play

Opinion - An interesting concept combing a CCG with tile-based combat.  I've already given it a quick whirl and it is a lot of fun, once you get the hang of it.  As it is free-to-play, it is definitely worth giving a go.

Steam Link

Game Website

4. Strife by S2 Games

In Strife®, you will assume control of a powerful hero. Each hero is uniquely designed to embody a play-style or idea, and heroes are by far the most important aspect of any game of Strife. As a hero, you will decide how the game flows, how quickly it progresses, and whether the outcome is favourable for your team. All Strife heroes are freely available from your very first match!

Price - Free-to-play (paid starter packs available)

Opinion - A free-to-play game akin to League of Legends but more focused on team work.  Worth looking at and giving a go, particularly as it is free-to-play.

Steam Link

Game Website

Early Access Thursday

Fallen: A2P Protocol by Red Katana
A post-apocalyptic, turn based, tactical combat and strategy game where you lead your caravan on a quest for revenge.

Price - £10.99

Opinion - This ticks a lot of boxes for me, with tactical combat, strategic elements and a good story. You can see the influences from the recent XCOM series and that is no bad thing considering how awesome it was.

Steam Link

Game Website

Captain Forever Remix by Pixelsaurus Games
Can you create the raddest spaceship? Captain Forever Remix is the spaceship builder roguelike. Voyage across the Solar System and blast apart randomly-generated enemies for spare parts.

Price - £10.99

Opinion - Create your own spaceship, defeat enemies, scavenge parts and build again - I can see this game being extremely addictive!

Steam Link

Game Website

Hover: Revolt of Gamers by Fusty Game
Created and developed by 3 young independant developers, "Hover: Revolt of Gamers" is a futuristic 3D parkour game in an openworld. Halfway between the crazy universe from Jet Set Radio, the interactivity of Mirror's Edge and inspired by movies like the 5th Element or Star Wars ; "Hover: Revolt of Gamers" takes place in another world where you're in charge of a band of Gamers revolting against anti-video-games laws opressing the city.

 

Price - £14.99

Opinion - A crazy concept and a a crazy setting but it looks like it would be some high-paced fun, though I imagine you would definitely need a controller for this.

Steam Link

Game Website

Eastside Hockey Manager by Sports Interactive
Eastside Hockey Manager: Early Access offers fans the most realistic, in-depth and immersive simulation of hockey management available, giving them the chance to manage club or country in any one of the world’s top hockey-playing nations.

Price - £9.99

Opinion - If you are fan of the Football Manager series and/or a massive fan of Hockey, then this is going to be for you.

Steam Link

KeeperRL by Michal Brzozowski
KeeperRL is an ambitious dungeon simulator with roguelike and RPG elements. Take the role of an evil wizard and study the methods of black magic. Equip your minions and explore the world, murder innocent villagers and burn their homes. Build your dungeon, lay traps and prepare for an assault of angry heroes.

Price - £10.99

Opinion - A really interesting concept that I do want to see more of - almost like Dungeon Keeper meets a rouge-like.  Check out the steam link for a proper description of what it is all about.

Steam Link

Game Website

Early Access Thursday

To continue the theme of a very quiet week, we only have one early access game from steam this week - Project Explore.

Project Explore by Seabass and Gazelle Studios
Project Explore is a survival game. It's a game about learning the environment, discovering hundreds of items, and your ability to adapt to any situation. Not just build a house and bunker down. A house provides you with shelter but you'll need to eat and maintain your sanity as well.

Price - £4.99

My Opinion - Another survival game but nice to see a slightly different take on it - for a start it is in 2d.  This provides different options for the developer and the player than a game in a fully 3d world.  Reviews have been mixed but fairly positive, even at what is a very early access release.

Steam Link

Early Access Thursday

Four very interesting and different early access games this week to get our teeth in to:

1. StarCrawlers by Juggernaut Games
Crawlers Wanted: high pay, certain risk. Plausible deniability a must.
Build a crew of renegade adventurers on the fringes of space, taking jobs from megacorps to hunt bounties, sabotage rivals and conduct corporate espionage. If you can navigate the intricate politics of wealth and power, you might just survive long enough to spend your hard-won credits.

Price - £14.99

My Opinion - A great new take on dungeon crawling with a sci-fi setting.  I'm a big fan of tactical turn-based combat as well so this looks like a winner for me.

Steam Link

Game Website

2. ShellShock Live by kChamp Games
Demolish your friends with hundreds of upgradable weapons shot from your very own customizable tank in this action-packed online multiplayer tanks game. Fully destructible terrain and powerful new items make each battle unique. Earn XP to level up and unlock new tanks, weapons, and gear. Fight against or alongside your friends for strategic team or free-for-all matches.

Price - £10.99 or £29.99 for a 4-pack

My Opinion - A fun-looking physics-based tank shoot-em-up...not a sentence I've used before.  This looks like it will be particularly good multi-player fun and absolute carnage.

Steam Link

Game Website

3. Warlocks by Frozen District
Warlocks is an action RPG/brawler game set in a fantasy world invaded by shadow monsters. Playing as an incredibly powerful Warlock and, by using magic skills and weapons, you fight through hordes of enemies. The game places great focus on co-op and versus play between players, where you can fight in 1-4 player DeathMatch or in teams of 1v1 or 2v2.

Price - £10.59 or £29.99 for a 4-pack

My Opinion - An old-school arcade game, reminiscent of Metal Slugs and Golden Axe, two games I spent a lot of money on in arcades back in the 90s.  Looks like a lot of fun, particularly if you have a group of 4 to run through it with.

Steam Link

Publisher Website

4. Automation - The Car Company Tycoon Game by Camshaft Software
Automation allows the player to become an armchair CEO - to build their own car company from the ground up. Create and run anything from a boutique supercar manufacturer to a mass-market multinational mogul. With powerful tools like the Engine Designer, the player can create cars and their engines in mind-boggling detail.

Price - £22.99

My Opinion - I'm not a big car fan but I do like management games and Automation has all the features I'd want from such a game.  My lack of car knowledge might hamper my enjoyment but I'm sure if you are a car nut, then this is for you.

Steam Link

Game Website

Early Access Thursday

A nice selection of new early access titles on steam this week, here are my favourites:

Savage Lands by Signal Studios
Savage Lands is a gritty, brutal, first-person open-world fantasy survival game in which players have only one goal: Stay Alive. Explore a world where days and nights are spent slaughtering vicious creatures, gathering scarce resources, building shelter and crafting powerful weapons needed to survive. Every decision counts, because one mistake can lead to an unfortunate encounter with deaths cold embrace.

Price - £18.99 or £67.99 for a 4-pack

Opinion - Watching the trailer and reading about the game, it looks like survival Skyrim with the ability to do multiplayer - that's a good thing in my book.  I'll be keeping a close eye on this one.

Steam Link

Game Website

Reign of Kings by Code}{atch
Struggle to survive in a harsh medieval world. Hunt wildlife, mine resources, build structures, and craft weapons and armor in order to protect yourself. You may form a guild, bring war to all opposition, and try to seize the throne and become king!

Price - £14.99

Opinion - A medieval survival with perma-death, a living world and sandbox capability.  I want this game!

Steam Link

Game Website

Executive Assault by Hesketh Studios
Executive Assault is an indie real-time strategy/first-person shooter where you can not only build your base and create armies, but also take control of your units and fight as one of them. 

Price - £14.99

Opinion - A very good looking RTS that reminds me of Supreme Commander and Total Annihilation - also liking the ability to play as an FPS by taking control of one of your units.

Steam Link

Game Website

Farlight Explorers by Farlight Games Industry
Farlight Explores is a 3D space-sandbox game, made for space exploration, science fiction, resource management and action fans. In this game you can build your base or spaceship, explore the galaxy, extract unique ores in each planet or asteroids, craft new products, transport goods from one planet to another and more...

Price - £13.59

Opinion - Another sandbox game but very orientated towards building and exploring, although by the sounds of it, with very brutal combat as well.  Looks interesting and worth looking at if you are a sci-fi and sandbox building fan.

Steam Link

Game Website


Dig or Die by Gaddy Games
You are a representative of the CRAFT & Co company. You are selling automated fabrication tools across the galaxy when your spacecraft crashes into a hostile planet. Use the tools you sell and the local resources to build up all of what you'll need to survive and eventually be able to escape the planet. 

Price - £1.99

Opinion - And another sandbox game, but this time unique in that it is 2D and side-scrolling.  The game is remarkably cheap for the amount of gameplay on offer and I think I will be buying it later today.

Steam Link

Game Website

Early Access Thursday

A fuller week of early access titles this week, with enough to actually make a Top 5!

Medieval Engineers by Keen Software House
Medieval Engineers is a sandbox game about engineering, construction and the maintenance of architectural works and mechanical equipment using medieval technology. Players build cities, castles and fortifications; construct mechanical devices and engines; perform landscaping and underground mining.

Price - £14.99 for Basic, £18.99 for Deluxe - 4-packs and a promotion including Space Engineers is also available

My Opinion - So I can build my own medieval castle? I'm sold! It does look awesome and if you've ever tried Space Engineers this is worth playing as well.

Steam Link

Game Website

Battle of Empires : 1914-1918 by Great War Team
Battle of Empires : 1914-1918 is a series of tactical games, which tells the story of one of the bloodiest wars in mankind's history - The First World War.

The first game of the series - Battle of Empires: France - is devoted to the battles between French and German armies on the Western Front - you will take part in the battle of the Marne, the battle of Verdun, and the final battles of 1918. Campaign includes a wide variety of story driven missions such as: large-scale battles with several thousand soldiers, ambushes, tank attacks, sabotage tasks.

Price - £10.99

My Opinion - Finally it appears that there is a WWI strategy game that captures the conflict properly, whilst also being a lot of fun to play.  The game has been described by many as Men of War but WWI - so if you like MoW this is probably for you.

Steam Link

Game Website

Victor Vran by Haemimont Games 
Victor Vran is an isometric Action-RPG with a massive selection of weapons, items, outfits,demon powers and destiny cards. Experience intense combat action with dozens of enemies attacking you from all sides and unleash powerful skills to finish them off! 

Victor Vran lets you decide how to play the game. Forge your own personal version of Victor thanks to a vast array of powerful weapons, game-changing outfits, wicked demon powers and destiny cards. Use special moves, combine skills and weapons to wipe out hordes of hideous beasts and clever boss monsters.

Price - £15.99

My Opinion - Victor Vran to me looks like Diablo crossed with Van Helsing. I'm a big fan of isometric RPGs, including Diablo and Torchlight and VV looks as interesting and enjoyable as those titles, whilst offering a different twist on the genre.  Instead of point-and-click, the game has WASD control, as well as offering controller support.

Steam Link

Game Website

Airships: Conquer the Skies by David Stark
Design steampunk pixel airships out of functional modules and conquer the skies!

In the game, ships are viewed side-on, and their modules are operated by individual crew members. During combat, players give high-level commands to a small fleet, positioning their ships, ramming and boarding others. Ships and terrain are fully destructible: they can catch fire, explode, break apart, and fall. Players can also compete against one another in Internet and LAN matches.

Price - £6.99

My Opinion - Ever wanted to build a steampunk airship and battle against other steampunk airships?! Regardless if you have or you haven't, this looks like a lot of fun and the multi-player could be potentially awesome.

Steam Link

Game Website

Catacomb Kids by FourbitFriday
Catacomb Kids is a procedurally generated platformer, with an equal emphasis on quick reactions, tactical engagement, and strategic character growth. Wield swords, spears, axes, and daggers -- unleash powerful magicks to burn, freeze and poison foes with -- overcome traps and beasts both deadly and unrelenting.

Price - £11.99

My Opinion - A platformer rougue-like that looks and sounds really good.  Having quick reactions is not my strong point so I would likely suck at it, but if you like unforgiving platformers with a sense of humour, this might be for you.

Steam Link

Game Website

Early Access Thursday

A quiet week with only two games but both are very interesting:

Offworld Trading Company by Mohawk Games
Offworld Trading Company is a real-time strategy game in which money, not firepower, is the player's weapon. Players lead their developing companies in cutthroat economic warfare against other companies looking to become the dominant economic power on Mars.

Loosely inspired by such classics as M.U.L.E., Offworld Trading Company forces players to make tough choices on what resources to acquire, what goods to build and sell, how to interact with the planet's thriving underworld, and when and what stocks to acquire.

Price - £29.99

My Opinion - I love the concept of this game and the focus on trading rather than combat.  Feedback from the community has been very positive and as soon as I actually have some money, I'll be buying an early access copy of this.

Steam Link

Game Website

CroNix by MAGICS
CroNix is a fast-paced, action-packed multiplayer PvP game where your team battle against another team of players to achieve victory.

Price - Free-to-play but you can buy various tiers of starter packs from £6.99 to £22.99

My Opinion - A multiplayer pvp team game with a lot of potential.  It sounds like there are a few issues with connectivity at the moment but the feedback so far on the gameplay has been very positive.  If this is your kind of thing, it is definitely worth keeping an eye on.

Steam Link

Early Access Thursday

Only two early access titles to talk about this week but both of them look pretty good:

TerraTech by Payload Studios

In TerraTech you design, construct and command a fleet of unique vehicles, as you battle your way to victory across the lawless frontiers of new alien worlds, in a quest for glory and profit. In the distant future, Earth's natural resources have been depleted, and as an off-world prospector it's your job to travel to alien planets and scour them for valuable materials. These can be refined and shipped back to Earth in return for cash, or crafted into new components to augment your fleet. The rarest resources unlock the best equipment, so expand your territory and capture enemy bases, to secure your position on each planet.

Price - £19.99 for standard edition, £28.99 for Deluxe edition (currently 35% of until end of Friday 13th February)

My Opinion - I'm loving the look of TerraTech with the almost endless combinations for designing and contrucing vehichles.  It looks like a cross between Spore and Minecraft, with the potential to be more fun than both.  I can imagine multiplayer being a big selling point for this down the line.

Steam Link

Game Website

Monstrum by Team Junkfish

Monstrum takes the traditional survival horror formula and remixes it completely with procedurally generated levels, permadeath, and AI driven predators, ensuring that nowhere on its derelict cargo ship is ever truly safe.

Price - £9.99

My Opinion - Another survival game! But I have to admit from watching the trailer I'm really impressed.  It looks like a genuinely scary game and for only £9.99 I think this is worth checking out for any fans of the genre.

Steam Link

Game Website

Early Access Thursday

Five early access games to talk about this week, including some real gems.

Darkest Dungeon by Red Hook Studios

Darkest Dungeon is a challenging gothic roguelike turn-based RPG about the psychological stresses of adventuring.
Recruit, train, and lead a team of flawed heroes through twisted forests, forgotten warrens, ruined crypts, and beyond. You'll battle not only unimaginable foes, but stress, famine, disease, and the ever-encroaching dark. Uncover strange mysteries, and pit the heroes against an array of fearsome monsters with an innovative strategic turn-based combat system.

Price - £14.99

My Opinion - This is a great twist on the traditional RPG with your characters not being superheroes, but instead having flawed and realistic (relatively) personalities. If you like RPGs, I urge you to try this and experience something a little bit different.

Steam Link

Game Website

Besiege by Spiderling Studios

Besiege is a physics based building game in which you construct medieval siege engines and lay waste to immense fortresses and peaceful hamlets. Build a machine which can crush windmills, wipe out battalions of brave soldiers and transport valuable resources, defending your creation against cannons, archers and whatever else the desperate enemies have at their disposal. Create a trundling behemoth, or take clumsily to the skies, and cause carnage in fully destructible environments. Ultimately, you must conquer every Kingdom by crippling their castles and killing their men and livestock, in as creative or clinical a manner as possible!

Price - £4.99

My Opinion - I played a lot of Stronghold when it originally came out and loved the idea of besieging (and being besieged) a castle in different ways.  Besiege takes this to another level, where you can create your own siege engines, no matter how ridiculous they might be!  For £4.99 this is a bargain.

Steam Link

Game Website

Eden Star by Flix Interactive

Eden Star is an immersive Sci-Fi survival game that blends innovative physics based combat, destructible environments and free-form construction with the exploration of a hostile alien world.
Explore and gather resources from the environment of Pharus 7, use these materials to construct defensive outposts, craft powerful weaponry and upgrade your Pioneer.

Price - £14.99

My Opinion - Eden Star follows the survival basics of building a base in the day and surviving attacks in the night.  What sets it apart though is how beautiful it looks, with a style reminiscent of the Halo series,  Bear in mind that this is still in the very early stages of development (no save system yet) but future features looks like this game could be a big hit going forward.

Steam Link

Game Website

Down to One by Gadget Games

Down to One is a competitive survival shooter in a large, interactive, open-world environment. Start out with nothing, and use anything you can find in the environment to survive, and eliminate other competitors over the course of a brutal round.

Price - £9.99, £17.99 for a 2-pack, £27.99 for a 4-pack

My Opinion - An interesting twist on the survival genre where you have to eliminate other players.  From the feedback it sounds like it is still in very early stages but has a lot of potential and is a nice change from both traditional survival and FPS games.

Steam Link

Game Website

Rise of Incarnates by Bandai Namco

As a hybrid fusion of fighting and shooting, Rise of Incarnates features ground-breaking 2v2 gameplay, a multitude of characters and unique roles set throughout shattered yet accurately rendered real-world cityscapes. Discover and develop powerful teams comprised of diverse character types and unique roles that feature customizable skill sets and mythic powers. Work with your partner as you employ sharp reflexes, mental resolve, and strategic insight as you run, jump, and fly through 3D arenas, engaging in both melee combat and ranged assaults.

Price - Free-to-play

My Opinion - As the description says, this is a fast-paced 2v2 fighting game.  The free-to-play element is attractive and I can see this getting a real following in the future, with the potential for eSports, tournaments. etc.

Steam Link

Game Website

Monday Recap

Hi all, welcome back to another Monday recap.  I'll keep going with games on this until they've reached their Kickstarter Goal, have been greenlighted or have come out of early access (as applicable).  As Kickstarter's have the most immediate deadlines, I'll be putting those at the top.

Vidar by Dean Razavi

"A despairing RPG-Puzzler set in a town on the brink. Random storytelling. Random puzzles. Constant loss."

Current Status - as of 2nd February, it is $8,723 towards a final target of $18,000 on Kickstarter.  It needs to reach the target by Friday 27th February.  If you haven't already, check it out and give the demo a go via the link below.

Kickstarter link

Game Website

Demo Link

Tiny Robot Justice Squad by Mind Realy
"Tiny Robot Justice Squad is a 2D action platformer/arena shooter for Windows, Mac OSX and Linux platforms. It has explosions, big guns, big bosses and quick-paced platform gameplay. The game is being developed by Mind Relay (which is actually just one person!), with all proceeds generated by the game to be donated to the charity GamesAid which helps disabled and disadvantaged young people. Carry on reading to learn more about the game and how it will support good causes!"

Current Status - A fun-looking game with proceeds from it being donated to a good cause. Check it out and make sure it gets greenlit.

Steam Greenlight Link

Game Website

Curse of Mermos

"Curse of Mermos is a lighthearted hack and slash game with fast paced action and challenging combat. Players wield the Hammer of Horus or shoot the Crossbow of Neith to defeat hordes of monsters in the tomb of Ebo. The game features unlockable abilities and skill upgrades for personalized combat. Special game modifiers allow players to customize each playthrough."

Current Status - the completed game is available via their website for free.  It still needs your support though to get Greenlit.

Steam Greenlight Link

Game Website

Mad Games Tycoon by Eggcode
"Form your own game studio in the early 80s in a small garage.
Develop your own game concepts, create a team and develop million-selling video games.
Research new technologies, train your staff and buy larger office buildings.
Expand your business and dominate the world's market for video games!"

Current Status - currently at 0.150129A with changes and bug fixes being made on a consistent basis.  It is worth noting that it is very playable at the moment and worth supporting if you like these types of games.

Steam Link

Game Website

Early Access Thursday

A small flurry of new Early Access titles on Steam this week - here are my top 5:

TOXIKK by Reakktor Studios

FRAG LIKE IT'S 1999! TOXIKK plays as if today's military shooters never existed. The game combines the simple and intuitive mechanics of old-school FPS giants with a fresh setting, slick graphics and our vision to carefully evolve the genre with some new ideas elaborated with Arena-FPS enthusiasts.

Price - £12.59 or £39.99 for a 4-pack

My Opinion - A good looking FPS that has game-play that is a throwback to shooters of the past (in a good way).  It particularly reminds me of the good old days of Unreal Tournament that I spent a lot of my teenage years playing.  I think this might be the first FPS I will buy for a long time.

Steam Link

Game Website

Stranded Deep by Beam Team Games

Take the role of a plane crash survivor stranded somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. Experience terrifying encounters both above and below an endless environment. Come face to face with some of the most life threatening scenarios that will result in a different experience each time you play.

Scavenge. Discover. Survive.

Price - £10.99

My Opinion - There are a lot of survival games out there but I love the idea of trying to survive on your own on an island.  Most importantly, there are no zombies! Reviews have been very positive already.

Steam Link

Developer Website

Woolfe - The Red Hood Diaries by GRIN

Woolfe - The Red Hood Diaries is a cinematic fable featuring a vengeful Red Riding Hood. All grown up, cried out and armed with an axe, our heroine embarks on an odyssey to avenge the death of her parents. Buckle up for a surprising take on the Red Riding Hood tale as you know it, some good old-fashioned action platforming, fun combo-based hack ‘n slash combat and rewarding environment puzzles exploring the attractive fantasy universe.

Price - £6.99

My Opinion - This game looks beautiful and it the story is well written.  For the price, this is definitely worth a look. 

Steam Link

Game Website

Armello by League of Geeks

Armello is a swashbuckling adventure that combines the strategic play of card and board games with RPG elements.

As a hero from one of the clans of Armello, you'll quest, scheme, explore, vanquish monsters, and face off against other players, with one ultimate end goal in mind — storming the palace and becoming King or Queen of Armello.

Price - £18.99

My Opinion - an interesting combination of board game, TCG, strategy and RPG. The artwork looks nice and the game-play complex enough to satisfy strategy buffs.

Steam Link

Game Website

Perfect Golf by Perfect Parallel

PerfectGolf is a next generation, indie developed, single player, multiplayer golf game. Built with the Unity Engine, Perfect Golf provides a truly immersive experience centered on stunning visuals and hyper-realistic game play. The game will have practice, single player, and multiplayer game modes where you will be able to use our 'in-game' lobby and matchmaking system to go head to head.

Price - £14.99

My Opinion - This looks like potentially the best golf game ever - of course you will probably have to like golf in the first place to enjoy this.  The idea of content being community-driven is potentially exciting and could give it legs for the future.

Steam Link

Developer Website

Early Access Thursday

Hi all - 4 new early access games this week, including a remake of one of my favourite games of all time.  First up though is is Infinifactory.

Infinifactory by Zachtronics

"Infinifactory is a sandbox puzzle game by Zachtronics, the creators of SpaceChem and Infiniminer. Build factories that assemble products for your alien overlords, and try not to die in the process."

Price - £17.09 until 26th January, after that it is £18.99

My Opinion - This game looks and sounds really cool.  The reviews so far have been very positive and I think it might be a classic once it is fully finished.

Steam Link

Game Website

CaesarIA by rdt.32

"CaesarIA is a remake of an old-school economic strategy game, Caesar III which is a masterpiece among the games of this genre in our opinion. There are different economic strategy games and they can be broken down to subtypes but from our viewpoint Caesar encompasses planning, constructing, diplomacy and military campaigns."

Price - Free!

My Opinion - I love the old Caesar series and Caesar III is one of my favourite games of all-time, in fact I still play it now.  I'm really pleased the remake is happening and this looks like a promising start.  Still very early access at the moment but if you like city-building games or played any of the old series in the past, give this a go.

Steam Link

H1Z1 by Sony Online Entertainment

"Enter a world that has been overrun by zombies and fellow survivors since the H1Z1 virus outbreak. Fight for your life against the infected and against the brutality of others as you attempt to live and see another day. Every moment is borrowed time with one question to answer… Will You Survive?"

Price - £14.99 for standard edition, £29.99 for Special Edition (this includes some extra items)

My Opinion - Another Zombie survival game.  Reviews have been mixed so far but the negative ones tend to more about technical issues (queuing to get in the game) than anything gameplay related.  Might end up being the next big thing in survival games if they listen to players feedback properly during this early access phase.

Steam Link

Game Website

Ratz Instagib by Lino Slahuschek

"Tired of bloated, overly-complex FPS games? Fancy getting addicted to something that's fast, frantic and full of blasting fun? Then Ratz Instagib is exactly what you need!

Inspired by the classic Instagib mode of Unreal Tournament fame, Ratz Instagib takes the concept of arena-based FPS gaming and renders it down to its core essentials: namely, blasting your friends into tiny pieces with high-powered weaponry. Players take control of a railgun-toting rat in household-themed arenas, with every shot being a potential kill – no more shooting opponents repeatedly to little effect or suffering cheap deaths at the hands of people with an unfair advantage. It's every rat for themselves on an even playing field!"

Price - £6.99, £14.99 for a 4-pack

My Opinion - a brightly coloured FPS with some imaginative arenas.  If you like the classic FPS' like Quake and Unreal Tournament but want something a little bit less serious, this might be for you.

Steam Link

Early Access Thursday

Three new early access titles to showcase this week:

The Mims Beginning by Squatting Penguins

"Experience the mysterious and mystical by taking on a journey with Mims in this strategic god-like video game. Create structures, plant vegetation, breed animals, take care of your minions, use divine PSI powers, triumph in face of natural disasters, fight monsters, predict the future, reveal secrets and so much more. Assume the lead over Mims as they journey across the galaxy in their epic quest!"

Price - £12.74 (UK) - offer ends January 21st, £14,99 (UK) after

My Opinion - A god game that reminds me of Populous and Giant: Citizen Kabuto, but potentially with even more humour.  It has been a while since I've seen a good god game, hopefully this fits the bill.

Steam Link

Game Website

JumpJet Rex by TreeFortress Games

"Remember when platformers were so tough that people would hurt their hands playing, but feel amazing after getting past a level? Relive those moments with JumpJet Rex’s strenuous platforming challenges and retro boss battles."

Price - £5.94 (UK) - offer ends January 21st, £6,99 (UK) after

My Opinion - a retro-looking platformer with a space-faring dinosaur, what more needs to be said?! Seriously though, if you like the original Sonic games or early 90s platformers, this is for you.

Steam Link

Game Website

GRAV by BitMonster Inc

GRAV is a sand box experience where you explore a multitude of planets, hunt strange alien creatures, build and defend outposts, craft weapons and armor, and attempt to survive against other players in a hostile environment.

Price - £10.49 (UK) - offer ends January 21st, £14,99 (UK) after

My Opinion - a huge and gorgeous looking sci-fi MMO.  It has a lot of competition in this genre but it looks good and has some unique selling points that should stand it in good stead for the future.  If you like MMOs and / or survival games, check it out.

Steam Link

Company Website

Early Access Thursday

Thursday is for Early Access Games, currently only focussing on Steam titles but I may branch out further in the future.  Only two new ones from the last week so they are both detailed below.

Mad Games Tycoon by Eggcode
BUILD UP YOUR OWN GAMES EMPIRE
Form your own game studio in the early 80s in a small garage.
Develop your own game concepts, create a team and develop million-selling video games.
Research new technologies, train your staff and buy larger office buildings.
Expand your business and dominate the world's market for video games!

Price - £10.99

My Opinion - There are a lot of games like this out on the market at the moment, making it hard to differentiate between some of them.  However this looks like it has a lot of depth already and would be worth checking out if you like similar games such as Game Dev Tycoon.

Steam Link - Here

Other links - Developer Website

Project AURA by Pixel Quality Games

PROJECT AURA is a simulation/strategy videogame where you take control of a colony of climate disaster survivors.

Price - £10.99

My Opinion - This looks like a great concept and bringing something new to the management / city building genre.  It is very early access at the moment but is definitely worth keeping an eye on.

Steam Link - Here

Other links - Game Website