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

Greenlight Wednesday

I think my choices this week might be a left-field but I hope you enjoy:

1. I and ME

I & ME is an indie 2D platformer. To play the game, you control two characters simultaneously. The two characters will perform exactly the same action. You need to manage both at the same time and let them coordinate to complete the adventure.

Greenlight Link

2. Nomad Fleet

Nomad Fleet is a RTS game where you must lead the last remnants of Mankind to safety after a mysterious alien race has hunted them near extinction. Lead a fully armed fleet of battleships, carriers and fighters through a series of randomized scenarios and encounters where they must fight for their survival while scavenging for resources, researching new technologies and solving disputes using diplomacy or brute force.

Greenlight Link

Game Website

3. Crossfire: Dungeons
Battle against rival fantasy armies in this fast paced turn based strategy game. Fight powerful bosses while you hunt for treasure in dungeon mode, play through over 150 single player missions in campaign mode, or match wits against your friends in multiplayer. Simple one-click per unit control scheme takes minutes to learn, while the in-depth army building and game strategy keeps you coming back for more. 6 different armies to master each with unique units, strengths and playstyles.

Greenlight Link

Developer Website

4. Heart of Ember

The kingdom of Ember is in need of heroes. The immortal Titans are coming back and they seek to enslave humanity once again. Join Kara and Paul as they overcome all adversaries and save the things that truly matters.

Greenlight Link

Developer Website

5. Brunelleschi: Age of Architects

Brunelleschi is an MMO style civilization builder in which players adventure in *infinite player built cities, and can come together to advance a civilization from a meager farming village to a flourishing empire.

Greenlight 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

Greenlight Wednesday

A nice eclectic mix of games on Greenlight this week, here are my top 5:

1. Outland 17: Void of Liberty by Grenade Tree Games

Outland 17: Void of Liberty is a sci-fi tactical RPG based around the events of the American Revolutionary War. Earth's population has swelled, leading to a strain on her resources and a wider gap between the wealthy and the impoverished. Stations are being built outside of the Earth’s orbit to explore more possible resources and to alleviate the burdening population.

Opinion - A great concept based on the American Revolutionary War, but set in space.  Nice graphical style and interesting looking gameplay - this is my favourite of the week.

Greenlight Link

Kickstarter Link

Game Website

2. AD2460 by Fifth Season
AD2460 is a WMMO (Web-based Massively Multiplayer Online) science fiction strategy game. Set in a distant future, the game revolves around a race for the resources of the universe. You take control of your own homeworld and work to develop its technologies, facilities and military power in order to secure raw materials to improve your might in the universe. Along the way you will need to work together with other players in order to better protect your interests and grow.

Opinion - An interesting MMO sci-fi strategy game - a bit like Master of Orion as an MMO.  Looks like it could be a winner if they get it right.

Greenlight Link

Game Website

3. TGL: ThanksGiving LIFE by DDT Games

"TGL" is a Open World Practical Life Tycoon & GOD simulation game in which a user acts as a god of the imaginary world and realizes dreams and desires of A.I. characters believing they are human beings.

Opinion - TGL is an interesting concept, a bit like the sims but more surreal.  Check out the greenlight link for a better idea of what it is all about.

Greenlight Link

Game Website

4. The Union: Fighting for Lesser Evils

The Union is a Turn Based Strategy Game on a Hex Grid.  The War against the united forces of the overworld, consisting of the humans, the elves and the dwarfs has been won. But even some years after the triumph the promised wealth and prosperity hasn't reached down to the lower classes.
In fact the labour and living conditions are worse than ever before. The working class is suffering and bleeding out.  This is the time where The Union is formed.  Fighting for the rights of the lowlifes, the outcasts, and the lesser evils. A civil war is about to erupt where brothers are fighting brothers. A war between Zombies, Skeletons and Demons.

Opinion - A hex-based turn-based strategy game with good graphics and interesting characters.  Check out the demo build on the Greenlight Link for an interesting half-an-hour or so of gameplay.

Greenlight Link

5. Bigger in Texas by Bleed Indie

Bigger in Texas is a single player western adventure for Windows, Mac, and Linux. In the game, you are an average everyday Texas man whose hat has been stolen by a group of outlaws. You're now on a journey to find your precious hat and avenge every hat in Texas. Along the way, you'll encounter a wide variety of characters and destinations all in an effort to find your baby.

Opinion - Finally we have Bigger in Texas, my left-field pick this week. A pixel-based adventure where you play as a cowboy looking to find your hat...!  From playing the demo (on the kickstarter link) the game has great humour and gets you hooked in pretty nicely - worth a look. 

Greenlight Link

Kickstarter 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

Greenlight Wednesday

A lot of games to filter through from the last couple of weeks but I've managed to narrow it down to a top 5:

1. Kieru by Pine Fire Studios
Kieru is a unique first person multiplayer stealth game, set in a stark, high contrast world where life and death is literally black and white.

My Opinion - A great graphical style and a unique multiplayer experience, I think Keiru could be a big hit.

Greenlight Link

Developer Website

2. Alchemist's Awakening by Osaris Games
In Alchemist's Awakening, you are a young alchemist who is still discovering how much power he has.

My Opinion - Graphics and combat reminiscent of Elder Scrolls games but with the added elements of building through your alchemist abilities.  Looks interesting, particularly if the story matches up to the gameplay.

Greenlight Link

Game Website

3. Temporal Ascendance by Vlad Volynin
Temporal Ascendance is a single-player RPG revolving around action and adventure. It features a massive fully explorable world with fast physics-based spell combat. It focuses greatly on adventure, exploration, customization, and difficulty.

My Opinion - A beautifully created world with a really interesting colour-scheme.  Needs more information about combat and story at the moment but if it can match the setting, then it could be a winner.

Greenlight Link

Game Website

4. The Secret of Tremendous Corporation
In the near future, thanks to copyright and patent law abuse, all of the gaming industry became controlled by one corporation, producing low quality but highly profitable casual freemium games and ceasing development of any other more ambitious genres. Any game development outside of the company became outlawed, ending the era of indie games.

My Opinion - A nice parody take on the games industry but with a cool art style and a wicked sense of humour.  Check out the trailer to fully appreciate what it is all about.

Greenlight Link

5. Run Postman Run by Bob Games
Run and jump in a complex steampunk city to deliver letters while surviving hordes of vicious dogs using non-lethal weaponry and awesome abilities!

 

My Opinion - A different take on platformers where you are a postman delivering letters...in a steampunk world.  It has my vote, if nothing else for its uniqueness.

Greenlight Link

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

Greenlight Wednesday

A nice eclectic selection of new games from greenlight this week:

1. Flawed Ones: Puppeteer by Balta Studios
Flawed Ones: Puppeteer is a game about a puppeteer, who can control people and his armies from his shadow theatre stage like people controlling soldiers in real-time strategy games.



Opinion - Brilliant concept, lovely art style, and what looks like very interesting gameplay.  This is definitely worth upvoting on greenlight.  They are also running an Indiegogo campaign if you want to back it with your money.

Greenlight Link

Indiegogo Link

2. Contradiction by Baggy Cat
Contradiction is an murder mystery adventure game that uses live-action video for the entirety of the game play. It’s a brand new take on the concept of an interactive movie and takes the genre to a whole new level of playability.



Opinion - And now for something completely different, with a murder mystery told through live-action video.  Murder mystery games for me have been pretty much universally disappointing (with the sole exception of LA Noire); if these guys can do something different and interesting to reignite the genre, then I'm all for it.

Greenlight Link

Game Website


3. Boss 101 by Doonley Time Foundation
Boss 101 is an action adventure game with you taking the role of Max, a teenager with a jetpack. It all starts with your brother's request for an action packed birthday. Unfortunately he's in the hospital so it's up to you to bring him an unforgettable home movie.



Opinion - On a more-light hearted note now, Boss 101 is a full-on crazy action adventure but with a heart-warming story behind it, as well the ability to create your own boss!

Greenlight Link

Developer Website



4. Exanima by Bare Mettle Entertainment
Explore, fight, survive and unravel mysteries in this unique and unforgiving 3D isometric RPG set in an original dark, low fantasy world. Exanima's exceptional attention to detail and realistic simulation of all things provide a deeply immersive and dynamic gameplay experience.


Opinion - Isometric RPGs are probably my favourite type, having started with the Baldur's Gate series.  As the description hits, Exanima is unforgiving but if you like hardcore RPGs, this will be one for you.

Greenlight Link

Developer Website

5. Industry Transporters by Markus Fick
An economic simulation where you build production chains as effectively as possible on a large scale terrain. You can choose from a large variety of wares and buildings to build up your production chain and use up to 4 types of transportation. Play against a complex economic with flexible prices and soon against each other or computer.



Opinion - I was a big fan of games like Transport Tycoon and Industry Giant back in the day and it is nice to see a new game in the genre.  Yes they can be a bit stodgy, but if you enjoy simulations like this (I do) and are willing to take the time, then I expect that this could be a very rewarding experience.

Greenlight Link

Game Website

Greenlight Recap

Following on from Friday's Kickstarter recap from January, today we are going to look at the Steam Greenlight from games we featured in our Top 5s in January.  From the 20 we looked at, 15 (75%) have been Greenlit already.


BattleLore: Command
Command valiant warriors and vicious demons in BattleLore: Command, based on the board game BattleLore Second Edition. Lead the noble Daqan army as they fearlessly defend their homeland from the invading hordes of the Uthuk Y'llan - demon-blooded barbarians spreading chaos and destruction wherever they go. Or, lead the Uthuk Y'llan and channel their fury into military supremacy. Whether you're a proven commander or have never before fought a battle, BattleLore: Command provides a suspensful and challenging tactical combat experience.



Greenlight Link

Game Website

Software Inc
Construct and design buildings for optimal working conditions. Hire people to design and release software, so you can defeat the simulated competition and take over their businesses. Manage and level up your employees to make sure they are skilled and satisfied with their job.

Greenlight Link

Game Website

Spellweaver TCG
Spellweaver is an online digital trading card game (TCG), created by a self-funded indie team of seasoned game developers with a passion for card games. The game focuses on strategic depth and variety, while still being easy to learn. It is a game true to the classics of the genre, with their longevity and strategic depth, in a detailed and vivid art style, with countless deck-building options and an original fantasy world to explore.



Greenlight Link

Game Website

The Curious Expedition
Curious Expedition is a roguelike expedition simulation set in the late 19th century. Together with famous personalities you will venture on unprecedented expeditions to regions never explored before for fame, science and treasures.




Greenlight Link

Game Website

Caribbean Odyssey
Caribbean Odyssey is the first installment of a long tale that tells a compelling & epic story of the legendary character, Captain Henry Morgan. The story begins at Port Royal in 1655, where Henry Morgan comes to see a mysterious woman named Merry Carleton. Henry Morgan had just previously returned from Panama, where he was sent by the current Governor of Port Royal, Sir Thomas Modyford. Captain Henry successfully crushed the Spanish Army and laid the capital under siege for weeks. Eventually the Spaniards were forced to pay him a large ransom to avoid the total burning and pillaging of Panama City.

Greenlight Link

Developer Website

Angels Fall First
From commanding the battle standing on the bridge of your flagship all the way down to serious infantry firefighting - with everything in between - AFF brings together all the war you ever loved.
Featuring team-based gameplay, and offering a wide selection of weapons and tools, ground vehicles and spacecraft, AFF includes Full bot support. This means you can co-op versus AI, play entirely offline, or earn glory in full PVP matches. 



Greenlight Link

Game Website

Vernon's Legacy
Vernon's Legacy...
...is an unusual exploration game with distinct horror elements and a captivating storyline.
You are playing as Robert, the new owner of the Dungenhof mansion.
When exploring your new property you quickly realize that something has changed here since you last visited. Something is not right.



Greenlight Link

Voidrunner
Voidrunner is a speed & reflex flying game made in stunning Unreal Engine 4. Targeted for PC/Console systems, expected to be completed on late 2015.
The basic gameplay is about racing through the environment and head for the exit portal before time runs out. Enemies, turrets and the environment itself will try to prevent your progress and it's up to your flying skills to advance through the Void.



Greenlight Link

RetroBlazer
RetroBlazer is an FPS that features elements prevalent in 2D games with a focus on classic running-and-gunning gameplay. You are challenged by a wide variety of enemies and empowered by a collection of unique weapons. And when firepower isn’t enough, you must rely on your wits to survive the ruins of an once utopian world. 



Greenlight Link

Game Website

Ralin - Dwarf Wars
The set of this epic game are the Dwarven Halls, smoothly lightened in the warm glow of the fire torches. Explore them and discover the scenery that takes place in the middle of War - Goblins vs Dwarfs. The player´s role is a dwarf who sacrifices his life to protect the treasures of his dwarf clan, mined with their sweat and blood. Hack and Slay the wicked thieves who nastily sneaked into the dwarf halls and steal the precious treasures. The gameplay is a combat with hand to hand weapons. The dwarves are picking up their hammer and protect what is precious to them. They do not appreciate the Goblin intrusion!

Greenlight Link

Developer 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. 



Greenlight Link

Game Website 

Pneuma: Breath of Life
Pneuma: Breath of Life is an enthralling first person puzzler putting gamers’ minds to the test in a visually stunning world using the power of Unreal Engine 4. Pneuma provides players with a sense of awe and a relentless determination to solve every puzzle and progress through a narrated story of self-discovery, exploring the fundamental nature of being. This is the first person puzzler of 2015 which is designed to force players think outside the box and explore beyond what they know as reality.

Greenlight Link

Developer Website

Trackday Manager
Trackday Manager is a 3D simulation/manager multiplayer game where you are in charge of managing a racing team. You are not the driver but the team chief. You control your driver during races by issuing commands through several options while monitoring the race carefully in beautiful 3D surroundings. Your goal is to guide your driver and team to victory. 



Greenlight Link

Developer Website

VHS Story
VHS Story (Video Hero Super Story) is a strategy / tycoon / streetfighter-manager game with 80-90s atmosphere, nostalgia and lots of games/movies references.



Greenlight Link

Game Website

Albert and Otto
Albert & Otto is a story about a boy and a magical bunny who journey together and solve puzzles in order to get back what was taken from them. Albert and Otto work together to overcome challenges thrown their way. We soon learn however that what seemed at first like a journey to save the damsel in distress is anything but and that our hero Albert might be hiding something dark.



Greenlight Link

Game Website

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

Greenlight Wednesday

A really nice collection of Indie Games this week on Greenlight, with barely an adventure or point-and-click amongst them, compared to a big trend for them in recent weeks.  Here's my Top 5:

1. Card Dungeon by Playtap Games
Take on the invading hordes of the Nethermists, in this turn-based rogue-like. Play as the Crusader and fight to rid the monster infested, randomly created, dungeons in this card, board and turn-based rogue-like. Face hard choices about which of the 1000’s of cards you find you will want to keep and which to discard. Find new inventory cards and equip your Crusader in all kinds of gear and weapons! Don't get too attached to any of them as they deteriorate with use and will need to be replaced! Save the soul of the lands and yourself and crush the horde of the Nethermist!


My Opinion - I love the look of Card Dungeon; like a pen-and-paper game has been translated on to the screen.  The mechanics of it look really interesting as well and I'm looking forward to this being released.

Greenlight Link

Developer Website

2. Voice of Steel by Point Cloud Studio
Voice of Steel - is an online physics-based simulator of robot fights, where You create movements and strokes for your robot, which is composed out of 16 different modules. Your role is to be an operator, coach, manager and mechanic of all your robot-fighters.

My Opinion - A robot fighting game with a huge amount of customisation for your robots and frenetic combat.  Nice to see something different in the beat-em-up genre.

Greenlight Link

Game Website

3. Interstellar Rift by Split Polygon
Interstellar Rift is a open world Starship Simulator with an emphasis on ship construction and multi-player interaction. Players will need to survive in a hostile galaxy with their own custom designed and constructed starship. Space is vast but you wont have to face it alone, other players will be able to join your ship and help out, or build their own rival fleet and fight you across the galaxy.



My Opinion - Who doesn't like to design and build their own starship? I really like the first-person element of being able to wander round your ship as well.  Check out the pre-alpha demo through the greenlight link for a first taste of what is a really promising project.

Greenlight Link

Game Website

4. Legions by Axed Games Studios
Legions is the ultimate interactive 3d trading card game. Allowing you to collect, level up and customise hundreds of animated cards which you can then use to wage war online.



My Opinion - If you like Magic and/or Hearthstone then you will enjoy Legions.  It takes the mechanics of the trading card game and adds a nice gloss to it with animated cards, making it feel like a proper battle.  Worth keeping an eye on.

Greenlight Link

Kickststarter Link

Developer Website

5. Last Halloween
Last halloween is a dynamic multiplayer team vs team survival game that changes it's rules as the game progresses, as the name suggests, the game is set on Halloween. Electricity has been disabled for the entire gated street, which is a problem if anyone planed on leaving. This is just the first phase of a night of terror planned by one of the residents, work together to survive and hope this isn't your last halloween.

My Opinion - A nice twist on the survival genre with an emphasis on team vs team play.  It will be interesting to see how this one develops but it could be a really interesting online multiplayer option for those looking for something a little bit different.

Greenlight Link

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

Greenlight Wednesday

Some really interesting games this week, all of which I would be more than happy to play:

Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander by Massive Damage, Inc.

On the edge of Terran space lies Halcyon 6, a derelict starbase left behind by a mysterious precursor race. Your mission is to reclaim the derelict station and rebuild it.

My Opinion - I love sci-fi games, I love base building games - this ticks both boxes very nicely. Love the pixel style to it as well and will defo be buying this when it is available.

Greenlight Link

Kickstarter Link

Ira by Ore Creative

Past and present bleed together in this surreal point-and-click adventure through a mysterious solar system.

My Opinion - A fantastic looking point-and-click adventure with a great atmosphere.  Check out the demo on the greenlight link to see for yourselves.

Greenlight Link

Game Website

S.O.R.S by Science: Gamed

SORS is a sci-fi doctor simulator where you must help diagnose patients whilst someone is hacking the hospital and disrupting your shifts. Interact with your colleagues and make decisions via email. The choices you make, like who to trust, affect the outcome of the game, which challenges you face and what help you get.

My Opinion - An original concept that could be described as Papers Please meets Surgeon Simulator.  Looks like it will be an absorbing experience.

Greenlight Link

Super Slam Dunk Touchdown by Tipping Goat

Super Slam Dunk Touchdown is a retro styled, couch-competitive, all-sports mashup driven by a 3D physics engine. Assemble a crack squad of sports athletes and use their unique shot styles and abilities to score goal units and demolish the opposing team. American football players tackle, soccer players steal, roller derby players skate and everybody dunks! Battle for control of baseballs, basketballs, bowling balls, tennis balls, and more. Configure your matches your way and play with up to six players, 3-on-3. Watch out for banana peels, streaking fans and ice resurfacing trucks, not to mention the opposing team!

My Opinion - A crazy sports mash-up game that I think is going to be a really multiplayer experience.  I think there will be a few beer and pizza evenings that will end up playing this.

Greenlight Link

Kickstarter Link

Game Website

DeadlyMatter

DeadlyMatter® is a present day pre-apocalyptic 3d open-world action-adventure video game. Start this amazing journey, a dazzling adventure full of action and save the world from total destruction on your own or try to survive and dominate on the multiplayer maps.

My Opinion - Looks well polished and most importantly for me...no Zombies!  A game worth keeping an eye, particularly with the amount of open-world freedom it promises.

Greenlight Link

Other links

Greenlight Wednesday

Adopted
Adopted is a 3D, single-player exploration game where you play as Luchador, a recently rescued Boston Terrier thrust into a world of complex human problems with only a few simple tools to solve them. Players will sniff to discover important clues and then bark, chew, and fetch to manipulate their humans to make smart choices, or not.

My Opinion - Ever wanted to play as a family dog? If not, why not?!  Seriously though, these guys have produced a really interesting game that deserves to get greenlit.  They also have a kickstarter campaign on.

Greenlight Link

Kickstarter Link

Game Website

Falling Stars: War of Empires

Falling Stars: War of Empires is a turn-based strategy game where players vie for control of the galaxy through politics, space warfare, exploration, and more. Falling Stars: War of Empires contains a mix of traditional turn-based strategy mechanics, and "Euro" mechanics, to bring you fast-paced yet in-depth matches that can be finished in one sitting. Our goal is to create an game where every decision you make has a large impact on the outcome of the game. Whether it be position your fleet to form a chokehold on another player, or deciding to barter with planetary inhabitant or conquer them, every decision matters.

My Opinion - A sci-fi turn-based strategy with the aim to allow players to finish in one sitting.  Now I like games that go on for multiple days but this is a really nice idea to have a in-depth strategy game that you can finish quite quickly.  They are also on kickstarter at the moment.

Greenlight Link

Kickstarter Link

Developer Website

Light Fall

Light Fall is an immersive 2D platformer with its own twist on the genre. With its beautiful art style, its intriguing storyline and its unique game mechanic in the Shadow Core, Light Fall offers a fresh and addictive platforming experience.

My Opinion - Another beautiful 2d platformer - there's a lot of them around at the moment but there could always be more!

Greenlight Link

Developer Website

Slain!

Players control Bathoryn, a hero in a Gothic world, seeking to liberate seven great towers.
Bathoryn must battle his way through a doomed land packed with gruesome pixel art foes before ascending (or sometimes descending) each tower, defeating puzzles, traps and monsters alike. At the heart of each tower, he must confront a mighty overlord. Defeat it and Bathoryn’s quest continues. Fail, and you’ll die gruesomely - mauled by werewolves, disintegrated by floating monstrosities, squashed by great weights or torn apart by hidden blades. And you will fail.....

My Opinion - A side-scrolling brutal fighting game in a fantasy world.  I can imagine these being a lot of fun in 30 minute bursts.  Also on Kickstarter at the moment.

Greenlight Link

Kickstarter Link

Game Website

Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?!

Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?! is a wacky simulation game where you manage your very own weapon shop and expand its business across an incredible potato world. Use your potato smiths to forge weapons and sell them to questing heroes. You will meet more than 70 potato heroes, forge more than 200 weapons, expand your business into 20 wacky areas, manage 30 zany potato smiths, discover 10 legendary pop culture heroes . . . and even adopt a potato dog!

My Opinion - Last but by no means least is this little gem where you potato smiths forge and sell weapons.  A perfectly normal concept (!) but one that looks really well executed.

Greenlight 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

Greenlight Wednesday

Here's my Top 5 Greenlight Games of the week:

The Darkside DetectiveWhere cultists crawl, where demons dwell, where the occult… occults? you’ll find Detective Francis McQueen, the sole member of the criminally underfunded Darkside Division. When evil darkens the doorsteps of Twin Lakes City – hell, even when it just loiters around shop fronts or hangs out in shady alleyways – he’s there, ready to investigate the cases that nobody else will. He is The Darkside Detective.

My Opinion - There aren't enough innovative detective games out there but The Darkside Detective fits the bill for me. I tried the demo today and it is really engaging and fun.  Give it vote on greenlight!

Greenlight Link

Game Website

Demo Link

Home is Where One Starts 

Home is Where One Starts is a short, first-person exploration game in the same vein as Dear Esther or Gone Home. It’s a story about childhood, memory, and hope. Exploring the lonely countryside reveals clues and vignettes which can help the player answer the question of where home is—and how one can get there.

My Opinion - There seems to be more and more of these story-light yet beatifully created worlds.  I'm all for this though, sometimes you want a bit of quit introspection instead of an FPS or a brain-heavy strategy game.  I'm looking forward to 30 minutes here and there on Home is Where One Starts to escape from it all.

Greenlight Link

Game Website

Orc Assault

Once upon a time all was peaceful and serene in the far off land of Camalon, but the silence has been broken as the Orc hordes have returned to the kingdom to claim the land that they once held sacred. The only thing stopping them from conquering the innocent people of Camalon is your arsenal of weapons and advanced research towers.

My Opinion - I like tower defence games, I like fantasy-themed games and I like most things that include orcs; added to that there is going to be Oculus Rift support.  I'm sold on this one.

Greenlight Link

Game Website

Infernax

Infernax is our tribute to the NES era. Basically, if we had been devs back then, this is the gameBerzerk Studio would have came up with. We did our best to capture everything that made games captivating, challenging and sometimes frustrating in that era and give it the Berzerk treatment.  Gameplay wise, it's a side scrolling platformer with some RPG elements, you gather spells, armors and weapons all while exploring a vast world and destroying everything that moves on the screen, it's a game for simpler times.

My Opinion - A side-scrolling hardcore RPG in the NES style. Looks like good fun and if you like RPGs back from the 80s or early 90s it is definitely worth a look.

Greenlight Link

Kickstarter Link

Developer Website

Stargazer

When stargazer Zach watches the sky one night, he sees a star fall and land in the nearby woods. He rushes to check it out, only to find that out the star was actually a girl, and with her, magic returns to the world.

My Opinion - Another old-school RPG with Stargazer, although much more in the style of a JRPG.  The plot reminds me of the film Stardust (a film I like) and overall the game has a real charm.  A demo of the game is also available on the game website.

Greenlight 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

Greenlight Wednesday

Another bumper week on Greenlight this week, here's my Top 5:

Karaski: What Goes Up... by Unbound Creations
Slavic-Steampunk RPG Adventure unraveling a plot onboard the world's first Airship!Focus on Nonlinear Investigation, Exploration, Stealth and Dialogue. Inspired as indie mish-mash of classics including Deus Ex, Arcanum, 30 Flights of Loving and Jazzpunk 

My Opinion - Probably the first Slavic-Steampunk RPG (apologies if I'm wrong) but based on this, I really hope it isn't the last! It is a superb concept and I know the art isn't finished, but I actually really like the blocky graphics; it gives a certain retro feel to things. I will be following this one with a lot of interest.

Greenlight Link

Developer Website

Spellsworn by Frogsong Studios
Spellsworn is an Online Player vs. Player Arena, where wizards use their wits and spells to wage war in a constantly changing arena.

My Opinion - It looks like exactly the kind of game I would be rubbish at but also have a lot of fun failing at! It is a really good idea though and with upgradable spells and customisable characters, there is a lot of potential with this game.

Greenlight Link

Developer Website

Reflections by Broken Window Studios
Reflections is a real-world adventure game where every action you take has meaningful consequences that radically shape the experience. The game takes a new approach to story, where everything you do can be woven into a narrative that drastically changes, thanks to our Storyteller engine.

My Opinion - Brilliant concept by a very good developer.  I've always liked the idea of a game like this and to see it as a reality is going to be very interesting.

Greenlight Link

Developer Website

Barbara-ian by Studio Owlbear
Break-neck dungeoneering with 1 hit point. You play Barbara-ian, a mythical badass with perma-rage & a penchant for smashing. Featuring super fast paced physics based mayhem, one hit is all that stands between you and a quick restart

My Opinion - It look like hardcore dungeon-crawling for gaming masochists!  Love the idea though and look forward to trying it out.

Greenlight Link

Game Website

House of Caravan by Rosebud Games
A spine-tingling horror adventure, House of Caravan takes place in a single mansion in Candlewood, northeast USA, in the early 20th Century. Stepping into the role of a young boy captured by strangers on his way to school, you’ll be tasked with exploring the house, uncovering clues as to your kidnapping, while attempting to find a way out. 

My Opinion - It looks fantastic and if the gameplay lives up to expecations it has the potential to be a very worthwhile puzzle / horror adventure.  Greenlit by me.

Greenlight Link

Developer Website