yord's Indie Game Watch List

UPDATE: 2/2/2015 :: By far the best Early Access game I've ever played. This game is gorgeous, and simply exploring the vast expanse of Canadian wilderness becomes a main driving point as every new cabin or site you discover is like some sort of picturesque painting. I've amassed a considerable screenshot collection, utilizing the handy HD Screenshot (Hud Disabled) hotkey. The beauty is enchanting, but also deadly--which is another great aspect of this game. No zombies or otherworldly threat. Just nature's bites--the cold and the wolves. Those damn wolves...

Surviving is a great challenge in either starting point, making each decision important since it is life or death with every hour that passes. A lot of games tout "Survival" as a selling point, but none have managed to really be an enjoyable experience to me until I played The Long Dark. I think the dev team have managed to strike a near-perfect balance of challenge and reward. Note that I've only played this on the standard diffuclty level--I've heard that the hardest difficulty adds more wolves... I'm confident they will change that and challenge the player some other way, as the wolves are notorious pricks in this game. Like I mentioned, however, I think standard strikes a great balance and has been a lot of fun.

Be aware that there is currently no narrative story mode--Sandbox mode alone is worth the price during a sale. Throughout the play, you'll encounter hints as to what the story may be... I've had a lot of fun with the minimalism of it all, and to see that sense of mystery last so long is impressive. I still haven't explored every last bit of the lands yet, and now they are going to double the size of the explorable terrain! So, I'll just leave off with that--I'm impressed with this game!!

When I first saw this, I was a little less-than-interested, due to being a bit on the burnt-out side of dungeon crawls these days. But when I learned what exactly set this game apart from the others, I was hooked. Gone are the invincible psyches of yesteryear's heroes--with Darkest Dungeon, the deeper you traverse into the darkness, the lower your torch burns and tensions run higher. A rogue-like at its heart, it takes its perma-death seriously. There will be tough choices, real sacrifices, and in-fighting among your party if anyone becomes afflicted by their environment or by a particularly bloody battle, or by the loss of a teammate... the impressive list of maladies and features goes on, definitely check this one out if any of this sounds appealing to you!

UPDATE: 4/6/2015 :: Much like the narrator of this fantastic dark dungeon crawler, the temptation was too great for me to resist any longer--I bought this game on Early Access via Steam and have been enjoying it ever since. It is brutal, it is stressful, but dammit is it ever satisfying. A word of advice to the newly-challenged that helped me--think of yourself as owner of the estate and not as any of the adventurers you send down into the dungeons. You care about what they are carrying, and nothing more. Plenty of other saps waiting for their chance at glory when one of your roster succumbs to madness...

UPDATE: 1/16/2016 :: After amassing some hours of gameplay, I can say that I recommend this game to those that find the art style and hook appealing. The gritty and unrelenting nature of the gameplay can whittle away at your own morale at times... a challenging and worthy investment to those that have been eyeing it up already! Beware, others--there is no solace in the deepest, darkest dungeon!!

An Introversion Software Production, the studio responsible for the stylish games Darwinia and DEFCON, this game has been available on Steam for a few months now. When I first stumbled across it, the idea seemed interesting but the presentation didn't entice me at first. After seeing it on sale so often, I started watching more videos about it, and it seems like they've added a ton of new features and gameplay elements that sound very interesting and fun. So I will be monitoring this as development continues...

UPDATE: 6/20/14 :: Just watched the new Introversion Games Alpha video that they released that detailed a few new aspects to the games--the biggest change being the addition of addiction. Drugs can be imported in various ways into your prison, and can cause massive problems if they are not dealt with. They loaded a few different prisons and showed a number of changes and fixes they've made, and it definitely made me more excited to pick up the game. And they mentioned in the video that they put out a new Alpha build every month. At the right price, I would pick it up in Alpha mode, and it's getting to that point very soon...

UPDATE: 12/16/14 :: This showed up on a Humble Bundle, and I resisted my purchase no longer. I have not delved too deeply into the game quite yet--as they continue to update the game, I will continue to update this post!

This is like an old-school mix of The Sims with Zombies Ate My Neighbors, and it seems like it will be a blast to play co-op online with friends. Based on a small-town community and surrounding woods and areas, you go through and find what you think would be the best structure for defense, and start to reinforce the hell out of it. Once you feel safe, you can start to farm and make yourself comfortable, but you will have to keep an eye on your water supply and of course, the wary survivor that may come knocking at your door... sounds fun!

UPDATE: 4/6/2015 :: This game is a blast when you can play with friends! Setting up a server is pretty clunky at the moment, but it does not take much configuration once you find the right file to run--and Hamachi. Once you manage to meet up, you'll find you have a much better chance of living and really getting to know this game and the vastness of it. Challenging and cooperative--hard to beat that combination!

UPDATE: 6/20/14 :: Alright!! This is a development studio that has their priorities right where I selfishly want them--focused on multiplayer and co-op! Just checked their recent updates and they have successfully implemented it into the full game, which makes me very excited to pick this game up early, once I get a friend interested, too!

As my friend said to me when he showed me this game: this game seems to be aimed directly at me. Space exploration, with no combat to speak of. Retro pixel art, procedural generated world, ship customization, poetic experience, solitude of space--all listed as features and all tickle my appropriate fancy. Still in early development, I want to wait until more of the art is finished and the gameplay elements ironed out before I start my exciting journey into space madness and isolation.

A new game with gorgeous hand-painted visuals reminiscent of cartoons of the 1930's. One and two-player co-op means you won't be alone in your glee of running through the 2-D levels of this new age beat-em-up. Also features live jazz recordings to bring you back to that gilded age. Take a look at their first trailer, and revel in the fact that they will release this not only on PC, but also on the Sega Master System. Awesome!!

UPDATE: 1/16/2016 :: Wow, this game has still not been released! To be a PC and Xbox One exclusive, from what I've read. As long as it's for PC, I'm still on-board for this one.

This is a 5-player game where one player is the hero and the other players try their best to kill said hero. If you land the killing blow, then it's your turn to be the hero. Also features boss levels where each person controls part of the monster as the hero tries to solo you all. Looks like a potential blast!

This game has been released for a few months now, long enough for just about everyone on Earth (in this plane) to tear it to shreds. I don't blame them--it is hard to imagine how so many of the design and gameplay elements were given the green light. But, from what I've seen of the developer's past releases, they will be servicing the game with numerous patches and tweaks, so I am holding out that the game will continue to get better as the years pass. Until then, I will be keeping a close watch on this game, as the potential is just too massive to ignore!

UPDATE: 4/6/2015 :: As expected, there have been massive patches and essential gameplay tweaks made by the developers as they listen to the core fan base and continue to make this a game that everyone will love. Not long now before another sale will tempt me into delving into this and actually seeing for myself what depths remain of this more accessible X-series game.

Cinematic and experimental, this looks like a cross between a game like Dear Esther and The Stanley Parable with the puzzle aspects of Half-Life 2. I don't know much else about the game, other than that it looks stunning. I will be watching to see how development proceeds and at the reviews as they filter in before I commit to buying it.

UPDATE: 1/16/2016 :: The game went on a deep sale, so I scooped it up. This one had been on my Wish List for years. I was not entirely taken in during my first play. Not the best sign, but some games need more time. Just not sure if I have any more for this one...

I am a sucker for a good Steampunk setting, and honestly, the games with such a setting are few and far between--let alone good games. So when this came on my radar during a Steam sale, I was pretty immediately hooked by the concept. Seems like a lo-fi scaled-down interpretation of the combat system of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, a game which I enjoyed greatly. There is no multiplayer aspect to the game, which is fine--sometimes games are meant to be enjoyed solo.

Just looking at the screenshots, this game has obvious parallels with Terraria, which has obvious parallels with MineCraft, which is a game I absolutely adore. And so that gives this production a foot in the door kind of situation. I am also partial to sci-fi settings, so Starbound will remain under my close watch as it develops through its early stages. I'm hoping for a unique and fun co-op experience--as some of you may have guessed, I am a man who loves co-op.

If you haven't heard of this game, I'm not sure how you've been able to use the internet and not read at least something about it until now. A monumental achievement in its own right, and basically the doctor of all indie games (they all look to MineCraft for healthy design choices). A lot of the games listed on this list follow MineCraft's lead of continuing to develop and release new free content long after the final game has been released. This keeps the game feeling fresh for years on end, retaining that essential feeling of awe and discovery that I love so much. If you haven't tried it, do yourself a favor--you won't regret it!

Currently early in development, this game will eventually be free-to-play with friends or solo in the nearly 8 square miles of mountain that were lovingly crafted by a small team of three Swedes. This looks like a frigging blast to load up and wander/ski around with some friends and just seeing what sorts of secrets are hidden throughout the vast terrain, while also just being gorgeous to look at--thanks to the use of the FarCry Crytek engine. Currently available as Early Access on Steam, I think I'll be holding out until it's free-to-play to avoid any opinion-altering bugs.

UPDATE: 3/25/15 :: No need to look at any builds or videos. Even a cursory glance of the Steam reviews at the bottom of this game's Early Access page makes it absolutely clear--microtransactions are ruining this game. $5 for a jacket, or even a pair of goggles--EACH. Currently the game is in beta. We will see if the developers change this horrible design plan when the final version is released...

UPDATE: 6/20/14 :: With another look at the Steam page and their latest M3 Alpha build video on YouTube, I am again impressed by the overall feel of the game. Things are pretty seamless--the snow being pressed by skis, animations from jumps to sitting idly, going from high speeds to a skidding stop. However, the main reason I noticed this game was because it was toted as being a multiplayer co-op friendly game. This is now listed as a "Planned Feature" on the Steam page. And so I will definitely wait for the multiplayer reviews to come in before I buy this.

Another open-world zombie game, except this time with the classic shambling zombies. And the world is literally the size of a planet. It has potential, but in all honesty, the zombie theme is getting a little tired these days. Hopefully there are some cool unique gameplay elements that can make this game stand out over the slew of AAA titles and the other indie gems that are being released alongside.

I've already decided that I am going to pass on this game for now, since the team has announced that multiplayer/co-op options are officially off the table for this release. Kind of a shame, since I've heard nothing but raves from critics and my friends. I'm not really too worried though, since it was a big financial success as well, I shouldn't have to wait too long until the sequel comes out with the promised co-op option.

I don't know much about this game other than it being a Double Fine production, which carries a lot of weight, in my opinion. Not that I've played many Double Fine games--I just know they have a certain reputation. The concept of this game seems right up my alley, letting you create a base in space and fill it with citizens as you explore the cosmos. Citizens can be affected by all sorts of things, and their happiness depends on your attention to them. Still quite early in development, but this game will definitely remain high on my watch list!

UPDATE: 10/24/15 :: This game was abandoned after it strayed from its initial charm and subsequently lost its fan base--so it goes! Avoiding this one.

UPDATE: 6/20/14 :: After watching the latest Alpha video that the developers released, I am still excited, though less so, oddly. It still looks promising, but for some reason I expected more. As in, it seems to play too "casually," which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I was just hoping for some more personality to each of the passengers on the ship, whereas now they are all kind of general reconfigurations of the other. The introduction of aliens was also a little jarring to me. Also, not necessarily a bad thing if there is a good reason for having them. Will have to keep watching as development continues!