Play more, pay less
WE’VE marched into the summer holidays, and some of the strangest weather I can remember.
From melting one moment, to drowning in the rain the next, it seems mother nature is determined to keep us on our toes this school break.
As well as the mixed weather, the summer hols often have us watching our pennies, as keeping the kids entertained isn’t cheap. And that’s where indie games come in.
Often developed on a bit of a shoestring, the best indie games give the AAA releases a run for their money. What’s more, they cost a fraction of their flashy counterparts. Here’s some indie corkers you should try.
BRAID XBOX ONE, PC Rating: pegi 12. Price: £10.99
AS GAMES go, this is one of the most unique I’ve played. Set aside the fact it gives off a super Mario vibe, and you’ll soon lose yourself in this gorgeous puzzle-platformer.
You solve the puzzles by manipulating the flow of time. Complete one section of a task, and then rewind to help unravel the next part.
And different objects react to your time tinkering differently. There are also parallel realities, and time dilation to get your head around.
Beautiful graphics and a haunting soundtrack combine with the tricky yet satisfying gameplay, to make for a magical and memorable experience.
CUPHEAD XBOX ONE, PC, Switch Rating: pegi 7. Price: £14.99+
ONE of the best run ‘n’ gun games of the last few years, Cuphead, with it’s beautifully surreal 1930s Max Fleischer-style animation, is simply stunning – and hard as nails.
With gameplay focused mainly on boss battles, the pottery platformer finds himself pitted against a succession of rough and ready bad guys. Prepare to lose a lot, as you have your backside handed to you over and over by some weird and wonderful villains.
Each level offers unique ways to die, something which will enthral and annoy in equal measure.
LIMBO XBOX ONE, PS4, PC Rating: pegi 16. Price: £6.99
THIS is the tale of a young boy on the ‘edge of hell’ who sets out alone into a dark forest search of his sister.
In gameplay terms it’s a fairly simple journey, in that you can move left or right, and jump, pull, push etc. But the simplistic controls belie the true nature of the adventure you’re about to undertake.
Facing danger in many forms, the boy soldiers on as the forest gives way to a crumbling city, and an ending that is hard to forget.
From developer Playdead, Limbo is a monochromatic masterpiece that was the third biggest-selling game on Xbox Live Arcade when it was released in 2010, and garnered Playdead a host of richly deserved awards.
INSIDE XBOX ONE, PC, PS4, Switch, iOS Rating: pegi 18. Price: £14.99+ or bundled with Limbo for £21.99
FROM the same stable as Limbo, Inside begins in a similar fashion – a young boy running through a dark woodland. But the little splashes of colour, the human figures and mysterious vans let you know this is going to be a very different journey.
The bleak, almost silent, environments are hauntingly beautiful, with our young hero traipsing through rain-sodden fields littered with the corpses of dead pigs, crawling through crumbling buildings, diving underwater and mimicking his way past security guards.
The trick to surviving your time in this stunning dystopia is by solving the puzzles laid out before you. And you’d better do it quickly, as failure to complete puzzles on time often leads to you being caught by hunters, drowning or being eaten by hungry dogs – to name but a few of the vile and inventive ways for the boy to meet his demise. A short game, clocking in at around four hours, but one that will stay with you.
OVERCOOKED 2 XBOX ONE, PC, Switch, PS4 Rating: pegi 3. Price: £19.99
THE most ridiculous fun you can have on your own, or with up to three other humans. Race against the clock, and overcome obstacles to cook dishes for hungry patrons.
There’s a darker twist to this recipe book though, as King Onion has read from the fabled NecroNomNom-Icon, and the Walking Bread have risen from their graves to threaten the Onion Kingdom.
The thing I really like about this game, quite apart from it being a culinary retelling of The Evil Dead, is that you are working together with the other players, rather than trying to beat them. Never have I felt so stressed, and yet so exhilarated at making a bowl of soup for the hungry, unappreciative masses.