INDIE GEMS
THE start of a new year gives publishers a quandary. Do they hit the ground running with a big release, or keep their powder dry for later in the year when consumers have cash to spare.
January and February are well known as ‘limbo’ months in the industry – the big AAA studios beavering away on new titles, while still enjoying the fruits of the holiday season sales.
But that’s great news for indie developers who get a chance to showcase their titles to starving gamers.
As well as Indie games being much gentler on your budget during the Annual Festival of Waiting for Payday, they are often just as good – if not better than – the big studio games.
With that in mind, here’s five indie games worth checking out this month.
UNTITLED GOOSE GAME (PEGI 3)
PC, Switch, XBOX ONE, PS4 Release: Out now
OK, bear with me on this one – because it’s well worth a gander...
This slapstick-stealth-sandbox, sees you take on the role of a goose who has been let loose on an unsuspecting village. Make your way around town setting up pranks, stealing hats, honking a lot, and generally ruining everyone’s day.
A master class in machiavellian mischievousness, will the locals grow to suspect the feathered foe of fowl-play?
SIR EATSALOT (PEGI 3)
Switch
Release: Out now
THIS colourful and charming puzzle platfomer follows the adventures of a chubby knight tasked with saving the kingdom from sour lemonade.
Previously released as an exclusive title on the PlayStation Vita, the game has wonderful graphics and takes place in a world with richly imagined and realised environments.
The plot ... well it does what it needs to, although some of the level designs are not as stellar as they could have been.
MOONS OF MADNESS (PEGI 16)
XBOX ONE, PS4
Release: January 21
I CAN think of no better way than starting the year with a slice of Lovecraftian horror – and Moons of Madness is serving large helpings.
This first person, psychological horror explores the struggles of a lone engineer, as he tries to find the cause of the supernatural events occurring on a research station on Mars.
One of the funniest things about this game is the zone-out – a hallucination which serves the player information about the character’s past, and hints about what is awaiting you on the Red Planet.
While it’s not as dark or terrifying as some other horror games, its strong narrative, innovative puzzle solving and beautiful graphics make it one to look out for.
ODDWORLD: STRANGER’S WRATH HD
(PEGI 12)
Switch
Release: January 23
IF you’ve never dipped your toes into the waters of Oddworld then you are failing at life.
Oddworld and its inhabitants offer some of the best gaming the world has to offer – and Switch owners can join the Stranger on his adventures at the end of the month.
This 2005 classic is part firstperson shooter, part third-person platformer and has been reissued in glorious high-def.
Stranger is a tall, dark and enigmatic bounty hunter with a dark secret.
In an attempt to earn more cash, he reluctantly accepts the ultimate bounty from the owner of the Mongo River – taking his adventure down a very different path.
THE PEDESTRIAN (PEGI TBC)
PC Release: January 29
THIS 2.5D side-scrolling puzzle platformer is all about the signs of the times – literally.
Set in everyday environments, the player must use the signs that surround us to move about, by rearranging and reconnecting signs in order to solve puzzles.
These solved puzzles then connect and occupy space inside a dynamic 3D world.
Quirky, fast-paced and totally unique, you can get ahead of the curve by downloading a free demo now at skookum-arts.com/