You know, as important as it is to have games taking inspiration from classic literature, philosophy and the human spirit, sometimes it's nice to hear a developer say you know what, screw it, we made this game because we were playing two other games that were awesome.
It's getting so that you can't keep track of them all.
Aran Koning has participated in several game jams, and apparently he enjoys them so much that he came up with an idea that amounts to a new game jam every day, at the whim of the internet.
Here's some fresh gameplay footage from that new cyberpunk, squad-based Syndicate tribute, Satellite Reign, which got funded via Kickstarter last Summer. I'm happy to report that this time there's significantly less purple. And it looks quite shiny for a pre-alpha, too! Not to mention fun. Vid's above, have a look.
Unsurprising given its success, Minecraft has, let's say, inspired a whole range of new games. Some, like Terraria, have been pretty good. Others, like the endless sea of shameless clones, have been terribly unimaginative. At first glance Planets³ sounds like the latter.
Yep, Among the Sleep is still hair-raisingly scary, and there's a new trailer to prove it. The surreal survival horror-themed toddler simulator is still on track for its Spring release date, by the way. Can't wait to see more reaction videos on YouTube.
There's little to love about being stuck in a cubicle, forced to wear a tie and slave under the whims of someone whose job has "manager" somewhere in the title. Sometimes you need to vent. Maybe play a game where you destroy everything in the office.
Of all SimCity's faults, the biggest was that, even when it was working, it was a very poor city simulator. Things essential to your planning - transport, land value, etc - seemed like they were either busted or running in a fantasy land.
Although Battlefield: Pirates actually does kinda exist in the form of mods for Battlefield 1942 and Battlefield 2, this game, BlackWake, will probably surpass either of those. Provided it's finished.
Bringing together 1993 classic Syndicate and the video clip to Sabotage might not seem like your average video game inspiration, but that's exactly what's making LA Cops look so damn cool.
The UnEarth Initiative is an indie management/strategy game that puts you in command of a small group of humans trying to survive on an alien planet. What's interesting about it is that the humans suck.
Are you in Japan? Do you like indie games? What about cool music? BitSummit kicks off in Kyoto later this week, with the first public day on Saturday. Click here for more info.
Glitchspace might look like the Mirror's Edge expansion, and appear to show you running around holding a gun, but this is a game about puzzles. And programming.
Pixel Soccer is a game currently in development at Super Rock Games, an indie studio in London. It is speaking directly to my interests.
Most stories coming out of Double Fine are the type to make you smile, but here's one to make you shake your fist like a cranky old-timer.
And there's not an expensive cinematic sequence in sight.
Fez is coming to all PlayStation platforms on March 25. Polytron's indie hit is a cross-buy offering, meaning the copy you buy for PS3, PS4, or PS Vita is good on all the other devices, and save files may be shared among them.
sonder is a sci-fi third-person action adventure game. So far so expected, but it has a neat twist: you're not playing as a single character.
Max Payne borrowed its most flamboyant trademark, and Stranglehold tried to do it in 3D, but no game has really captured the fell of a good old-fashioned Hong Kong action movie shootout. Maybe The Hong Kong Massacre can change that.
