Britt’s Mini Review Round Up! - Ringlorn Saga, HeistGeist, Party Party Time 3, Doodle World Deluxe, Rally Arcade Classics 📝💻🎮 #IndieGame #GameDev

It’s been another one of those periods, where we have simply received too much indie gold, and things are piling up here at the Welsh branch of GF! Below you’ll find some snappy articles on games that we’ve played recently, as well as our thoughts on them. Hopefully, something will catch your eye, and in no time at all a personal indie darling will be curled up on your Switch (or Steam Deck!) tonight.

📝Game Title – Ringlorn Saga

💻Developer – Graverobber Foundation

🎮Platform Played -  Switch (also available on – PS4, PC, Linux)

🗣️ “classic bump ‘n slash gameplay with CRT pixel visuals”

"I have to admit that I don’t usually use filters when I play games on modern televisions, but the warmth of the CRT in Ringlorn Saga completely won me over. A game that doesn’t outstay its welcome at a few hours in length, Ringlorn Saga puts you in the leathery boots of a prince that has collapsed after making his way through a magical barrier in a bid to follow in the footsteps of his father, the king, and must track him down in this strange land. Very much a throwback to Japanese adventures of the mid-80’s, the combat boils down to you choosing which attack works best (slash/stab/shield bash) and then walking into the enemy to chip away at their health, timing is key!

Whilst the extremely old-school gameplay will be a huge positive to some, others may perhaps furrow their brows at the grindy gameplay, the classic 8-bit visuals and absolutely wonderful soundtrack can’t be ignored, resulting in a game that not only captures the vibe of the vintage titles that it apes, but pulls you in with some seriously glorious music as well, good!"

🕸️from the website:

Ringlorn Saga is an adventure RPG inspired by the Japanese PC classics. Prince Gerhard the Brave embarks on a journey to the neighboring land to investigate the appearance of a magic barrier that surrounds it and his father's disappearance.

A short-but-sweet Action RPG that won't hold your hand nor waste your time

Explore the world, find new gear and valuable items, and get stronger while fighting a variety of enemies

Stumble upon hidden events and quests

Simple but nuanced mechanics and controls

8-bit style visuals and sound inspired by MSX

CRT filter for an authentic retro experience

If you ever get lost, have a drink with the bard

📝Game Title - HeistGeist

💻Developer – Doublequote Studio

🎮Platform Played -  Switch (also available on – Linux, PC, Mac)

🗣️ “A very tasty cyberpunk deck-builder with narrative”

"I was completely sold on HeistGeist from the trailer, which promised beautiful, stylish visuals, a saucy soundtrack tied to clandestine corporate espionage and card-based gameplay... and it delivers! Running beautifully on Switch (although it would be nice to have the option of the D-Pad to make selections), HeistGeist is a game that lays on the story gloriously thickly as it sneaks up on you with its level of challenge. Not a game that messes around, you’ll need solid choices and wits about you as you work your way through multiple choice narrative sections that can completely alter each mission, as well as chewing through myriad other characters and robots in your bid to clear your name. A very tasty title that really does need to be delved into, and one that I feel will be talked about for years to come."

🕸️From the website:

Set in an original post-cyberpunk world based on real locations in a fictional version of Central Europe in 2040’s

Plan highly sophisticated heists for super secret prototypes or classified corporate intel. But be prepared that even the best laid plans can sometimes get messy. Adapt to change, make the right choices, stay alive and most of all, get the job done.

Put together a team of professionals made up of unusual allies with a very particular set of skills.

📝Game Title – Party Party Time 3

💻Developer - SAT-BOX

🎮Platform Played -  Switch (also available on - PC)

🗣️ “multiplayer party action from SAT-BOX”

"I’ve covered a few SAT-BOX games over the last year and make no secret of how much I enjoy their high energy music and visual style, with Desktop Golf and Sugoroku Casino Party being personal favourites. I recently covered Our Summer Festival 2, which was a very Japanese-centric series of mini-games that were smoothly designed and contain the same charm as other Sat-Box titles. Whilst it is of a similar ‘mini-game collection’ genre as Our Summer Festival 2, this game took the trophy for me, as the mini-games were a little more fantastical and clear to play on a ‘pick-up-and-go’ basis. Definitely one that I’ll be whipping out whenever there are three or more players available (although it can be played solo or with two players as well), I do like it when the seemingly never-ending chain of SAT-Box games come out with one such as this with a touch more depth, and something to get your cartoonish teeth into."

🕸️From the website:

Get ready for an all-new sequel to the party game that anyone can enjoy!

Enjoy a collection of 30 intuitive and easy-to-play mini games!

Spend quality time with friends and family and have a blast!

[Free Mode]

Pick a game freely and play!

With both competitive and cooperative games, there are lots of ways to play!

In single-player mode, record your high scores and compete against players from around the world!

[Party Mode]

Choose a selection of games to play in order, and compete to become the champion!

You can select the option to double the points in the last game!

Make your own special character with further enhanced customization features, and watch as they join the party!

📝Game Title – Doodle World Deluxe

💻Developer – Acutis Games

🎮Platform Played - Switch (also available on – PC, Mac)

🗣️ “a gloriously simple, scribbly platformer”

"It’s always a pleasure to get back to the simpler things in life, and that’s exactly what happened here with Doodle World Deluxe! Originally released on NES in awesome homebrew fashion, the game has now been ported to Switch, and the simple pick-up-and-play gameplay that you’d expect from Nintendo’s classic system sits perfectly well on the Switch as you make your way through 2D worlds in a hand-drawn style. The visual style instantly captured the imagination of my young son, and puts you very much in the frame of mind of the days of yore. There’s nothing overtly challenging here, but it is a wonderful little game for families and fans of cosy platformers."

🕸️ From the website:

The award winning NES homebrew, now available for the PC & Switch. No emulator required! Play as Doodle and travel across the world to defeat King Eraser and his minions. This Deluxe edition includes the never before released, Doodle World Redrawn! Two games in one amazing package!

The evil King Eraser and his office supply minions had stolen the magical crayon used to create Doodle's amazing world! Play as Doodle and travel across the world to defeat King Eraser and his minions.

Doodle World Deluxe Includes

Doodle World

Doodle World Redrawn

Music Player

Art Viewer

Digital Manual

📝Game Title – Rally Arcade Classics

💻Developer - NETK2GAMES

🎮Platform Played -  XSX (also available on – Linux, PC)

🗣️ “more-ish rallying action in addictive bursts”

"I realised that I hadn’t covered a racing game in a while, and fond memories of my dad’s addiction to Colin McRae on the PS1 Back in the ‘90s ensured that I had to try this out. 

Designed to be enjoyed in short bursts, the vast majority of the courses (there are an insane amount of challenges on offer, definitely a lot of bang for your buck!) can be completed in under a minute or two, and further areas of the game only open up once you’ve won a certain amount of trophies, or placed highly enough. You’ll find yourself adjusting to the drifty controls quickly, and you’ll be shaving off seconds in no time as you weave your way around the wordly tracks and up the leaderboards. Smooth gameplay and visuals accompany the surprisingly earworm-y music that plays each time you podium, Rally Arcade Classics still a game that I pop onto for a few minutes when I want to have a quick blast of racing fun."

🕸️from the website:

Rev up your engines, it’s almost time to race back to the past with Rally Arcade Classics! Including 44 iconic cars from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 00’s, and 48 thrilling tracks to rev up their engines to the max while drifting every close turn, you will never run out of challenges to take upon.

And there you have it, a handful of very different and very fun titles available across multiple platforms right now, hopefully there’s one here that’ll tickle your fancy!