🌕 Jettomero: Hero of the Universe | Nintendo Switch | Review | 6.5/10 | "I’m stompin’ around, move out of my way" 🌕 @GhostTimeGames #IndieGames #GameDev

Having so recently been completely enamoured with the GOTY contender Tux and Fanny, I delved into Jettomero, the previous title from Ghost Time Games. Whilst it didn’t grab me in the same way that Tux and Fanny did, there are some real highs here but they are unfortunately offset by some points that ultimately heavily detract from the experience.

💿 Video Game Vinyl Fantasies | #2 | Britt Recommends 💿 #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl

My previous Vinyl Fantasies article on VGM vinyl back in May (https://www.gamesfreezer.co.uk/2021/05/video-game-vinyl-britt-recommends.html) resulted in some absolutely wonderful conversations, feedback and comments.

The article appeared to really resonate with a lot of people (thank you to all!) and so it made perfect sense to get hips deep again and talk about other albums that really stand out for me – as well as some recent additions to the GF collection.

Once again, there is so much solid gold out there that I keep coming across music that quite frankly makes my trousers fly off my legs and turn into butterflies that scatter across the universe…so here are more records that soundtrack my days.

💿 Dead by Daylight Vinyl | Review | "Michel .F April’s brooding, atmospheric score" 💿 @MichelFApril #VideoGameVinyl #Vinyl

(https://returntoanalogrecords.com/products/dead-by-daylight-ost-rsd-canada-exclusive?_pos=1&_sid=2c47c8118&_ss=r)

This is the first release I’ve covered from Return to Analog - a label based in Canada - and the contact, support, shipping and packaging were excellent, so it was off to a great start!

Being unfamiliar with the Dead by Daylight game, I went into this album with no prior expectations...but, upon seeing some of the track titles (Being Watched, Suffering, Enduring Torment, Threatening Gloom…) I did wonder if I’d have to listen from behind a tear-absorbent pillow.

♞♚♛♜♝ Chessplosion | PC | Ten Minute Taster | Gameplay | "Bomberman Chess" ♞♚♛♜♝ @CTMatthews #IndieGames #GameDev

Chessplosion is an arcade action puzzle game where you drop chess piece-shaped bombs to create chain reactions and trap opponents. 

Defeat enemies and bosses in Adventure Mode, break targets with limited bombs in Puzzle Mode, dodge explosions in Survival Mode, or fight friends and AI in Battle Mode

💿💿The Angry Video Game Nerd 1&2 Deluxe Vinyl | Review | "An Expansive Triple Vinyl" 💿💿 @blackscreenrec #VideoGameVinyl #Vinyl

💿Available from Black Screen Records 💿https://blackscreenrecords.com/products/avgn-1-2-deluxe-1-2-original-soundtrack-by-sam-beddoes?ref=DKckbeLXWw8-aj&variant=32871737884775

Having been a fan of The Angry Video Game Nerd for a good few years (I think the first video I ever saw was The Silver Surfer), I can remember when the games based on the series were first released  - in 2013 and 2016 respectively – and their addictive ‘dive in and out’ qualities combined with laser-focused platforming challenge and shining 8-bit audio work made such an impression on me that I leapt to cover the deluxe versions when they were released last year  (https://www.gamesfreezer.co.uk/search/label/AVGN%201%262%20Deluxe).

🎮 NACON MG-X | "Designed for Xbox" Mobile Controller |Review | 9/10 | "OMG-X!" 🎮 @Nacon

It was a sad, sad day when I relinquished my Switch Lite. Having been a fan of the Gameboy and Atari Lynx in my misspent youth, I enjoyed getting hips deep into Mario (oo-er) on bus and train journeys. But, having bought an Xbox when the latest generation came out, I couldn’t justify the expense of running two prime consoles and the double game costs associated with it (I realise this is Games Freezer heresy as Britt has every console available, including TWO Magnavox Odysseys. Probably).

🔥 Dustwind | PS4 | Ten minute Taster | Gameplay | "Eat My Dust!" 🔥 @dustwind_game #GameDev #IndieGames

 

ARE YOU READY FOR CLASSIC REAL-TIME TACTICS? Be the nameless heroine in the wastelands of DUSTWIND's story campaign, fight against and with human players in the elaborate Multiplayer mode or design your very own story campaigns and maps in the mighty map editor!

🏁🏎️💨 Cruis’n Blast | Nintendo Switch | Review | 7.5/10 | "I Have Very Fond Memories of The Cruis’n Series" 🏁🏎️💨 @rawthrills

I have very fond memories of the Cruis’n series, both in terms of the original arcade versions and homeports – well, some of them.

Originally released in 1994, the first game in the series – Cruis’n USA – was a fixture in a lot of arcades I visited in my teens and I was instantly drawn to the twitchy handling, energetic music and pure arcade gameplay.

The home ports were decent and got better with each iteration, meaning that Cruis’n Exotica was the highlight for me, despite the pop-in, smoothness always wins the day!

👻 Tormented Souls | PS5 | Review | 8/10 | "Like Early Resident Evil" 👻 @PQubeGames #IndieGames #GameDev

Before Tormented Souls, I had played two games this year where the developers’ goal has been to emulate early survival horror games such as Resident Evil or Silent Hill. One was bad, the other is my least favourite game of all time and contained design choices that still make me angry to this day.

I was very sceptical going into Tormented Souls, thinking that maybe this type of game should be left in the past, so I don’t have to watch my love and nostalgia being quickly eroded by games trying to recapture their spirit.

Luckily, I love Tormented Souls, it did exactly what it was supposed to do - first and foremost, allow me to enjoy the experience but also fired up my nostalgia and transported me back to the early days of survival horror.

🏠 No Longer Home | PC | Review | 7/10 | 🏠 @PixelHunted #GameDev #IndieGames

There’s a thin line between homage and plagiarism. No Longer Home lifts a lot from Kentucky Route Zero, with the flat-shaded graphics, magical realist elements, font-choice, animation, controls, and general vibe suspiciously familiar to anyone who’s played Cardboard Computer’s indie classic.

As a big-time fan of Kentucky Route Zero this isn’t exactly unwelcome, but when you’re a tiny indie developer with the freedom to make whatever you want cribbing heavily from someone else’s aesthetic feels like a creative lapse. Then, late in the game, you walk into a room to find a computer with Kentucky Route Zero on it and you’re asked if you want to name your dog Blue or Homer.

Well, fair enough then. At least they aren’t being subtle about it.

☢️ Sheltered 2 | PC | Ten Minute Taster | Gameplay | "Going Deeper Underground" ☢️ @Sheltered_Game #GameDev #IndieGames

 
Sheltered 2 is a brutal survival management simulator set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Keep your faction of survivors alive, maintain your shelter and scavenge the ravaged world for resources.

Befriend and trade with the factions you meet or conquer them by force.

👹🌴 A Monster's Expedition | Ten Minute Taster | Gameplay | Nintendo Switch | "Smarter Than Your Average Monster" 👹🌴 @ChickadeeGames #GameDev #IndieGames

 

A Monster's Expedition is an adorable and relaxing open-world puzzle adventure for monsters who love to learn about humans!

💥 RICO | Nintendo Switch | Review | 3/10 | "I wouldn't call myself an expert in police procedures" 💥 #IndieGames #GameDev

Although I watch Line of Duty, I wouldn't call myself an expert in police procedures. 

That said, I'm reasonably sure that if, as an officer, you spot some dodgy types toting automatic weapons, you should call for backup. 

What you shouldn't do, I would imagine, is enter the building, pick up the first gun you find and start systematically killing everyone in the building. 

It all seems a bit too, I don't know, murdery...

🌳 Backworlds | Nintendo Switch | Ten minute Taster | Gameplay | "A Real Head Scratcher!" 🌳 @BackworldsGame #IndieGames #GameDev

Backworlds is a multi-dimensional puzzle platform game in which you explore by painting. Solve environmental conundrums by using each world’s physical properties to your advantage, and use your own creativity to craft original solutions to the game’s puzzles.

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🕹️ PLAY RETRO VIDEO GAMES ON LINUX WITH THIS OPEN-SOURCE PROJECT 🕹️ #Unity #RetroGaming

Is there a certain age that a game has to be considered retro?

It’s actually a little bit more complicated than that and there’s no real definitive answer or age the game has to be considered retro.

🐈‍⬛ Heart Chain Kitty | Nintendo Switch | Ten minute Taster | "This Game Is A Fever Dream!" 🐈‍⬛ #IndieGames #GameDev

Help Kittey save his parents in Heart Chain Kitty, a surreal 3D platformer adventure that will blow your mind with fantastic locations, a heartfelt story, and unique abilities – like the screw ray!

 

📚 A Profound Waste of Time 📚 @APWOTmag

Described on the website (www.apwot.com) as:

‘an award-winning independent magazine that celebrates games as an art form. Each issue plays host to a rich variety of voices from inside and outside the videogame industry, interwoven with stunning bespoke imagery from leading illustrators and artists. Editorially discerning and beautifully designed, the magazine serves to celebrate gaming culture and discussion.’

📮 Lake | Xbox Series X | Review | 6.5/10 | "A Break From The City That’s Maybe Too Mellow" 📮 @Lake_The_Game #IndieGames #GameDev

Lake was a game that really stood out to me when I watched a showcase from the publisher last year. The trailer depicts a woman (Meredith Weiss) taking a two-week break from her busy computing job in a city - the game is set in 1986, so there’s some cool, old tech kicking around - to cover her postman father’s job back in her hometown of Providence Oaks.

📬 Lake | PC | Ten Minute Taster | Gameplay | "Just Checking The Mail 📬 @Lake_The_Game #GameDev #IndieGames

 

In Lake it's 1986 - Meredith Weiss takes a break from her career in the big city to deliver mail in her hometown. How will she experience two weeks in beautiful Providence Oaks, with its iconic lake and quirky community? 

And what will she do next? It's up to you

🐍 Honey I joined A Cult | PC | Gameplay | "The Cult of the Worm Is Born" 🐍 @solesurvivorgms #GameDev #IndieGames

It's time to start working towards that ultimate goal of enlightenment, faith and money…lots and lots of money. Create, customise, expand and manage your own cult whilst listening to funky music in Honey, I Joined a Cult!

🎮 Easy SMX ESM-4108 | The Best Budget Wireless Pro Controller For Nintendo Switch For Under £10? 🎮 @EasySMX_Gaming

I needed a new Switch Controller as I only had wired ones and this Easy SMX ESM-4108 Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch/PC was the perfect fit for my budget at an astonishingly cheap £9.99!

EASY SMX WEBSITE: https://www.easysmx.com/

⚽️🥅 Super Arcade Football | PC| Review | "FUN FOOTBALL FEVER!" ⚽️🥅 @outofthebit #GameDev #IndieGames

 

Super Arcade Football is a fast-paced, modern take on classic football games that's easy to learn and hard to master, with match modifiers, online and local multiplayer, and custom tournaments, every match is sure to be a nail-biter!

⚽️ Tux and Fanny | Nintendo Switch | Review | 9.5/10 | "A rich world of wonder, packed with magic" ⚽️ @simplysylvio #GameDev #IndieGames

I had never heard of Tux and Fanny before happening across a conversation on Twitter a few days ago in which the developer stated that he was incredibly proud of the game and that it featured over 25 mini-games.

As a sucker for mini-games, I went into my usual trance and my hands worked of their own volition, guiding me inevitably towards the Tux and Fanny trailer on YouTube. I watched the trailer with my eyes and was absolutely sold on the Microsoft Paint-like chunky pixelated visuals and simple characters.

As I’ve mentioned recently in other child-friendly games I’ve covered, I’m compiling a list of games to play with my son when he is old enough and this is firmly, firmly on that list, it’s Pikuniku levels of brilliant.

👑 Crown Trick | PC | Gameplay | "Don't Let the Crown Slip!" 👑 @CrownTrickGame #GameDev #IndieGames

Crown Trick sees you enter a labyrinth that moves as you move, where mastering the elements is key to defeating enemies and uncovering the mysteries of this underground world. With a new experience awaiting every time you enter the dungeon, let the power bestowed by the crown guide you in this challenging adventure!

🔦 Flowing Lights | Gameplay | Nintendo Switch | "Blinded By the Lights" 🔦 @FlowingLights #IndieGames #GameDev

Flowing Lights is an Arcade Puzzle Shooter. Each fight is a puzzle. 

Attack and... Fail! ...Think back... try again! 

Got it? 

Improve with each try, there is always a smarter way to win!

🤼‍♀️ Action Arcade Wrestling | Review | Xbox Series X | 7/10 | "That’s the bottom line, cause AAW said so" 🤼‍♀️ @AAWGame #IndieGames #GameDev

Wrestling games over the last few years have been deeply concerned with realism, which is funny - as wrestling (to the shock of no one) isn't real, it’s pre-determined and over the top entertainment which can range from the exciting to the downright stupid.

Concentrating on making everything feel deeply real has always seemed strange to me, the best wrestling games have always leaned in towards the sillier, more arcadey nature. Games like No Mercy or The Smackdown series on PS2 always concentrated on the fun and that’s why they are celebrated - unlike the recent 2K series that got so bad they had to take a couple of years hiatus and hopefully will come back next year with a better and more interesting iteration of its series.

Action Arcade Wrestling has decided to go old school. Whilst playing the game I was reminded of the years that my brother and I played WWF Royal Rumble on the Sega Mega Drive; the move system, the colourfulness and the chaos all felt familiar.

🚴‍♂️ A Peloton and Zwift Compatible Yosuda Budget Spin Bike Set Up For Under £200 🚴‍♂️ #Zwift @GoZwift @zwiftinsider

 
Today I'll be talking about how to use ZWIFT and Peloton on a Yosuda spin bike. I've just started using my Yosuda spin bike on ZWIFT and Peloton and I'm sharing my full budget indoor cycling setup. Yosuda Bike (eBay): https://ebay.us/Wv8EwQ Magene S3 Sensors (Cadence & Speed): https://amzn.to/2WXG34t

🏙️🌆 Venom Multi-Colour LED Light-up XBOX Series X Console Stand 🏙️🌆 @VenomGamingUK

As awesome as the Xbox Series X is, the focus on practicality means that its monolithic presence in your room is somewhat understated…until now.

A perfectly fitting stand specifically designed for the XSX, this Venom accessory illuminates your Xbox in a classy way. The design means that no access is blocked to any ports on the system and it locks the console in place, sturdily.

🐴 Rustler | Review | Xbox Series X | 6.5/10 | "A Horse That May Have Bolted Too Soon" 🐴 @jutsugames #GameDev #IndieGames

The premise of a top-down GTA game that is set in Medieval times is a winner on paper and Rustler really does have its moments but unfortunately, some fundamental issues that are present throughout limit the enjoyment.

As an all-around rogue Guy, Rustler has you working for a man named Herb as a horse thief, but – unbeknownst to him - you plan to escape your life of poverty by winning a grand tournament. The only problem? You need 5000 gold to enter.

🌪️ Boomerang X | Nintendo Switch | Gameplay | Ten Minute Taster "I Need A New Joycon" 🌪️ @videodang #IndieGames #GameDev

In Boomerang X you will need to Harness the power of a mystical boomerang to fling yourself through the air. 

Slice, fly and blast through arenas swarming with evil creatures. Stay agile or meet your doom.

https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/boomerang-x-switch/

🎼💿📀 Sparkster Vinyl Review 🎼💿📀 @blackscreenrec #Vinyl #VGMVinyl

https://blackscreenrecords.com/products/sparkster-rocket-knight-adventures-2-original-soundtrack?ref=DKckbeLXWw8-aj

I’m a big fan of the Mega Drive sound chip. There’s a snappiness and rawness that really pops out on vinyl and appeals to me on an almost genetic level and, combined with the Konami Sound Team’s (Konami Kukeiha Club) understanding of the chip...wizardry can ensue, as is the case with some tracks on Sparkster.

⚔️ Fort Triumph | Review | Xbox Series X/S | 7/10 | "When it's good, it's great" ⚔️ @AllinGamesPub #GameDev #IndieGames

My first forays into Fort Triumph were initially a little frustrating. The story is well-formed, and the writing is funny, so I felt I knew the world and its inhabitants early on. However, you are thrown into the mix straight away, and there is a lot to take in with not a lot of explanation.

📀💿🎼 Machinarium Vinyl Soundtrack Review 📀💿🎼

In my recent articles on Amanita Design’s Creaks (video game review – https://www.gamesfreezer.co.uk/2021/06/creaks-review-xbox-series-x-910.html, vinyl soundtrack review - https://www.gamesfreezer.co.uk/2021/08/creaks-soundtrack-on-vinyl-vinyl-vgm.html) I referenced how my introduction to them – 2009’s Machinarium – had a real impact on me. I think it’s safe to say, games that present themselves wordlessly really fondle my cheeks and ruffle my hair, I adore them – when done correctly. 

🏌️‍♂️ Golf Club Wasteland | Review | Xbox Series X | 6.5/10 | "On earth, no-one can hear you miss a birdie" 🏌️‍♂️ @UntoldTalesHQ #IndieGames #GameDev

I was HIPS DEEP when I saw the trailer for Golf Club Wasteland. The striking, pastel visuals and dreamy music combined with basic gameplay seemed really captivating.

Having played the game, however, whilst there’s a lot that appealed to me, I  really, really wish I’d connected with the style of progression and the general direction that Golf Club Wasteland takes a lot more.

🚪 The Long Gate | Nintendo Switch | Ten minute Taster | "Playing It On Easy" 🚪 @TheLongGate #IndieGames #GameDev

Explore mysterious caverns and solve the puzzles of the ancient machines that fill them.

🚪 Death’s Door | Review | Xbox Series X | 9/10 | “Holy Crap, this is going to be a good game!” 🚪 @acidnerve #IndieGames #GameDev

Within seconds of booting up, I whispered to be myself, “Holy Crap, this is going to be a good game!”, I had to whisper as my daughter was within earshot and getting slightly charmed by the bird protagonist.

Yes, you heard right, a bird of the Corvus family, commonly known as a crow.

⚔️ Demons of Asteborg | SEGA Mega Drive | Review | 9.5/10 | "A Modern Mega Drive Classic" ⚔️ @DAsteborg #Retrogaming #IndieGames #GameDev

The Mega Drive is very much a console that I hold in high regard. As someone who has played, loved and collected for the system for decades, it’s very clear to me, if Demons of Asteborg was a Mega Drive game released in the mid-'90s - it would be regarded as a classic, ‘must have’ title. 

Released in 2021 on the Mega Drive, however…. it’s still a classic, ‘must have’ title.

👨‍⚖️ The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles | PS4 | Review | 8/10 | "Elementary, my dear Ace Attorney" 👨‍⚖️

This is the first entry I have played in the Ace Attorney franchise; I've always been aware of them and always thought I would like them, but for some reason never played them.

This seemed like a good starting point as it’s set many years before the other games, which meant I was sure I could avoid spoilers and be able to grasp the story - as no prior knowledge would be needed. 

🚁🧟‍♂️ Highrisers | PC | Gameplay | Ten Minute Taster | "Get In The Chopper!" 🚁🧟‍♂️ @SolarPowerGames #IndieGames #GameDev

Highrisers is an Urban Survival RPG! Crafting, Exploring and Defending in a desolate metropolis haunted by the mysterious dreamers. Lead a team of 4 survivors through this urban desert of skyscrapers and high-rises, where the streets are crowded with the mutated victims of a strange disease.

🛣️ Road 96 | PC | Review | 7/10 | "Digixart’s game is actually a series of carefully designed and written vignettes" 🛣️ @Digixart #IndieGames #GameDev

Road 96 bills itself as a “procedurally generated” story. Going in this was a big red flag: I don’t want some algorithm telling me a tale, I want a human being with thoughts, feelings and opinions! 

Fortunately, it quickly becomes apparent that Road 96 is using procedural generation as more of a buzzword.

💿📀 Mango Mage Records | Interview With Britt 💿📀 #VideoGameVinyl #Vinyl @TheMangoMage

During my recent dalliances across the internet in search of gaming vinyl, I happened across new label Mango Mage Records, and as they seemed so blinking lovely, I thought it would be great to get to know them a little better, especially as they seemed in an interesting position as they were a new label and just celebrating the sell-out of their first release. Fear not!

There are more releases to come…

https://www.mangomagerecords.com

🔘🏙️ Button City | Xbox Series X | Review | 7/10 | "Pastel-Shaded Playtime with Pals" 🔘🏙️ @ButtonCity #IndieGames #GameDev

A cute and pastel-coloured adventure aimed at younger players, Button City is a simple story told with charm and an accessible and fun main game in Gobabots, propped up by other mini-games and light exploration.

🤡 Ayo the Clown | Nintendo Switch Review | 6.5/10 | "Pastel Palettes, Twinkly Music and a Cast of Toy-like Side Characters" 🤡 @cloudm1 #IndieGames #GameDev

Ayo the Clown was given to me as a game my kids might enjoy. Having watched the trailer I was inclined to agree, the younger one anyway (the older one is currently obsessed with Zelda and recently finished Breath of the Wild, so might need a bit more challenge). 

The trailer is narrated by a soft-voiced American who sounds like a kids' TV host and introduces us to the word of Ayo. He's a clown who has lost his best friend, his dog Bo. You accompany Ayo through multiple brightly coloured levels, taking on a host of enemies in order to get Bo back.

🃏🎴 Draft Of Darkness | PC | Ten Minute Taster | "It's Drafty and its Dark!" 🃏🎴 @CrawlyGames #IndieGames #GameDev

Draft of Darkness is a survival horror deck builder with roguelike dungeon exploration. Recruit allies, synergize their decks to create powerful card combos, manage your resources, explore procedurally generated maps and determine the outcome of the story.

🌳 Seed Of Life | PC | Ten Minute Taster | "Watch Me Sow My Seed" 🌳 @leonardointera #GameDev #IndieGames

Seed of Life is an epic adventure game about the persistence of life. 

You're Cora, the last known survivor of Lumia, a dying planet. 

Your only hope to save your homeworld is to activate the Seed of Life and rekindle the sun once again. 

Will you be the light that conquers the darkness?

⚔️ Greak: Memories Of Azur | Nintendo Switch | Ten-Minute Taster | Gameplay | "Its All Greak To Me" ⚔️ @PlayGreak #IndieGames #GameDev

Greak: Memories of Azur is a beautiful single-player puzzle-platformer adventure.

You will take the role of three siblings: Greak, Adara and Raydel to guide them through the lands of Azur.

Alternate control between them and use their unique abilities to escape from the Urlag invasion.

🏜️ Glyph | PC | Gameplay | Ten Minute Taster | "Rolling Around In the Sand" 🏜️ @PlayGlyph #IndieGames #GameDev

 

Glyph’s gameplay combines breathtaking aerial manoeuvres with tranquil exploration in a stunning 3D platforming experience. Add a mesmerizing original soundscape, and Glyph is lifting you up and whisking you away.

👀 Before Your Eyes | Part 3 | Walkthrough | Ending | Gameplay 👀 @Goodbye__World_ #GameDev #IndieGames

 

Join Rich in Part 3 of the Before your Eyes Gameplay Walkthrough as we see the ending of the game... 

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♜ Jupiter Hell | PC | Gameplay | Ten-minute Taster | "Turn-Based Roguelike Doom Shotgun Chess" ♜ @chaosforge_org #GameDev #IndieGames

 

Jupiter Hell is a turn-based shooter from the depths of cosmic hell, built on a classic roguelike framework updated with modern 3d graphics. Rip and tear zombies, demons, and heavy metal monstrosities with chainguns and chainsaws. Like chess... with shotguns!