Indie
List of All Indie Game Reviews
Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue – With Updates (IGC Showcase)
So, first off, a correction to my YouTube video here, Firegirl: Hack 'n Splash Rescue actually released in December. With the permission of the publisher, we've been allowed to take another look at this game. According to reviews and members in the Indie Game Collective, patches to this game earlier in 2022 have made the game substantially more playable. I never tried that original version, but concur that the current state of the game is as seamless and responsive as it could be.
Haiku the Robot – First Impressions (IGC Showcase)
Yep, Haiku the Robot is about robots, although you're more likely to catch on fire before most of its poetics! It's a dystopic pixel platformer with a variety of routes to navigate through. The tunnels are left from the aftermath of an apocalyptic turn. It does have somewhat of a narrative for the first minute. Mostly, you'll be in the heat of battle. You are thrown into the general theme of trying to find your way around immediately. Thankfully, maps are available.
Vesper: Zero Light Edition – Nintendo Switch (IGC Showcase)
Vesper: Zero Light Edition is out on Nintendo Switch and PC today! Players can find this new version, plus the big debut Switch release, on eShop and Steam. It's an innovative platformer with arcane space vibes and shimmering, colorful environments. It also includes a compelling and innovative storyline told through holographic recordings and plentiful checkpoint diversions. I played the first twenty minutes on my Switch for you. I have to say it's one of the more stylistically compelling platformers I have played a release version of.
Rotund Zero (IGC Showcase)
Back with another Indie Game Collective showcase for Rotund Zero. It's a precision platformer with a Game Boy monochrome style that uses directional keys only to solve puzzle levels made of bouncing blocks. It's only $1.99 on Steam at the moment and encourages problem-solving in timed runs. You have 5 minutes to complete as many levels as possible, and there are 26 levels, 1 for every letter of the alphabet! You'll be on your toes to speedrun all of those levels, but the pressure is mild. Watch the YouTube video at the top of this article to see me run,…
Labyrinth City: Pierre the Maze Detective (IGC)
It's been some time since a game like this has been featured on MrDavePizza, but Labyrinth City: Pierre the Maze Detective absolutely belongs. As a game that originated in a book series, the game takes many cues from the visual classics of growing up. Incidentally, I was a big fan of books like Where's Waldo? and Eye Spy, which are similar in scope and content as Pierre the Maze Detective--perhaps you remember too. So, let's get into this, what is Labyrinth City? It's a top-down puzzle game with hand-drawn characters in a visual feast of eccentric characters and scenes, through…
Bumballon – Cartoonish Platformer (Review)
I've got a great video up for Bum Ballon on my YouTube channel because I found this game on a Steam sale for 89 cents! With some investigation, I narrowed down some impulse options for pixel art platformers in the likes of some recent faves like Grapple Dog (which hopefully I'll get to) and PomPom. It's a game with unique characters and a traditional SNES-type side scroller plot--a game that personally puts me into an optimized chill mode. Basically, hop in a cannon, and, after blast-off, interact as you're taken for a ride through a colorful world with unique obstacles…
Village Monsters – An Outsider Town Sim (Review)
Village Monsters is a solo dev project from Josh Bosser. It's a pixel art town sim that departs from conventional titles with an alternative community of friendly monsters. The game plays on similar genre themes as Stardew Valley but the content goes into the outsider/quirk genre of games with its monster acceptance communicated in each character's unconventional friendliness. It departs from too much comparison by offering a vast amount of exclusive unique story concepts in each characters' backstory and dialogue. Players can also enjoy activities like treasure hunting, fishing, exploring, working, and contributing to the town itself. Village Monsters is…
Pompom: The Great Space Rescue (Review)
The recently released pixel platformer Pompom: The Great Space Rescue ran across my desk as a showcase opportunity through my friends at Indie Game Collective. It's a precision platformer, sort of, with a feature I've never seen before this involving time slowing AND improvised platform placement. You can play with a controller, or you can play it with a mouse (or hamster actually, since that is Pompom's main character you play as.) The game balances innovative gameplay, a moderate learning curve, and generous leniency to keep your gameplay flowing. I'm thoroughly enjoying it, at the level of some other top…
Pupperazzi – Photography Game With Silly Dogs (Review)
Dogs dashing, catching, posing, and dogs riding scooters to surfboards throughout the whole game. Pupperazzi is a comedy game with a pretty clean content concept. In all honesty, I initially wasn't too interested in the game, until I saw it was on Xbox Gamepass where I tried it for free. To my surprise, I found this game very funny, and it had enough achievement-based gameplay that it was actually quite fun. I know games like this aren't for everybody, but I thought it was a good romp that didn't require too much brainpower. So, here we go with my complete…
Moonglow Bay – A Wholesome Catch – Game Review
I'm a big fan of fishing in games, but even more so a good story involving it. Moonglow Bay has done it. It's a story about a retired fisher getting back out there. It is also about settling a community's superstitions and getting back to the foundation of their livelihood. The story takes place in a traditional Eastern Canadian seaboard fishing village in the 80s. It is otherwise perfectly afloat in its conventional timeless qualities. I related to this game on a personal level, but it floats my boat on multiple. Let's see.
