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Kraino Origins Spins My Spooky Indie Wheels

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Here we go with Kraino Origins. Add this to your Halloween Indie Game countdowns, because it’s got enough spook for the whole community. This game feels like it was made from the plucking of my own seasonal heartstring, with its borderline creep-fest color scheme and environment. Slash your way through constant monsters, zombies, and ghouls in this 2D platformer that spans 8 bosses–now out on Steam! Kraino Origins – What Is This Magic? So, the idea here is: “what would happen if you took the classic indie game Shovel Knight and filtered it through grim undertones and replaced the knight… Read the rest

Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue is a Neat 2.5D French Firefighting Game

Posted on by Dave Pizza
The idea behind Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue is in the title, Firegirl. I find myself drawn to this game due to its slight quirk and frank concept. But the game deserves a little more credit than assuming the entire plot is based on a conjunction of the words “fire” and “girl.” Although you are exactly that in the game, Firegirl is the type of game that should have been made, conceptually, at least in the 90s. But three decades later, here it is with a shiny package. Classic nods from many of the old-school NES-style games are here though,… Read the rest

Haiku the Robot is a Surprising New Indie I Played

Posted on by Dave Pizza
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. Collect bits and bobbles to fund your robot hack-and-slash lifestyle. This game is as challenging as platformers like… Read the rest

A Showcase of Vesper: Zero Light Edition (On Switch)

Posted on by Dave Pizza
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. You might be familiar with one of my other past articles on the game… Read the rest

Rotund Zero is a Super Cheap Preview of the Rotund Franchise

Posted on by Dave Pizza
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,… Read the rest

Jaded – Another Game From My ItchIO Free Game Binge

Posted on by Dave Pizza
I love these platformer games that emerge from the woodwork every single day. Today, that game is Jaded by Shellsnore games, up on Steam. It’s a standard platformer with directional keys, jump, attack, and a special mechanic which is a time warp. Although the time warp mechanic is more of a cacoon slingshot kinda thing, it works pretty well. I was able to bind my controller to the basic keys with no problem. Let me share a tad more here for you. Getting Started with Jaded The demo does mention that the game is still in beta, and there are… Read the rest

BIOTA the Robot Action Monochrome Indie

Posted on by Dave Pizza
I’m going to try something new here. I have been known to review demos in the past, but they get kind of buried under other projects. I really want to dedicate time to as many as I’d like to. All things relevant, I made a post on Twitter about needing to play for Game Boy-style indies. I got a great tip from cshPinecone of Indie Game Collective about the game BIOTA from “small bros.” It’s a shmup–aka shoot ’em up. Blasting away weird goops of purple eyeballs has its merits, so here it is on MrDavePizza. The game is rich… Read the rest

Dogurai – Heck Yeah, a Doggo Samurai!

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Dogurai by HungryBear is a Game Boy-style indie Metroidvania. I know about it through, a couple of co-creators from Indie Game Collective. Thank you, Jaunty Adventures and Pursuing Pixels. Their taste is superb, as this turned out to be an exciting game. I’ve covered very few Game Boy titles here, aside from Lasagna Boy and… actually, that might be it. It’s a great genre if you want to get into indies. In summary, the designs are aligned with the palette and rendering of old-school Game Boy games. This one in particular is a nice platformer/Metroidvania that takes you through some… Read the rest

I Found the SNES Style “Bumballon” for Under a Dollar, and it was GREAT

Posted on by Dave Pizza
I’ve got a great video up for Bumballon 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. Bumballon is a game with unique characters and a traditional SNES-type side-scroller game that puts me into an optimized chill mode. Basically, hop in a cannon, and, after the blast-off, interact as you’re taken for a ride through a colorful world with unique obstacles and fun… Read the rest

Hivemind 2: Stargrove Scramble is A Sweet SNES Style Indie

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Hivemind 2: Stargrove Scramble is a 2D pixel art platformer part of a 2021 Newgrounds dev jam with an “egg” theme by the dev group Team Bugulon. You play a little cloaked lizard, progressing through various spring-sunset-toned environments, collecting candies that in turn give you eggs that you can use to hurl at enemies and unblock paths. The music is a touch above fun, along with the sound effects, making the game have a polished SNES quality that is so adored in these kinds of games.  Gameplay Stargrove Scramble is a generous product as far as free games on ItchIO go in… Read the rest

Moonstuck is Literally Impossible, Stop Now

Posted on by Dave Pizza
When I posted this game, the dev joked to me that I’d done a really great job, which if you watch this video, you’ll realize is hilarious. The game is literally impossible. What? Why am I writing about that? It’s free, otherwise, there’d be an uproar on Steam. Gameplay Moonstuck is a 2D platformer from CozyGames and Black County Games available on Steam just released today. It utilizes a very difficult mechanic involving rocket propulsion and a scenario where touching the majority portions of the platform can result in being kicked back to the start, or checkpoint if you proceed… Read the rest

Octarina, A Game About an Octopus Trapped in a Sushi Factory

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Octarina is a physics puzzle game about an octopus escaping a sushi factory (don’t worry, you’re on the side of the octopus!) Using your squiggly limbs and momentum, propel yourself around the interior of the factory with the intention of escaping. You can use suction cups to climb structures and hurl objects at switches to reverse conveyor belts and such. Gameplay There are three modes: speed mode, story mode, and “the floor is lava.” Despite the dire situation, the game is pretty pleasant and amusing. The graphics and art style are spot on, making use of mid-range graphics cards, which I… Read the rest

With You is Still Fun For “Single” Players

Posted on by Dave Pizza
With You is from Carol Mertz and Insatiable Cycle, the same publisher of “We should talk.” It’s a simple co-op puzzle platformer that can be played with a keyboard. It can also be played as one player using the respective sides of their keyboard to control the two main characters. How to Play Solve puzzles by figuring out geometric obstacles, flipping around your square and half-circle buddies so that they can fit into the floating sections on the two-dimensional plane behind them, and unlocking the next levels. The game features a cute style, with a pleasant soundtrack, and is described on the… Read the rest

Bunny Bye-Bye is a Cute, Simple Indie Game

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Okay, IN MY OPINION, but it’s cute and it’s the free game today. Actually, I really did like Bunny Bye-Bye and it deserves a break from my sardonic quips. This is a 2D pixel-art platformer about a little alien named “bobe” who needs to clean dust bunnies around a space station using a vacuum called a clean0tron. I can’t promise I have a ton to say about this game, but it’s a neat solo jam that contained enough variety in the description that I spent the morning trying it out. I’m not sure what the limits need to be on… Read the rest

Easter Pick: Super Star Duck

Posted on by Dave Pizza
There’s a really neat ItchIO developer called “eggnog.” They’re publishing all sorts of harmless, fun games apparently. In Super Star Duck: Escape From Nefarious Castle, you’ve got the option to play as Esdee, Flan, or Bean, a duck, hippo, and dog (respectively.) The game is one of many free games on ItchIO that I cover, not because it’s a great place to lurk, but because indie developers love the attention there! Why wouldn’t they? Don’t take this TOO seriously, it’s just a little duck game, but it’s free so why not try it out? It’s not my all-time favorite game ever,… Read the rest

Gummy Shooter Looks SICK (And You Can Play it On Your Phone)

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Mostly created for its novelty probably, Gummy Shooter is an amusing side-scrolling thumb blaster. To be honest, I’ve never tried anything like it before, but I was moved to try the Android category of ItchIO as I was out and it was really quite easy. I don’t always cover games like this, because there is a conflict with how much praise I can gloat over a game versus how simplistic they actually are, but the least I can do is try. So, let’s take a look at Gummy Shooter (for ANDROID!) Gummy Shooter Gameplay Everything here is a purple-orange anime… Read the rest

ItchIO Spotlight: Eats Shoots and Leaves

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Here’s an amusing little platformer over on ItchIO called Eats Shoots and Leaves. The name is a parody of the famous writing device expressing how a simple lack of punctuation makes a sentence mean something completely different, especially phonetically. “Eats Chutes and Leaves” and “Eats, Shoots, and Leaves.” This game takes this idea and literally makes it the theme. If you’ve never played an indie game like this, it’s not a broad blanket experience for the whole genre, but many of us who play these types of pixel art platformers love, love, love this genre. And I assure you I did.… Read the rest

More ItchIO Binging: Space Adventure by e9k9

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Just a fun little platformer today called Space Adventure. Found this on ItchIO. You play as a small alien crashlanded somewhere, a moon perhaps, wandering around collecting green dots. Works great on a controller, and the music is pleasant. The original language of this game is German, so if you don’t speak German you might not totally understand what’s going on. Everything is pretty intuitive though, including the universal basics of all platformers (left, right, up, down, jump, etc.) Released within the last month. Gameplay in Space Adventure Players of platformers that involve puzzles will love this, but also those… Read the rest

Random Free JAM Games: Daydream (Kowzak)

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Daydream is a simple keyboard controller platformer made for an ItchIO Dev jam. The protagonist is a woman on a bus daydreaming out the window, as you control one of three recurring daydreams, jumping over obstacles and creatures and avoiding water. It varies from creative to bizarre. I know it seems like I’m just picking these games randomly, but the purpose is to provide inspiration for whatever I need to work on next and provide a nice gesture toward all those talented solo devs out there. Gameplay of Daydream is Simple and Elegant Nothing too serious here, just a free… Read the rest

Caves Ablaze Feels like a Super Old School Platformer

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Caves Ablaze is a 2D Metroidvania Platformer. Play as a ball of fire that completes puzzles deep underground by using flames and dashing abilities to unlock paths. Avoid water and slowly make your way to the surface. Playable with an X-Box Input Controller or keyboard. This was the inaugural free games post for the FGV blog. Not a lot documented here, but a perfectly enjoyable game. Caves Ablaze Gameplay Ah, okay, another fore into the world of free games on itchio. Although not every gamer out there has an interest in platformers with cozy intentions and charming non-human characters, I… Read the rest

Pompom is A Challenging, Colorful Hamster Platformer

Posted on by Dave Pizza
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… Read the rest

Mago is a Colorful SNES Style Platformer About a Sorcerer

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Let’s take a look at Mago: The Villain’s Burger. It’s filled with so many fun easy-to-learn but masterable abilities and unique mechanics that you just don’t find in every game. The best way to understand it is most likely visually, but today I’ll be talking about why Mago is a promising look at how its developers are creating something that is, possibly, capable of going big if they wish. So, let’s get started. This game is available on Steam. Mago: The Villain’s Burger is an adventure set in a world populated by fresh NES sprites and joyful playful storytelling. It… Read the rest

Dadish 2 is an Amazing Radish-Themed Epic Adventure

Posted on by Dave Pizza
I’m spending time playing a lot of food games lately. While cooking sims are the most obvious manifestation of this, platformers like Dadish 2 are right on board too. Dadish 2 is a continuation of the original Dadish game and both are available on most platforms. You, Dadish, awake from a nap at work one day when your several radish children come to visit you for “bring your kids to work day.” They convince you to leave the chainsaw and cannon-filled office building and set off into this weird world. Dadish 2 has a narrative that is humorously inconsistent but… Read the rest

Necrow Co. is a Fun Little Platformer

Posted on by Dave Pizza
If this headline doesn’t raise an eyebrow, then stick with two, because this article is tapping into some unexplored territory with the game Necrow Co. by creator Zahran Worell. The game Necrow Co. is a 2D pixel platformer, playable with either a controller or keyboard. It’s a light narrative about a crow who starts work for a company of reapers, featuring a cozy skeleton psychopomp grim dispatching you to a national park filled with spookies, squishies, and don’t-touchies (terms coined on our end.) Abilities are basic: move left and right, jump, and shoot a sort-of crow song wave that disables… Read the rest

What Lies in the Multiverse is a New Game With One VERY Interesting *Feature*

Posted on by Dave Pizza
We’ve got a big event going on right now for THE BIG ADVENTURE. Many demos, and many great indies. I set my eyes on What Lies in the Multiverse first. It’s a collaboration between Studio Voyager, IguanaBee, and Untold Tales. Everything you’ll see in this game has a silvery thread of classic games like Fez, Owlboy, etc. But it’s a little more than technicolor flashing pixel animations, it’s dealing with a really awesome powerful mechanic. Changing universes. That’s right, when you click RT you change universes in this game, and, honestly, it’s unique, it’s a seldom-used trope, but a particularly… Read the rest

Celeste is Ultimately the Best Game I Have Ever Played

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Celeste. Yes, it’s about time we did this. The renowned precision platformer from Extremely OK Games has been out for approximately three years now (Celeste was released on Jan. 25, 2018, hence the three-year anniversary,) and it has not lost its charm. And why would it? The game sold over a million copies by the end of 2019. Whether you’re hanging out in your game room or playing on your Switch en destination, this is the kind of pick-up-and-go game dreams is made of. You’ll have to pardon me as I haphazardly introduce a game that’s been out for three… Read the rest

Spotlight: Greak Feels like Hollow Knight But Is… Different (Nintendo Switch)

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Amongst the trove of pale-skinned characters, glowing misty caverns, and punchy character abilities, this one might be new to you. Greak: Memories of Azur is similar to platformers like Hollow Knight and Undertale, perhaps even Ori or maybe Hoa, sure. Don’t worry if you haven’t heard of any of those! What Greak offers is a borderline cozy adventure with very unique, engaging gameplay that is an experience of its own. Greak, Adara, and Raydel Meet your identities (triple) as you take the role, in a rotate-at-will-shift, three siblings as they puzzle and spelunk through the beautiful world of Azur. A… Read the rest

The Lightbringer (Demo) is What I Played Today

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Okay, let’s talk about The Lightbringer. This is kind of random. No, really, it is. Might as well roll for initiative. Anyway, I’ve been spending a ton of time on the Switch lately, since I was traveling with the handheld recently and got kind of used to it. However, I recorded it while playing on my TV, so I don’t know. Anyway, was looking back through some of my YouTube videos and realized a lot of you like demos for some reason. So, this one was on the eShop and I gave it a spin. Here we go again with… Read the rest

Pumpkin Jack is the Best Spooky Game Out There Now

Posted on by Dave Pizza
I petitioned my friends yesterday for a list of games they consider Halloween thematic for an easily spooked dude like myself. I knew of Pumpkin Jack as a backburner game that I had seen last year and lamented myself for not having my affairs in order to get it on the review list! That was during that standalone year of 2020 that had enough triggers as it is. That’s why, when my peers suggested Pumpkin Jack I was excited to see it as a standing contender. And to be honest, some of the non-straight-up horror genre games this year are… Read the rest

Kick Bot is a Fast Paced Platformer That Has a Terrific Demo

Posted on by Dave Pizza
“Kick Bot,” it’s an exciting precision platformer on the way from Two Scoops games. It’s time for Dave Pizza to step outside his comfort zone and try some of these more challenging game foes. And I’ll tell you, I thought it was broken because I didn’t know how to play it. It’s definitely challenging, but definitely possible. And with the retro-tastic sound effects and neon robot package, it’s exciting to look at and play. In fact, it does that thing where it reminds me of the 90s without cheapening it. So, let’s see what this precision platformer that got my… Read the rest

Glyph is A New Hidden Gem Platformer I Played

Posted on by Dave Pizza
“Glyph” is a puzzle/platformer released this month. I was able to secure a copy through my friends at Indie Game Collective. I was curious about Glyph, primarily because of the smooth and colorful graphics, pretty apparently Egyptian theme, and also because, while I don’t excel at puzzle platformers, I am getting better. And naturally, I just wanted to test my skills at what seems to be an extremely feature-rich game. I made it peacefully through quite a bit of the intro in the recorded gameplay and learned enough to tell you about this interesting game. Take to the ground or… Read the rest

Hoa is a New Indie Adventure With a Magical Vibe

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Hoa is an intricate hand-painted character and environment art platformer released this week. Visually it succeeds wonderfully with Studio Ghibli-like aesthetics in illustration, animation, and special effects. It also boasts an absolutely charming ambiance in its background music plus sound effects that are cinematic in quality and effect. It also is available in 10 different languages right from its launch. I feel very relaxed playing Hoa, and even watching someone playing it can be very pleasant. If you have ever been a fan of Totoro or woodland creatures with endearing hearts, fall in love as I did with the game… Read the rest

Toodee and Topdee is one of the Best Indie Puzzlers Out

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Toodee and Topdee is so far one of my favorite platformer concepts that I’ve ever tried. A while back I did a documentary review that talked a bit about the game Fez. While much different conceptually, they both have a neat mechanic that combined 2D platforming with shiftable perspectives. I’m not sure how efficiently I can describe this concept without getting into some straight-up academic theories involving geometry, so be sure to watch the video, but suffice it to say it is really, really neat. Plus anybody can play! The game has a compelling intro with a demagogue world-merging backstory,… Read the rest

Unbound: Worlds Apart is a Unique & Thrilling Indie Out Now

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Unbound: Worlds Apart is a unique new 2D platformer with a fantasy twist and versatile special abilities. On the surface, it’s a beautiful game, on par with the likes of Ori and the Will of the Wisps. On inspection, there’s a heck ton of attention paid to the fine details of the environment. And when you actually play, solving puzzles with your special ability rolls off your controller quite intuitively. This is a high-quality production for those who love platformers and want to really see what’s possible in this genre. If you’re ready to brave a collapsing reality inexplicably parallel… Read the rest

Weaving Tides is a Hidden Gem I Played

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Weaving Tides sits comfortably in a genre of its own. Unlock a world map woven together through magic threads. You’ll ride upon friendly creatures known as carpet dragons and weave new threads to move forward. With brilliant surface-swapping mechanics that allow you to traverse impossible terrain, exquisite graphics, and smooth gameplay this is surely a work of art as much as a playable game. The artistic aspects of Weaving Tides are exquisite. You can just feel the silky textures of the world as you traverse, feeling perhaps you are enchanted, or simply on a very fine adventure. In collaboration with… Read the rest

Existensis is a Little Known Indie Hidden Gem

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Existensis is a hand-illustrated philosopher platformer game from the creative spirit of dev Ozzie Sneddon/Librarium Studios. In Existensis you play a masked character known as The Mayor, who is actually an artist. The objective is to gather inspiration in a journal so you can use it to create a tower to represent the journey of life. From situations and interactions with characters spread throughout vaulting platform areas and cities. You can learn more about your environment and gradually collect enough information/inspiration to enter swirling vortices around certain characters. They will help you teleport somewhere new and completely different so that… Read the rest

Widget Satchel is an Interesting Hidden Gem

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Widget Satchel is a cross-platform indie platformer out a couple of years but is still very fun and fresh. It’s also a great project from Mark of Nice Games Club, which is a podcast I listen to from time to time. It is currently available through the Itch.IO Palestinian aid bundle. Widget Satchel is a delightful flat graphic style game, where you play as an adorable ferret upon a space station. You start off with a satchel and explore junk-filled levels and build things. There is no game over or way of getting hurt, but plenty of challenging scenarios to… Read the rest

UROS: A Trip Through Shadows is a New Freebie Student Game

Posted on by Dave Pizza
UROS: A Trip Through Shadows is a game from the ESAT student game studio program in Valencia. I previously reviewed a title from this group called Twin Stones which was extremely fun. UROS is a 2D fantasy action platformer-style game that exhibits independent lore that borrows from Hades-like underworld lore. As you progress through the map of UROS you will unlock new areas and obstacles and make your way toward, presumably, a scenario related to the opening storyline. So glad I caught this one. Let’s go with another review at Mr. Dave Pizza! The Details on UROS Full disclosure first,… Read the rest

Twin Stones: The Journey of Bukka is the Staggering Freebie Student Game

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Twin Stones: The Journey of Bukka is a 3d animated fantasy platformer that was released in early July 2021. As it were, I received the privilege of showcasing my first pre-release game through my community at Indie Game Collective. The game was a very intriguing story involving protagonist Bukka, a runner for lack of a better word, and a, I suppose, serpent companion identified as Shiva, the god of destruction. The obstacles are fluid and bouncy, and the graphics are beautiful. I’ll tell you what you need to know about this game and where you can find it. Twin Stones:… Read the rest

Fall Guys is Still Awesome and Now It’s a Freebie on Nintendo Switch

Posted on by Dave Pizza
So, the idea behind Fall Guys is this: you create a jelly bean-like thing character and design them, then you push play and skydive (on a load screen) into a pink, purple, and cotton candy blue obstacle course of hilarious wonder with 60 other jelly beans. If you make it to the finish line in time before at least 40 players you qualify for the next round. If not you have to start over. Fall Guys is A Squiggly Silly Delightful Game I was so pumped when the Medieval Pack came out with this Wizard costume, it is so perfect you have… Read the rest

Because It’s Hot! Why Pizza? is a Weird, Interesting Indie

Posted on by Dave Pizza
I’m back, reviewing a game. An indie game. A very indie game. An indie game prologue. Because it’s hot! – Why Pizza? Freeze frame. But seriously, I am in recovery from an intense year of reviews. So, when I saw this perfectly amusing stylized demo on Steam with a radical pizza theme, I narrowed in on it. What IS this!? Because it’s Hot is a platformer y’all. But I almost forgot since this game is so much more kooky and creative than most games at all. You choose your anthropomorphic animal/pizza-head whatever, character. Then jump through a colorful ToeJam &… Read the rest

Lasagna Boy is Weird and Scary But Really, Really, Hilarious

Posted on by Dave Pizza
“HEADS UP,” Moderately creepy imagery is in Lasagna Boy, this will be my only warning. I don’t generally review horror games, but Lasagna Boy made me laugh, and then, it intrigued me. It merits analysis based on absurdity alone but also on design. I also personally understand people like illustrating and drawing creepy monsters because… well, it’s fun! Why not throw in a third or fourth eyeball here and there? We’ve been doing that for ages. Direct link to the games on Itch.IO a the bottom of this article. Lasagna Boy – Umm, Why is This Not Pizza? Keep Your… Read the rest