Have You Tried Terrene? Check Out This Indie Bit-Art Space Dev
Hey, thanks to JustWall Games for letting me try Terrene: An Evidence of Life. This is an indie open-world space exploration game with some sweet pixel graphics and the types of deep-cut quirks that make me play indies, seriously. I didn’t know what to expect at first, to be honest. I suspected some kind of multi-faceted character-based system, but that is only part of it. Actually, there are so many open-ended exploration features…
If You Like Starship Troopers and Anime, Check out Stories From Sol
Stories From Sol: Part 1 Gun-Dog is a new game entering onto the scene. It’s a hard space sci-fi story, a genre not without a plentiful fandom, although this sneak peek led me mostly through sharp comedic timing and even a romantic interest? Looks pretty cool. Please note that not only is this a demo, but it also’s part one of the whole story, so if you enjoy it, make the dev know…
A Showcase of Vesper: Zero Light Edition (On Switch)
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…
Starbound – Completing the First Planet (Quick Guide)
In Starbound, you use Terraria-style mining mechanics to collect materials and progress through the galaxy. This game was released in 2016. It has had some resurgence thanks to a re-release of the game on the invaluable Xbox PC Game Pass platform. I figured since I didn’t find immediate coverage of my own questions, new players may be wondering how to progress in this game. The game takes place in outer space. It has…
Galacticon Really Plays Like an Old Arcade Cabinet Style Game
Today, I’m taking a look at the soon-to-be-released, arcade-style title Galacticon from developer Radin Games. It’s similar in style to 1980s arcade games like Defender, Joust, and Jetpac. You might be familiar with some of these from the book Ready Player One; and maybe the film, but I can’t remember, although I know Joust featured prominently in the book. I sat down with the space-themed preview they provided and honestly got really into…
Bunny Bye-Bye is a Cute, Simple Indie Game
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…
The Gunk is Simply a Kinda Random 3D World Game on Game Pass, But I Enjoyed It
Discovered through Game Pass, I’m rather fond of this new title, The Gunk, from Image and Form/Thunderful Development, which just launched a few days ago. It fits neatly into the category of games I usually enjoy which are casual character development, soft sci-fi, and familiar mechanics of resource-collecting games. And this version of those styles is well presented here. While the game is really very straightforward without much need for introduction, a quality…
Sable – This is a Strange Game But Freaking Beautiful
Sable is a very promising story-rich open-world game with lots of punch in the aesthetics and some very captivating design qualities. Most noticeably, is the 2D illustration in a 3D environment, but also the story. Gamers will feel like they are flipping through a really high-quality graphic novel that has come to life on whatever system they’re using to play it on. I wondered throughout the demo whether this was an alien world,…
OPUS: Echo of Starsong is a New Staggering & Attractive Game
OPUS: Echo of Starsong is a narrative sci-fi drama taking place in the far reaches of lawless space. The game is part of a series that are all part of the OPUS universe. I covered the previous two OPUS games in the series last year, and they were very popular, accounting for a ton of traffic on my site! I also thoroughly enjoyed them. So, when I started off today learning that I…
“non – The First Warp” is a Bizarre Alien Puzzle Game
“non – The First Warp” is a unique puzzle platformer released this summer. It stirs up themes of hypnagogic-like environments and alien sci-fi worlds, that feel like a strew of estranged organs and strange puzzles. Okay, I’m in. Play a purple alien in this squishy puzzle environment, where clues seem to live within the structure of the game like some giant biological telephone book. non – The First Warp never seems to push…
Widget Satchel is an Interesting Hidden Gem
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…
Universe for Sale Looks Like a Good Sci-Fi Game
Universe for Sale is an upcoming title that combines sci-fi themes and metaphysical themes into a quirky and compelling visual novel/interactive fiction. I already do not recall the main character’s name, and neither will you, as the shroud of mystery is an important part of this introduction. He is a self-described “cultist” with a floating head who drops into a tea shop on Jupiter to meet with a young lady named Lila. The…
Shu’s Garden is a Slightly Old, Fun Hidden Gem I Found
Shu’s Garden is a game that’s part of the huge Itch.IO bundle released recently. It is essentially an open playground experience, with no strict rules or goals. Play a little space cactus named Shu, a ball of shine with a friendly symbiotic tail that bounces around planets. This game holds up well over time, and even without any clear direction or strategy, it is still quite enjoyable as a mini-session or even a…
Space Mechanic Simulator is a Really Terrific Game I Tried
Let’s talk about an upcoming space game! Space Mechanic Simulator is a 3D space-sim in outer space. So far, this game is still in development, but that may have changed by the time you read this. It is currently in development with a demo on steam that I am reviewing here. Your job is to repair space stations, spaceships, and presumably other space vehicles with a sophisticated drill and a meter. Obtain parts…
Orbital Racer Has a Futuristic Pilot Immersiveness That Can’t Be Beat
Orbital Racer is a realistic space-sim pilot racer originally released for PC in 2017, now available on Xbox One and Series X. At a standard indie game price for nominal quality, I think this is one of the best racing games I have ever played. Players are given a selection of ring-wing fighter jets that can be raced with or without combat. Each race starts off in an area in orbit around a…
Space Games & Casual Blog Stuff 🍕
When I first started blogging in a format similar to this, it was probably a decade ago on a very short-lived Blogspot that I abandoned after the purpose it served was fulfilled. I really wanted to start this specific blog to rekindle that sensation, the writing part that is. I’ve figured out that I can write about games nonstop and if I really want people to read more, it’s not that hard. At…
Surviving Mars is the New Staggeringly Ambitious Space Indie
Surviving Mars is a scientific strategy and simulation game about colonizing the red planet. Players are taken through the very basics of roving the terrain for information and resources. As their knowledge increases, it becomes possible to start envisioning an extraplanetary colony. Learn about theoretical technologies as well as real ones and how they interplay in our future on Mars. Within this context, it is a game about exploration and survival! Surviving Mars:…
OPUS Rocket of Whispers is Beautiful & Full of DEEP Gameplay
Mysterious backstory, cosmic balance, ancestral duty. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Heavy topics, yes, but not to worry. This game is poetry, and these types of themes are in the prequel OPUS: The Day We Found Earth. It seems that there is even a theme in common between that game and OPUS Rocket of Whispers, but I am hesitant to say, conclusively, what it is. I’ll give you a quick…
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