Welcome to our latest roundup of what’s happening in the indie game space. There are tons of exciting games out this week. But first, there was talk about a Nintendo Switch version Shippingthat came with this week.
In some platforms, there is an option to block genitalia and other graphic content, but that is not in the Switch version. Instead, such content is automatically checked, with black rectangles covering the pieces of text and someone checking the bird. Sounds that increase the pleasure of sex are said to be reduced as well.
“We’ve worked with Nintendo to ensure that the content within the title meets the release criteria for social media, but the core narrative and gameplay experience remains the same as the original release,” the developer told AdHoc. EuroGamer. Nintendo later said in a statement Go Nintendo that it “requires all games on its platforms to receive ratings from independent organizations and meet our established guidelines for content and platforms. Although we notify our partners if their titles do not meet our guidelines, Nintendo does not make changes to our partners’ content. Nor do we discuss the specific content or criteria used in making these decisions.”
There are other games available for Switch and Switch 2 that feature nudity and graphic content. There have been hentai games on the eShop for a long time, while casual games have been popular Witch 3 again Cyberpunk 2077 (we know all about dongs on that one) we’re still putting open content on Nintendo platforms. So it’s weird, and AdHoc and Nintendo didn’t make things very clear in their statements.
There has been speculation that AdHoc has tested the game to comply with Japanese regulations (Cyberpunk 2077 it’s being tested there as well) and that it chose to have just one version of the game available worldwide on Nintendo platforms. However, it is a curious situation that has caused much discussion. But there was another indie game that was the source of much discussion this week…
New releases
The Highguard is a 3v3 attack shooter from Wildlight Entertainment, a team that brings together a number of former players Legends of the Apex again Titanfall developers. It broke cover at the Game Awards in December when it was revealed last night but that first trailer wasn’t great.
As it turns out, TGA creator and host Geoff Keighley was a friend of the devs and after trying The Highguardhe wanted to put it on display. Wildlight put together a trailer, but that derailed the studio’s long-term plans to reveal and release the game at the same time — a strategy that worked wonders. Legends of the Apex (even though that game had the power of EA behind it).
After disclosure The HighguardWildlight was effectively silent until a release day show on Monday to explain what the game is and how it works. That seems to have been a mistake given the bombshell reviews and the strange vendetta some have developed against it. The Highguard went live on Monday and Wildlight has published a number of YouTube videos showing off the game’s features. Distributing those that come out between TGA and this week may be somewhat predictable.
In any case, I played a few rounds The Highguard and I’ve mostly enjoyed my time with it so far. It is a combination of superhero shooters and MOBA. As you can expect the game from Apex again Titanfall veterans, the weapons feel well tuned and the gun plays fast. There’s a lot going on and the maps are too big for only six players. It’s fun enough, but I don’t think it’s a game that will break me Overwatch obsession. Riding into battle on the back of a bear sounds pretty cool, though. You can play The Highguard free on Steam, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
I really wanted to love Don’t stop, Girlypop! more than what I did. I’ve been looking forward to it for a while, as promised Doom Forever-The hyperpop-inspired chaotic arena shooting style seemed like a great mix. Don’t get me wrong, I love the beauty and the soundtrack resonates thanks to the soulful vocals from Sarah Wolfe, Xavier Dunn and Candice Susnjar. I just want it to be as fun to play as it is to watch and listen to.
The visual clutter and fast pace sometimes make it hard to spot enemies and the narrative doesn’t really come together, just as the developers have important points to make about the exploitation of limited resources. The core gameplay concept here is that the faster you move, the more damage you deal and the more damage you deal. The game has its own take on the bunny hop called wave hop which increases your speed, but I felt like it slowed me down due to the complex combination of inputs (jump, ground pound, jump, dash). That also caused my hand to get stiff very quickly.
I love the customization here. Hitting rhinestones and little sharks on my arms was fun. The game’s take on the gravity gun is fun too. So while Don’t stop, Girlypop! – from Funny Fintan Softworks and lee publisher – didn’t quite land for me, there are some features I really like. It’s out now on Steam for $20 (there’s a 10 percent introductory discount until February 5).
We have been looking forward to it The Cairn It’s been a long time with these parts, so it’s nice to see that it’s starting to get a good wide review. This one from The Game Bakers is the latest in a series of climbing adventures, just as good Jusant. So if Alex Honnold’s recent solo free-climbing in a skyscraper has inspired you to climb something bigger without risking your life, The Cairn it can be what you want.
The Cairn it’s out now on PS5 and Steam for $30. There’s a 10 percent introductory discount on Steam until February 12, and until February 13 on PS5 if you’re a PS Plus member.
Every trailer I’ve seen Steel Century Groove you made me smile, you can bet I’ll be jumping on this if I have the chance. A rhythm game with Pokémon style RPG elements where you control a robot in dance battles. There is original and licensed music to use and you can upload your own MP3s (you can make me a lot of money uploading electronic Callboy tracks to this game). Steel Century Groove will create procedurally generated choreography and charts for your custom songs. You can also adjust the BPM yourself.
This original title from single developer Sloth Gloss Games is out now on Steam for $20. There’s a 10 percent launch discount until February 11. There’s a demo available, and progress from there to the full game.
For Rossday Wandering around he’s a rogue-like stage player without fighting. You have eight attempts to find gear and learn the information you need to pass each dungeon. Look for loot and buy upgrades from the shop before nightfall to help you on your way. You can place markers to help you remember where you’ve been.
Runs are said to be short between 20 and 30 minutes. The visual reminds me a bit Celeste again. You can check Wandering around on Steam now for $8 (a 10 percent discount drops the price to $7.20 until February 2).
I can’t help but recommend Scaffold Strange (ClickingI’m Your Monster, Co-op Kaiju Horror Cooking) and the rate at which it releases games. The latter says Space Warlord Baby Trading Simulator.
It’s a stock market sim where you predict the future success or failure of “simulated lives for kids.” You can “shorten that baby” if you choose as you try to gain. In a timeline where prediction markets allow you to speculate on almost anything (listen to this week’s episode of the Engadget Podcast to learn more about that), gambling on children’s futures doesn’t seem futile.
Space Warlord Baby Trading Simulator – set in the same world Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator – is out now on Steam. It would normally cost $20, but it’s 15 percent off until February 12. Strange Scaffold is also bringing the game to the Xbox Series X/S soon.
I Hate This Place is an isometric survival game based on the eponymous comic book series by Kyle Starks and Artyom Topilin. The game retains a comic book feel and has ’80s horror movie style inflections.
The way that sound manifests is very interesting here. Onomatopoeic words will appear and you’ll see color-coded steps – useful if you’re trying to be stealthy. Drawing is an important aspect of the game as well.
I Hate This Place – from Rock Square Thunder, Broken Mirror Games and Skybound Entertainment – is out now on Steam, PS5, Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X/S. The regular price is $30 and there is an introductory discount of 20 percent on some platforms.
I can’t find a trailer for this on YouTube, unfortunately, though The Rebadge I took my eye this week too. A puzzle platformer from Yuumayay, who appears to be a 17-year-old solo developer. Your character carries badges that allow him to perform actions such as moving and jumping. Other badges include “affected by gravity” and “destroy on contact.” Here’s the trick: you can drop the badge and lose the associated ability, but then you can use the feature on something else in the world.
It’s a neat idea based on the playbooks of games like Father is You. The Rebadge it normally costs $8, but there is an introductory discount of 15 percent.
What is to come
Moon Beast Productions is a studio made up of several creators of Diablo again Diablo II. This week, it unveiled its first title game, Darkhavenwhich is an isometric action RPG in the vein of (you guessed it) Diablo. You will be able to play this solo or with friends, and there are PvP features. Darkhaven produced in the process, collapsing worlds and “massive events that threaten your entire world.”
The gameplay shown in the trailer looks rough, but it’s still early days. In fact, Moon Beast is planning a Kickstarter campaign Darkhaven. There’s no release window yet, but you can wishlist it on Steam.
Box or Void is a puzzle game that clearly takes inspiration To be together again A snake. Here, however, the gameplay is done on two planes. You will switch between good and bad space – obstacles on one side turn into paths on the other. You will change the layout of the level by pressing the boxes.
This one from Dumen Games has an interesting premise. No release date yet Box or Voidbut a demo with 32 levels (about a fifth of what the full game will have) dropped this week on Steam.
If there is a game called Dredge meets Wall-Ethat will be enough to sell me. Describe it as “petroidvania” and call it Good boyand I’m definitely in.
This is a creature-collecting Metroidvania from Observer Interactive and publisher Team17 where puppies are reborn as space rovers. I couldn’t dig that place more. Good boy expected to hit Steam later this year.
