Category Indie

Golf Club: Wasteland

This is no ordinary golfing game: it’s a surrealist post-apocalyptic golfing game.

You walk and jetpack your way around the remainders of life on earth as you play ball.

To be released on September 3 by the publisher Demagog Studio on Steam.

The story of Earth’s last hurrah is told from multiple points of view, building as the game progresses.

The Game has 3 different modes, from casual to expert.

The art style has a dream-like vibe, with the haziness and destruction of the background fitting perfectly with the depopulated planet that used to be our own

From the Steam Page

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Knock knock knocking on Death’s Door

Death’s door is a stylized game with lovely graphics!

It’s to released on X-box S/X and steam in the coming future!

The movements of each character are unique, and the designs are stellar!

The textures used give depth to the already cute and easily-readable characters and environment. The isometric placement of the scenery and fight areas brings them an additional layer of depth in an already 3-D gamescape.

This game looks to a fun a fun romp through a lovingly crafted world, a will be one to look after.

From the Steam page
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How to Create Factions: Part 1

Starting with…

The World ready!

The easiest way to determine factions would be to simply split them by location, or world history.

Then, the conflict could revolve around gaining or maintaining territory, and that could include groups being pushed out of their original territories and then trying to take them back.

You can also split it by the each of the area’s history, using previous conflicts to shape the factions, i.e. political ones.

The Characters ready!

Build your factions around your characters’ core beliefs.

What do your characters care about? What is their worldview? What about the opposite?

With a focus on the characters, the creation of the factions can become integral to your OC’s story...

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How to Create Factions: Part 2

Video Games have long graduated from simple fights between good and evil. Games are now tied with intricacies and multiple sides, each believing that they are the ones that are correct.

The question now becomes “How do I put that into my game?”. As with my other articles, there are multiple ways to go about this!

It is best to begin at the beginning!

I want to start with the factions…

The Question to ask here is “Why are there factions in the first place?”

Usally a group splits over an arguement; as creator, you decide what kind of disagreement causes the breakup.

What do people believe in enough that their goals and ideals split? Is it something simpler, like a land disagreement or a family squabble? Are the factions gunning for power, splitting politically? Are the fa...

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Larger than Light

from their site

Larger than Light‘s gameplay takes full advantage of the medium its made for, with a playful style that’s a feat for the eyes.

The gentle pastels and harsh shadows don’t just look good: they’re used for gameplay! You maneuver Characters that represent both Shadow and Light source to traverse this puzzle-platformer.

You help the main characters Skia and Lux overcome their differences and bond as siblings as you adventure, and listen to their conversations as you go along. This game not only looks good, but also sounds good, with fully-voiced dialogue!

This game can also be found on steam, for the more than reasonable price of $4.99!

by Abby Zarakovich

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Ninza

from Ninza site

Currently in free-to-play beta mode, Ninza is a combination platformer and brawler!!! From Indie developers Klakmioch, this game has a homepage, twitter and discord.

I tried it out, and while I’m not much of a brawler -or platformer- it’s a lot of fun! I love the characters, and the actual controls are pretty simple! The concept of the game itself is gret, too.

The main menu is easily traversable, and there are 4 game-modes available for play (for now at least). The game is relatively easy on the eyes, with minimal of the bright, flashy, effects that can hurt your eyes, and the animations are very readable. The backgrounds are done in a way that reminds me both of Japanese woodblock prints and those old-style story books done in paints and colored pencils.

If y...

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Dies Mortis

This is a game made by architecture students. I see it more of an art piece, for those times when people say that video games are an art- which this game really proves.

The Stages of death mark the stages seen in the game, rendered lovingly by first-time creators, by a team of 3 students from National Superior School of Architecture of Versailles. It’s a variation on 3-D platformers with stunning lighting an easy-to learn gameplay.

Even if the entire game runs for a mere hour, I believe that it will be an hour well spent.

Link to download here.

from their download page

by Abby Zarakovich

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Just Read the Instructions (yes, that’s the name)

Bored of Games where all you do is shoot a bunch of zombies? Just read the Instructions adds in puzzles as you mow your way through waves of robo-like enemies!

Explore a surreal environment with your friends! This game is a co-op, and solving the set of instructions given to yuo allow you to access the next level.

This game is for those who want just a little something more in their classic shooters.

Both the environments and the monsters give you something interesting to look at as you brainstorm your path through the game.

Just read the Instructions is available to Beta, and is due to come out sometime in 2021 on Steam.

From their Steam page

by Abby Zarakovich

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Chess: Variations on a theme

Sometimes, research turns into something else entirely.

Yesterday, as I was researching more historical board games for a few other artcles, I came upon a website that sold a few dozen physical variations on chess. It not only caugfht my eye, but also sent me on a fun wikipedia dive.

Today, I’ll be rating different chess variations by aesthetic, readability, and how much they made me want to play that particular variation.

3-person chess (Hexagonal)

Aesthetic: 10/10 a blast to boggle at. The squares merging in the center is incredibly pleasing.

Readability: 10/10: clearly readable!!! Lovely.

Want to Play: 10/10 YES. Wish I knew more people IRL who liked chess to play this version of the game!

3-person chess (circular)

Aesthetic: 10/10 a joy to look at, mak...

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Basic Map making – the absolute minimum

As a DM, you lead your fellow players in the adventure of a lifetime! And you can’t do that without a setting for your adventurers to traverse!

There a Few ways to do this, like always!

Base it off of a real-life location

You can simply pick a point on the globe and lift the terrain and cities wholesale. This way, you can point your focus towards the plot and characters of your campaign.

    • Pros:
  • Makes your life easier
  • Can use history for flavor
    • Cons:
  • Expectations of Culture and mannerisms that come with a person’s knowledge
  • There will be history here, and the players might expect use of it

Create your own from scratch

Use map generators or craft a map from your own imagination to craft the most individualized map

    • Pros:
  • You can have whatever you want wherever you’d like
  • Create...
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