Indie Links Round-Up: Nice Things

“Aaron Foster and Lunar Software are making Routine, a fascinatingly atmospheric sci-fi horror game set on the moon.

Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, Don’t Starve and more top-notch titles discussed in today’s Indie Links.

C++ Of Tranquility: Lunar Software Explain Routine(RPS)
“Aaron Foster and Lunar Software are making Routine, a fascinatingly atmospheric sci-fi horror game set on the moon. It’s non-linear, based on exploration, and filled with horror and intriguing ideas. I spoke to Foster and asked him to share some of those ideas with us. First, though, watch the trailer if you’ve not seen it already.”

Wot I Think: Rogue Legacy(RPS)
“My Rogue Legacy ends in defeat. I’m close to discovering all of the castle’s secrets and I’ve slain fearsome bosses, each taking me one step closer to victory, but my much-pruned family tree has been reduced to kindling. As I peeled my eyes from the window in which so many generations had perished, I vowed to remember my last and most valiant relation – a giant lich queen with a vampiric sword and a fear of chickens.”

Don’t Starve Review: Eat To Live(Polygon)
“Don’t Starve is a survival sim that gets under your skin. It’s like an endurance sport, such as running or cycling — opaque, introspective and eventually, powerfully addictive. As with those athletic pursuits, there’s a difficult learning curve. Your motivation to participate has to come from within rather than from without, as the rewards are intangible: you progress, get better, last longer. But for the right kind of player — someone who actively likes to compete against him or herself — Klei Entertainment’s game is like a drug.”

Indie Games Summit at GDC Europe debuts line-up, adds Gamescom perk(IndieGames.com)
“Organizers have announced several notable new talks for next month’s Independent Games Summit at GDC Europe in Cologne, including creating the text-based hit, Steve Jackson’s Sorcery!; building the Indie Megabooth’s presence at PAX and in the press; and porting Canabalt and Super Crate Box to the Commodore 64 – also revealing a new extra with the reduced-price Indie Games Summit Pass.”

The Chinese Room’s Dan Pinchbeck: “It’s scary” to work on a new Amnesia game(Edge)
“The Chinese Room exploded into the indie scene with 2012′s Dear Esther, an exploration game with heavy themes and an obscure narrative. Since then, the team has begun work on a collaboration with Amnesia: The Dark Descent developer Frictional Games to make Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. We talked to writer Dan Pinchbeck about the process of creating a brand new game in the horror series.”

Royal Society Science Game Jam(Indie Game Reviewer)
“On May 24, 2013, The Royal Society was home to a scientific game jam as a precursor to its annual Scientific Exhibition. By teaming up experienced game developers and exhibitors, the jam challenged teams to create game that, while still fun to play, also effectively demonstrate the cutting edge scientific research set for display at the expo. The Jam itself ran for 12 hours, and the 4 finalists are now available to be played. Vote for your favorite! The winners will receive additional funding to further develop their game.”

Race to Mars Lets You Build Your Own Space Program(Indie Game Insider)
“Polish developer Intermarum is looking to Kickstarter to fund their new game Race to Mars. The project is seeking a goal of £30,000 (roughly $45,000) to allow players to fulfill their dreams of making their own personal Weyland Yutani Corporation, minus all the face-hugging alien science fiction.”

The Wii U’s Most Adorable Game Gets A Dubsteppy Trailer(Kotaku)
“Toki Tori 2, the adorable Wii U platform-puzzler in which you play as a giant bird who solves puzzles by whistling and stomping, is coming to Steam on July 11 as Toki Tori 2+. In honor, the folks behind the game have created this wub-wub-wub trailer, which is totally incongruous and awesome. Enjoy.”