RUINER Pieces Together a Cyberpunk World

When a group of former developers from CD Projekt RED got together to create their own game, a new kind of Cyberpunk experience was born under the name of Reikon Games .

. Utilizing the power of Unreal Engine 4, RUINER is the embodiment of a passion for the game genre, and a unique vision influenced by many great works such as Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira and Bubblegum Crisis . The top-down action shooter aims to portray a brutal experience, with architecture that is said to house an unforgiving world brimming with people itching for a chance to exploit anything and anyone for their own gain. If the dog-eat-dog-world-feeding-corporate-greed motif wasn’t enough, the tactical shooting segments should provide a familiar backdrop for fans of Syndicate , of the team’s many inspirations.

RUINER will feature a grab-n-go weapon system where the player will pick up weapons and upgrades as they progress. There’s no extensive inventory to manage, but the player will have the chance to outfit their character at the beginning of each mission. Players will reportedly spend most of their time running and gunning, though it has been noted that an in-game hub will be the centralized location for some downtime. When the player isn’t blasting up foes, there will be time to meet other NPCs in the hub area and explore the game world.is still early in development, but a short teaser trailer is up (see above), and concept art can be found on their Tumblr. To stay up to date with the project, RUINER can also be followed on Twitterand Facebook.

The Sims Social launches in China via Tencent's Qzone

Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance - Beginner's guide

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Jump to Section: Best Price Comments Our Verdict Rare Replay is an incredibly high-value retro compilation, which adds to its impressive (but sadly not exhaustive) line-up of classics with new ways to play and interesting bonus content. Pros Includes many recognizable classics from Rare's back catalog Bonus content is insightful and worthwhile. 'Snapshots' offers new ways to play old favourites Cons

Enter the Colorful World of Crayon Chronicles

On the surface, Outer Grid Games’ Crayon Chronicles sounds like a colorful kids game, but beyond its cute exterior lies an action-packed RPG that has been three years in the making.

sounds like a colorful kids game, but beyond its cute exterior lies an action-packed RPG that has been three years in the making. The narrative begins when your friends are kidnapped by a swampyard tyrant, propelling you into a serious rescue mission that involves a mysterious yet benevolent ‘stranger.’ A turn-based RPG at its core, Crayon Chronicles has a host of characters that can carry a helmet, armor, off-hand weapon and ranged weapon, as well as equip a skill power which recharges as players defeat enemies. The enemies, of which there are over 50 variations in total, come in a silly range and include spelling bees, illiter-rats, and big banshees.

While Crayon Chronicles offers a relatively short playthrough time, its randomly generated level design promises strong replay value. Additionally, the game keeps track of the player’s journey and allows them to compare their adventures to those of their friends. If you manage to stay alive, there is a save and continue feature, and the prospect of over 200 items and equipment to find throughout thirteen exploration-fueled environments.

Crayon Chronicles is now available on Steam for $3.99 USD. To stay on top of Outer Grid Games’ latest projects, make sure you like them on Facebookand follow them on Twitter. What do you think about Crayon Chronicles ? Let us know in the comments section.

Grip's A.I. Tech Used In Army Of Two: The 40th Day

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance trailer shows new features

The worldwide leader in insane titles, Square Enix has revealed a new trailer for the latest entry in the now-eleven-years-old Kingdom Hearts series subtitled: Dream Drop Distance. Whatever that means. Kingdom Hearts 3d: Dream Drop Distance will be releasing in North America on July 31, 2012. It will be the eighth entry in the long-running series, and makes a strong case for best/worst title against current series frontrunners " Birth By Sleep " and " 358/2 Days ." Topics Square Enix Role Playing Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance We recommend By Zergnet Load Comments

Sunset review

Sunset review Sunset has a lot to say. It talks of war, of art and culture, family, home and responsibility. It talks of race, gender, wealth, privilege and society as a whole. It talks of love. In a fashion comparable to Gone Home, Sunset is less a game and more an interactive narrative – and whether that’s a criticism or not will come down to your personal tastes. As with Gone Home, you’re tasked

When I was asked to plan the journalism panel at this year's Game Narrative Summit at the recent Game

Developers' Conference Online, I thought my colleagues and I could take the opportunity to talk about diversity -- yet we wanted to go beyond what you'd think of as a "women in games" panel. When I met up with colleagues and fellow panelists Jenn Frank and Mattie Brice ahead of our panel, we started to joke around about all the things that we definitely did not want to say as part of our presentation.

'As a woman': Misconceptions in the diversity discussion

want to say as part of our presentation. Over lunch, we tossed back and forth a bunch of satirical dialogue phrases that began with "as a woman, I...", a send-up of the skewed idea that just because women want to talk about feminism, that means their gender necessarily influences every single one of their ideas and opinions.We might have just been laughing over burgers, but it was clear that our humor hid a real worry: That some of the people who make games might misinterpret a call for diversity and the concept of creating games for perspectives other than your own. And our jokes revealed that there probably are, in fact, at least a few worrying misconceptions out there when it comes to what people want when we ask for equality.Our goal was to to address the viewponts of many people who feel like minorities in the game space, which includes women's issues (not to mention that as a panel of three women, we tended to focus on what we could best speak to). Our panel's now available to viewfor all those who have a GDC Vault pass -- and meanwhile, I've aimed to crystallize and illuminate some common misconceptions about diversity issues in games that we joked about. Women are offended by women's bodies. Sure, games have a history of exploitative stereotypes, and a legacy of making men heroes while making women objects. Back in the 90s, characters like Tomb Raider 's Lara Croft were developed based on idea about what a male creator, or at least, a majority-male audience, would think looked "cool," which meant boobs and butts. We'd like to see a wider range of people represented in games these days, but that doesn't mean any display of an adult woman's body is inherently "sexist" or wrong.In fact, the panelists and I felt just as disillusioned by the false idea that there was some kind of "right way" to be a woman -- an aesthetic that favors "nerdy," androgynous girls in turtlenecks might have been a sort of compensation for the pneumatic flesh obsession of a prior era. But the idea that all displays of sexuality from female characters are inherently degrading is misleading and even counterproductive. It's not the physicality or sexuality of female characters that bothers women. It's only when they're reduced to that inherently or without purpose, or when there's a prescription made for the "best" way to present a womanOn our panel Mattie Brice stonefacedly joked that she sold games back to GameStop at the first sign of breasts in a game, to laughter from attendees. The problem isn't bodies. People need to see themselves. Many people's concerns about diversity in games comes down to the frustrating, lonesome feeling of looking at a medium in which there are no representations of people like themselves, a worry people have on their own behalf as well as for their children, who need positive examples in the entertainment they enjoy.Yet it's not necessarily true that what people most want is "someone they relate to" in entertainment. Actually, plenty of the characters most beloved in popular entertainment gain fans specifically because they aren't like us: For example, Breaking Bad is one of the most popular shows on television, but it's not because most of its viewers cook and sell methamphetamine or relate to drug dealers.Today's players would rather have interesting and believable characters rather than tokens that look like them for their own sake. Diversity is dead serious. Doesn't have to be. Actually, we can joke about it. And a lot of games that have had the broadest appeal don't much deal with race, gender or anything "heavy" -- look at the absurd Katamari Damacy and how hard it is for any kind of person not to love. Many players tend to fear the diversity and gender discussion in games because they think the conversation will over-reach their area of interest or undermine entertainment in favor of dour political initiatives. In fact, people often have the most fun when a game's creators have had fun and aimed thoughtfully. Characters need to be "strong" or "positive". One of the most common questions I get asked as a feminist writer on games is to name some examples of characters that I thought were good or positive portrayals of women. Part of the problem with that approach lies in the idea that interesting and believable characters treated with respect by their creators aren't necessarily "good" or "positive." We accept a wide range of definitions of heroism for men; in fact games frequently feel comfortable placing ugly, troubled or mentally-ill guys in the role of anti-hero, but women rarely receive this kind of treatment.Instead the conversation revolves around a relatively narrow set of qualities associated with female "heroism," where the character is obligated to be a "good role model" for women. That keeps the conversation static and continues to limit creative freedom by placing parameters about positivity about some kinds of characters and not others. Is it about characters in the first place? One of my favorite ideas raised on the panel was the idea that even keeping the focus on the characters and people within game stories is only one idea. Jenn Frank pointed out that the " Chekhov's gun" concept is relevant to games: Even if we continue to have a high volume of games about shooting, the nature of a game -- and who it could appeal to -- can be shifted meaningfully simply by trying a different answer to the question of who's holding the gun and why.The appeal of a game to new or broader audiences has as much, if not more to do with the tone, circumstance and environment as it does with who appears in it and what they look like. Our panel on diversity is now availablefor all GDC Vault members.

Disney removes energy system from Where's My Water following complaints

The games of July 2012

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The Other Brothers’ Not Cancelled, Despite Rumours To The Contrary

‘The Other Brothers’ Not Cancelled, Despite Rumours To The Contrary
Fans gathering excitement for the upcoming mobile action/platformer/adventure sensation, The Other Brothers , can breathe again after its developers debunked recent rumours that the game had been cancelled.

The rumours began to circulate several weeks ago, coming to a head on May 10th when development studio dotBunny issued a claimthat the game had been scrapped in earnest. Fans then took to numerous forums and social media outlets to voice their concerns over the uncertainty surrounding the game’s ongoing development status.

After getting in contact with Thomas Pasieka, however, we’ve ascertained that there may well be more to dotBunny’s than meets the eye.

“The statements made by dotBunny regarding the ‘cancellation’ of The Other Brothers are untrue and we would like to clarify that dotBunny are in no way affiliated with the game,” stated Pasieka. “Please disregard any statements made by them.”

“When I and Bjorn Hurri began looking for a developer, dotBunny were one of the considerations but his prototype did not reflect our vision and so we went with another developer, Simian Squared Ltd,” he continued.

As it stands, then, the game is, indeed, going ahead under the watchful eye of Simian Squared, and that’s more than a little reassuring for those who, like us, see The Other Brothers as an exciting prospect in the mobile gaming medium. Taking on a lavish retro art style, the game takes a leaf out of Super Mario World ‘s approach to smooth, fluid side-scrolling controls. At the moment, the developers are looking to implement such features as racing, collecting, time attacks and, naturally, plenty of running and jumping in a plethora of innovative and eye-catching environments.

More information on the game is likely to be made available on its official website, but we’d highly recommend taking a look at its developer diaryover on the Touch Arcade forums, which the developers have jam-packed with bounteous nuggets of inside information into the creative process underpinning the game. Additional footage with regards to The Other Brothers can be found over on the game’s Facebook page.

Year Walk’ Review – An Early GOTY Contender

‘Year Walk’ Review – An Early GOTY Contender You didn’t read the title wrong.

Year Walk , the latest from Simogo (aka Simon Flesser & Magnus “Gordon” Gardebäck) really is an early game of the year candidate. It’s surreal, spooky and remarkably captivating, standing out amongst the throng of iOS titles released on a daily basis in a silent movie kind of way.

It’s actually a little difficult trying to write a review without spoiling the story itself, so I’ll avoid telling or showing anything too spoilerish. The concept itself revolves around an ancient Swedish tradition, also known as årsgång, and though the folklore varies a little it essentially involves staying within a dark room for a long period of time before going out into the wilderness at midnight. Usually held around Christmas or New Years Eve, the person would have to travel to the church and on arrival walk around the building in a specific pattern in order for his future to be revealed to him.

It’s said that when someone walks through the forest towards the church that they see all kinds of strange creatures, which is exactly what Simogo taps into with their take on the story. As you discover where you are and what you need to do, mysterious creatures and unusual characters will appear to interact with or aid in some puzzle solving. It’s not all that straight forward, in fact you’ll have to do a lot of thinking even early on to be able to move forward.

What isn’t difficult is interacting with the world. The only controls you need to know are swiping to get around the comic book like environment and tapping on certain items or characters in order to interact with them. Once you get that down, which won’t take long, you can focus on trying to figure out where you have to go next. The game does give you a few minor hints, small arrows will appear to show you where you can go, but beyond that it leaves you to your own devices. There’s no menu or pause, no options or the  in-app purchases. This is purely about telling a story and allowing you to discover it for yourself.

And what a story, though its not the only thing that impresses. Both visually and auditorily Year Walk shines, it’s eery tones will get under your skin as even stranger images appear before your eyes. The intention isn’t to scare, not literally, though perhaps some may be weirded out by it.

For those who do want to know more (and perhaps gain a few clues), Simogo have also created a companion app that explains the creatures and philosophy on show. It isn’t necessary to read the companion during your play time, but it adds so much more to the experience as you learn not only about what you saw and interacted with, but other superstitions that go deeper into the meaning of the årsgång itself.

Simogo has taken a huge risk with Year Walk . It’s more a journey than a typical video game, one that I’m very happy to have taken part in. If you want more than just a quick puzzle to pass the time, something with meat on its unearthly bones, here’s your answer.

[review pros=”Beautiful, compelling artwork combined with a wondrous and surreal story, eerie yet wonderful musical score” cons=”Not really for the young ones, you’ll be thinking long and hard to solve some puzzles” score=95]

Get into the mix of Forza Motorsport 6 's audio at GDC 2016

Poll: What's your most-anticipated game of E3 2012?

E3 is coming and all of our questions will soon be answered, or at least put on hold for another year. We've listed the games we're most excited by, and now we want to know what you're most excited about? Which one will have you hitting 'refresh' on your browser just to see if anything new has been said about it? Let us know by voting in this long but beautiful poll: What's your most-anticipated game of E3 2012? And if the very sight of all those mouthwatering games hasn't got your excitement glands fizzing, why not check out our exhaustive list of E3 rumours ?

Terraria Dev Assumes New Role as Publisher for Pixel Piracy

Partner up, people!

Partner up, people! Re-Logic and Quadro Delta, the development teams behind Terraria and Pixel Piracy respectively, have announced an interesting new collaboration. Effective immediately, Re-Logic will assume the mantle of publisher for Pixel Piracy , which is described as a “rogueish, side-scrolling, real time strategy/sandbox/simulation”, in an effort to bolster the promotional reach of the project.

Commenting on the indie-publishing-indie pairing, Quadro Delta Lead Designer and Pixel Piracy creator Vitali Kirpu expressed that “working with Re-Logic will be an amazing opportunity to do Pixel Piracy justice. We feel that our collaboration with one of the world’s most prestigious independent studios will serve as a means to give our humble title the touches it needs to become a sincere contender in the gaming ring. We are honored by the opportunity, and will prove that it was an immensely positive choice.”

Andrew Spinks, CEO of Re-Logic, reaffirmed the excitement both teams share about the team-up. “We are really excited about what Vitali has done so far with Pixel Piracy .  We feel like the game is a good example of what the indie game community has to offer, and we want to do our part to make sure it gets the attention it deserves.”

To be clear, Quadro Delta will continue developing Pixel Piracy as normal. For Re-Logic, this is their first time taking on the responsibilities of publishing another team’s game. However, they already have plans for expanding their portfolio in the near future. For now, more information about Pixel Piracy can be found on the Quadro Delta website. Early access builds of the game can be purchased on Steam(where it is currently discounted in celebration of the announcement, going for 33% off.) and Humble Bundle.

Game of Thrones season 5 recap - everything you need to know

Each season of Game of Thrones causes the momentum of the political conflict between the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros to shift wildly. Like season 4 before it, season 5 continues to keep us on our toes. Once-powerful characters find themselves ousted from power if they're lucky - or in far more dire straits if they aren't - and the actions of a few often have far-reaching (if not always immediately obvious

Feature: Creating A Newsgame - Bin Laden Raid

Kingdom Hearts 3D UK release date announced

Square Enix is bringing Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance to Europe and PAL territories on July 20, 2012, giving UK fans an eleven day jump on their North America counterparts who are scheduled to receive the 3DS sequel on July 31, 2012. (read: Kingdom Hearts 3D North American release date marked for summer ). The studio revealed the overseas release date along with a rundown of the “never-before

The IGM Let’s Play – BattleBlock Theatre Part 2

Welcome to the IGM Let’s Play!

Welcome to the IGM Let’s Play! In this weekly show, we take a day to have some fun. Either with our hitbox Armada team, or with our own authors, or even with members of our audience! We always have a great game to watch and conversation to be had, so sit back, relax and enjoy! Come watch (and “follow”) the show live on our hitbox channelevery Wednesday night at 9:00pm EDT.

Host: Nick Cescon (@Avg_Gmr), Anthony Percival (@Killerpeachy)
Original Air Date: June 30, 2014

Hold onto your butts viewers, ‘cuz we’re going in for a second round! We were all like, no way am I gonna play this game again, but then IGM was like… PSYCHE and then Killerpeachy and AVG GMR joined forces to bring you another fun let’s play of BattleBlock Theatre , enjoy!

Ravenfield is a fun and free single-player Battlefield-style shooter

I've been playing Ravenfield , a free FPS I found on Itch.io , and I've been playing it so much it's been difficult to stop playing for long enough to write about it.

playing for long enough to write about it. I love when that happens.

Ravenfield is Battlefield-style shooter, with team Blue versus team Red. Though it's single-player only, you fight alongside scores of AI friendlies and attempt to secure control of five capture points on an island. There are helicopters, jeeps, and boats, and your choice of loadout weapons like a sniper rifle, AK-47, and shotgun. Sure, the characters are blocky, single color shapes, but they do ragdoll quite satisfyingly as you'll see in the gifs on this page.

According to Ravenfield's creator, SteelRaven7: "It started out as an experiment with ragdolls and AI, and will remain a slightly experimental, for-fun game project."

I've played a few matches, and though not everything works perfectly—the AI get stuck sometimes, and I spent quite a while flopping around in the ocean after crashing a chopper because swimming doesn't work that well—it's still a complete hoot. The gameplay and goals are pretty simple, as explained on the Itch.io page:

"The objective of the game is to beat your enemy team's score by 200 points. Do this by capturing flags and murderizing enemies. Besides providing additional spawn points, each flag your team holds increases your Flag Multiplier. This multiplier increases the score you gain per enemy kill. The team score bars indicate what team is currently winning, push out the enemy bar to win the game! You can also win the game by capturing all spawn points."

Plus, it really does feel like Battlefield. My squadmates will all jump in a car or chopper and split without me. And, on the rare occasion I do get into a chopper, I almost immediately crash. That's about how my experience in Battlefield games goes too, so I feel right at home.

I appreciate that the AI can be bamboozled, too. They're not operating with psychic powers, as I found when I climbed into a boat, circled the island, and came up to a capture point from behind. Those boxy Reds were completely unaware I was there, and I was able to capture the point after taking some of them down.

Ravenfield is free, and you should really pick it up.

Half-Life writer Marc Laidlaw leaves Valve after 18 years

New Super Mario Bros 2: Coins collected exceeds 300 billion, Nintendo release free DLC to celebrate

Nintendo has announced the total number of coins collected by players in New Super Mario Bros 2 has exceeded 300 billion, and to celebrate it’s released free DLC for the 3DS game. The additional gratis content is a Gold Classics Pack for Coin Rush mode and includes classic courses based on levels from Super Mario Bros and Super Mario Bros 3. Check the Nintendo Direct Mini presentation below for the

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Jump to Section: Best Price Comments Our Verdict In capturing the spirit of Borderlands and setting the standard for comedy games, Tales knocks down every target it means to hit. A must-play for those who loves episodics, and also fun. Pros Ridiculous action that never gets old A great sense of humor and balance between comedy and drama Unique and eccentric characters who grow on you fast A love letter

Fallout 4 adds autosaves upon exiting, including for Survival mode

Bethesda rolled out version 1.6 of Fallout 4 today, which delivers a few nice changes, but one in particular.

today, which delivers a few nice changes, but one in particular. After its introduction in beta, it's now live: the addition of exit saves. If you exit to the main menu while playing, a save file will be created. Upon loading that save, the file will be deleted. The key benefit is for those players using Survival mode, as prior to the update they would have had to find a bed to sleep in before being able to save and quit their game.

While I respect the idea of making Survival mode a more challenging experience, I've never liked that sleep-to-save requirement. It's just not practical. Having no choice but to find an in-game bed can be a real inconvenience if you need to quit playing at a particular moment, or even if you simply want to quit. With the patch, you can now quit the game without losing all the progress from the last bed you visited. And you can't use it as a crutch, either: once you load it, the save vanishes, so you won't be able to continually reload from that point. It's more practical but doesn't allow you to simply reload repeatedly if you die. It feels like a somewhat decent compromise.

Other changes include new icons for the Workshop mode that indicate where you can find items that are part of the add-on DLC. Though the Workshop menu is still poorly arranged, at least now you can find new items more quickly. Also, Codsworth has learned 300 more player names, so if you've been disappointed he never addressed you as "Sir Humplebutt" you might have another try.

The full patch notesare below, and include my favorite item: "Dead settlers can no longer be commanded or assigned to supply lines." Lazy dead settlers.

New features ExitSave - Exiting to the Main Menu will create an ExitSave. During next play session, the ExitSave will delete itself after you load it. The Existsave works in all difficulty levels including Survival. New Add On specific icons in Workshop mode More than 300 new player names added to Codsworth's vocabulary Support for upcoming Add OnsFixes General stability and performance improvements  Fixed a crash related to targeting an enemy weapon while in VATS Fixed an issue where a Companion would become stuck walking and unable to run Fixed issue in "Mankind Redefined" to prevent the player from getting stuck in elevators while in Mass Fusion Building In "Boston After Dark" quest now completes properly when waiting for Old Man Stockton Fixed occasional issue where player would become permanently invisible Dead settlers can no longer be commanded or assigned to supply lines Fixed issue where deleting saved games would cause other saves to disappear Fixed occasional issues with activating mods that did not come from Bethesda.net Minor bug fixes and optimizations to Mods load order and browsing

Her Story is a live-action crime story, now on Greenlight

Now this is interesting.

is interesting. Live action in games may give you flashbacks to a bald man trying to conquer the world in Command & Conquer (or, gods forbid, Night Trap), but I've long suspected it could be used in less, er, camp situations. Her Story looks like just that: it's a crime fiction game in which you search video interviews stored in a police database.

It's being created by Sam Barlow, who wrote Silent Hill: Shattered Memories and... actually, let's take a quick tangent.

***A TANGENT***

Sam Barlow also made Aisle, an interactive fiction game created back in 1999. It's a remarkable game—a single action story that changes its context based on what you tell your character to do. It was also remarkably effective as a tutorial for the genre. With one action to make, you're free to explore the limits of the text parser without consequence, letting you get a feel for what's possible to do. It's well worth a play.

***END OF TANGENT***

As for Her Story, it sounds like it'll be pretty easy to get to grips with. "If you can Google, you can play Her Story," writes Barlow on the game's Greenlight page. "The mechanic of searching for clips in the database is so simple that anyone can pick up and play. But it’s a mechanic that quickly reveals its richness and complexity. At times it can feel like you’re engaged in a genuine dialogue with this woman and her story. It’s a unique way to interact with a narrative, a sculptural way of viewing a story -- and something that can only be done interactively."

If you're interested, you can vote for the game on the aforementioned Greenlight page. Alternatively, head to the official Her Story website.

New Super Mario Bros 2 DLC out now in UK, Nintendo confirms more on the way

The first instalment of add-on content for New Super Mario Bros 2 on 3DS is available now from the European Nintendo eShop. The DLC is a course pack for the game’s Coin Rush mode and consists of three separate packs, with each pack made up of three courses. The packs are as follows: #1 Gold Rush Pack #2 Coin Challenge Pack A #3 Nerve-Wrack Pack The course pack can be bought as a complete set for £6

Skara – The Blade Remains in Final Hours of its Kickstarter Campaign

Skara – The Blade Remains is such a unique beast of a game that the developers even coined a new genre type for it: Multiplayer Online Versus, or MOV for short.

is such a unique beast of a game that the developers even coined a new genre type for it: Multiplayer Online Versus, or MOV for short. This is due to the fact that the game plays like an arena battler with RPG elements, such as skill trees, but also contains the fighting mechanics of a fighter, meaning timing and accuracy are needed for pulling off combos and fatalities.

The game also features five classes, each customizable from their appearance to fighting style. Players will then be able to take their character and form allegiances, or otherwise duel in one-on-one battles, or fight for glory in bouts that include up to 16 blood thirsty fighters. Form a team and set forth with the goal of dominating areas and gaining renown in the world as your reign expands. Only the best players can become immortalized by being known as heroes or kings.

Skara – The Blade Remains currently has a Kickstartercampaign in process and it is very near to achieving its goal, though it only has a little more than a day left. The game has also successfully completed a Steam Greenlight, and plans to enter into Steam Early Access as soon as possible. Those excited for the savage and skill testing battles of Skara can help the game complete its final steps by spreading the word about the Kickstarter as it sees its final push.

Impulse Revolution Spins Over to Couch Co-op

For fans of local multiplayer, there’s a new addition on Steam.

Impulse Revolution doesn’t feature cars, however. The creators describe it as “air hockey racing.”

Set in a neon-cyber world, Impulse Revolution tasks each player with controlling a tiny ship. The controls, while simple, are intentionally challenging. They’re dubbed as “tank controls,” with each ship being rotated either left or right, while propelling forward. Instead of accelerating gradually as in typical racing games, the ships can repeatedly “dash” for speed. In addition to racing, players can fire off a variety of weapons at each other as they attempt to clear laps as quickly as possible.

Frantically vying for the finish line is just one way to play Impulse Revolution . In Elimination, as soon as one puck-ship goes off-screen, they’re out of the race. Chain Gang has rules just like any other race, but every player gets chained to someone and must stay close. The Hunter mode is entirely different. One puck hunts the other players and converts them to their side, while the rest dodge and hide behind obstacles. In addition to these gameplay types, there are five extra minigames.

Mandlebar Games comprises four Northern-Irish game development students. They developed Impulse Revolution during their university placement year, a time set aside for professional work. Post-release, the studio plans to fix bugs, as well as work on more single-player content for the game. There are no current plans to bring online multiplayer into the mix.

released on Steam last week and is available for $6.99. It’s compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux. Up to four people can play on one keyboard.

Check out Mandlebar Games on Twitter, Facebook, and their blogfor more updates about this multiplayer racer.

Enemy offers turn-based tactics with a squad of retro game heroes, is now on Greenlight

Enemy first came to my attention last year, when its Kickstarter campaign promised to deliver X-Com-a-like turn-based tactics with a retro game twist.

promised to deliver X-Com-a-like turn-based tactics with a retro game twist. Its items, abilities and, yes, enemies, are all drawn from gaming's 8-bit era, but the action takes place across fully destructible and randomly generated voxel environments. Enemy recently appeared on Steam Greenlight, and a new trailer shows how things have progressed.

"Every time you start a new game, the game procedurally generates a new world, using decades-old video games as its building blocks," writes developer Tom Johnson on Enemy's Greenlight page. "The result is a collision of genres, where haunted swamps, tropical war zones, and peaceful mushroom villages all stand side-by-side. You'll build up your own custom squad of retro game characters, with a mix of skills ranging from mental health and reaction time, to the use of blasters and the ability to jump five times your own height."

But if Enemy's building blocks seem more console focused, the combat is pure PC – inspired by games like X-Com and Jagged Alliance. "You'll devise strategies based around the unique set of abilities you've chosen for your team, and then execute them step-by-step," Johnson writes, "all while responding to counter-moves made by the enemy. It models the stress of battle on your heroes, who can flee or go berserk if things start to go too wrong. Additionally, everything in the game is destructible."

For more, visit the Enemy website.

The Simple And Wonderful Power of ‘Hundreds’

Simplicity can work both ways.

Simplicity can work both ways. On the one hand, you can create something that presents a concept or idea without throwing everything at it, including the kitchen sink. On the other, you undercook an idea without fully fleshing it out.

In the case of Hundreds , a new game out this week, the kitchen sink is thankfully no where to be seen. Hundreds is all about tapping circles filled with numbers on the screen, growing them until they reach the number 100 in order to complete the level.

It seems simple enough, but that’s just scratching the surface of what this puzzle game is all about. As the circles grow they may turn red when they get close, and if two of these red circles touch as they move across the screen, it’s game over.

Other obstacles will start to appear as the levels grow more difficult over time, making it more difficult to wrap your brain around the concept of counting to 100. It’s all about using space wisely and timing your count to the last second as more and more circles litter the play field.

Hundreds is a joint effort between Semisecret Software (the creators of Canabalt ) and Greg Wohlwend , a.k.a aeiowu ( Puzzlejuice ), who first came up with the concept a few years back. In fact, you can see a preview of sorts by checking out the original flash based concept right here.

The full and updated Hundreds can be found on the Apple App Store starting January 3rd. For more on how the game came to be, check out the official Semisecret blog and stay tuned for more on the game here on IGM Mobile .

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Micro Pool Review

One the many advantages that real-life games have over computer is the realistic sound effects.

One the many advantages that real-life games have over computer is the realistic sound effects. And while other pool games utilize annoying background music, the developers of Micro Pool – Botond FM– spared no expense in the realism of Micro Pool, from the sound effects to the physics of the game – but more on that later.

There are a total of 12 of game modes available in Micro Pool  (also known as µPool). There are 4 available rule sets for gameplay. The first one is US-8 Ball (also known as billiards). The other 3 modes include 9-ball pool, Killer, and Speed, generally unknown types of gameplay to those who know as little about pool as myself. To those interested, the exact rules for gameplay can be found on Wikipedia. As to the other 3 modes available for the 12 total combinations, you can play either You v. A friend, You v. iDevice, or iDevice v. iDevice, a seemingly useless version of gameplay.

The graphics of µPool are crisp and clear on a 4th generation iPod Touch. While not the greatest clarity possible on such a small screen, they are crisp enough to read the number on the balls, which I believe is important for some versions of pool.

The controls are located on the right side of the screen, which is actually somewhat uncomfortable for the right handed user. This cannot be changed in the settings. The angle of the shot is adjusted by placing the finger anywhere on the screen and moving, rotating the entire plane of aim. Power is determined by pulling back on the small image of the stick on the right of the screen, where greater pullback leads to greater power.

Ah, the physics. This game truly stands out because of its physics. The movement of every ball is so accurate, and I can guarantee that for every shot that was oh-so-barely missed, I never felt that it was because of poor programming. The friction and transfer of energy is clearly the result of hours of painstaking programming, and Botond FM deserved full credit for that.

Reviewed Device: iPod Touch 4G

[review pros=”Great physics, sound effects and lots of game modes” cons=”Controls aren’t very right hand friendly and music cannot be played while using app” score=90]

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UPDATED] PAX East First Impressions – Dyscourse

[UPDATED] PAX East First Impressions – Dyscourse Survival games have risen in popularity recently, setting the stage for a number of games that ask players to manage resources, take calculated risks, and find a place to make camp before nightfall.

Survival games have risen in popularity recently, setting the stage for a number of games that ask players to manage resources, take calculated risks, and find a place to make camp before nightfall. But amidst all the crafting and combat, there’s often a certain element missing from the survival game formula: The human element. That very element is the exact one Owlchemy Labs is choosing to focus on with their upcoming title Dyscourse , a game where surviving a conversation will prove more difficult than surviving the night.

Offering players a brief demo on display at PAX, the team at Owlchemy Labs was keen to make sure I understood that Dyscourse is first and foremost a story-driven game. Player-choice will be at the forefront, and every decision will weigh heavily on the remainder of the adventure. And I do mean every choice. Dyscourse considers every conversation players have and reacts accordingly, slowly molding the personalities of fellow NPC survivors on the island around the player’s decisions. If all goes according to plan, most players will have an experience completely unique to them, with drastic shifts in events and character interactions based on dozens of variables.

In fact, the team told me one of their favorite moments of PAX was when a husband and wife played the game facing back to back on different computers simultaneously. They both finished the demo within minutes of each other, turned to discuss their thoughts, and quickly realized neither had seen the majority of scenes the other had witnessed. Intrigued to experience the game from their partner’s perspective, they were both eager to play the demo for a second time, each following in the other’s footsteps.

While Dyscourse is a single-player game, the above anecdote serves to prove the game will have a social component as well, one fueled by discussion as players discover alternate versions of events across the branching story arcs. The basic story centers around Rita, a plane-wrecked survivor stranded on an island with her fellow passengers. (You might say they get a bit Lost …) This allows the game to tackle a few hard-hitting emotional topics, including group psychology and the survivor’s struggle. Of course, all the heavy stuff is kept in check by Owlchemy’s unique brand of absurd humor, so don’t expect to be bummed out all the time.

When I first looked at Dyscourse, I thought it was a more puzzle-oriented point-and-click of sorts. But the team was quick to point out (heh) that there’s actually no real puzzle solving in the game at all, it’s more exploration based. While there won’t be any sprawling environments, each area will have a number of people and objects to interact with that will then trigger story events. Owlchemy Labs also told me that the interesting visual style was a conscious decision. They want Dyscourse to be a game that people can instantly recognize from a screenshot, relying solely on the distinctive aesthetic alone. Of course, the visual style then influenced the music of the game, which will feature a number of tracks as diverse as the island’s various locations themselves. Since the entire game takes place on an island, the team made sure there was more than just sand and rocks to explore, so Rita’s adventure will take her through a number of different areas.

Update: An official statement by Alex Schwartz sent to IGM clarifies the game’s length and additional content

Dyscourse will be broken into “days” that are connected by an overarching narrative. Additionally, Owlchemy Labs “Chief Scientist” Alex Schwartz told me that, “ Dyscourse ‘s playable snippet at PAX showcased a 3-day situation on the island, while the full scenario starring Rita will likely feature 10-days worth of narrative. In addition to the Rita scenario, Dyscourse will ship with the Indie Plane Crash scenario showcasing multiple prominent indie developers stuck on an island on their way to GDC.” The game will be available for PC, Mac, and Linux, and is currently up for pre-orderafter a successful Kickstartercampaign. The core game costs $15.00 to pre-order, while putting down $20.00 nets early adopters Beta access, a digital artbook, and a digital soundtrack. There’s also a $30.00 pre-order for those who’d like a making-of documentary as well. To find out more about Dyscourse , check out the Owlchemy Labs team on Twitterand Facebook.

Half-Life 2 mod NeoTokyo released as standalone package on Steam

Competitive first-person shooters love to depict the gritty 'realism' of soldiers locked in an endless war of explosions and swearing.

Competitive first-person shooters love to depict the gritty 'realism' of soldiers locked in an endless war of explosions and swearing. NeoTokyo isn't entirely different, but supplements its urgent shooting with cyberpunk and a nice soundtrack. After being successfully Greenlit in 2012, the Half-Life 2 mod is finally available to download directly from Steam—now entirely free from its SDK dependencies.

If you've not played the mod, it's similar in style to Counter-Strike—albeit a class-based Counter-Strike that's been clearly inspired by Ghost in the Shell. As the title elegantly suggests, it's set in future Tokyo, where a war is raging between the NSF and JINRAI. There are two modes to play–Team Deathmatch and Capture the Ghost. The 'Ghost' in question is the top half of a robot lady. It is cyberpunk as all heck.

You can now grab the game for free directly from Steam, and, if you'd like to know what you're getting yourself into, can read up on NeoTokyo's peculiarities here.

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Now Rock Simulator 2014 wants your money [Updated]

The developers have reduced the project's funding goal to $500.

We would like to confirm the goal $5k on IndieGoGo was a mistake. It was originally wanted it to be $500. Thanks Again! June 27, 2014

Original: Rock Simulator 2014, then. That it existsis seemingly joke enough, but now its developers are asking that people help support its development. A new IndieGoGo campaign has appeared, asking crowdfunders for $5,000. Hilarious, right?

As much as I usually love the sillier aspects of our hobby, there's an important point to raise before we continue: coverage is not endorsement. That this is happening strikes me as noteworthy—especially as questions are increasingly being asked about the quality of games making it onto popular distribution channels, and the risk and tension that surrounds Kickstarter and Early Access. You are, of course, free to spend your money however you please, but, in this case, I certainly wouldn't advise it. For one thing, I'm yet to see how the joke will extend past this image.

The campaign is using IndieGoGo's Flexible Funding option, meaning any money raised will go to the developers—whether they reach the $5,000 totalor not. The campaign pagesays the money will go towards licensing the software, and that all funds will "go directly toward the game", but beyond that, they're not entirely clear about what that entails.

It's all a bit strange, but also hopefully means we're fast approaching the end of this "deliberately bad simulator" joke. There have been some good things to come out of it—Surgeon Simulator standing out as a particular high—but now we seem locked into a race to rock-bottom. I know; I'm sorry. I had to get that in somewhere.

Beyond the campaign itself, Rock Simulator 2014 will be "free to play". Hopefully, by that, the devs actually mean free—unless they've got plans for some pegmatite DLC.

Indie Links Round-Up: Out Of Office

“Colin Northway and his wife Sarah dump their heavy backpacks on the floor of a modest-looking house in the Philippines.

Today’s Indie Linksinclude: Northways, Chasms, Ns and Ostriches.

Born Unequal: The Story of Incredipede(Polygon)
“Colin Northway and his wife Sarah dump their heavy backpacks on the floor of a modest-looking house in the Philippines. This will be their home for the next few months. There’s a kitchen and a bathroom, windows to let in the dense tropical air, a few more mosquitoes than they’re used to clinging to the ceiling, a choppy internet connection and space for them to set up their laptops and make video games. The house also comes with what the Northways describe as one of the weirdest and most intolerable situations they’ve encountered: a housekeeper.”

N version 2.0 released by Metanet Software, adds local multiplayer, level sharing(Polygon)
“Metanet Software released version 2.0 of N, its challenging and highly addictive ninja platforming game, for free through its official website, adding a host of new features, including local co-op multiplayer and built-in level sharing.”

Chasm(PixelProspector)
“Chasm is a promising action-rpg platformer with fine pixel art.”

Playing The Games That Nobody Else Has Played(Kotaku)
“The site Zero Feedback has a noble mission statement: to track down and play independent, freeware games that for whatever reason have gone completely unnoticed.”

Live Free, Play Hard: Then Mystical Snake Shit Happened(RPS)
“THIS WEEK: Slapstick fencing. DESTROY YOUR HOME. Mystical snake shit.”

Indie Pleas: Indie game crowd funding roundup for May 17, 2013(IndiePub)
“For those of you who love procedurally-generated levels, you should definitely check out TinyKeep and Moon Rift!”

Ostrich Island – Review(Independent Gaming)
“The graphics are simple but they need not be amazing rig-destroyers, and the animations and sound effects are decent, as is the music (that isn’t anything too special but isn’t hard on the ears). Charm is everywhere, from the concept itself to the cute idle animations.”

Review: Bad Bots(Indie Game Reviewer)
“The gameplay of Bad Bots features a healthy mix of gun-toting action and light puzzling. The Titan is split up into separate rooms (170 of them to be exact) that load individually making for an experience mildly reflective of classic platformer/action titles like Flashback. Bad Bots is far more action focused than the early 90s platformer however, and you’ll be blasting away bots for much more time than you spend mulling over puzzles.”

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Transformers: War For Cybertron Character Profile – Optimus Prime

This is the first of several character profiles we'll be running for Transformers: War For Cybertron, showcasing exclusive concept art and the new visual style that High Moon Studios is using in the game.

This is the first of several character profiles we'll be running for Transformers: War For Cybertron, showcasing exclusive concept art and the new visual style that High Moon Studios is using in the game. We'll kick things off with everyone's favorite Autobot leader, Optimus Prime. You can check out his new vehicle form above and his robot form below.

Though Optimus is a powerful and respected Transformer at the start of War For Cybertron, he is not yet the leader of the Autobots. After a devastating Decepticon attack on his home city of Iacon, Optimus is forced to step up and help lead his people to victory – wherever that might be.

In robot form, Optimus' main weapon is the Ion Blaster, a special gun that's totally unique to him. His vehicle mode, on the other hand, resembles the truck we all know him as, but actually operates as a Cybertronian tank. His special abilities include Warcry and Mark Target. Though we're not entirely sure what these are yet, it sounds like they may be more focused on buffing allies than full-out assault.

Stay tuned to Game Informer for two more big character profiles from War For Cybertron in the coming weeks. You can watch for those and all of our other Transformers: War For Cybertron coverage in our War For Cybertron hub.

Towns development halts after its sole developer abandons the game

Ever since it appeared in late-2012, Towns has served almost as a warning for the dangers of Early Access—despite being released before Steam's alpha purchase model was officially a thing.

Ever since it appeared in late-2012, Towns has served almost as a warning for the dangers of Early Access—despite being released before Steam's alpha purchase model was officially a thing. Accepted through Greenlight, the developers launched the game before having implemented the majority of its promised features. Eighteen months later, and a Steam Reviews page filled with angry red thumbssuggests that those initial blueprints were never achieved. Now, it seems, they never will be. Florian 'Moebius' Frankenberger, the person most recently in charge of Towns' "ongoing development", has abandoned the game, effectively halting further production.

"I hope you are not too disappointed," Frankenberger wrote in a post on the Towns forum. "And if you are: I'm really sorry. I'm quite new to indie game dev and I couldn't really see that the game sales were declining that rapidly. I guess if I had more experience I would have seen it coming."

It's a bizarre situation. Towns received relatively few updates over its history, and the original developers had planned to stop production in February of this year. Just over a month ago, Frankenberger joined as the game's new sole developer, renewing fans hopes of further support. But in the post announcing his departure, Frankenberger admits that he overestimated how much the game was selling. "I agreed to work on Towns for 15% of what would remain after removing all the taxes and the Steam fee ... To be completely honest, I can't work for that little amount."

Based on Frankenberger's post, it seems the team is now betting on a sequel. "Xavi and I were talking about a possible Towns2," he wrote. "At the moment this is just in an idea stage and we can't really say if he, I, or eventually Ben have the time to create a Towns2." That news will be of little comfort to those who supported and funded the development of the original game.

New Super Mario Bros 2 gets its first DLC - watch the new Coin Rush action here

The first ever DLC for a core Mario game is upon us, or at least upon Japanese gamers as there's no concrete release date for the UK/US just yet. It's new levels for Coin Rush mode in New Super Mario Bros 2 on 3DS, available to purchase from an in-game shop. Son't say Nintendo never moves with the times. There are three packs, each costing 200 Yen (which is about £1.60). The Go! Go! Gold Mario pack

Kickstart This: Episodic Sci-Fi Adventure Verona

Prior Games recently launched their Kickstarter campaign for Verona , a sci-fi “Romeo & Juliet” story IGM covered back in March .

. The campaign is seeking a pledge of $375,000 by Oct 29, while also revealing other features of the game.

Verona will be released episodically, with five chapters scheduled for Season One. They will tell the story of this dying Earth’s “Romeo” and “Juliet”, who belong to two rival families currently interacting with Earth. “Romeo” is an Extractor, responsible for extracting fine art, important treasures, and national artifacts for the very wealthy sitting safe in space. “Juliet” is from a family that is part of the Global Traffic Department, also known as the GTD or Chevrons, responsible for evacuating Earth of its otherwise-doomed inhabitants.

Each episode follows the extraction of something important, with environmental mini-games and puzzles built around the process. This includes the use of a drone known as the “Firefly”, which provides a first-person view to explore the site and scan data for more cash. Each episode is then interconnected by intermezzos in 2-D adventure segments that play out on the Extractors’ mothership, the Queen Mab.

Each episode is expected to offer 45-60 minutes of gameplay on a single run-through, but offers more replay value with mission branches, story dialogue options, and multiple possible endings. Verona is an ambitious sci-fi game with the same conceptual scope as Mass Effect , encouraging multiple playthroughs for game completion. To support this game, pledge to the Kickstarter campaign, and follow the team on Twitter.

App Store Update: November 28 – ‘Revolve’, ‘God of Blades’, + More

With hundreds of new apps making their debut,  being updated, or dropping in price on the App Store everyday, it can be hard to keep up with the latest mobile indie games.

With hundreds of new apps making their debut,  being updated, or dropping in price on the App Store everyday, it can be hard to keep up with the latest mobile indie games. We’ve sorted through them so you don’t have to. Here’s the latest in mobile indie games on iOS.

New Releases

21 Days – ()

Betrayed by your partner in crime doing one last bank robbery, you find yourself locked away in a medium-security jail. Take control as anti-hero Sam Cooper and get to freedom. You’ve got 21 days… Teaming up with an accomplice on the inside, engineer your escape before being transported to a maximum-security facility. By tricking, abetting, poisoning, and generally sucking-up to the dubious characters in the world in which you’re imprisoned, work your way closer and closer to freedom over 25+ story-driven levels of varying difficulty. You’ll need a cool head and impeccable timing.

Revolve – ( Free)

Revolve is a new spin on the age old paddle and ball formula. Manoeuvre the paddles around a circular track to keep balls in play while avoiding obstacles, building multipliers and using powerups to slow down time and create forcefields. Earn bunts by scoring points to buy powerups in the store and bling your paddle!

Price Drops

Bad Hotel – ()

You are a budding entrepreneur, whose hotel is rather unfortunately located within the territory of Tarnation Tadstock, the Texas Tyrant. Your only defense against Tadstock’s army of seagulls, rats, yetis, and more is to build your hotel as quickly and intelligently as possible, using an array of increasingly sophisticated weapons.

God of Blades – ()

The dead king rises! Become a spectral warrior who has returned to defend his planet against a rampaging doom-cult and the devouring touch of the cosmic horrors they serve. Wrenching this world from the grasp of oblivion, the Nameless King wields phantom blades forged from the legends and heritage of a dying world.

Haggis – ()

From the green hills of the Scottish highlands comes a card game stuffed full of fun. The goal is simply to play all of your cards first. But beware, hidden in the misty crags are subtle strategies that require mastery of tricky combinations, wild cards and… “bombs”.

Lili – ()

On the mysterious island of Geos, Lili will meet a number of hilarious locals, explore beautiful environments, solve some puzzles, and even challenge an oppressive regime or two along her way. Lili uses an amusing “non-combat” system for dealing with enemies, and sorts out a few personal issues along the way.

Super Snack Time – ( Free)

Launch into the skies in this charming, fast-paced Arcade popper! Get ready to throw down as you launch Hoggy up to pop countless tasty creatures using your sling-bandana and an arsenal of exciting power-ups. Passive is for the birds; get aggressive and don’t stop flingin’ until your belly is full!

Updates

God of Blades – ()

– New Game Mode: Revenant* iIvade Your Friends’ Games In Revenant Mode* Create, Customize and Level Up your own heroes and let them invade your friend’s game. If they want to beat your score, they’re going to have face your champion.* Create your own helmets and armor sets. Beware the glowing eyes.– Two New Environments* Battle your way across the ethereal meeting place of intergalactic Star-Striders — giant space jellyfish!* The subterranean underground adventure continues forever in the blazing caverns of the Cave of Memory!– Loreskeeker Update* Arcrim, Starwind, and The Tower are now unlockable with either Loreseeker or regular sword points* New Eternal stage unlockable via Loreseeker. There be dragons!– Facebook Support for the Short Story Generation in Eternal

ADOM, Logigun and 73 others get the Greenlight on Steam

I have good news for those of you who can't wait to get your hands on Super Lemonade Factory, I am weapon or Car Disassembly 3D: Steam has given the Greenlight to 75 more titles, including those three and even one that's actually been banned.

Do I sound cynical when I talk about Steam Greenlight? I don't mean to (okay, maybe just a bit) but it can be tricky to avoid a jaded tone when you're looking at an admission system whose one requirement for entry seems to be asking nicely. That's obviously a gross distortion of the facts but it's been less than two weeks since the last batch of 75was let into the club, and that's a rate that can lead to a certain amount of exhaustion.

But as always, that's not to suggest that there aren't some winners in here. ADOM (Ancient Domains of Mystery) has been around for ages and is probably long overdue for a Steam release, and Age of Enigma: The Secret of the Sixth Ghost was well-reviewed when it originally launched a few years ago. Logigun is a fine puzzle game—I quite enjoyed it when I played it back in 2012—and Pushcat has cats, so sure, why not? Rather oddly, one game to make the cut—ReLive, from inACTIVE Pixel Studios—has also been bannedfor violating Steam's terms of service.

I suppose that's the upside to passing through huge numbers of games in a single go: The percentage of iffy content may be high, but everybody's bound to find something they like in there. As usual, getting the Greenlight doesn't necessarily mean these games will appear on Steam anytime soon; each of them will launch independently when they're ready to go.

This is what happens when you get one million coins in New Super Mario Bros 2

New Super Mario Bros. 2 runs and jumps onto shelves across Europe today, so to celebrate its release we've dug up a video of one dedicated player reaching a total of one million collected coins in the Japanese version of the game. Nintendo are encouraging players to amass one million coins in NSMB2, with a running counter keeping track of players' tallies on the over-world screen. However, you might

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter Soundtrack Appears in January 2015

The critically-acclaimed detective thriller, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter , is one of the more visually impressive games out there.

, is one of the more visually impressive games out there. Moreover, the tunes accompanying the game will be released in an original soundtrack, dated January 27th, 2015. Take a peek at the cover art:

Mikolai Stroinski crafted the musical background for Polish studio The Astronauts.

“I started with the detective story element first; composing music that would not interfere with problem-solving yet had forward momentum. Adding the dimension of horror required care; it’s not a sudden scare jump game,” said the composer in an interview with IGM. “It’s like adding oregano while making sure your dish doesn’t come out tasting Italian. It requires subtlety. I would say the main challenge was also adding to the beautiful landscapes and the story of Ethan , without revealing too much about the plot.”

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter was recently a nominee in the “Best Independent Game” category at the Game Awards 2014. Ethan Carter follows the story Paul Prospero, a private detective investigating a cult and the mysterious circumstances of the disappearance of a young boy in Red Creek Valley.

Sumthing Else Music Worksrevealed the album art for the soundtrack, and will begin distributing the compilation on January 27th, 2015. Check out their website for the upcoming release, and make sure to read our interview with Stroinski, where he further explains his thought process behind orchestrating the sound for The Vanishing of Ethan Carter and other projects like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt .

Please the Gods With Sport in Way of Redemption

A number of people may not be interested in competitive sports, but are huge fans of sports in a virtual arena.

A number of people may not be interested in competitive sports, but are huge fans of sports in a virtual arena. Thanks to Pixel Cream, these folks have another escape. The studio’s 3D multiplayer online sports arena (MOSA), Way of Redemption , brings sport to the attention of the gods, and was recently launched on Steam Greenlight.

In Way of Redemption , players compete in a tournament as a way of proving their worth to the gods. If they win, they are worthy of redemption. Fighting for this redemption is a range of heroes from many galaxies, each trying to “weaken the enemy’s portal at the same time as protecting” their own in matches that the studio promises will be competitive and addictive.

Matches can be either competitive or co-operative, contain up to four players (two players on each team), and each character can be customized with skills, items and skins to create the perfect team player.  If that’s not enough, those that perform well will be rewarded depending on their rank and classification; this presents an opportunity to show off to other players.

Way of Redemption has also been selected as one of the finalists in Playstation’s Madrid Games Week 2015 awards, where it is in a list of 20 games hoping to receive awards such as “Best Game 2015”, “Most Innovative Game”, and “Best Use of Playstation Platforms”.

Ready to play for the gods’ forgiveness? Check out Way of Redemption on Steam Greenlight, head to the game’s official website, or get in touch with the studio on Facebookor Twitter.

Frontiers trailer heralds the exploration RPG's arrival on Greenlight

Frontiers is doing well for a game with a UI font that looks distinctly Papyrus-esque.

Frontiers is doing well for a game with a UI font that looks distinctly Papyrus-esque. Last year, its Kickstarter trekked past the original target, securing over $150,000 for the exploration-based RPG. Now comes the next stage in the development pilgrimage: passing through Greenlight. Hoping to capture the interest of wandering internet travellers, creator Lars Simkins has released a new trailer for the game.

The game appears to be that rarest of things: a significant and large open world that nevertheless demonstrates an achievable scope. Simkins has focused in on the elements of sandbox RPGs that most excite him, and is creating Frontiers as a way to fully evolve those inspirations. It's a game that not just includes exploration, but is about exploration.

As the Greenlight pageexplains, "Other games have touched on that elusive feeling, especially Elder Scrolls and early Fallout games, but as fun as they are and as much as I love hardcore RPG mechanics, I've always dreamt of a game that emphasized exploration above all else."

For more on Frontiers, check out my pre-Kickstarter interview with Simkins.

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No Ally is Expendable in Highlands

How many times have players sent whole armies into the jaws of death in strategy games?

How many times have players sent whole armies into the jaws of death in strategy games? Whether through a war of attrition or just to distract the enemy, games are often filled with disposable allies. What if each ally counted, though, and was an important friend you couldn’t afford to lose? Games like Suikoden and Fire Emblem have explored this idea, and now, Burrito Studio is doing so with Highlands , putting players in control of armies filled with characters who each have their own stories to tell. If you command them well and they live, that is.

As a deposed royal family, you have been forced to flee to a kingdom in the sky. Your enemies are hot on your heels, though, and so you have to fortify your city. As you’re short on friends, every single person you recruit is crucial, filling roles as combatants, leaders, academics, and mechanics. They are all named characters with backstories, and given that they level along the way, you’ll want to keep them alive for story and gameplay reasons. Gameplay revolves around choosing how to fortify the various sections of your floating city and who you choose to do so with, turning the game into a more complex version of Risk. The game includes resource management as well, so if you want to hear more about the lives of the people you’ve recruited, you’ll need to be sharp.

Highlands has taken its striking artwork (reminiscent of early Disney animated films) and strategic gameplay to Greenlightand Kickstarter, looking for help in getting the game developed and out to people to play it. For people like me who’ve wanted to take a lot of the luck out of defending and fortifying a place (I can’t stand Risk’s focus on luck) while collecting a stable of interesting characters, it’s hard to go wrong by supporting Highlands .

Hitman's next Elusive Target appears July 1 in Marrakesh

Listen closely, Agent 47.

Listen closely, Agent 47. You've got a new target. He's called The Gunrunner, and he'll be in Marrakesh beginning on July 1, but only for 72 hours. Here's everything you need to know:

Um. Actually, the above represents everything I do know. Oddly, while the 5th Elusive Target was announced, it was not accompanied by an informative trailer as it has in the past. Apart from the date and time (5:00 AM Pacific), there's only this image:

The Gunrunner does indeed appear to be a gun runner, based on the table covered with guns, but there's not much else to go on. If you see a man's back that looks like that man's back, Agent 47, you should probably shoot it or stab it or something. As always, you only have one chance to take the target down: there no do-overs when it comes to Elusive Targets.

It you kill this man's back successfully, and you have also killed the previous four Elusive Targets, you will unlock a new Hitman suit and perhaps a lifetime of haunting nightmares for all the murders you've callously committed.

If a trailer for the new target appears, I'll update this post with it unless I forget.

Ikaruga shoots its way onto Steam February 18

It's been a long road, but four months after making it through Steam Greenlight, Ikaruga will finally land on Steam February 18.

It's been a long road, but four months after making it through Steam Greenlight, Ikaruga will finally land on Steam February 18. The shoot 'em up was first released in Japanese arcades in 2001. It came to the Dreamcast in 2002, then for a limited run on Gamecube in 2003, and then Xbox Live Arcade in 2008. A new set of features may help the Steam version find a bigger audience than ever.

The Steam version is based on the most recent Xbox 360 port, but adds Steam achievements, leaderboards, and trading cards. More importantly, the PC port includes full controller support and Steam cloud saving. It's five levels in total, with three difficulty modes and two game modes, Arcade and the more challenging Prototype. The game will also support a local, two player cooperative mode and allow you to switch between vertical and horizontal screen modes.

Ikaruga has long been a favorite among SHMUP aficionados, praised for its take on "bullet hell" gameplay. Ikaruga mixes things up by allowing you to switch between black and white polarities; if your ship is the same color as the bullets, you not only avoid damage, but gain energy that charges a special attack. Blasting enemies with their opposing color also deals greater damage than a white-on-white or black-on-black attack.

Treasure has yet to announce a price. Last month, it also said that it's considering bringing other ports and new titles to Steam.

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Kickstart This: Lex Forma Brings Spooky Fun to PC

She wants to tell you about Alexandra “Alessia” diCourtne, the youngest daughter of a nobleman, who is training to be a priestess of the Trumlui Cathedral.

Katriel Paigewants to tell you a story.

She wants to tell you about Alexandra “Alessia” diCourtne, the youngest daughter of a nobleman, who is training to be a priestess of the Trumlui Cathedral. Alessia’s first official assignment takes her into the northern forest, where it is suspected that something has gone horribly wrong, causing a previous mission to not be completed on time. Aided by a variety of weapons and other characters, Alessia must solve this mystery of innocence, murder, and vengeance… but above all, she must survive.

This is the tale of Lex Forma , a 2D dungeon-crawling adventure which Paige is constructing through RPG Maker . The six-chapter saga will take players through charming sprite locations, ranging from Alessia’s elegant family home at the diCourtne Manor, to the vast Plains of Emeth; from the majestic cathedral to the creepy Forest of Ruin. There are abandoned villages, a dark castle, and many more places to explore.

Using keyboard controls, you will guide Alessia through the old-school-style adventure. As she departs in search of the lost mission party, Alessia is joined by her childhood friend Darius, a knight of the cathedral, and Farisha, a Wall Sentinel who guards the border of the Forest of Ruin. Things are clearly not right when they find the lost party, which seems to have fallen prey to some strange illness. There are bones everywhere, and what little information Alessia can get from the scene suggests that a rogue priest from the cathedral may be responsible. It will take all of the party’s combined strength, courage, and wits to stop the guilty and make it home in one piece.

The game celebrates diversity in its programming. With a female protagonist leading the charge, the world of Lex Forma is populated by both male and female heroes, as well as some of ambiguous gender and androgynous appearance. Characters have a variety of skin tones, ethnic backgrounds, and professions.

The Kickstarterfor Lex Forma launched today and will continue until the end of the month. Paige’s initial plan was merely to raise $250, which will cover the cost of additional toolset packs and constructing a game diary. As of this writing, the $250 has already been funded, so now she hopes for additional funding so she can expand her scope. The game is being designed for PC, but further contributions will enable her to make it available for Mac and Linux platforms as well.

And what do you get for supporting this adorable game? You get us . Pledge $10 or more and receive a free digital issue of Indie Game Magazine . Pledge $20 or more and receive a free one-year digital subscription! Plus, enjoy a host of other rewards like copies of the game, a special story to further flesh out the world, and even the chance to have an NPC, complete with unique dialogue, named after you. Check out the Kickstarter today, and be a part of the grand adventure!

Hitman's next Elusive Target appears July 1 in Marrakesh

Listen closely, Agent 47.

Listen closely, Agent 47. You've got a new target. He's called The Gunrunner, and he'll be in Marrakesh beginning on July 1, but only for 72 hours. Here's everything you need to know:

Um. Actually, the above represents everything I do know. Oddly, while the 5th Elusive Target was announced, it was not accompanied by an informative trailer as it has in the past. Apart from the date and time (5:00 AM Pacific), there's only this image:

The Gunrunner does indeed appear to be a gun runner, based on the table covered with guns, but there's not much else to go on. If you see a man's back that looks like that man's back, Agent 47, you should probably shoot it or stab it or something. As always, you only have one chance to take the target down: there no do-overs when it comes to Elusive Targets.

It you kill this man's back successfully, and you have also killed the previous four Elusive Targets, you will unlock a new Hitman suit and perhaps a lifetime of haunting nightmares for all the murders you've callously committed.

If a trailer for the new target appears, I'll update this post with it unless I forget.

Deadly Premonition: Director's Cut gets Steam release on October 31

Deadly Premonition: Director's Cut , or the update to what I like to call “Twin Peaks: The Video Game,” is bringing its coffee fortunes, raincoat killers, and other survival horror nonsense to your PC this Halloween.

For those who've only heard of the game through whispers or the much less accurate tea fortunes, Deadly Premonitionis a survival horror game that tasks you, FBI special agent York, with solving a series of murders that has led you to the small, “everyone knows everyone” town called Greenvale.

The game received a director's cut on consoles back in April, which added new controls, updated visuals and some extra story threads. The PC version will include all of that, plus some exclusive DLC goodies, the details of which have been rather vague. The PC version also gets Steam achievements and trading cards, if you're into that sort of thing.

The original Deadly Premonition is known for having some rather rough edges, but its story and characters garnered a dedicated fan base ( it passed Steam Greenlightafter all). How the survival horror title will perform on PC is still a mystery, but it's nothing a few good ol' coffee fortunes can't predict.

Indie Intermission – “Abby – Jurassic Dark” Sometimes Things Do Go Bump In The Night

Today I look at an interesting title that was submitted to The Escapists Indie Speed Run contest and goes by the name of Abby – Jurassic Dark (Abby) .

. Created by Avenger Paella Team , Abby is a deeply atmospheric game that has been created with great attention to detail giving the game a picture book like quality.

Abby is quite an interesting and often times amusing take on events in which you must obtain the Jurassic Dark book. The game is filled with Jurassic Park references (which is great) and adds a somewhat interesting interaction that strengthens the game, but for what reason I do not quite know.

Although the gameplay is indeed rather lacklustre and one dimensional only offering a few minor challenges to the game you can see most of the time has been spent on the visuals. I do feel if the developers had more time Abby would have been a much more deep and fulfilling gameplay experience.

Average play time – 5 minutes

What Abby lacks in gameplay it attempts to make up for in visuals and for the most part these visuals are very impressive and paint a rather dark goth feel over the top of this game.  The gameplay feels as if it is still in its infancy and I am sure if the developers looked at ways to create a more engaging experience Abby would be a very interesting unique sinister game.

Be sure to check out Abby – Jurassic Dark on the Indie Speed Run siteand get engaged in this dark Gothic tale.

If you are a developer with A fun indie game that can be played over a coffee break, we want to hear from you! Private message us on twitter @IndieGameMag or shoot us an email at editors@indiegamemag.com with the subject “Indie Intermission” and you could be our indie intermission pick of the day!

Cuphead merch is predictably delightful - someone please buy me all of it

Everyone knows Cuphead is the best-looking game in the world right by now, right? The run 'n' gun riot of 1930s colour swims with chunky grotesques and blurry-smooth animations that the master himself, Max Fleischer would be happy with. It stands to reason that its official merchandise would make me swoon and beat tables like a Tex Avery wolf. The Yetee has a full collection of T-shirts, posters and

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There’s No Side Like the ‘Darkside’

It seems as though everywhere you look there are video games about space, shooting things, or shooting things in space.

Clockwork Pixel’s latest game, Darkside , gives you all three of those things, all in the palm of your hand!

Darkside’s premise is simple. There are a bunch of bad guys who want precious resources found within your asteroid belt. To put it simply, this does not make you a happy camper, so it’s your job to blast them to hell and back! Don’t let the simple gameplay fool you. Darkside features some spectacular graphics, and the simple gameplay makes it easy to pick up and play. Plenty of different in-game modes should keep you coming back for more, each presenting its own objective and strategy.

Gameplay in Darkside is based on a dual v-stick set up, one to maneuver your mini fighter around game’s environment, the other to swivel and fire your turret in whatever direction you deem necessary. Enemies, as in any shoot em up, should be the main focus of your blasting spree, however, the game’s environement is also quite fragile, so expect more than a few stray shots to send something unintentionally up in smoke. The environment fights back too, that random destructable object could break up and begin hovering about the asteroid’s surface in search of revenge, so at least be thorough in sweeping the asteroid’s surface clean. The total package is reminiscent of console hits like Super Stardust Delta, and that’s about as high a compliment as you could pay any game, seeing as it was one of the most popular PS Vita launch titles by far and away.

If Darkside sounds like your cup of tea, it’s available now on the App Storefor only $0.99 for your iPad and iPhone , and be sure to Like Clockwork Pixel’s page on Facebook. Happy blasting!

Still need more information? Check out Clockwork Pixel’s official website.

Rotary Space Shooter Centauri Sector Alpha Demo Available

Centauri Sector is a tactical, space combat game that combines several gameplay elements effectively to create an addicting game.

is a tactical, space combat game that combines several gameplay elements effectively to create an addicting game. You assume the role of a fleet commander, starting out with a basic corvette class ship, tasked with defending the Centauri System from constant space pirate attacks. The game plays in turns, as players  move their ship or fleet once before engaging in battle. The game is in Alpha, so it isn’t fully developed, but the recently released public buildhas plenty to keep players occupied for hours!

The demo sees players fighting to gain prestige (money credits) and experience, to level up and unlock skills like speed boosts, shield upgrades, etc. The level ups also allow fleet slots to add ships to a squad. Not only can different ship types be added, but each ship has different weapon and module slots depending on the class. Players can purchase and add modules that increase shield capacity, buffer a weapon’s overheating rate, and speed up engines. When new ships are purchased, players can then change the ship they play as when entering the combat screen before fighting in real-time (think back to the classic Asteroids game). Players can also allocate a ship’s energy resources to their weapon, engine, or shield systems in real-time to boost a certain system for optimum efficiency, while the other two suffer a small deficiency for the duration.

To reiterate, Centauri Sector is in Alpha, but does not lack the components this early on to hold you over until future updates and demos. You’ll be more than occupied running attack sweeps to clear out those pirates to fund your weapon and fleet upgrades!

Developer Lone Wolf Games’ site can be found here, the demo is available here, and you can vote for the game on Steam Greenlight here!

A Day in The Woods is Sweeter on iOS

Named one of the best PC games of 2011, a repolished version of A Day in The Woods has recently been announced by RetroEpic Software, and will come to iOS devices on April 2nd.

has recently been announced by RetroEpic Software, and will come to iOS devices on April 2nd. The South-African studio thinks that the nature of the puzzle game is perfect for touchscreen devices and will present this new edit with improved, more challenging puzzles.

A Day in the Woods tells the story of the Little Red Riding Hood in a digital and modern version of the traditional sliding puzzle games. The player has to move the hexagonal tile where the little girl is to the empty spaces in order to return her home safely, and also to collect flowers and berries on the way. While doing this, the player has to avoid the tiles where bears, spiders and the Wolf are. The player, with the help of some little animals like rabbits and bees, is responsible to guide her safely through the hexagonal grid.

The game will feature 60 streamlined puzzles that will enhance the player’s experience on touchscreen devices, which means that players who already played the first game can still enjoy new challenges in the iOS version. An updated PC version is also planned for later in 2015, and will be published through Steam Greenlight. The game will be available at $4,99 on the Apple Store. For more information, you can visit the game’s website, too.

Will you be going down to the woods? Let us know in the comment section below!

Is Crysis 3 getting some tropical island DLC?

Visions of paradise have tantalized us as summer nears; the Sims 3's next expansion looms on the horizon, a mirage of houseboats and comical krakens and coconut-shell bikini tops.

looms on the horizon, a mirage of houseboats and comical krakens and coconut-shell bikini tops. But what if you're looking for something a little grittier? Well, signs are pointing to a possible Crysis 3 DLC—perhaps an island vacation with bullets whizzing past swaying palms.

MP1sthas been keeping an eye on Crysis 3's social media streams, and its findings have been curious. Crytek has been publishing images from past renditions of Crysis—namely, the tropical scenery of Crysis 1. For instance, there's this postcard-pretty view of a greenery-swathed waterfall—with what looks like a new weapon in the bottom-right corner.

And then there's the recently outed list of upcoming Xbox 360 achievements, including such wittily named feats as "Totally Oarsome" and "Wish You Were Here." I'm envisioning smacking some canoeing tourists' faces into a crystal-blue ocean with one of their own oars.

So is Crysis getting back to its roots, eschewing the gloom of a future New York for a jolly jaunt in the jungle? It's pure speculation for now, but we'll be sure to let you know as soon as we hear anything.

Cheecoting’ Review – Marbles For A New Generation

‘Cheecoting’ Review – Marbles For A New Generation
It’s probably not something kids do often nowadays, but marbles hold a special place in the memories of many people.

It’s probably not something kids do often nowadays, but marbles hold a special place in the memories of many people. But have you ever tried shooting marbles through an endless loop like a racing game with your buddies? Turns out, such a sport already exists: Cheecoting . And it has already made it to your iPhone as the titular app.

The Italian-originated game of Cheecoting is played on a beach. Participants take turns throwing a colorful marble through a custom-built Formula1-style track, with the winner being the one to take the least number of throws. You will be doing the same thing in its iPhone version. Flicking the screen with your finger will cause the marble to move in the respective direction. Shoot it too short and you’ll take time and finish last, but making an overpowered shoot will derail your marble from the track, resetting you to the previous position and wasting your turn. It’s a simple concept and definitely sounds fun, but unfortunately, “fun” isn’t exactly the experience you will have with the game on your iPhone.

The very first thing you do in Cheecoting is probably to kick your marble out of the track and realize that was a bad move. Either that, or prodding your marble a few centimeters as the result of an accidental touch on the phone’s screen. While I haven’t tried the real Cheecoting to know how hard it is, playing it on an iPhone is just plain frustrating. Far too often, you will commit fouls, mis-drive your marble, or do something you don’t intend to. Straight segments are rare, and in tight turns (which are common) you will be moving extremely slowly if you don’t want to be out. Your patience will be tested intensively.

You are given a choice of four different tracks, which isn’t a large selection. Though I doubt that many people will be able to try them all before quitting. If you don’t enjoy playing alone, you may play the game competitively in hot-seat multiplayer against humans or computer AI. It is good that such options are available, but finding someone who also enjoys the game will be a another quest. AIs, on the other hand, are surprisingly human-like. Naturally, they would make a better player than you are. Sometimes, they will fail to attempt some difficult maneuvers, only to come back to short and safe shoots that would get them to finish line eventually, which probably isn’t that far different from your real life buddy. In these modes, your turn is also constrained within a reasonable 30 seconds.

While the game is fully rendered in 3D, it isn’t particularly wonderful. The tracks are distracted by ads, beer cans, sand castles, and pretty much anything that you can find on a beach — but made up of low-polygon mesh with blurry and unimpressive textures that leave no great impression. The trail that marks the marble’s movement is even more unattractive, with flickers and clippings, especially at slow speeds. Even then, a decent performance is not achieved, with consistently low framerate and occasional shutters. The jazzy Hawaiian background music probably isn’t particularly bad when it stands on its own, but it is interrupted by the far too usual “death sound” when you move out of the track, and doesn’t help to elevate the game experience in general.

If you think those problems are everything that will plague your experience…well, they aren’t. Within the slightly cluttered and complicated UI, the lap indicator persistently shows “0/1” without any actual lap setting. The pretty big menu button at the lower corner will also forfeit all of your current progress and return to main menu in a flash, without any confirmation. While it’s always up to personal preference, the camera control feels stiff, inaccurate, and inverted to me without any option to fix. In fact, it has contributed to many of my accidents in the game so far. Although there is an entire “Rules” section in the main menu, every game starts off with a tutorial message that I haven’t really found a way to turn off. It is written in both English and Italian, regardless of your language setting. Whether this is culture spreading or patience testing is something that still baffles me.

It’s been quite difficult to imagine someone who would love and enjoy Cheecoting . While I appreciate that it lets me know about a sport that I haven’t heard of, testing patience when I’m not in the mood just doesn’t feel great. If you’re really interested, and a trip to Italy isn’t that affordable, helping yourself at a nearby beach will probably serve you better. Unless you’re looking for an awkward session of zen training as well, that is

For more information, visit the game’s official website. Cheecoting is available on iOS App Storefor $1.99 for both iPhone and iPad.

[review pros=”Multiplayer option, human-like AI” cons=”Frustrating and difficult control, unattractive presentation, bad UI design” score=45]

Human Extinction Simulator Now on Steam Greenlight

The human race is in terrible danger.

The human race is in terrible danger. At least, it is in Machine 22’s turn-based tactical combat game, Human Extinction Simulator . The year is 2317, and trouble is brewing in a nearby star system against an aggressive race of aliens known as the Nevassian. With war seemingly imminent, Earth’s military leaders have devised a program to present possible situations to tactical analysts. This simulation system is known as the Halting Extraterrestrials Strategy (HES) program, however, due to the seemingly impossible situations it projects, it is more commonly known as the Human Extinction Simulator.

As one of these tactical analysts, you will be attempting to overcome these trying simulations.  At your disposal will be a small fleet of space ships with around 30 different styles to choose from. Will you take the small and highly maneuverable ships and try to outpace the enemy? Or perhaps you will deploy the heavily armed cruisers and out-muscle them. Either way, you will be able to run a variety of simulations from stealthy covert missions to full scale battles. Players will also have the ability to customize their reinforcements to help complete their missions.

The game has recently been released on Steam Greenlight and has a brand new trailer and plenty of screenshots. The game will be mod-ready upon release as well, making the game almost completely customizable for players. You can vote for the game here, visit Machine 22’s websiteor even reach out to them on Twitter.

Funny To A Point – It's Time To Lighten Up

Congratulations!

Congratulations! If you're reading this, it means you've accidentally clicked on the inaugural edition of Funny To A Point, a new bi-weekly humor column about video games. I promise it's the best mistake you'll make all day. I'm the author of Funny To A Point, Jeff Marchiafava. You might know me as the guywho is super goodat playing gamesthe waythey're supposedto be played, or as the jerk who makes fun of Pokémon, JRPGs, and all the other gamesyou cherish so dearly (sorry about that!).

I've done more humor-oriented features over the years than I can (or care to) remember. To me, there's a natural intersection between comedy and video games. Not just because games are funny ( intentionallyor otherwise), but because they both play tricks on us for our own benefit and delight. As comedic genius Dane Cook once said, "Comedy is all a giant illusion; if I can get you to believe one thing, and then surprise you with the other, that surprise will get inside you and make you laugh until you don't even know anymore." That quote doesn't even make sense – but if you thought I was serious when I called Dane Cook a comedic genius, and you now realize that I was totally joking, you probably find that pretty funny. (Also, I made up the quote, so I tricked you again – see how much fun we're already having?)

Video games also trick us, and I don't just mean how satanic-cult games like Clash Royale convince us to continually smash our heads against a paywall while telling ourselves that we're having fun. Games trick us by getting us to fully invest in their worlds, no matter how ridiculous they are. I've failed to keep a straight faceduring many conversations about video games, as my friends and coworkers enthusiastically describe the dumbest experiences you could possibly imagine. Want to see the secret ending in Bloodborne? You've got to collect three pieces of umbilical cord – but don't forget to talk to Arianna in the Cathedral Ward before fighting Rom the Vacuous Spider, and for the love of god, make sure you light the Lunarium Lantern after defeating Mergo's wet nurse! I'm by no means belittling these conversations – I nerd out with the best of them, and that shared enthusiasm is one of my favorite aspects of the job. But if you can't see the humor in adults trading dragon-slaying tips or debating the merits of a plasma-spewing rifle, you may want to give your ophthalmologist a call.

The fact that we can get this heavily invested in the worlds of video games is awesome, but some people take it too far. My generation (if I can tug reminiscently at my grandpa suspenders for a moment) was drafted into the great Console Wars between Sega and Nintendo. Countless young gamers volunteered for the front lines, defending the honor of their favorite multimillion dollar corporation to the death on playgrounds and in friends' living rooms. The Console Wars have fortunately died down over the years ( never forget! ), but instead of living in a peaceful utopia where everyone just plays what they like, gamers have found different battles to wage amongst themselves.

Thanks to the Internet, the video game industry is awash with more cynicism and hate than ever before. Pretty much every major publisher is routinely denounced for ruining gaming with their villainous schemes ( for real this time, guys! ). Even indie developers aren't safe anymore.  When Hello Games co-founder Sean Murray recently announced that they were delaying the universe-spanning No Man's Sky by less than two months to ensure it lives up to players' expectations, the small studio was inundated with death threats– because if you kill the guys making the game, you'll be able to play it sooner...? More and more, I find myself dumbstruck by how miserable some gamers are. My longstanding advice to them and pretty much anyone else in this industry: If you spend more time complaining about games than you do actually playing and enjoying them, it's time to look for a new hobby (and don't let the doorknob hit ya where the dog should've bit ya).

It's easy to get dragged into online argumentsand to take gaming too seriously, but thankfully it's also easy to recalibrate yourself to a healthier mindset. Gaming is an inherently silly activity – oftentimes you only have to watch someone playing a game to realize that. The first time this universal truth dawned on me was playing Super Mario Kart with my dad. The SNES classic was one of the only games he'd attempt to play with me and my brother, and he was hopelessly easy to beat (which is probably why he didn't play more games with us). What made the play sessions memorable, however, was how he couldn't help leaning into every pixelated twist and turn in the road with his whole body. On sharp turns, he'd even involuntarily kick his leg out – a real-life hazard if you were sitting on the floor in front of him (come to think of it, maybe he was aiming for us; he's always had a penchant for underhanded tactics in games...).

My brother and I would laugh at how ridiculous our dad looked playing Mario Kart – little did we know that a decade or two later the patented Dad Lean would become a bona fide gameplay mechanic, thanks to the rise of motion controls. And holy lord, did gaming become a whole lot funnier! Watching sweaty-palmed Wii bowlers shatter their flat-screen televisions and breathless players flail their bodies around for the amusement of their Kinect overlords was an amusing reminder that the eye-hand coordination of gamers ends at the wrists. Again, I'm no exception – I revel in my own embarrassment and stupidityas well. Not doing so would be like dressing up like a clown every day and wondering why everyone is laughing at you.

VR promises to be the next frontier for looking stupid while playing games – not that anyone who has experienced it seems to notice. Once you're strapped into the bulky sci-fi goggles, you're so immersed in your new digital world that everything else fades away. But in a way, that's always been true of gaming – the old stigmas of being a nerd or a loner or a loser for liking games never really mattered; we were having too much fun to care what non-gamers thought about us. Somewhere along the road of video games becoming a Legitimate And Very Important Art Form, we lost our taste for self-deprecating humor. I've got no punchline here. It's just a bummer.

Which brings us back to the purpose of this column. To be completely honest, I really don't know what the hell I'm doing; I pitched my bosses on a recurring column that "celebrates the silliness and stupidity of gaming," and they said yes for some reason. I'm fully aware that launching a "humor column" is an open invitation for commenters to tell me how unfunny I am, and how they "didn't laugh once" (as if being a humorless killjoy is a brag-worthy feat), and that's okay. I can't promise you'll bust a gut at every column (in fact, I can pretty much guarantee you won't), and I suspect the column will evolve over time. Well, maybe "evolve" isn't the right term – there's a 50-50 chance that a year from now this column will just be me making fart noises over game trailers.

But even if you're not ROFLMAOing over every quip and anecdote, I hope Funny To A Point will serve as a bi-weekly* reminder to lighten up, forget your frustrations and annoyances with the industry for a bit, and enjoy gaming. Thanks for reading!

*By bi-weekly I mean every other week, not twice a week. "Bi-weekly" is a really vague term like that. In fact, it shouldn't even be a word. Stupid English language.