Upcoming Indie Games to Keep an Eye On

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Sorry if there's already another spot for these, but I didn't see one and I wanted to start a thread where we could share and discuss some of the cool indie games that are currently in development but maybe don't deserve their own threads just yet.

Here are a few to get started:

Crashtastic

Crashtastic is a PC physics game that revolves around building vehicles to accomplish goals. No firm release date, but I hope to launch an alpha version soon.

Krater - A Squad-based ARPG from the Makers of Lead and Gold

It combines the combat mechanics of action-rpgs with the top-down tactics of the classic old-school games such as Syndicate and X-Com. The rich world opens up for the players via exploration of the immense world map.

Extensive crafting (craft unique abilities, weapons and items) and character persistence where both injuries and experience work in conjunction are key elements to evolve your team over time and get ready to enter into the end-game.

Merchant - A Recettear/Tycoon Mash-up

Merchant is a tycoon-style game based in a fantasy RPG. Instead of controlling the hero of the story, you control the merchant that the hero buys and sells goods from. You will be responsible for helping the heroes by selling them things they need, while buying all of the items they do not want. The heroes are persistent characters in game, so they will return to you if you keep them happy.

Starbound - Terraria. In. Space.

Starbound begins with you fleeing your homeworld in a space shuttle, just as it’s destroyed by an unknown enemy. With nothing to guide it, the escape pod shoots into space without direction, becoming hopelessly lost in a sea of stars. As luck would have it, the space shuttle makes contact with an abandoned space station and an adventure begins that will take you hurtling across the universe. Starbound contains both quests and story driven missions, buried inside its vast sandbox universe.

Tomes of Mephistopheles

Tomes of Mephistopheles is a first-person action-RPG dungeon crawler. With its fast-paced fluid combat, a multitude of medieval and magical weapons, an in-depth custom spell system, and randomly generated persistent worlds, ToM is a pinnacle of the genre.

Merchant is wanting to scratch my old tycoon itch. Hope it lives up to its kind of cool alternative perspective.

Tomb of Mephistopheles, the "pinnacle of the genre"... lofty words or overly specific genre?... Or lies?!

I'm not sure they meant pinnacle. Perhaps 'epitome' is a better word.

Crashtastic seems fun, but kind of looks like it could easily bore me. Tomes of Mephistopheles is also interesting, but not polished enough for me to have a real opinion.

Krater, on the other hand, is really exciting. I love me a good ARPG, though.

From Amanita Design, creators of Machinarium and other great games, comes Botanicula. It looks to involve less puzzle solving and more fun having. It's due soon and I'm looking forward to it.

Warning Voxel powered triple threat incoming!!!

Castle Story probably doesn't deserve it's own thread yet. But it has one here already. They're still working on early systems and such currently. I am obsessively following this one for it's mix of actually pleasant visuals and building w/ some combat potential. I mean, why else would you build a castle? Thankfully they've done a decent job of sending weekly updates via their twitter (I hate that I have a twitter account)

Cube World is an action RPG with an uprezzed minecraft cube aesthetic. This, too, seems to have it's own thread here I forgot about, that I posted in.

And last but not least. Ok, it's least on my list:

Voxatron. It's been offered via one of the Humble Bundles, so many people probably have it. The best way i can think to describe it is a twin stick smash tv style top down shooter with fully destructible voxel based environments with an already working and available level/character editor.

I'm all over Cube World and Castle Story -- I think both look amazing. Botanicula has an amazing art style, but it's probably not my type of game.

Here are a few more:

Driftmoon

Driftmoon is a roleplaying game that tells the story of the Pendant of Life, and how it was reforged. It is also a tale about how Robert lost everything but his bones, but that didn't stop him. And it is a story about the little firefly who wanted to be a big star, but was stuck in a crypt.

Looks good but I hate the perspective.


Pitman - a 3D Rogue-like


Team Assault: Baptism of Fire

Team Assault is a 3D turn-based tactical game in which players fight at squad level. Players must utilise the battlefield to take advantage of terrain, and optimise every move to achieve all mission objectives. The combat system is fast and dynamic, capturing the thrill of battle.

Conlan’s Claim

“Conlan’s Claim” is a sci-fi game about survival and exploration of a new world. You will be able to plan and manage a human settlement on an alien planet.

Crashtastic makes me think of KSP but on a smaller, less-moon-involved scale.

And Conlan's Claim has a certain appeal to me.

Conlan's Claim sounds really cool.

Hyetal wrote:

Krater, on the other hand, is really exciting. I love me a good ARPG, though.

You can actually pre-order the collector's edition from the developers to get the full game, beta access, a Steam key, free character DLC, and a soundtrack. The game is set to release at the end of April. Depending on where you are, you can pre-order for €7.99/$10.39. VAT is an additional €2.00.

Thanks for the heads up. As discounted as it is, I might as well throw some money down.

I'd like to add Legend of Grimrock to the list. A modern, real-time Dungeon Master-style crawler.

I got invited the Krater Alpha. I just wish I could find time to play it.

Stupid backlog.

From Arrowhead Studios, the guys that brought us Magicka:
The Showdown Effect

There's a video in that article posted to viddler.

It's a smash-bros. inspired 1 on 1 combat game that's still in 'pre-alpha'.

Two updates!

One for Cube World

This game keeps looking better and better to me. Dude just needs to shrink the HUD elements now as it's starting to crowd the screen.

And one for Castle Story (they're doing weekly Friday updates on their blog now.)

Not as much to say here. It seems like the game is a lot earlier in development. It's mostly them showing they've got some more systems getting worked out.

I'm excited for both of these games -- they look great so far.

Here's a new video from Starbound, demonstrating their lighting engine:

The game is starting to sound like a mix of Terraria and Borderlands. There's a lengthy run down of info about the game here.

Sir, You Are Being Hunted: A “British indie S.T.A.L.K.E.R.”

Hunted is set in a recognisably British landscape. Its inhabitants are a mockery of the aristocratic country gent and his ecosystem. Robots that ape tea-drinking, poachers that lurk in reed-beds, and red-eyed hounds that patrol the moor: these are the things you will be dealing with as you fight for survival. The game gathers up elements of my favourite things: exploration, AI interaction, survival, robots, hot drinks, and blends them into a rich pixelly pulp.

S.Y.A.B.H

That's not quite as... punchy.

Saw an article on that on RPS yesterday; definitely on my watch list.

Why not rename it to: Sir, Hunted Are Being You (S.H.A.B.Y.)?

Are You Being Hunted?

IMAGE(http://i.imgur.com/SzRAz.jpg)

The Banner Saga just had their Kickstarter go live.

The art is incredible.

I've been keeping my eye on Spellirium, from Untold Entertainment (of Sissy's Magical Ponycorn Adventure fame). It's a boggle-RPG mashup, with some very clever bits. (E.g. one monster feeds on large words, so spell small ones to attack it; shear a sheep by spelling synonyms for "cut"; defeat a monster with palindromes).

Gamezebo posted an interview with Ryan Creighton today.

garion333 wrote:

The Banner Saga just had their Kickstarter go live.

The art is incredible.

I just pledged my money for that one and the unnamed Hardcore Tactical Shooter.

I've been following the Banner Saga, and was happy to see their Kickstarter go live! Double Bear is also considering a kickstarted for their turn based strategy game Dead State: The Zombie Survival RPG. I hope they do it, I'd love to donate.

http://www.deadstate.doublebearproductions.com/

IMAGE(http://www.deadstate.doublebearproductions.com/images/screenshots/zrpg_screenshot_01.jpg)

This thread has been favorited. I've been on an indie game tear as of late and can't wait to try these.

Quintin_Stone wrote:

And Conlan's Claim has a certain appeal to me.

Me too. I loved playing Sierra's Outpost games back in the day.

I can't think of any "build a colony in space" games since those. Most games are epic in scale like MOO and don't have the same sort of "settlers" feel to them.

MrShoop wrote:

I've been following the Banner Saga, and was happy to see their Kickstarter go live! Double Bear is also considering a kickstarted for their turn based strategy game Dead State: The Zombie Survival RPG. I hope they do it, I'd love to donate.

http://www.deadstate.doublebearproductions.com/

Is this the one that had their code stolen?

garion333 wrote:

The Banner Saga just had their Kickstarter go live.

The art is incredible.

That movie looks really pretty. I wonder if they'll make a game about it.

Just pretending to troll, not quite the real thing. Honestly, though, do they show actual gameplay or systems as well? The animation is really gorgeous.

garion333 wrote:
MrShoop wrote:

I've been following the Banner Saga, and was happy to see their Kickstarter go live! Double Bear is also considering a kickstarted for their turn based strategy game Dead State: The Zombie Survival RPG. I hope they do it, I'd love to donate.

http://www.deadstate.doublebearproductions.com/

Is this the one that had their code stolen?

No, that's Project Zomboid. Dead State is a turn-based, tactical zombie survival RPG.

demonbox wrote:

That movie looks really pretty. I wonder if they'll make a game about it.

Just pretending to troll, not quite the real thing. Honestly, though, do they show actual gameplay or systems as well? The animation is really gorgeous.

There's some tactical battle at 0:42.

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