Gold-Plated Games

New year, new deals! Not really, they’re mostly just the same deals, but it’s been so long since we had Weeklong Deals to peruse that it certainly feels new. I’m going to give special mention to one I picked up in the Winter Sale and just started, because Thumper is just $6 at present and makes good on its claim of “rhythm violence” by being one of the most intense music games I’ve ever played. There’s more good stuff to find in the vast fields of deals, so read on below to see what I’ve covered.

As a reminder, our new 2019 schedule will see Steam reviews on Fridays and *some kind* of content on Wednesdays. It could be a lighter review but more likely it’ll be a preview (which it is this week), an indie review, game jam coverage, or maybe even something new! Streams are still locked in for Monday-Wednesday-Friday at 9pm PST and Saturday at 10pm, and we’re heavy on platformers now in anticipation of next month’s series. Hope you’ll join us on Twitch, especially tonight for a special birthday stream of Celeste B-sides!

Welcome Back

Caves of Qud (review) – Still perhaps the best classic-style roguelike, and only getting better through Early Access

This Strange Realm Of Mine (Review) – Interesting experiment merging classic FPS action with storytelling (also just $2!)

Hand of Fate (Review) – An incredible merging of roguelike dungeon-crawls, deckbuilding, and third-person action

Blood and Bacon (Review) – Exactly as much dumb fun as it appears

Super 3-D Noah’s Ark (Review) – Classic Wolf3D gameplay with a biblical twist, still a decent action game

Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi (review) – An old-school FPS with roguelike elements and some genuinely creepy enemies

Odallus: The Dark Call (Review) – Another rock-solid retro platformer up there with the likes of Shovel Knight and The Messenger

Hero of the Kingdom II (Review) – The current pinnacle of this wonderfully chill trading and adventuring series

SkyDrift (Review) – Crimson Skies arcade flying turned into a multiplayer racer (with bots, thank goodness)

Gun Metal (Review) – Decent throwback third-person mech action shooter

Wyv and Keep (Review) – Tricky retro puzzle platformer with a neat duo gimmick

 

Keep Walking

INFERNIUM (Review) – About as boring as you can make open-world horror Pac-Man

Coma: Mortuary (Review) – The template from which all boring indie horror walking sims are cut

Hack, Slash, Loot (review) – A breathtaking betrayal of roguelike concepts