Gold-Plated Games

These are the kind of Weeklong Deals I’m always waiting for, the weeks of true indie gems! I had a ton of fun with the likes of Aven Colony, Nova Drift, and Apsulov, and we’re playing through the wonder that is Caves of Qud on Wednesdays this very week. That’s just the tip of the iceberg for indie goodness on display, so check out the list below for more tempting selections.

You may have noticed there were no new reviews last week. Not to worry, I took a bit of an unannounced vacation but I’m back in full form! Look out for a review of the recent Receiver 2 on Wednesday, the promised review of Wide Ocean Big Jacket on Friday, and maybe something else if I can swing it.

 

GET IN

Aven Colony (Review) – Simple sci-fi city builder that lets you lay out huge, sprawling colonies

Caves of Qud (review) – One of the richest, most expansive roguelikes ever made

Nova Drift (Review) – A brilliant, vibrant roguelike take on the Asteroids genre

Long Live The Queen (Review) – Challenging and mechanically deep visual novel

Blood and Bacon (Review) – Dumb, gory arena fun

Apsulov: End of Gods (Review) – A unique and horrific mix of sci-fi and mythology

Conarium (Review) – A horror adventure closely adhering to Lovecraft, and with a surprisingly good ending

Nightmares from the Deep: The Cursed Heart (Review) – Polished, varied, and just plain fun hidden object game

Black Mirror I (review) – Glacially-paced and shows its age, but this point-and-click adventure builds an incredible gothic horror atmosphere

Black Mirror II (Review) – Takes a turn away from the first, and really benefits from the improved gameplay and graphics

Black Mirror III (Review) – Easily the best of the trilogy, and follows directly from the second game

Slain: Back from Hell (Review) – Extremely punishing, but looks and sounds fantastic if you can stomach the challenge

Sproggiwood (Review) – The adorable, colorful veneer hides a challenging and gratifying traditional roguelike

Cargo Commander (Review) – Unique roguelike platformer collect-a-thon

Tobari and the Night of the Curious Moon (Review) – Feels janky and low-budget, but hides a ton of content and interesting mechanics

Black Paradox (Review) – Super stylish side-scrolling shmup

RymdResa (Review) – Strangely chill roguelike adventure in a bizarre galaxy

Tusker’s Number Adventure (Review) – A charming little entry in the “kid’s game turns evil” genre

 

GET OUT

Majesty 2 (Review) – Massive difficulty imbalances make this otherwise solid sequel unbearable to play

Hero of the Kingdom III (Review) – A huge misstep that fails to capture the magic of the previous two

Cities in Motion 2 (Review) – Apparently today’s sale theme is “disastrous sequels to really good games”

Alien Breed 2: Assault (review) – Looks like mindless alien shooting can be too tedious even for me

Razenroth (Review) – Huge waste of a Lovecraftian roguelike premise