Having gone through a successful Kickstarter campaign for CasinoRPG in early 2013, we know how hard it is to get noticed and scrap all the way to your goal, especially if your name isn't Tim Schafer. So, we've decided to help spread the word about our fellow indie game developers and post a weekly roundup of our favorite games we've stumbled across lately.
Catapult for Hire
Explore a whimsical Nintendo 64 era world and discover its darkest secrets.
The biggest influencer of success is also the most difficult to achieve as a game developer - feel. By its very nature, it's difficult to put a finger on what this means, but you know it when you see it. Just from the bits of gameplay footage, I can tell that this game just "feels" right. The catapult puzzle mechanic by itself looks like a lot of fun, but the unique, sprawling world around it makes me want to jump in and start exploring. You've got nearly a month left to help this one reach its goal.
M.A.V.
M.A.V. is like playing with legos, only you are building a giant mech of destruction.
If you've read past roundups, you know that I'm a big fan of games that give the creative reins to the player, so there isn't much doubt why M.A.V. made this week's list. The battle and multiplayer elements look intriguing, but what really sets this apart is the virtually limitless and strategic customizations of your mech. In most games, customizations are limited to visuals, but the entire strategy of M.A.V. revolves around the physics-based customizations that occur before the battles even begin. There's still more than 3 weeks left in this campaign.
Oculus Maximus
Here’s your chance to BE a gladiator in the Oculus Rift. The first ever Gladiator combat game designed for virtual reality.
I'm convinced that the Oculus Rift will change the face of gamin over the next few years, but I've been surprised at the relative lack of compelling games being Kickstarted for the device. While Oculus Maximus is still clearly in early development, it already looks like it has the potential to be one of those first killer games for the platform (no pun intended). You'll want to go watch Gladiator again after checking this one out, but before you do, go back it in the next 5 weeks.
Galactic Wars
Galactic Wars is an epic real-time space battle game for the PC, with a strong emphasis on game play and story!
There have been a lot of great space games over the years, but there have also been a lot of sub-par ones. The reason many of the sub-par ones fail is because they just focus on the vastness of space rather than the stories that go on throughout the universe. This campaign's video is somewhat sparse on details, but I so thoroughly enjoyed their character, art, antics and a feeling of wanting more, that I'm confident they'll be able to pull of the story side of space in a fantastic way. There's still three weeks to back Galactic Wars.
Waves: Arena Tactics
Top-Down Shooter Waves gets a sequel with Online Multiplayer (Co-Op and PvP) and a whole new arsenal of weapons and gadgets.
This game instantly reminded me of one of my favorite games of all time - Geometry Wars. However, Waves stood out to me in a few key areas. First, the environments and tactics that you play with offer an even more interesting and diverse experience than Geometry Wars. Also, even though one of Geometry Wars' most defining qualities is its stunning visual design, it simply gets out-shined by Waves. Don't get me wrong, visuals don't make a game, but for this type of game, it really makes the experience. There's less than three weeks to get in on the action.
39 Days to Mars
A co-operative steampunk survival-adventure game. Help Albert and Baxter pilot the HMS Fearful on its maiden voyage to Mars.
This is another one of those games that just has that "feel," but in a very different way from Catapult for Hire. You can't help but get sucked in from the very first note of the soundtrack to the very last line of dialogue. The hand drawn style and simplistic gameplay look to combine with a compelling story for what I expect will be an equally compelling experience overall. Others agree and have already pushed this one past its goal, but there's still time to get in early during the next three weeks.