Radial-G : Racing Revolved (Tammeka Games)

Radial-G : Racing Revolved (Tammeka Games)

The phrase “anti-gravity racing” might be synonymous with the Wipeout series, but the demise of Studio Liverpool (Psygnosis) left a void in the market. Surprisingly enough, no developers seemed very eager to pick up the gauntlet until Tammeka Games revealed Radial-G: Racing Revolved. There are some very talented and experienced individuals behind this title, so we jumped at the chance to check out the Early Access version of the game

Spirits of Xanadu

Spirits of Xanadu

Desolate spaceships out in the depths of space always make for good game settings, and Spirits of Xanadu is no exception. The game draws its inspiration from titles such as System Shock 2 but obviously cannot compete in terms of size and depth. It is still an impressive offering from a very small team, though, and makes for an engaging experience. The voice acting, in particular, is a highlight, but the interactive environments are also a great touch. If you enjoy exploration-based games and creepy locations, don’t pass up on Spirits of Xanadu.

Gameplay: The focus is more on exploration than puzzle solving, but it is still very enjoyable.

Graphics: The visuals are not cutting-edge but still impressive enough for a small indie title.

Sound: The audio is decent, but the voice acting is very good

Nightbanes

Nightbanes

Nightbanes features a great setting, superlative card artwork and rules that are easy to understand. There is more than enough variety when it comes to cards to keep things interesting and the multitude of play modes are also a bonus. Best of all, the game is completely free to play, so there is no excuse not to give it a chance. You can drop some cash to purchase booster packs or cards, but with enough time and dedication you can still have plenty of fun without spending a cent.

Gameplay: Very easy to learn and also extremely addictive.

Graphics: The superlative card art is varied and very detailed.

Sound: Atmospheric music and great sound effects

Cho Dengeki Stryker All Ages Version

Cho Dengeki Stryker All Ages Version

Cho Dengeki Stryker is a visual novel that is packed to the brim with great visuals, awesome audio and an engaging storyline. You’ll encounter a few clichés and plot holes, but overall the storyline is stellar and very engaging. It is also much longer than most visual novels and the additional routes boosts the replay value dramatically. If you are a fan of the genre you owe it to yourself to check this game out.

Gameplay: Thanks to an engaging storyline and great characters this visual novel is definitely worth the investment in time and money.

Graphics: The resolution is a little low, but the artwork and animations are top notch.

Sound: The voice acting is superb and there are tons of audio tracks

Friendship Club (Force Of Habit)

Friendship Club (Force Of Habit)

Young Timmy Bibble is a boy with a very active imagination and he uses it to make his four imaginary friends battle each other. Ranging from a mountain beast and crazy old prospector to a duck and ninja-bandit-skeleton-thing, these characters are ready to kill each other for their spot by Timmy’s side. As far as storylines goes it’s pretty wacky, but then again who needs an excuse for some good old fashioned arcade action

Please, Don’t Touch Anything

Please, Don’t Touch Anything

Please, Don’t Touch Anything is a devious game that preys on your natural curiosity. You are given one order, but to discover all the hidden secrets the game has to offer you will have to disobey it. What happens after that depends entirely on how good your problem solving skills and lateral thinking are. It is a great game for anyone that enjoys cracking puzzles, but the easily frustrated might want to pass.

Gameplay: Deceptively simple, but the multitude of endings will keep you coming back for more.

Graphics: All the action takes place on a single pixel art screen.

Sound: Some very foreboding and atmospheric chiptune tracks

Trapped Dead: Lockdown

Trapped Dead: Lockdown

If you are not tired of killing zombies yet, Trapped Dead: Lockdown invites you to a small American town to get acquainted with the undead locals. The game features five different playable characters, hordes of zombies and buckets of blood, but because it is a linear experience it can also become rather repetitive. The game is still entertaining and features a lengthy campaign as well as multi-player with four players, but if you are not a fan of the genre this is unlikely to sway you.

Gameplay: Enjoyable, but repetitive and there are a couple of minor annoyances.

Graphics: The visuals are detailed and the locations varied.

Sound: Decent voice acting, but the music and sound effects are largely forgettable

Ten Questions With… Ed Mandy (Art Castle)

Ten Questions With… Ed Mandy (Art Castle)

Trouble With Robots from Art Castle kept us glued to our Android devices with its addictive blend of strategy, humor and collectible trading cards, so we had to find out more from the lead developer, Ed Mandy. Our subtle attempts at discovering his deck secrets might have failed, but he did have some very interesting insights about the game

Sorcery!

Sorcery!

It may be many, many years since the release of the original Fighting Fantasy book on which this game is based, but Inkle did a great job bringing the story to life. The game remains very true to its source material, but also makes full of the mobile platform to present it in an appealing and enjoyable manner. The visuals are top notch and overall this is a great game for fans of the original work as well as newcomers. It is a little on the short side, but makes up for it with plenty of replay value.

Gameplay: Lots of reading, but the story is compelling and constantly adapts to your choices.

Graphics: Contains the excellent original illustrations as well as a new 3D map and character art.

Sound: Sparse tunes, but great ambient noises and sound effects

Bloq

Bloq

Bloq features a very simple idea and gameplay mechanics, but implements it in a polished and addictive manner. The puzzles range from very easy to mind boggling, but definitely has the potential to keep players hooked. If you are looking for a puzzle title that is easy to pick up and play then you won’t want to miss out on this one.

Gameplay: Very polished and quite addictive.

Graphics: The minimalistic art style suits the game perfectly.

Sound: Not much variety, but once again matches the style of the game