The Bloodshed Bundle by Bundle Stars
Although To The Moon is more likely to make you shed tears than blood, the Bloodshed Bundle offers a great selection of games at an unbeatable price. Most of the games in this bundle will be familiar to regular bundle buyers, but it contains at least two never been bundled before titles. The overall quality of the bundle is very good and even if you are only missing out on a couple of the games it still offers great value for money.
Blood Knights
Windows | View this game on Steam | Single Player | Local Co-op | Steam Achievements | Full Controller Support | Steam Trading Cards
Blood Knights is a medieval themed hack and slash title where you play as a vampire hunter. Predictably enough your character is turned into a vampire himself, but continues to use his new vampiric powers against the bloodsuckers. Blood Knights allows you to switch between two characters on the fly or team up with a friend (local only) to take on the vampires. The combat feels a bit repetitive at first, but persevere and you will unlock new skills which makes things more interesting. There are some light role playing elements, but the focus is firmly on the action. This is only the second time that Blood Knights has graced a bundle making it a pretty good deal if you have missed out on it before.
Guns Of Icarus Online
Windows / MAC / Linux | View this game on Steam | Multi-player | Steam Achievements | Full Controller Support | Steam Trading Cards | Stats | Steam Workshop
Next up is Guns of Icarus Online that, as the name implies, is an online only multi-player title. This marks the fifth time that it has appeared in a bundle, but if you have somehow missed out on it before this is your chance to get into it for less than the usual $14.99 asking price. If you do have the game already it is also an opportunity to introduce a friend to it as teamwork is essential and ideally you want someone that can communicate on your crew. Matches play out aboard large steampunk airships, crewed by four players each and everyone have their own tasks to perform. You can choose to be a pilot, gunner or engineer and then take part in air battles of up to 32 players. The game also supports Steam Workshop for items such as goggles, hats and ship decals. The game certainly provides a decent alternative to the usual first person shooter style online multi-player titles.
Summoner
Windows | View this game on Steam | Single Player
Making its second ever bundle appearance is Summoner from Volition. The game was originally released in 2001 making it one of the oldest titles in this bundle. The game was originally a launch title for the then new Playstation 2 before making the leap to PC. The game was only released on Steam in 2014 following the bankruptcy of its original publisher, THQ, and subsequent acquisition by Nordic Games. The Steam version is unaltered from the original however, so there’s no denying that the game is showing its age. The game itself allows you to play as Joseph, a Summoner who while trying to save his village instead damned it by summoning a demon. This causes him to turn his back on his powers, but as with most fantasy titles, he has a prophecy to fulfil and it is up to you to help him do so. If you can overlook the dated visuals and enjoy a good role playing game Summoner still has plenty to offer.
To the Moon
Windows | View this game on Steam | Single Player | Steam Achievements | Full Controller Support | Steam Trading Cards | Steam Cloud
This might be the sixth time that To The Moon has been bundled, but anyone yet to play this game owes it to themselves to check it out. We gave the game a well-deserved score of 9/10 back when it was released and had this to say “Light on gameplay but heavy on story, To The Moon had me hooked right from the start and never once let go until the end. The retro visuals does not detract from the experience and the emotional soundtrack will stay with you long after the end credits have rolled. This is one of those games that proves why you do not need a huge budget to tell a great story.” The focus of To The Moon is very much on the story, so we can’t say anything for fear of ruining it, but this is definitely a title worthy of all the hype.
Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack
Windows / MAC / Linux | View this game on Steam | Single Player | Steam Achievements | Steam Leaderboards | Steam Cloud | Full Controller Support | Steam Trading Cards
It is not every day that you get to play as an alien Blob with mutant powers and the ability to devour anything in your path, but Tales from Space allows you to do just that. You are given control of a Blob who, after escaping his human captors, is on a mission to consume everything in sight in order to grow larger. The game features some charming 50’s inspired art and music which, along with the B-movie story, make it a joy to play. The platformer style gameplay is interspersed with puzzle solving and the mutant powers of your character allows for plenty of fun. This is only the second bundle appearance for the game and it is definitely worth checking out if you don’t own it already.
Last Inua
Windows / Mac | View this game on Steam | Single Player | Steam Achievements | Partial Controller Support | Steam Trading Cards | Steam Cloud
The first title in this collection to make its bundle debut is Last Inua from indie developers Glowforth. The game is a 2D platform adventure with a really unique story and setting. The game takes place in a mythical version of the Arctic and stars the father and son due of Ataataq and Hiko. The one has physical strength to rely on while the other is blessed with magical skills. Together they must overcome the harsh elements of the Arctic and thwart the plans of a demonic trickster named The Tonrar. The handcrafted animations and artwork of Last Inua lends the game a very distinctive look while the Inuit mythology infused storyline keeps things interesting. The game is quite short though, but for the price of this bundle it is not to be missed.
Probably Archery
Windows / Mac / Linux | View this game on Steam | Single Player | Multi-player | Cross Platform Multi-player | Co-op | Steam Achievements | Partial Controller Support | Steam Trading Cards | VR Support
The goal of Probably Archery is deceptively simple, all you have to do is shoot arrows at targets. To do so however you have to manipulate the wrists, elbows and shoulders of your character. Like Surgery Simulator, the tricky controls make the game virtually impossible to play at first. It takes practice just to nock an arrow, let alone hit one of the crazy targets such as flying eggs and apple headed warriors. While not for the easily frustrated, the tricky controls, wacky challenges and selection of multi-player modes make Probably Archery a nice time waster. The normal Steam retail price is $9.99 and this is the third time the game is appearing in a bundle.
Skilltree Saga
Windows / Mac / Linux | View this game on Steam | Single Player | Steam Achievements | Steam Leaderboards
Up next is the second and last title in this collection making its bundle debut. Skilltree Saga is set in the popular world of The Dark Eye, but does things a bit differently than other role playing games using the same setting. You get to choose from a human, dwarf or elf on a quest to rescue your beloved after she was abducted by some foul creatures. Although heroic, it is a foolish quest for an inexperienced fighter and almost ends in death, but fortunately an Elemental Knight intervenes to save your life. Your character leaps at the chance to train as part of this elite order in order to better prepare himself for his quest. Skilltree has all the RPG genre elements such as skills, weapons, equipment, but no exploration or questing. Instead it plays more like a one-on-one fighting game where your character uses preselected skills and spells to take down enemies. If you are looking for an in-depth role playing experience Skilltree Saga will feel too limited. However, anyone looking for something that offers all the fighting and looting without the complications will probably have fun.
Chronology
Windows | View this game on Steam | Single Player | Steam Cloud | Full Controller Support | Steam Trading Cards
Players looking for a charming platform adventure with beautiful artwork will find that Chronology has got them covered. The unique stars of this game is an old inventor and his sidekick, which just happens to be a snail. The duo is able to travel through time and this skill is put to good use for the puzzles in this game. Fans of titles such as Braid will enjoy the time travelling shenanigans in Chronology as you can move forwards, backwards or even freeze time in order to solve puzzles. The vibrant visuals and animations also contribute in bringing the unique gameworld to life. In fact, the designs for characters and creatures are inspired by the work of Hayao Miyazaki and it really shines through. It is not a very long game, but it is very entertaining while it lasts and this is only the third bundle appearance for Chronology.
Making History II: The War of the World
Windows / Mac / Linux | View this game on Steam | Single Player | Multi-player | Cross Platform Multi-player
Closing out the bundle is Making History II: The War of The World, a title that grand strategy fans will appreciate. The game provides players with the opportunity to play as any nation while placing hundreds of land, sea and air units at their disposal. The game features five different scenarios with which to test your skills as well as an editor to create your own. You can choose whether you want the victory condition to be based on power points amassed by a nation, alliance or ideology and then focus on accomplishing that. This is a game that isn’t afraid to become complicated and the bewildering amount of statistics it can throw at you will probably scare away casual players. It also has a steep learning curve and building up your military forces while maintaining the economy and political stability of your nation can be hard work. If you are looking for a game that can keep you busy for a long time then Making History II: The War of the World is not a bad choice.
Ten Steam titles at less than 40c each is a great deal no matter how you look at it. As only two titles in this collection have never been bundled before it might not be that appealing to anyone who buys every bundle in sight. However, newcomers or those who skip the occasional bundle will find plenty of gems in this one. There isn’t much time left though, so if you want to grab this bargain head over to the official Bundle Stars website now where you will find it and many other bundles as well.
