Fate Tectonics

Fate Tectonics

Fate Tectonics challenges you to assemble a thriving world, one tile at a time, but with a whole pantheon of angry fates breathing down your neck. Fail to appease them all and you might see all your hard work undone, but if you manage the juggling act your world will thrive. With its charming pixel art visuals and epic 16-bit soundtrack, Fate Tectonics is a game not to be missed. It is accessible enough to start playing in minutes, but making progress requires some real strategic thinking.

Graphics: The pixel art visuals look great and are friendly towards players with color blindness.

Sound: The dynamic 16-bit soundtrack is a great match for the visual style of the game.

Gameplay: Easy to pick up and play, but very addictive and tricky to master, Fate Tectonics can keep you hooked for ages

Chuck’s Challenge 3D

Chuck’s Challenge 3D

Simply put, if you love puzzle games, then you will love Chuck’s Challenge 3D. The game not only provides plenty of brain teasing puzzles, but remains addictive throughout. Don’t let the charming visuals and upbeat soundtrack fool you either, this game is not afraid to challenge players. Chuck’s Challenge 3D is a game packed with hours of entertainment and is an essential purchase for any self respecting puzzle fan.

Gameplay: Plenty of puzzles to give your grey matter a good workout.

Graphics: Bright, bold and charming.

Sound: The soundtrack is nice and upbeat

Solar Shifter EX

Solar Shifter EX

With its non-stop action and intense visuals, it is hard to believe that Solar Shifter EX is the work of a solo developer. The game is quite tough, but fans of bullet hell shooters will enjoy the challenge. The ability to shift around the screen definitely adds to the experience and while not perfect, Solar Shifter EX has a lot to offer fans of the genre.

Gameplay: Very tough, but the inclusion of checkpoints makes the challenge more manageable.

Graphics: Crank it up to “Extreme” and marvel at all the detail.

Sound: Features some nice tunes, but the sound effects lacks a little punch

Avoid – Sensory Overload

Avoid – Sensory Overload

While Avoid Sensory Overload is another mobile title to make the leap to PC, it doesn’t feel like a cheap cash-in. The gameplay is addictive, and on higher difficulty levels, the game can provide quite a challenge. The randomly generated levels in endless mode also provide longevity, especially for the price. If you are looking for a pure arcade experience where you can test your reflexes while listening to some nice tunes, then you won’t want to avoid this game.

Gameplay: A nice arcade experience that is addictive enough to keep you returning for more.

Graphics: It’s not quite a sensory overload, but the visuals are colorful and stylish.

Sound: There are different musical genres with some nice tracks

Type:Rider

Type:Rider

The unique concept of Type:Rider immediately caught our attention, and thankfully, the gameplay was up to scratch as well. It takes a while to get used to the controls, as controlling two dots can be challenging, but the excellent levels and stylish visuals will suck you in. While not a very long game, there is some replay value, and you might also learn something about typography along the way.

Gameplay: The game is a blast to play once you get used to the controls.

Graphics: Type:Rider features stylish visuals and a great art direction.

Sound: The audio matches the gameplay and visuals perfectly

Kyn

Kyn

While Kyn isn’t perfect and suffers from some bland characters and a story that fails to captivate, it is still an impressive offering considering that it is the work of mostly two developers. It features plenty of strategic, but action-packed combat, a wealth of equipment to craft and plenty of well-designed maps. Fans of older party-based games, like Icewind Dale will feel right at home with Kyn.

Gameplay: Kyn offers a single player, party based combat experience with plenty of action.

Graphics: Varied levels and plenty of detail.

Sound: No voice acting, but the soundtrack is great

Rage Runner

Rage Runner

Rage Runner is quite a challenging title and, as the name implies, it can be frustrating at times. Having to weave your way through obstacles at high speeds while changing the orientation of your craft takes some practice and completing all nine of the levels is quite an achievement. If you are looking for a 3D runner that will really test your skills you should try Rage Runner.

Gameplay: Quick reflexes and some trial-and-error is required, but overall this is an addictive and challenging title.

Graphics: Good, but not too distracting.

Sound: Depends on whether you like dubstep or not

Project Temporality

Project Temporality

Although the time manipulation elements have been seen in other games before, Project Temporality manages to impress with clever puzzles and rewarding gameplay. There is also a deeper story lurking behind all the puzzle solving for players interested enough to delve deeper. The game challenges you to carefully plan ahead, but because you can simply rewind time to rectify mistakes it rarely becomes frustrating.

Gameplay: Challenges you to think in four dimensions and rely on yourself to solve co-op based puzzles.

Graphics: Somewhat lacking in visual variety, but the overall design and lighting effects are excellent.

Sound: No voice acting, but some very nice music tracks

Ten Questions With… Friso (Critical Bit)

Ten Questions With… Friso (Critical Bit)

Critical Bit recently released their unique take on the shoot ‘em up genre, Reign of Bullets. The game features tons of epic loot as well as the ability to bolt heaps of guns to your ship. The result is an addictive, but also surprisingly accessible shooter. To find out more about Reign of Bullets we caught up with the co-founder of Critical Bit

NaissanceE

NaissanceE

NaissanceE is not a game for players that want to know exactly what is going on at all times. Instead of offering any explanations the game simply drops you into a surreal and intimidating gameworld that thrives on your confusion. The result is an experience quite unlike anything else and one that will stay with you long after the journey is complete.

Gameplay: First person exploration with a dash of puzzle solving and platforming.

Graphics: Beautiful and imposing in equal measures.

Sound: Atmospheric audio that greatly enhances the whole experience