by Jayden Leggett, Editor
Are you still hungering for more information about some of the other tasty indie gaming treats being served at PAX Aus 2014? Satiate your appetite right now, as I present to you more of my top indie game picks from this year’s immensely popular Aussie gaming event.
Screencheat
Taking stacks of inspiration from the classic split-screen console shooters of yesteryear, Screencheat is a game built around one core mechanic: looking at your opponent’s screen. The reason for this is simple: everybody is invisible, so taking a sneaky peek at your opponent’s whereabouts is essentially one of only two ways of locating your quarry. Initially I found this mechanic super tricky, but by my second game I was starting to rack up the kills like a pro, taking note of the different props and unique colours of each section of the map to pinpoint where my prey was and take them out with one swift shot from my blunderbuss. Miscalculating and firing at nothing is something that should be avoided, as each weapon has its own unique “tell” that will give away your position to any nearby foes. Bonus points should also be awarded for the ingenious implementation of a colour blind mode that inserts different patterns into each different coloured section of the map. Thoughtful stuff indeed. Kudos, Samurai Punk!
http://community.surpriseattackgames.com/screencheat
Fight The Dragon
Taking advantage of the whole “build your own world” craze that Minecraft is almost single-handedly responsible for, Fight The Dragon carves out its own path in this ever-growing genre by following an RPG motif. Sure, the blocky graphics are decidedly Minecraft-ly, and all of the levels are created within the game itself, but that is where the similarities between this game and Minecraft end, with Fight The Dragon coming out all the better for it. First of all, the levels (or “adventures”) are all built using the quick and simple level editor, and the viewpoint and gameplay are all classic Diablo style hack ‘n slash RPG gold, with plenty of loot and experience points to be gleamed along the way. With over 3,500 adventures already available for download, make sure you don’t miss out on Fight The Dragon on its 4th of December launch date.
http://fightthedragon.com/
Quarries Of Scred
No, that title isn’t missing an “a”, Scred is the name of the planet in which Bob, a recovering space heroin addict, must mine for minerals and ore in order to generate enough cash to pay off his various debts. Quarries Of Scred features incredibly old school visuals and an equally vintage play style (think an even more primitive looking Boulder Dash and you’re on the right track). The game features a real risk/reward mechanic in which players can finish the level upon obtaining a certain amount of points, but have the opportunity to continue on and risk it all for the sake of a higher score. Bonus points go to the game’s creator for the inclusion of daily challenges and the ability to instantly Tweet out your score. Bonus bonus points for the fact that this game was able to be played on a freaking sweet arcade cabinet during PAX Aus!
http://www.quarriesofscred.com/
That’s all for now, but you can expect even more indie game opinions from PAX Aus right here, soon!
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