Steam's Not a Metroidvania sale gathers Guacamelee, Salt and Sanctuary, Sundered and Dead Cells. Individually, you stand to save up to 40 percent on each game—or 50 percent if you buy them as a bundle. As the name of the sale suggests, these indie gems aim to sidestep the sweeping Metroidvania genre label. I like 'em all for different reasons.
DrinkBox Studios' Guacamelee, for example, is a fast-firing explosion of combos and colour. Thunder Lotus Games' Sundered is a gorgeous sidescroller with some larger than life bosses (look at the teeny, tiny hero fighting that gigantic baddie in the header image above); while Motion Twin's Dead Cells boasts a dizzying array of weapons and uber-cool animations.
Ska Studios' Salt and Sanctuary is a 2D Dark Souls-a-like. It's my favourite of the four, and as such gets a closer look:
"In these lovingly crafted 2D platformers, you'll explore and battle through unique non-linear worlds, discover new items and abilities which will allow you to progress beyond otherwise impassable obstacles, and revisit older areas along the way," says the sale's Steam blurb. "These games are proof that there's plenty of room for creative variation inside these simple rules of gameplay, but agreeing on a single term to describe them can be tough... May we suggest Castletroid? Vanimet?"
Call them what you like, but I assure you they're worth your time. With 40 percent off, Guacamelee's Super Turbo Championship Edition costs £6.89/$8.99, Salt and Sanctuary costs £8.15/$10.79, and Sundered costs £9.29/$11.99. With 33 percent off Dead Cells costs £11.38/$13.39.
Together, the Not a Metroidvania sale gathers the lot for £28.56/$36.12. It runs from now till Friday, June 8.
