Well I was going to include Space Email in this week's roundup, but the novel communication experiment was taken offline before I got the chance, thanks to internet jerks once again ruining everything they touch. It's not all bad news though - this bankest of holidays will be enlivened with the likes of Eastward Quest, Robot Planet, Socrates Jones (think Phoenix Wright for philosophy) and a game that uses the pause button to startling effect. Enjoy!
Eastward Quest by Lucas Molina
Eastward Quest - not East wood Quest, sadly - is an autorunner of sorts that only goes in one direction, but it has less in common with the likes of Mario's auto-scrolling stages and more to do with the awesome Desktop Dungeons. Not dying a horrible death involves killing things in the right order, by graduating from miserable little slimes to fearsome strong skeletons, or by gambling on high-level enemies for XP boosts. Finishing the game's ten levels unlocks an Endless mode too, so you may be heading East for quite some time. (Via IndieGames )
Socrates Jones: Pro Philosopher by ChiefWakamakamu, ToMorning
A debate/argument/cross-examination game in the vein of Phoenix Wright, which means a lot of text, a lot of clicking, and some great conversation. You play as Socrates (no, not that Socrates), an ironically passive conversationalist who quickly learns the value of challenging the things that plop out of people's mouths.
Pause Ahead by Askiisoft
I've never seen the pause button used to such effect - usually it just, you know, pauses the game, rather than freezing the main character in place, turning them invincible until you hit the button again. It's a wonderful gimmick in another challenging platform game, though I do wish the main character would stop interrupting the action with yet more tedious musings about his predicament. I also wish he wouldn't explode upon death, a curiously out-of-place death animation that annoys me far more than it probably should.
Catlateral Damage by Chris Chung
I've known a few cats like the kitty in Catlateral Damage, so it's a pleasure to finally be able to see things from their point-of-view. You're a cat stuck in a tiny bedroom. With no way to escape, you relieve your frustration in the only way you know how (well, apart from weeing everywhere): smashing stuff up. This 7DFPS entry could do with a few sound effects, and maybe a paw-swiping animation, but hey - it was made in just a week. (Via Free Indie Games )
ROBOT PLANET by George Broussard
Made with Ludum Dare's '10 seconds' theme in mind, ROBOT PLANET is a tense sci-fi roguelike with a mixture of real-time and turn-based elements, developed by George Broussard - one of the co-creators of Duke Nukem. '10 seconds' here refers to how much air you have left, a number that can be extended (briefly) via scattered pockets of O2. See how long you can survive - oh, there are also robots - in this surprisingly fully featured little game. (Via IndieGames )
After 23 years of making Dwarf Fortress, even its creator is still 'terrified' of drowning all his dwarves with aquifers: 'Part of the problem is we are just not good at videogames'
Dwarf Fortress' creator is so tired of hearing about AI: 'Press a button and it writes a really sh*tty, wrong essay about something—and they still take your job'
