Latest news with #indieGame
The Verge
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
After nearly 10 years, Nuclear Throne gets 120fps mode.
After nearly 10 years, Nuclear Throne gets 120fps mode. Vlambeer co-founder Jan Willem Nijman posted a surprise update on Steam detailing numerous updates in a new Nuclear Throne beta build, including 60fps and 120fps modes, more aspect ratios and a new controls menu. The roguelike shooter was capped at 30fps since its 2015 release.
Forbes
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Quantum Witch' Review: A Malevolent Deity And Pesky Sheep Run Riot
How do you manage the impact of a traumatic childhood once you become an adult? Make a video game filled with absurdist comedy that pokes fun at it, of course. That's what the solo developer NikkiJay has done with her debut release, the autobiographical Quantum Witch. Her upbringing forms the basis of this 2D indie adventure's narrative themes and characters. Jay grew up in a religious cult in the north east of England where she wasn't allowed friends. She certainly couldn't be gay (which she later realized she was). Preachers told her that if God's orders weren't obeyed, he would come back and kill everyone. It's no surprise that in Quantum Witch, Jay pits us against a malevolent deity. The game starts out in the idyllic realm of Hus. It's brought to life with a stunning pixelated art style inspired by point and click titles such as Day of the Tentacle and Darkside Detective. As a shepherdess called Ren, we tend to a flock of pesky Faer (this world's sheep) that have escaped their pen. We pester her wife about repairing a ladder in their little lodge. We wander cornfields and chat to a cow. It's all rather wholesome. Ren's blissful bubble bursts (just as Jay's did at the age of 19 when she was exiled from the cult) after she discovers a strange portal in the woods that can transport her to another realm. Everything turns sinister as an evil God harbouring in this new universe drags Ren into a conflict with potentially life-changing consequences. The main challenge then circles around will power - can Ren resist the allure of this villain's promises, or will she succumb to her? We're given the choice. Quantum Witch has more in common with a Choose Your Own Adventure novel than a platformer - which it initially resembles. There's tough decisions to make, all of which can affect the fate of the game's weird cast of characters. A giant warrior teaches Ren how to fight, but then informs her that 'true combat is of the mind'. It's what we do with Ren's words that matters, not her fists so don't expect tons of action. Chatting to a Lara Croft lookalike at a market stall in Hus. The words in Quantum Witch are hilarious though. Dialogue has a satirical edge that is distinctly British - think Red Dwarf - and it often breaks the fourth wall with quips about in-game fetch quests and overused video game tropes. A standout moment comes while chatting to a Lara Croft lookalike at a market stall. She unloads her life's story onto Ren, including a line about finding her butler locked inside a walk-in freezer. Gamers of the nineties will lap this up, especially when a Pac-Man wannabe starts talking about drugs. Not every joke lands in its entirety though; some require more knowledge of Jay's background for them to fully make sense. There's a scene that spoofs a religious sect and its whimsical beliefs inside a temple that's about as subtle as a sledgehammer (intentionally so) if you're aware of where it derives from. Getting around the kingdom is a bit of a slog at times. It's laid out like a traditional Metroidvania as Ren trots back and forth to retrieve items, making use of teleportartion portals. The absence of a map makes this slightly difficult. There aren't tons of locations to visit and each one is distinguishable from the other by the presence of different buildings, but some guidance wouldn't go amiss. Navigation aside, Hus is fleshed out with lore and each character is given the freedom to express their own identity, regardless of who they are. It's remarkably well written by Jay (with some help from Bafta award winning writer, Paul Rose and journalist, Stephanie Sterling) with tons of depth which is impressive considering the game only runs for around four hours. A final mention must also go to the game's music which is composed by Jay and Jerden Cooke. It reminds me a lot of the soundtrack to Twin Peaks; it's a jazzy concoction that at one moment is light and upbeat, the next it's full of dread. It's wonderfully atmospheric.
Al Bawaba
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Bawaba
Tamashika: New indie game sparks backlash amid links to Israel
ALBAWABA - Tamashika, an upcoming indie game developed by quicktequila and published by Harmony Korine's EDGLRD, recently sparked controversy after social media users linked both parties to supporting Israel, Zionism, and the IDF. However, while many gamers expressed their interest in Tamashika for its unique visuals, the game's popularity started plummeting after social media users discovered the publisher and developer's political views on the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza. According to the pro-Palestine organization Reverse Canary Mission, EDGLRD's Harmony Korine and his wife Rachel Korine allegedly raised over $10 million for Israel's IDF. Kinda funny how everyone stopped pretending that this game looked good the moment they learned it had ties to the IDF — H20: 2nd Impact (@I__HATE_SOCCER) June 15, 2025 On the contrary, while there is no evidence of quicktequila's financial support for Israel, the indie developer revealed on their official X account (formerly known as Twitter) that they support Zionism. In a now-deleted post, the developer wrote, "Plot twist: I was always a Ziosnist!" This sparked widespread debate on Musk's platform with pro-Palestinian social media users urging gamers not to promote Tamashika or wishlist it. EDGLRD describes the game as a spiritual version of Doom, a cuter take on the popular indie game Post Void, with meditative FPS gameplay that cleanses your brain. The unusual anime-themed FPS, currently planned for a 2025 release date, has a demo available for players to try out, according to its official Steam store page.
Forbes
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Echoes Of The Unread Is A New NES Platformer Hitting The Right Notes
Echoes of the Unread Hobbyist game designers and retro tinkerers have been making homebrew retro games for vintage game consoles forever, that's not new. But nowadays, it seems like just about every day a new retro game is revealed to be in development that actually looks fantastic and like it could have been a bestseller in the 80s or 90s since it runs on actual hardware. That's the case here with Echoes of the Unread, an innovative indie NES platformer currently in development. The game is currently live on Kickstarter via Mega Cat Studios with just over a week to go as of the time of this writing, but it was already fully-funded in its opening 24-hours on the platform. To learn more about the game and its origins, check out the dev diary series from creator Matt Tuttle below: I tried out the demo of the NES game for myself and came away very impressed. I'm a sucker for charming, original takes on retro platforming and Echoes of the Unread has tons of personality and charm. Rather than just asking you to run from left to right, squashing enemies and collecting things along the way, there's a bit more going on here. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder For starters, it's both a story-driven and music-focused puzzle platformer. The main character, Rhapsody, is a girl who falls asleep while studying at the library and awakes to a world where books burst into life. Singing has magical powers in this world and she must use her talents to find a way back home. She'll have to venture across a variety of worlds featuring themes from westerns and horror, to fantasy and even sci-fi. There's a huge variety on display and the pixel artists really put in a lot of work to make sure you rarely see the same thing twice. Echoes of the Unread The demo I tried (check it out for yourself on the Kickstarter page for free) featured a few levels, but I mostly just explored, enjoyed the music, and appreciated the quality of the pixel art. Every enemy is expertly animated and the soundtrack is immediately catchy in the same way all of the best games from decades ago were for our brains as kids. I'll definitely be keeping my eye on Echoes of the Unread, especially since it's an authentic retro game that runs on original NES hardware.
The Drive
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Drive
Indie Game Lets You Build Your Dream Camper Van Down to the Smallest Detail
The latest car news, reviews, and features. Camping is one of those activities that can be a lot of fun, provided you know what you're doing. If you don't, it can be a logistical nightmare. Fortunately, the medium of video games offers a quick way to skip the stress and get right to the joy of assembling your dream camper, and that's what Camper Van: Make It Home is all about. It caught our eye today, and it just released for PC via Steam on June 8. This is an indie title made by a small team of eight people at Spain-based Malapata Studio. Originally launched through Kickstarter two years ago, the game is now live, along with a demo that offers a small taste of the experience. At its core, this is a creative puzzle game where you'll organize and decorate your roving home away from home, right down to the food in the pantry and flowers in pots. As you add discoveries to your scrapbook, you'll learn more about the main character's backstory through actions and objects, rather than words. You're not alone; there's a canine (or feline, or reptile) travel companion. And yes, you can pet them. Naturally, it's all done in this pastel, cel-shaded visual style that relaxes you as you stack dishes in cabinets, customize your van's interior, and lay out camping chairs and board games outside. I tried the demo for about 15 minutes, and although it's a little difficult to determine where that experience ends and the rest of the game begins, I could immediately grasp the appeal. If you enjoy rearranging your furniture every once in a while but are limited by time, money, or energy (or perhaps all three), this game is perfect for you. Ditto if you have wholesome dreams of exploring the country in a cozy van with a furry or scaly friend. There's a photo mode in the game, and you can even load up the fridge! Each of those items is placed by the player. Steam, The Drive You can run Camper Van on practically anything—the minimum requirements listed include GTX 660 graphics and an Intel Core i3 CPU—but a port to the Nintendo Switch (and, assuredly, Switch 2) is in the works. That fits, because this is the sort of game that seems tailor-made for a tablet, if not a mouse. And, with a Switch, you'd be able to take it anywhere, even on your next real-life road-trip adventure. You won't find it in the demo, but you're not limited to building and customizing just vans. Steam, The Drive Got tips? Send 'em to tips@
