Wraithkal: The Indie Gaming Corner
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‘Dungeon Hearts’ Has Arrived With a Runic RPG Rumble

Mixing match-three with RPG elements is a tried-and-true formula and one we’ve seen plenty of times before, especially on mobile devices and tablets, yet Dungeon Hearts seems to have pulled it off without simply retreading familiar ground. Maybe it’s the change of pace that the Fatestream mechanic brings with it? Unlike in Puzzle Quest, time is constantly ticking mid-battle here, so get ready to match runes quickly or face the consequences.
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‘LIMBO’ Getting Ready to Spook Players On Vita

If you have yet to experience Playdead’s silhouette-styled platformer about a boy in search of his sister, WHY NOT?! This is an incredible (and a bit creepy) experience that should not be missed by anyone, even though it’s one full of both danger and mystery, huge spider and all. But if your excuse is “I only play games on my PlayStation Vita”, well, then you’re in luck.
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The Freeware Indie: AGS Bake Sale 2012 Edition

If you’ve read my site at one point or other, chances are you’ve noticed just how big a fan I am of point ‘n click adventures, especially those made with AGS (Adventure Game Studio), freeware or not. Now, while I didn’t cover last year’s AGS Bake Sale at all, I did buy a copy and let me tell ya, there’s some good stuff in it – even if they’re not all point ‘n click games. But wait, why am I telling you this, since the games are not available outside of a sale that long ago? Well, 7 of the 14 games have since been released as freeware.
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‘Along Came A Spider’ Spins a Web On PC

If you’ve ever wanted to help a spider find its way home, this physics platformer just might be up your alley. Just make sure you’re ready for a challenging adventure though, because unlike cats, spiders don’t have the luxury of nine lives! They do have eight legs though, and in an odd twist, this game uses each and every last one of them.
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‘Astroloco: Worst Contact’ Review

In the year 2153, trains no longer require railroads. Instead they – like mankind – travel among the stars, acting as a means of transportation between colonies; well, that and space train combat, because… it’s the future! Anyway, in this adventure, you’ll (mostly) be playing as Ronald, a poor guy who’s stuck cleaning after other people on Gilbert Station. I wouldn’t start feeling bad for him just yet though, because like that Space Quest fella has proven again and again, being a space janitor is anything but boring.
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Rearrange Story Panels to Survive Upcoming Noir Puzzler ‘Framed’

Ever read a comic book and wondered what would happen if the panels were in a different order? Chances are the story would turn into complete nonsense in most cases, but in Framed, the entire game is built around that mechanic. Leaving the story as is will likely result in your untimely demise, while rearranging the panels will change the path your character takes and this just might be enough to get you through it in one piece.
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‘Unstoppabot’ Impressions: Don’t Stop Me Now! (iOS)

I’ll admit that I was sceptic when I first heard about Unstoppabot, since it was described as an “unholy hybrid of an infinite runner and a brain-tickling puzzle game”. But after watching the trailer, my fears were put to rest: this is not another (endless) runner! In fact, it’s not even endless, and instead of the typical run/jump/swipe of most runners, here the player is tasked with creating a safe path for this guy to traverse… and, ROBOTS!
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‘NightSky’ Review (iOS)

After enjoying success on Windows, Mac, Linux and even 3DS, the physics puzzler known as NightSky has finally set up shop on Android and iOS too! At first glance, this may look like LIMBO with those silhouette-style visuals, but fear not – the two have next-to-nothing in common. Now, before we dive into my thoughts on the game: don’t worry, the oversized spider stayed in LIMBO… That’s not to say NightSky is without obstacles though. Far from.
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‘Blackwell Unbound’ Review

With this being the second game in the series, one might think it would act as a continuation of Rosa’s story, but that’s not exactly the case. This chapter takes place in 1973, where we find Rosa’s aunt Lauren Blackwell as the protagonist, accompanied by Joey Mallone. She’s not exactly fond of his presence and it seems that the feeling is mutual, but they have no choice but to work together since people are in need of their aid. Welcome to Blackwell Unbound.
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Delve Into the Roguelike Depths of ‘Dungeon Fray’

One can never have too many roguelikes, I always say, and even though there are a crazy amount of alternatives, Dungeon Fray manages to stand on its own, with fast-paced gameplay and a neat trick or two. For example, how does a perk system tied to achievements and fast-paced gameplay (hint: mouse controls) sound? Crazy? Wait, what?! Tell me, have you forgotten how unfair/random roguelikes can be? I certainly wouldn’t pass on something to help even the odds.
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‘Squids’ Developer’s Next Game Announced: ‘Combo Crew’

After the highly successful Squids and Squids Wild West, The Game Bakers are heading in a brand new direction with their next project: Combo Crew will be a co-op beat ’em up! Who needs another puzzle game anyway, right? If you ask me, we need more indie games where the focus is on using your fists and feet to break bones and humiliate ones friends, rather than those that make your head spin from thinking too much.
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Demolish Armies of Monsters In the ‘Hammerwatch’ Open Beta

The time has come for you to take arms as either a wizard, paladin, ranger or a warlock and climb to the top of Castle Hammerwatch. What’s that? Oh I know, climbing a castle – where’s the challenge in that? Well, you didn’t let me finish: as you ascend, you’ll have to deal with hordes of bats, slugs and other nasty creatures, all of which will be more than happy to test your skills! Good luck.
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Who Says There Are No Female Pirates? ‘Nelly Cootalot II’ Announced

Nelly Cootalot originally appeared in the free point ‘n click adventure, Nelly Cootalot: Spoonbeaks Ahoy! back in 2007, in which the spirit of a dead buccaneer asked her to investigate the disappearance of a fleet of birds (don’t the dead ever stay dead?). Alas, that was six years ago and recently her creator, Ali, finally announced that she’s getting ready for a brand new adventure in Nelly Cootalot II: The Fowl Fleet – something tells me birds will be involved again.
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‘The Blackwell Legacy’ Review

I’m sure that if she had a say on the matter, Rosangela Blackwell (Rosa) would prefer to simply continue her life as a freelance writer with as little drama and mystery as possible. Unfortunately fate has other plans for her, because not long after her aunt’s death, she starts having frequent headaches to which there seem to be no reason or rhyme. That is, until an old friend of the family suddenly shows up, at which point Rosa’s life gets much more interesting.
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New ‘Rochard’ DLC Brings Hard Times

Step into the shoes of John Rochard, an astrominer with an attitude. Your equipment? A multi-function gun called the G-Lifter. Your mission? To mess with the laws of physics and beat up bad guys along the way; oh and something about rescuing a damsel in distress. Plenty of fun, but some fans found it to be on the easy side, so the developer decided to release a piece of DLC called Hard Times.
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