Wraithkal: The Indie Gaming Corner
Remember to update your bookmarks, wraithkal.info is now wraithkal.com.

Oceanspirit Danish's Version of Hamlet Is Nonsensically Glorious

Like in the original play, its main character starts off being confused as to whether his name is Denthello, MacDen or Denleth, and-- what? That's not how Shakespeare's Hamlet begins? Oh. Well, good thing this is a parody then, or someone'd be in a world of trouble! Right. Anyway, the time has come for yet another Oceanspirit Dennis adventure, because... something is rotten in the state of Menmark.
Continue reading…

Unity Makes Its Linux Debut With an 'Experimental' Build

If you've ever dabbled in the world of video game development, chances are you've heard of Unity. It is after all a pretty darn popular engine, both for 3D and 2D projects. Until recently, however widely used, Linux support was but a distant promise. But now it's almost reality, even if this first iteration is an experimental build, meaning stability is... probably not on the feature list. That said, it's still more than Linux users had to work with just yesterday, ya know?
Continue reading…

Speculating Screenshots (22nd August 2015)

For most, weekends means two days off work with some much-needed R&R. But for game developers, it's also a time during which they get to show off what they've been working on. I am of course referring to Screenshot Saturday, which involves tweeting screenshots with the #ScreenshotSaturday hashtag. Screenshots which I will be critiquing some of every single Tuesday, in Speculating Screenshots.
Continue reading…

Amnesia: The Dark Descent Enters The Second Dimension With a Grunt Protagonist

Remember the disfigured abominations (as in, the grunts) from Amnesia: The Dark Descent? Well, you're about to become quite familiar with them; or one in particular rather, as Brian - The Second Dimension's protagonist - is... a grunt. He is different from the rest though, not content being a slave to his master. No, he has dreams, aspirations, a desire to be free. But sadly, the road to freedom is, as is often the case, long and troublesome, on top of being 2D (the game world that is).
Continue reading…

Exoplanet: First Contact Is In Need of Space Cowboy Funding

Meet Jack Sharp, anti-hero and adventurer extraordinaire. Jack has had the bad luck of ending up stranded on K’Tharsis, a former mining outpost turned survival-of-the-fittest, as the Antigravium Crystal rush has come and gone. But his luck could change for the better, with a little careful planning, some gunslinging and the right allies. Never say never, in this sci-fi ARPG with an old-school western twist.
Continue reading…

Get Spooked by the Pointy and Clicky Bulb Boy Demo

With a caring family and roof over his head, Bulb Boy couldn't do better if he tried. That is, until one fateful night, when everything changes. Everything. Without even a moment's notice, evil has taken control of the house, his family has disappeared, and... monsters are lurking in the shadows. Basically, he's entirely on his own with a grand mystery to solve, and the forces of darkness to combat. Oh my.
Continue reading…

Dash and Slice Your Way Through a Hazardous Paperthin World

You know how some platformers feature an in-depth background story for its protagonist, acting as a motivator for many players? Well, none of that in Paperthin, as you're immediately dropped into this dangerous world, left to fend for yourself, double-jumping over spike pits and slicing up bad guys as you go along. Oh and it sounds a lot simpler than it is, tight controls and all.
Continue reading…

Let's Get It Kickstarted (With Demo): Rogue Invader

Become the invader. Take the fight to the aliens. Stop being so defensive, waiting for them to go on the attack. Be aggressive! Send a message by blowing those jerks into the next galaxy over! YEAH! Oh right, death is permanent, so I guess you'll want to be slightly careful. Also, the world is procedurally generated, meaning every fight will be fresh. Forgot about that stuff. Even so, it's time to kick some serious ass... in glorious 1-bit (wait, what?).
Continue reading…

Frozenbyte's Vision For Trine 3 Was Not Fully Realized Due to Budget Limitations

When I covered the launch of Trine 3: Artifacts of Power, well aware of its shift from 2D (or 2.5D, rather) to 3D, I was cautious, yet hopeful. Frozenbyte did after all deliver two absolutely amazing experiences with the first two Trine titles, so they have a solid track record at least. Unfortunately, it appears the developer may have overreached for its third outing however, as they simply did not have the funding to create what they had envisioned. Darn shame.
Continue reading…

The Last Time (Demo) Points 'n Clicks a Retired Old Cop Back Into Action

When two cops, Jack and Darren, have spent a total of five years working as partners, chances are they've formed quite a bond - a friendship, even, meaning one knows the other very well. But no amount of knowledge could have prevented the events of that fateful night in The Last Time, which lead to Jack suffering an emotional trauma as the game skips ahead a solid forty years, no indication as to what has transpired during. That is, until the phone suddenly rings...
Continue reading…

Duskers (Alpha) Tasks You With Survival In a World Gone Awry, Ancient Tech Your Tools

The universe has certainly seen better days, as right now, it's pretty much one giant graveyard. But maybe there's still life out there somewhere? Maybe. In Duskers, you'll be taking on the role of a drone pilot, searching through empty, often almost completely scrapped, spaceships, in an attempt to figure out just what the heck happened. That and of course, the means to your own survival... hopefully.
Continue reading…

Watch Out For the Evil Glow Monsters as You Go On a Cubic Munchin' Spree!

Cubics. Ah, such a delicacy, at least to the protagonist of Glow Monsters. Personally, I never cared much for them. They're just too crunchy, ya know? Seriously though, even though its gameplay was clearly inspired by Pac-Man, this particular dot (or cubics, I suppose) gobbler comes with a twist - a path-altering, world-bending twist. Quite literally too, as you can twist the path, giving nasties the slip! Groovy.
Continue reading…

Let's Get It Kickstarted: Trial by Viking

Ah, vikings. Far too few video games feature this particular lot. Far too few indeed, and this time they're not even lost! Too obscure? Hardly, as Trial by Viking doesn't really take itself too seriously either. I mean, the cast consists of a cynical Valkyrie and a talking polar bear, among other! The gameplay on the other hand, leans heavily on noticeably more serious metroidvania design, coupled with time sensitive game-changing decisions, and seems to be both fast-paced and relentless. A proper good mix.
Continue reading…

Speculating Screenshots (15th August 2015)

For most, weekends means two days off work with some much-needed R&R. But for game developers, it's also a time during which they get to show off what they've been working on. I am of course referring to Screenshot Saturday, which involves tweeting screenshots with the #ScreenshotSaturday hashtag. Screenshots which I will be critiquing some of every single Tuesday, in Speculating Screenshots.
Continue reading…

Goscurry Review: Fast, Faster… Funnest!

Left, right, right, left, jump, dodge… CRASH! That pretty describes my early attempts at playing Goscurry, as its seemingly endless roads are just full of surprises. Turning to stay on track as the path curves - hardly challenging. But throw in obstacles that require either jumping or side-stepping to avoid a rather explosive outcome of ship-meets-wall however, and the difficulty ramps up significantly. Also, your ship doesn't have any brakes installed. Groovy.
Continue reading…

The Ninth One Room One Week (aka. OROW 9) AGS Competition Is Almost Upon Us

For some reason, I've always thought MAGS was the only popular Adventure Game Studio (AGS) competition. Turns out, I couldn't be more wrong, as One Room One Week (OROW) also attracts a lot of attention. And why shouldn't it? A competition that has aspiring developers make a game with just one room, within a single week, is... well, it's restrictive, but at the same time, a potentially great way to force outside-the-box thinking.
Continue reading…

Inferno 2 Review: Twin-Stick Shootin' Re-Evolved

At first, everything was simple and manageable, with barely any opposition. A few enemies here and there in need of some gunfire-to-the-face - hardly enough to make me break a sweat. But then, little by little, their numbers grew, along with what they were packing, to suddenly find myself surrounded by colorful explosions as shots went flying left and right. Or put differently, Inferno 2 is fun, fast, furious, and so very stylish! Groovy.
Continue reading…