Unity 5.5’s Release Is Augmented With More Particles Than Ever Before

It feels like Unity 5.4 just left beta, doesn't it? Yeah, but… that was in fact several months ago, and now Unity 5.5 is upon us. What this one brings to the table, on top of performance improvements across the board - especially in the rendering department - is the inclusion of Microsoft Holographic support. That's right: it's time to get augmented, HoloLens style!
Continue reading…

Speculating Screenshots (26th November 2016)

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…

The Greenlight Groove: ‘Blind Love’ and… more!

Many Steam users don’t check - or even notice - the majority of Greenlight additions; it's simply too time-consuming. Hoping to alleviate this problem somewhat, I bring you The Greenlight Groove, showcasing my recommendation(s) from the past week.
Continue reading…

‘Bees Won’t Exist’ Impressions: Time to Teach Them a Sting or Two

Much as I dislike bees, they're hardly a major nuisance… in this world. See, in whatever alternate dimension Bees Won't Exist takes place, they're pretty much in charge. No one really knows how or why, but one day, giant bees simply appeared - and the rest is history. Oh, and just in case you haven't figured that part out already: you've been tasked with defeating these vile creatures. Bee the best that you can, and all that good stuff. Fight!
Continue reading…

‘Mushroom Crusher Extreme’ (v0.90.1) Impressions

Giant Shrooms (wait, what?) invading may sound like a crazy fever dream, but unfortunately for Zenon, Mushroom Crusher Extreme's protagonist, it's actually happening. Doomed? Hardly. Dude packs a serious punch, having studied the arts of elemental magic and all, so repelling this would-be invasion shouldn't be much of an issue. Yeah. Famous last words…
Continue reading…

Speculating Screenshots (19th November 2016)

Let’s Get It Kickstarted: ‘Mars Underground’

First day at a new school - what could possibly go wrong? Bullied? Arrive late to class? Unable to figure out where to go? Or perhaps something far worse? In the case of Mars, definitely far worse: the world ends, and then resets, every night. Does this mean his actions won't have consequences? Is Mars free to do whatever, knowing that no one will remember, come midnight? Maybe. Maybe not. But it'd make a lot more sense, in the long run, to find a way to stop whatever - or whoever - is triggering this cataclysmic event in Mars Underground...
Continue reading…

The Greenlight Groove: ‘Child of Fire’ and… more!

‘Sentry Knight Tactics’ Impressions: Hack, Slash, Snipe and Heal

Being warriors of the King's Army isn't the worst gig out there. You get to journey across the land, helping people in need, making the world a better place and all that good stuff. Simple enough and quite manageable. But then one day, some jerk decided to launch an attack from another dimension (wait, what?), basically waving a red flag in front of every last hero in Sentry Knight Tactics. No more easy times and no more mr. nice guy. Death to the invaders!
Continue reading…

The Day the Music Died: Development of ‘Troll Song’ Canceled

Bad news time, and to make matters worse, this one's been a long time coming: Troll Song has been canceled! Darn shame too, as I for one would have liked to experience a pointy and clicky adventure focusing entirely on trolls - and their way of life, as it were. More often than not, whenever this particular lot is portrayed in popular media, it's in the form of mindless brutes... as I'm sure you've noticed here and there. Wouldn't have been the case with Troll Song, however, but alas... now we'll (likely) never know just how that might have looked.
Continue reading…

Latest ‘Slime Rancher’ Update Is In the Name of Science, Big Time

Beatrix LeBeau, Slime Rancher protagonist, has had fun wrangling slimes for a while now, and if this latest update is any indication, she'll have plenty to see and do… until the cows come home. Get it? Because… even though it's somewhere in the far reaches of space, Slime Rancher is still about farm-- right. Anyway: science! SCIENCE! Wicked creations, powered by Slime Science. Muahahahaha!
Continue reading…

‘GERM’ Impressions: One Virus to Gobble Them All?

Ain't easy being a tiny microorganism - or whatever germs are - in this land, danger lurking in every shadow. But hey, at least there's no shortness of food to smash to pieces and gobble up! Ah, the destructive nature of a germ. So simple, so peaceful, so… hungry. Always on the look for that next meal, as only when all have been dealt with, shall the door to the next area reveal itself. Such is the way of GERM…
Continue reading…

Speculating Screenshots (12th November 2016)

‘Quur’ Impressions: Sometimes, Color Speaks Volumes

So, you know how some games take away control from the player to showcase some grand intro or backstory before finally letting you play? Yeah, Quur is the exact opposite, in that you immediately get to control a rather odd being, able to manipulate its surroundings by way of the Color. Because in this world, 'color' is not just a visual aesthetic… it is everything.
Continue reading…

The Greenlight Groove: ‘NYKRA’ and… more!

‘This War of Mine’ Celebrates Anniversary With an Expanded Experience

This War of Mine, with all its doom-and-gloom scenarios, has come a long way since its launch back in 2014. Among other things, children became part of the torn, post-apocalyptic world, because the game clearly wasn't depressing enough already. And I mean that in a good way. Kinda. Right. Anyway, while not as expansive, the recent Anniversary Edition update is not only free but… does come with a brand new ending. Good ending? Bad ending? Who knows!
Continue reading…

Train Jam: Tracks Laid For Another Choo-Choo Game Jam In 2017

Game jams are all over the place these days. Some take place in a fixed location, while other are more of a global (ie. online) thing. What makes Train Jam so special is that, well, it's neither, taking place on... a moving train! Yup. A train, of all things, set to depart from Chicago’s Union Station next February, arriving in Emeryville, California later that same month. Very groovy and unique.
Continue reading…

Speculating Screenshots (5th November 2016)

‘Mars Underground’ Demo Impressions: Today Is Also Tomorrow… and Every Day After

Mars - Mars Underground's protagonist - could be worse off: new school means there's an opportunity to make new friends and leave what was / happened behind. Because everyone has something they'd rather just wasn't, didn't happen, or some such. Unfortunately for Mars, something causes him to relive the same day, over and over, the world ending with the arrival of night time, everything resetting the following morning.
Continue reading…

The Greenlight Groove: ‘Gunmetal Arcadia Zero’ and… more!

From Random to Randomness: Procedural Generation Jam 2016 Is Underway

Ah, procedurally generated content. Or perhaps... entire games? Heck, for this particular jam, it doesn't even have to be a game. Could be art, a sound clip, a piece of software - so long as it has procedural generation at its core. Does that mean it's not a game jam? Probably, but who cares? I mean, games will still come to be during its seven-day run, I'm sure. So there - it's a semi-game jam (because that's a thing)!
Continue reading…

MAGS November: Game Jam In the “Afterlife”

Adventure Game Studio. Easily my favorite engine, second only to SCUMM. So, MAGS! Unlike most jams, which tend to last from 72 hours to a full week with no engine restriction, this one spans a month and requires participants to use... wait for it... Adventure Game Studio! Who's in the mood for creating some adventure games?
Continue reading…

Speculating Screenshots (29th October 2016)