Wraithkal: The Indie Gaming Corner
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Wits Will (Hopefully) Beat Jumpscares as ‘Clea’ Prototypes Puzzling Survival Horror

I'm not overly great with horror games, and the Clea prototype all but confirmed that as the moment those ever-approaching creepy sounds got too close, I would... hide in the nearby closet until they stopped. Why couldn't the two kids have done as told and stayed put? Then again, nothing ventured, nothing gained, so... let's send Clea and Ed off to their doom. Or have them both die trying. Or something.
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Stop the Feline Antagonist in ‘Cat-A-Strophic’ From Destroying All Your Valuables

For the record, while I am a dog person, I do not dislike cats. In fact, I absolutely love how adorable their behaviour, in general, is. If only that also applied to the feline in Cat-A-Strophic, but that's not even remotely the case, as this cat is hellbent on destroying every last item on the shelf. Guess the player somehow pissed her off before the game even began? Oh boy.
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‘Death Ray Manta SE’ is a Flashy Space Fish Twin-Stick Shootin’ Oldie With Arcady Roots

After playing Death Ray Manta SE a grand total of less than ten minutes, I was certain I had experienced all the overly flashy and colorful twin-stick shooter had to offer. Well, aside from actually beating - or even reaching - its 32 levels, that is. But I had collected gems, blasted countless tiny robots, dodged even more bullets and gotten a tiny bit dizzy from the sensory overload of its flashy visuals. Good stuff? Well...
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‘LandR’ (Demo) Makes Puzzle Platforming a Fun Challenge With Single Player Co-Op

Puzzle platformers, for the most part, has players take control of a single protagonist - a lone entity, as it were. But... what if we were instead allowed access to two... at the same time? While LandR is by no means the first to attempt this, it at least does so in a way that doesn't feel awkward or cumbersome, levels obviously designed with an additional moving object in mind. Groovy stuff.
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‘Parsec Rivals’ Impressions: In Space Soccer, With Lasers We Thrust

These days there exists a multitude of ways to play soccer in video game form: from the traditional way in FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer to blazing fast RC cars in Rocket League. But how about... in space, only one player on each team, movement controlled entirely by thrust, ball moved by shooting it? Crazy? That's what I thought too, but Parsec Rivals is actually an amusing take on the sport.
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‘Snow Nor Rain Nor Living Dead’ Impressions: Mailman With a Shotgun, Coming Through!

The dead have risen and now roam freely on the surface, and just like last time this happened, society collapsed. Completely. Or did it? Wait, no, because... for some reason, there's this idiot running around, determined to deliver mail. In spite of everything that's happened/happening. Zombies? Not a problem - dude's packing a shotgun with unlimited ammo! Everyone's dead? Who cares! There's mailboxes to fill, and not Snow Nor Rain Nor Living Dead shall prevent this guy from doing his job.
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‘Overclocked’ Impressions: High-Tech Ninja Platforming Is Fast, Fun and… Challenging!

When her city suddenly comes under siege by a nasty computer virus - one that "amplifies negative emotions and augments physical strength" - Amber sees no alternative but to take up arms as a vigilante in Overclocked, fighting the good fight. But while this agile girl is more than capable of kicking ass on her own, dashing through the air to make robots explode and dodge laser beams, she's by no means alone. Or rather, there's a whole crew working behind the scenes, even if in each level... she is very much alone.
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‘Kitten Smack’ Impressions: With the Power of Sound, I Shall… Smack a Kitten Around?

The things we find amusing in video games can often be quite strange - and often repetitive - in nature. Ah, and you see, both of those most certainly apply to Kitten Smack, a game which has you... well, smacking a kitten around. Literally. At least you're not actually laying a finger on the poor feline (or its head, which is the only part of it that appears on-screen, rather), instead pushing it around the level with audible bursts. Yeah, I don't know - some weird magical thing called 'soundblasting'.
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Metro Cop Impressions: Arcade Classic ‘Virtua Cop’ In An Absolutely Brilliant Fan Demake

Few arcade games from the mid-90s actually tickle my nostalgia bone like SEGA's Virtua Cop from 1994 (and its sequels!); so when I heard about Metro Cop, you better believe I jumped at the chance to play it. Glad I did too, because this is an absolutely incredible technical feat, getting very close to everything fun in the original; right down to enemy placement (more or less). So good.
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‘To the Core Again’ Impressions: …Are We Ever Actually Okay?

Safety has been quite the topic since... well, since mankind figured out how to communicate, really. We didn't live in caves because of the scenery after all, and quite frankly, it's still an issue today. Oh, and then there are events we'd like to forget, only our minds won't let us. Such is also the case for To the Core Again's protagonist, and he/she chooses to deal by way of a mirrored dimension. Spoiler: big mistake.
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‘CalligraTree’ Impressions: Wood Branches Out to a Tall Tree

Generally speaking, video games are a bit of a stressful form of entertainment, always forcing players to pursue some sort of goal, some sort of... well... objective. Whether it be saving the planet, eliminating a grand evil, or simply surviving, there's always something to strive for. While that does also hold true for CalligraTree, it does offer a noticeably more zen experience.
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‘Dark Forest’ Impressions: Brushes With Death Shall Guide You Forward

Bow in hand, armed with an unlimited supply of arrows (because why not?), it's time to stop a pesky spirit in Dark Forest! But before you can even fight it, four keys must be collected, after which a trip through the Dark Realm gate is to be made. Sounds simple enough, right? Well... each key resides in its own realm, none of which are easily accessible.
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‘Sprout’ Impressions: From Coconut to Oak, the Journey

Little known fact: coconuts have dreams too, and... well, some dream of... becoming a mighty oak, because why not? Such is the story of Sprout at least, in which you've been tasked with guiding a coconut (seed?) across a great distance, changing form as necessary to travel ever further. If you think this sounds a tad odd, you're not alone, but trust me, it makes sense. For a video game.
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‘Neera: Dark Secrets’ Impressions: Master of Hydromancy, Save the Azedac Kingdom

The Kingdom of Azedac is in trouble, wouldn't you know it? Something about a dark mage and potentially corrupt royalty, best I could tell during my time in the shoes of Neera, hydromancer, investigator and protagonist of Neera: Dark Secrets. So what's a girl (read: Neera) to do? Why, take matters into her own hands of course, doing her darnest to rid Azedac of whatever plague has befallen it!
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‘Lonk’s Greedy Adventure’ Impressions: The Legend of Lonk

Hear ye, hear ye: princess Zulda (wait, what?) has been kidnapped, and the kingdom has need of a hero! A hero willing to travel to Stuffia Island, ascend Dark Castle, all the way to highest tower where she's being kept. What, how do we know all this? We just do. Now on you go! There's a princess in need of saving and not a moment to lose. So go on, do embark on... Lonk's Greedy Adventure!
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‘Sango – Tales from the Coral Cave’ Impressions: Powered by Children’s Imagination

It all started with a small turtle. A turtle who was destined for greatness, but was it aware of this upon delving into the great blue? Not really. It simply wanted to make a splish and a splash, go on a swimming adventure as it were. Rather fortunate that it did however, as had it simply remained on the beach of its birth, this part of Sango - Tales from the Coral Cave would likely have had a much different ending.
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‘Skulls n’ Ladders’ Impressions: Ghastly Gold Grabbing

Gold. Gold is good. I like gold. A lot. But... it has been known to overwhelm unfortunate souls with greed, to the point where their quest for currency - whether it be in the form of coin or something less common - proved downright fatal. Such is also the case in Skulls n' Ladders, as those not careful will have a nasty end-of-the-line encounter with... a ghost!
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Twist and Shoot: ‘Core’ Puts a Clever Spin On Classic Twin-Stick Shootin’

One tiny space ship against hundreds upon hundreds of hostile aircraft. Doesn't seem quite fair, now does it? It actually is though, as Core's protagonist has the most durable shielding imaginable, able to withstand anything from bullets to collisions! Unfortunately such tech is expensive, or at least I reckon that's the reason for its only flaw: there isn't enough to cover the entire ship...
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‘Pixel Jam Band’ Makes Tower Defense a Rather Instrumental Experience

If rock and roll is to be made, someone shall have to play the drums, bring the bass, play the guitar, and nail those vocals. Depending on your weapon of choice - or perhaps 'strategy of choice' is more accurate - that also holds true for Pixel Jam Band; except here, each of the four act as a means of stopping what appears to be... zombies? Heavy metal, dude.
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Try Not to Die With Your Boots On as You Fill Lyrical Gaps in ‘The Endless Chorus’

Ah, good ol' Iron Maiden. Even though Die with Your Boots On (1983) is not their most popular - or best - song by far, it does make for an interesting mix of rhytmic trivia in The Endless Chorus. Or rather, the tiny portion of it that's featured in the prototype of said game does, tasking players with filling lyrical gaps in a timely manner. Groovy? Hell yeah!
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Surviving the Journey to Your Lost ‘DarkLove’ Involves Feeding on Many Fallen Foes

Generally speaking, not showing up for your own wedding... is a terrible idea. But in DarkLove you may not have much of a choice, as demonic beings are doing their darnest to stop you from ever reaching your bride-to-be in one piece. Oh, and your heart is - quite literally - continuously breaking, so you may want to run like your very life depended on it, because it kinda does in this game.
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