Ah, Groupees with a holiday-themed bundle and 25% of proceeds go to the United Nations World Food Programme – a lovely chunk, I’d say. I suspect most are far more interested in the games though, and what a lineup it is: Gateways, Q.U.B.E., Avernum… so much good stuff!
I’ve gone over the ‘what’s what’ many times for past bundles with this pricing model, but… just in case: $0.50 for the first game, price increases with each additional title you so heartily desire. Seems they’ve changed the unlock rules for this one though. There is but one present, and it won’t be available until 100,000 (wow!) meals have been served. Since $1 equals 1 meal, we have ways to go until that box is opened; at least, if it works like I think it does. Whatever the case, that’s enough of my ramblings – onto the games, musical contributions, and of course, the comic books!
Q.U.B.E. (Windows, Mac – Steam, DRM-free)
Set in a mysterious and abstract sterile environment, Q.U.B.E. (Quick Understanding of Block Extrusion) is a first-person puzzle game that challenges players to navigate each level by manipulating coloured cubes that surround them. There’s little to go on as the game begins – the player is dropped into an all-white room with few instructions, and simply has to figure their way out.
Blood of the Werewolf (Windows – Steam, DRM-free)
Become Selena, loving mother, devoted wife and – powerful werewolf. Take revenge on the monsters that have slain your husband and stolen your child, in this love letter to classic platformers. Seamlessly transform from human to werewolf in light of the moon, as you shoot, slash and smash your way through over 30 enemies and face off against five brutal boss arenas.
Driftmoon (Windows – Steam, DRM-free) [currently en route to Steam]
The beautiful, enchanted world of Driftmoon trembles in the shadow of a forgotten evil, for the dark King Ixal is again gathering his forces. Hope lies in an unlikely alliance: A young man joins forces with a little firefly dreaming of stardom, a panther queen with the ego of a moon whale, and a very determined fellow who’s lost everything but his bones, and still hasn’t given up. Knowing nothing of the amazing adventures and the fearsome foes that await them, the party embarks on a journey like no other.
Gateways (Windows, Mac, Linux – Steam, DRM-free) review
Grab the gateway guns and explore a huge lab filled with mysterious puzzles in this classic platforming adventure. Use gateway technology to leap from one place to another, change size to explore small passages or defeat large enemies, walk on walls and ceilings to reach new areas and even travel in time to work together with past echoes of yourself.
Gentlemen! (Windows, Mac, Linux – Steam, DRM-free)
Local multiplayer! Play your friends. Crush their dreams. Smell their fear. Destroy them with a thousand pigeons. You’ll need to hone a delicate balance of technique, knowledge, cunning, and blind panic (just like a real duel!).
Avernum: Escape From the Pit (Windows, Mac – Steam, DRM-free)
The surface is ruled by the cruel Emperor Hawthorne, master of the Empire. All of the known lands are subject to his brutal command. Everyone who speaks out, misbehaves or doesn’t fit in is cast into the dark, volcanic pits of Avernum, far below the surface. There, you are expected to die, a victim of starvation, horrible monsters, or simple despair.
Ethan: Meteor Hunter (Windows – DRM-free) Greenlight
Ethan: Meteor Hunter mixes puzzles and platformers core action mechanics with an innovative mechanic: telekinesia. Ethan can pause time and move objects around in order to solve puzzles and get though 50 levels with dynamic use of physics giving multiple gameplay and solving possibilities
Doctor Who: The Adventure Games – Season 1 (Windows – Steam, DRM-free) [currently en route to Steam]
The popular Doctor Who TV show, broadcast in over 50 countries and running for more than 4 decades, arrives in a marvelous 3D adventure game! Using a mix of stealth, exploration, traditional adventure game elements, and of course, epic sci-fi storytelling, this game is a must for Doctor Who and adventure game fans alike!
Draw A Stickman: EPIC (Windows – Steam)
Draw a Stickman Epic could be compared to an adventure game, RPG, or puzzle game, but the unique drawing mechanic is unlike any game you’ve ever played before! From drawing a rain cloud for growing plants to drawing an axe for chopping down a gate, you control all aspects of your environment.
9.03m (Windows – Steam, DRM-free)
9.03m, is a short, first person, art/empathy game for PC. Not a game in the traditional sense of the word; it aims to humanise, and remember the victims of the 2011 Japanese tsunami. The media is quick to put figures to death tolls in such disasters, and 9.03m tries to remind people of the individuals behind those figures.
Don’t forget that Groupees’ Holiday Helpings will only be available for a little less than eighteen days, so don’t wait too long; unless you enjoy paying full price for indie games, that is. Nothing wrong with that, but since a bundle has been made available and all – might as well, right?
