Indie gaming spotlight: Out of the ordinary

Whilst gaming my way across the World Wide Web, I have experienced some of the most offbeat and wonderful gems that the indie community has to offer.  Travelling and studying abroad has introduced me to gaming studios and websites I otherwise never would’ve encountered without the input of my gaming friends from around the world.

One such gaming studio is Amanita Design, based in the Czech Republic, and creator of the stellar indie series, SamorostSamorost 3 is still in development; so until then, here are a couple offbeat indie games to mentally stimulate your melon.

First off is Dustforce, a 2D platformer by Hitbox Team.  Now, I know what you’re thinking, what could be new and exciting about another platformer?  Well, here’s a platformer where you star as a janitor combating the evil forces of dust and disorder.  This game is an innovative platformer in the same vein as Super Meat Boy, where wall-running is reality and aerial kung-fu is necessary for survival.  It’s a PC exclusive, so Mac users will have to be patient.

Secondly is a trippy little game I found while surfing the Reddit-verse, The Cat That Got the Milk! This game falls under the short-but-sweet category, clocking in at about 15 minutes of total gameplay for intermediate gamers.  The best way to describe this game is to play it, but in a few words, you must navigate through a cat’s perception of getting from point A to point B.  Seriously, just try it out; it’s almost universally compatible and free.

Third up is HBTN, which is the most obscure indie experience I could find for this week’s super hip shout-out, so that you know that I’m cool for knowing about it first, because it’s cool to be cool first.  Please read that sarcastically.  Basically, this game is about a bouncing skull, going from one end of the screen to the other.  The skull bounces at a controlled interval, so all the player controls is the movement thereof.  Seriously though, I spent way too much time playing that game before I realized what I was doing; it’s definitely a guilty pleasure.  If you can find it, good luck.

Last on the list is Pineapple Smash Crew, a hybrid of genres described by the developer Rich Edwards, as a “fast-paced tactical blast-em-up.”  Think, supersonic Bomberman, with more explosions, if you can believe that.  The gameplay is not wholly of the Real Time Strategy category, but it is a group control device that enables mass movement in close quarters.  There are plenty of missions and unlockables to keep you busy, so if your PC is hooked up to Steam, you can be playing PSC minutes after reading this article.

This has been your indie weekly update, have a good one, and enjoy the games!

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