Author: Pickled Sea Cat

Prodeus

“A first-person shooter of old, re-imagined using modern rendering techniques. It reaches the quality you expect from a AAA experience while adhering to some of the aesthetic technical limits of older hardware.

“The game features a hand-crafted campaign from industry FPS veterans, a fully-integrated level editor, and a built-in community map browser for instantaneous action with nearly limitless levels to play. Get ready to paint the walls red. This is the Boomer Shooter you’ve been waiting for.”

Steam Early Access

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, PS4, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
Release: November 10, 2020 (early access)

Cozy Grove

“A life-sim game about camping on a haunted, ever-changing island. As a Spirit Scout, you’ll wander the island’s forest each day, finding new hidden secrets and helping soothe the local ghosts. With a little time and a lot of crafting, you’ll bring color and joy back to Cozy Grove!”

Wishlist on Steam

Platforms: Windows, Mac
Release: 2021

DeathStick

“A metroidvania/slasher platformer with charming pixel-art and a captivating story. You’re going to follow the young girl Mako that starts a fascinating adventure to save her world from destruction. Dive into magical worlds of Aarkalia, uncover its secrets and stop the ancient God awakening ritual.

“DeathStick has a unique world-switching mechanic. A World Warp ability turns the special in-game areas 180 degrees, transfers the protagonist into another dimension and unlocks new locations.”

Wishlist on Steam

Platforms: TBA
Release: TBA

Chicken Police

“A classic film noir type adventure game with dark humour, adult themes and very, very dangerous animals.

“Sonny Featherland and Marty McChicken were once legendary detective partners, but time had passed them by.  Sonny is a burnt-out, alcoholic ex-cop, who spends his days in an abandoned hotel, while Marty hides behind the facade of a star-detective, but slowly he’s losing himself.  Now they’re back together again on a case bigger and much more dangerous than anything they’ve ever encountered before.”

I received a key for this from the developer and although visual novel/point-and-click stuff isn’t really my thing I decided to give it a whirl because the premise of chickens as police is pretty interesting to me.

I wasn’t planning to play much but I did get a bit sucked into the story and ended up going through the first chapter which took about four hours. There are four chapters I think and I’m a bit of a slowpoke, partially because I lost like 20 minutes trying to get a high score in the target practice minigame. The game feels quite polished mostly because of the art and voice acting (which is almost always great) but I also didn’t really encounter any bugs, except one time I did things out of order and the characters talked about visiting a place they had already been (maybe they were trying to block out the body they had just found).

The questioning/interrogating of characters is probably my favourite bit (choosing the right dialogue options based on your updating knowledge of their personality) especially because I’m not sure what happens if you completely screw it up and getting the “True Detective” stamp at the end is a super satisfying relief after previous anxiety.

The game is mostly about visiting locations, talking to characters, and trying to learn who you can trust while unraveling the mystery. It feels like there might be a lot of depth to the characters, but I’m not far enough in to make a determination on that. The writing overall seems good and the dialogue is pretty decent I think although it misses the mark a couple of times for me as I’m not super into noir.

I’m not sure if I will continue, although I really want to meet Miranda the giraffe, but that’s definitely mostly a factor of the visualnovelness (it’s not a hard-core one but I’m severely lacking in patience at the moment), so if that’s your jam it’s definitely a game to look into.

Buy on Steam

Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Release: November 5, 2020

Convallaria

“Travel through the vast world where reality and fantasy are intertwined, facing dangerous enemies and unruly adventurers. To uncover the hidden stories behind the memory fragments. I am looking for you who left in my dream, and the voice calling you is gradually dissipating in the sea. My smile and time are on the Mercedes-Benz train and rushing to the sky.

“Before the stars disappear, I hope to remember this moment from the bottom of my heart, I will never forget where the lily of the valley blooms, I will always wait for you.”

Visit the Website

Platforms: PS4
Release: TBA

Biomass

“Uncover the secrets of the sinking metropolis in this action RPG.  Clash beam sabers, or be a gunslinger.  Make alliances or go it alone.  Your actions have consequences – those whom learn the nature of this world will be able to shape it as they see fit.”

“In Biomass, you will explore an interconnected world and cross paths with factions each with their own agenda.  Use your wits to learn different ways to traverse the sinking city, and in turn discover many possible outcomes for its denizens depending on your actions and choices.  Acquire all kinds of different weapons and resources to help you overcome any obstacles in your pilgrimage to the heart of the lighthouse.”

Buy on Steam

Platforms: Windows
Release: October 13, 2020

Teardown

“Plan the perfect heist using creative problem solving, brute force, and everything around you. Teardown features a fully destructible and truly interactive environment where player freedom and emergent gameplay are the driving mechanics.

“Tear down walls with explosives or vehicles to create shortcuts no one thought was possible. Stack objects, build structures, or use floating objects to your advantage. Take your time to create the most efficient path through the level and get ready to run.

“The moment you pick up your first target, an alarm goes off, and the heat is on. Run, jump, drive, slingshot, do whatever you need to collect all of the targets, and escape before security arrives.”

Steam Early Access

Platforms: Windows
Release: October 29, 2020

A Tale of Paper

“An emotional adventure of a paper figure who will use origami to achieve his goal. Follow the beautiful and sad tale of Line in an atmospheric adventure with puzzles.

“You will need to master Line’s origami transformations to reach new levels, solve puzzles, complete platforming sequences and explore our world from a different perspective. Explore a variety of levels each with its own ambience and story to tell. Help Line through this adventure and fulfill the dream of your creator!”

Buy on PlayStation Store

Platforms: Windows, PS4
Release: October 21, 2020 (PS4)

Project Nyx

“An experimental sci-fi multiplayer shooter that merges frenzied ground combat and chaotic 6DoF space battles into one seamless experience. Warp reality. Defy gravity. Push the limits. Master the different classes, each with their own unique gadgets, abilities, and playstyles, and grow your reputation from space pleb to galactic celeb.

“Work together with friends to make stylish plays, stalk the battlefield as a lone wolf, or sow chaos throughout the map using your wits. No matter the path you choose, you will learn to revel in the insane moment-to-moment gameplay.”

Wishlist on Steam

Platforms: PC & consoles TBA
Release: TBA