I got to play Planet of Lana at GDC and was blown away by how beautiful this game is. I spent most of my session simply admiring the art. I loved all the little details that went into making this world so vibrant. I loved how the branches would sway in the breeze and how perfectly they got the water effects. You couple this with a solid gameplay loop and a wonderful music score, and you have an experience worth looking into.
I’ve added an album because it was hard to choose just one picture:
You play as a young girl whose sister has been taken by aliens. It is up to you and your cute little cat-like companion to brave the elements and bring her back.
Planet of Lana has a very relaxing loop. You and your cat travel through an impressive landscape and solve puzzles. The game is a 2D side scroller, but they use an impressive layering technique to give the world its depth. You give your companion commands and use them to interact with the world. The game gets creative with its puzzles, and it is cool to see how you affect the world as you solve the puzzles. The puzzles are well-designed. They are not too easy, and I felt that there were enough clues to help you solve them. If you like relaxing puzzle games, this should be on your list.
I loved the demo, but it is too early to tell if this game will be good. At the very least, this game is looking very promising and worth checking out. Planet of Lana will launch on PC and Xbox, but no release date has been set. It will also be launching on Game Pass. The demo is available on Steam, so go download it! Don’t forget to add it to your wishlist while you’re at it!
To stay up to date on all the news, make sure you join the official Discord and follow them on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, and YouTube.
GDC Recap: Worldless
I got to try Worldless at GDC, and it was one of the few times I have ever enjoyed a platformer. Worldless is a 2D minimalistic adventure platformer with an interesting battle mechanic. This game is beautiful, but the game has a great design. You play as this character of light and travel through this abstract world, fighting against monsters and marveling at how pretty everything is.
As far as platformers go, this one isn’t that bad. According to the game’s producer, the devs wanted to make the focus of the game its combat system. I don’t like platformers, but I found the experience pleasant and relaxing. I particularly loved how the world changes around the main character as you move her through the world. This feature was implemented to keep players from getting lost, and it works perfectly. It also looks great in practice.
The combat is where I had the most fun with the game. Combat is turn-based, but there is a slight rhythm mechanic to it. You can easily button-mash between turns to get through fights, but it is more efficient to get the timing correctly. The loop is simple. On your turn, you cast spells and abilities, and on theirs, you block. There are elemental weaknesses, resistances, and other quirks to keep combat engaging. Worldless also features a relatively expansive skill tree that you fill by absorbing monsters or finding hidden nodes. You can fill up the whole tree, so make sure you explore everything!
The demo does a fantastic job at slowly introducing mechanics as you explore the world and builds up perfectly to a final boss. The game design for this game is terrific, and I appreciate the attention to detail that went into the making of this experience. If you pay attention, the encounters give you enough hints to make the final boss fight easier. I was told that the boss in the demo isn’t as hard as the bosses in the full game, but I was also told that I was one of the few to beat it on the first try. I found the encounter to be challenging enough to keep me engaged. I wouldn’t have been able beat the boss without a solid strategy or proper game design.
If you like RPGs and platformers, you should be looking into Worldless. The combat is fun and engaging, the platforming is relaxing, and the game is beautiful. I loved my limited exposure to this game, and I look forward to its release.
Worldless is coming to the PC and Xbox sometime this year, but an official date hasn’t been announced. The Demo is available on Steam, and I highly recommend you go download it. Don’t forget to wishlist it while you’re there!
Shout out the Dev who was so kind and answered all my questions. Make sure you follow them on Twitter and Join the Discord so that you are always up to date!
GDC Recap: 7 Dwarfs: Legends Untold
I got to play a bit of 7 Dwarfs: Legends Untold at GDC, and it was a blast. I didn’t get enough time with the title for a solid review, but it did leave a solid impression. 7 Dwarfs is an action-packed co-op roguelike that you should look into if you enjoy fast-paced arcade games. It reminded me of Castle Crashers, and if you are a fan of that game, you should check out this title.
Team up with your friends as you play as one of the seven dwarfs to fight against the evil queen and her army to keep Snow White safe from evil. Do you have what it takes to defeat the evil queen and keep Snow White safe?
Combat feels great in this game. Each dwarf has his unique set of skills, making the hardest part about this game its character selection. The characters and the world have a great design. I love dark pixel art. It creates the game’s grimdark setting, and it’s cool to look at. I didn’t get enough time with this title to get a deeper impression, but I am curious about the final product. I will try to get my hands on a copy if I have time when this game releases.
There isn’t a release date for this game yet, but you can wishlist it on Steam to grab that notification. You can also join the official Discord or follow the team on Twitter to stay up to date on all the announcements.
I want to give a shoutout to the devs who teamed up with me so that I can get a complete experience. I was terrible, but at least I had fun.
GDC Recap: Project Timi: Sasha’s Curse
During GDC I got to try one of the cutest little rhythm puzzlers I’ve ever played, Project Timi: Sasha’s Curse. Project Timi has you play as Timi as she uses her powers to go into dreams, searching for the evil corpo cat, Sasha. Use her powers to solve puzzles and bring Sasha to justice!
This game is super cute! Shoutout to the game’s artist for creating such an adorable character and world. The music is also nicely done and helps create the game’s whimsical tone. The gameplay is a ton of fun. It reminds me a bit of Captain Toad, but the rhythm mechanics make it a unique experience. This game starts easy but slowly increases in difficulty as you learn new mechanics and get closer to catching Sasha. I know the demo I tried wasn’t a finished product, but it felt incredibly polished and ready for consumption. Shoutout to the whole team for all the work and love they’ve already put into this game.
I will be adding this game to the list of games I need to try because I am hooked. It is too early for a price tag, but you can and should Wishlist it on Steam. Project Timi: Sasha’s Curse will be released on the PC and the Nintendo Switch.
I want to thank the team for chatting with me and answering all my questions. Keep up the great work! Go follow them on Twitter.
IGF’s Big Winner: Betrayal at Club Low
Betrayal at Club Low is a strange little indie game that took home this year’s Nuovo Award and the Seumas McNally Grand Prize. This game is a surreal journey through a silly story that is sure to delight its players.
An old acquaintance goes missing in the town’s new nightclub. You must put your skills of deception to the test as you go undercover to bring him back. Do you have what it takes to sneak in without being noticed?
The game borrows from mechanics from tabletop RPGs that are well-implemented. Outcomes hinge on the luck of the dice, and your decisions matter. The game promises 11 different endings, securing its replay value. I only got to play this game a bit during GDC, and I liked the vibe it gave out. It was weird, silly, and it has a fantastic soundtrack.
If you like tabletop RPGs and want a unique experience, check out Betrayal at Club Low. I’ll be trying to get myself a copy to review, but you can buy it on Steam for $9.99.
Excellence in Design: The Case of the Golden Idol
This year’s winner of the IGF’s award for Excellence in Design went to the quirky mystery game, The Case of the Golden Idol. Take the role of the detective as you gather clues, pick your suspects, determine motives, and solve the mystery of twelve gruesome murders. The game has a unique art style that grows on you the more you play. The music is soothing, and its unique gameplay can be relaxing if you like solving mysteries. I felt overwhelmed by the amount of freedom I was given to solve the mystery, but I can see myself obsessing over this title if I had more time to explore it at my own pace.
If you love mysteries, this is a great one to look into. You can get your copy on Steam or GOG for $17.99. I suggest you at least try the demo and keep an open mind. I didn’t get enough time with this title to decide if I like it, but I will be adding The Case of the Golden Idol to the list of games I need to try. I will let you know how it goes if I can ever find the time.
Excellence in Audio: The Forest Quartet
This year’s winner of the IGF award for Excellence in Audio was a delightful little puzzle adventure game, The Forest Quartet. Take control of a recently deceased singer, Nina, as she travels into the minds of her old bandmates, attempting to reignite their love for music as they grieve for their lost friend. Can you solve the puzzles that will help the band move through the stages of grief?
The Forest Quartet’s minimalistic style and music score create a soothing gaming experience, but one that leads to a powerful narrative. While I was only able to play the game for a bit, I was struck by its pleasing art and music. I love Jazz, so there might be some bias in my assessment. If you love jazz or are in the market for a new puzzle game, The Forest Quartet is worth looking into. I didn’t play it enough to be able to critique it, but I am at least interested to try it out. Hopefully, I can find the time. The Forest Quartet is available on Steam and PlayStation for $9.99. PlayStation has it on sale for $7.49 ($5.99 for gold members) until March 29, 2023.
Game Review: 60 Parsecs! [Review Code]
I got this game as a review code. While I am grateful for the opportunity, I will not let that influence my opinion. These are my honest opinions about the game.
60 Parsecs! is a space-themed taxed based survival game. You and your crewmates must survive the cold vacuum of space with your limited resources and some ingenuity. The gameplay is pretty simple. You get two optional actions and one mandatory. Each turn you can use the crafter to create, repair, upgrade, or recycle items you need for space travel. You can also feed, entertain, or heal your crew to make sure they survive the voyage. You don’t have to feed or craft every turn, but eventually, it becomes a necessity. Each turn you are given a random scenario that offers some sort of skill check. These checks can offer rewards or grant depuffs that will make space travel more difficult. The more time you spend in space, the more complicated the situation gets. You run out of supplies, people get sick, or you go crazy. I suggest looking up guides because while the game looks simple, it gets really hard. The choices you make matter.
The game has three game modes Survival, Voyager, and missions. The core concept of remains the same for all three, you must survive. Survival is a random mode where you are assigned random materials and crewmates. Voyager is sort of the game’s story mode. You are given 60 seconds to gather crew and materials and shot into space to survive with whatever you gather. Choose wisely. Mission mode offers different scenarios that add another layer of difficulty to your survival.
I enjoyed this game a lot. The art is fun and whimsical despite how grim it gets. The game offers a decent challenge, and every game offered enough variety to keep things interesting. I liked that my choices made an impact. People would die, I would run out of food, or I would get people hurt if I wasn’t careful with my choices. I enjoyed the anxiety I got from having to make choices even if there is no time limit to make them. This game has a lot of replayability and is definitely worth the price. If you like survival games like Don’t Starve, this is a good one to try out. This game is available on Steam, IOS, and Android.