Bear & Breakfast:
Next up we have Bear & Breakfast, from Gummy Cat and published by Armor Games. In this game you are a bear who meets an elderly woman who wants to turn the derelict lot into a resort. The game is in alpha but I did not run into any problems while playing. For the first 30 minutes I was worried it was going to stay slow but once you finish a few tasks more options open up to you. Building the rooms reminds me of Prison Architect in that each room needs special items for it to be built. The amount of cosmetic stuff and tools to use is pretty good as well. My only problem with the game is a minor one, walking around feels like it takes forever but I guess if you were able to stampede around it would scare the guests. The game has cute graphics and the music is pretty simple and nothing crazy, but it works for the game. Only the East cabin is unlocked in the demo and I’m curious what they have planned for the other two you unlock. I’m also curious what they will do with the rest of the map or if your resort expands. It will be released at some point this year.
Moons of Darsalon:
Created by Dr. Kucho!, Moons of Darsalon is a beautiful retro inspired take on a lemmings style game. The aim of the game is the rescue surviving pilots by guiding them from one side of the map to the other. Now I was never one for Lemmings growing up as I hated how dumb they were but here it’s different. The demo includes seven levels with each one containing different challenges such as the quickness of level completion and no damage runs. The nauts you are saving are actually smart and don’t die needlessly and a feature I really like is the flashlight. When going through dark caves they will stay put until you shine your light at them so they can move forward. As the stages progress you are introduced to new additions which bring added challenges to the game. This game has given me a new appreciation for games like this and makes me want more like it. The graphics remind me of that SNES era of the 3D chip which I love and the sound and music are perfect for the game. I think out of the games I’ve played during Next Fest this one surprised me the most. The game has a release month of December of this year.
Sable:
Hungry for a game of adventure and solitude? Sable gave me the feeling of when I played Journey, the sense of quiet exploring mixed with climbing around like in Breath of the Wild. It was developed by Shedworks and published by Raw Fury, who has published quite a few well known indie titles such as the Kingdom games and Star Renegades. In the game you are Sable and you are set out by your clan to explore the world. You are given simple quests to speak to members of your clan and explore a ruin. After you’ve proven yourself you are set to build your Glider, or bike. I love the art style and the music is nice as well. The only minor thing that bugged me was with climbing, I’m so used to pressing jump to jump higher but instead you let go. I think this game has potential and I want to see how much you can actually customise your Glider. The music in this game is done by a group I like as well, Japanese Breakfast. I’m really looking forward to playing the release of this which is penned for September 23rd 2021.
Unsighted:
Unsighted is a game developed by Studio Pixel Punk and published by Humble Games. Right off the bat you’re hit with pixel beauty and great music. You wake up in a lab unknowing of who you are or how you got there. Over the course of the demo you get a sword/axe, a blaster to shoot switches, and a grenade launcher to destroy rocks. The combat reminds me of Hyper Light Drifter and Crosscode which are two of my favorites. The game isn’t too challenging especially once you learn to parry as it reflects bullets back as well. I enjoyed the map explorations with it’s hidden paths and roadblocks where you must get a special item to access. It feels almost like a metroidvania but not side scrolling. The planned release is for later this year and I’ll be keeping an eye on it as these are my usual go-tos for indie games.
Written By: Chris