The Watchlist: Somerville

Title: Somerville

Developer: Chris Olsen

Platforms: N/A

Still in early development

---

An episodic sci-fi adventure...a cinematic platformer with responsive shooter mechanics

 
Alien invasions are nothing new in video games. We've faced extraterrestrials foes in wartime Europe, in the jungles of Ling Shan, in the streets of City 17. Somerville takes a different approach; we've already won the war and a teacher is reading to her elementary class the story of the great war hero John E. Somerville. This narrative framework is the foundation for an atmospheric cinematic platformer, as Somerville becomes a revered figure in humanity's fight against a devastating alien incursion.

Somerville promises to combine the classic mainstays of the genre with more modern mechanics, such as refined shooting and advanced physics. The core of the shooting gameplay as well as avoiding many of the game's hazards revolves around color; match your shield and weapon with the color of an enemy or incoming energy burst and you'll be unharmed. Learning color cycles and shifting hues on the fly will play a key role in Somerville's challenges, as you acquire poweful gear, avoid sentry drones, engage in shootouts, and more. The visuals bring this world to life through smooth animations and an atmospheric aesthetic reminiscent of Kentucky Route Zero.

Somerville is still relatively early in development; the developer is currently working on the game's prologue area. You can follow Somerville's progress through its TIGSource Devlog and on Tumblr.

The Watchlist: Deadbolt

Title: Deadbolt

Developer: Hopoo Games

Platforms: PC

---

Grim reapers are commonly displayed as a hooded figure in a scythe, sending people to the afterlife. This was good back in the old days, but today, with the invention of doors with locks and guns, the grim reaper is having a hard time reaping lives. That is where you come in, as the modern day grim reaper, with modern day equipment, ready to kill modern day undead.

Hopoo Games's last title - the popular roguelite action game Risk of Rain - had you fighting alien foes and beasts across dangerous planets, but their new game Deadbolt leaves the sci-fi world behind for the gritty buildings of undead gangs. As a modern-day Grim Reaper, you arm yourself with guns and knives, reducing your foes to bloody smears. Hopoo Games describes Deadbolt as mix of Hotline Miami's fast-paced shooting and gore and Gunpoint's tactical movement. Able to move between vents with ease, you can flank your enemies, blowing them away from behind cover or taking out the lights so you can get close with a blade and other melee weapons. Ammo is limited and a single hit kills the reaper, so planning your approach and choosing the best weapon at the right moment is critical to clearing stages.

The current alpha build consists of five stages against zombie gangs. For an alpha, Deadbolt is already fun, challenging, and polished. Blood sprays stain the walls, heads and body parts fly with every blast of a sawed-off shotgun or revolver. Luring enemies by knocking on doors and then flanking them by moving through the vents is fun and satisfying. The little details stand out, such as opening a fridge door to use as cover or pulling out knives from knife blocks. The developers plan to expand on the core gameplay by adding features, such as more factions, more weapons, and more environmental interactions.

Deadbolt is still only a few months into development, but it shows a lot of promise and feels fun to play. You can download the alpha from itch.io and learn more about Deadbolt from its TIGSource devlog and the Hopoo Games Tumblr.

The Watchlist: Slain!

Title: Slain!
Developer: Wolf Brew Games
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox One, PS4, PS Vita
Releasing May 2015, consoles planned for September and December
---

Prepare to be Slain! Our homage to the gory hack and slash games of the 80's and 90's. We promise stunning visuals with gore galore.

There's something so satisfying about playing a brutally difficult game. Be it Volgarr The Viking or Super Meat Boy, succeeding where you failed myriad times before, mastering a game's seemingly insurmountable challenge, is always rewarding. Slain! harkens back to the days of brutal games like Shadow of The Beast and Ghosts 'n Goblins, a lone hero against grotesque odds, across Gothic landscapes of blood and death.

At a glance, Slain stands out due to its lavishly detailed pixel art. Clouds drift above and fog rolls across the swamps and underbrush. Torch lights flicker and sway in the breeze. The otherworldly abodes of werewolves and spirits and undead beasts drip with blood, walls choked with vines. Gruesome creatures, from skeletons and witches to more dangerous horrors, are displayed in grisly detail, all decayed flesh and tattered clothes.

But Slain! promises more than just wonderfully-realized Gothic environments. As the reawakened hero Bathoryn, you must traverse these lands and free seven towers from the grip of their monstrous overlords. From the crimson halls of Blood Tower to the lupine effigies of the Wolfwoods, Bathoryn strikes down creatures with his sword and mana abilities, while also dealing with each tower's puzzles and deadly traps. Master your skills, know your enemies, or die.

Slain! is estimated to release on PC, Mac, and Linux in May, with console releases rolling out in the months to follow. You can learn more about Slain! on its official site and TIGSource devlog, as well as support the game on Kickstarter and Steam Greenlight.

The Watchlist: Icy

Title: Icy
Developer: Inner Void
Platforms: PC
Releasing mid-2015
---

Icy is a dialogue based RPG set in a post-apocalyptic world where a new Ice Age stormed our beloved planet. The player will be the leader of a nomads group and will have to take difficult decisions to survive against all kind of dangers. The game will offer a lot of dialogues and meaningful choices capable of affecting the plot, but also a survival gameplay that will allow the player to hunt for food, scavenge for items and fight against beasts, monsters and other humans. 

An endless winter, where food is always scare and ruthless predators - both man and beast - prey on the weak. This is the world of Icy, a post-apocalyptic narrative RPG about surviving a world in the cold grip of a new Ice Age. Similar to games such as King of Dragon Pass and Neo Scavenger, the experience is presented through flavor text and artwork, as your nomadic group roams the frozen wastes, scavenging, hunting, fending off bandits and wild animals, making decisions, and enduring the cold. 

The developers plan to provide a deep experience that captures the danger and tough decisions of leading a group in this harsh world. Bullets are both your currency, to trade with other groups and settlements for much-needed supplies, and your ammo against wolves and bandits. Venture into the woodlands to hunt, always wary of roaming predators or the danger of spreading your party too thin. Being an RPG, skills can be upgraded and improved, and could mean the difference between lynx meat for your starving group or missing a crucial shot with your bow. Sickness, devastating snowstorms, and even evolved creatures roaming the wilderness are only some of the dangers you'll face in Icy.

Icy will release around June; an IndieGoGo campaign is planned for next week. You can learn more about the game and its progress on the developer's site. 

The Watchlist: Strength of the Sword Ultimate

Title: Strength of the Sword Ultimate
Developer: Ivent Games
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
Releasing late 2015
---

A Fighting game combined with a BRAWLER!  With a huge sword, rocket launcher and a FLAMETHROWER!The game is a 3D, third-person, arcade-style, action-game that combines the tactical and skill-based combat of a Fighter with the progression, overwhelming odds, and awesome boss battles of an old-school Brawler!

The two-man team behind Ivent Games is getting a second chance. Two years ago, they released their hard-as-nails 3D brawler Strength of the Sword 3 on PS3, where it slipped into obscurity. In their own words, they "were basically invisible in the store. We weren't even featured in the indie section." Now through the nature of Kickstarter, the developers hope to bring their game to PC, expanded far beyond that initial Playstation release.

Strength of the Sword is all about gameplay. The loose story of defeating an ancient evil is merely a framework for challenging, flashy combat against punishing enemies. Playing the PS3 version reveals a game where knowing your enemy, learning their patterns, mastering countering and parrying, when to block an attack and when to dodge then move in for a combo, is all critical to success. Button mashing is only a quick way to die; this isn't God of War. Mastering Strength of the Sword requires precision and practice. Rather than facing hordes of enemies, you only fight a few at a time, the challenge coming from handling each enemy's strengths and skills. Armed with a selection of swords, shields, support items like throwing knives and grenades, and your repertoire of combat maneuvers, you dance around your foes, rushing up with leaping stabs, deftly dodging and blocking, moving in to deliver combos and mana-charged attacks on staggered enemies. It's fast-paced, tough, and satisfying.

The Ultimate version seeking funding on Kickstarter expands on the game in myriad ways. More customization and new weapons in the campaign will allow for greater combat depth and online and split-screen co-op means you can tackle the increasingly challenging enemies alongside a friend. But the biggest additions are PvP and Dark Mode. The developer's plans for PvP sounds similar to the Nidhogg formula, as you and your opponent push back and forth across connected regions to reach the opposing player's castle. Dark mode expands on PvP by introducing the ability to enter matches as a Dark Swordsman, a powerful boss-like enemy with random and devastating abilities. 

Strength of the Sword Ultimate is estimated to release later this year. You can support the game now on Kickstarter and Steam Greenlight; the original PSN game is available for $4.99 on the Playstation Store.

The Watchlist: Splasher

Title: Splasher

Developer: SplashTeam

Platforms: PC

Releasing late 2015/early 2016

---

Splasher is a 2D Platformer in which you are tasked with unleashing the power of paints to rescue your brothers. These little fellows, called the splashers, are prisoners in a giant paint manufacture : INKORP.  While water is your primary weapon to defeat weak enemies and activate mechanisms, paint is where your true powers come from. Thank to the differing colors and their properties, you will stick to walls and roofs, bounce high in the air, trick your opponents and do many more to reach Inkorp’s top levels !

You've probably seen Splasher's central mechanic in other games before, perhaps the DigiPen game Tag: Power of Paint or more recently Portal 2. This colorful platformer takes that spray mechanic and mixes it with the fast-paced precision gameplay of Super Meat Boy. Equipped with his nozzle-pack, the titular Splasher uses an array of various colored paints to traverse gaps and evade the myriad hazards within the INKORP facility. Paint proves to be a versatile tool, allowing you to defy gravity and scramble along any surface or bounce to great heights and off walls. This isn't a game of careful planning and puzzles; in fact, aiming and movement are all done with the left stick (trust me, use a controller). Splasher is all about speed and movement, spraying on the go, mid-air or running across the ceiling.

Your paint arsenal is more than just a means of traversal; when faced with enemies, either while running or when locked in quick arena battles, each spray type reveals alternate offensive uses: your default water damaging foes, sticky red trapping enemies temporarily, and bouncy yellow knocking them back. Combining these abilities along with environment hazards like lasers and saw blades allows you to deal with the demo's foes and furthermore, hints at the kind of unique challenges that Splasher could deliver with more paint types, enemies, and hazards. 

Splasher is still early in development, with a release planned for late this year or early 2016. But even at this early stage, the game impresses with its colorful style, fluid animations, and challenging gameplay. You can download the three-level demo from the game's site and follow Splasher's progress on Twitter and Facebook.

The Watchlist: Desolus

Title: Desolus
Developer: Mark Mayers
Platforms: PC
In development
---

Desolus is a first person adventure and puzzle game where the player controls a black hole called the singularity. The player uses the singularity to attract elemental particles to navigate a hostile environment 

Otherworldly art styles and environments are always a joy to experience and going by its early screenshots, Desolus promises plenty of those. Exploring the titular alien structure, your main defense is the ability to summon a powerful singularity, This miniature black hole can be used both offensively and defensively, allowing you to absorb enemy projectiles and other abilities, but also explodes eight seconds after being created. Working around the singularity's short lifespan, you'll need to defeat hostile inhabitants and solve timing-based puzzles. For example, navigating around deadly turrets while figuring when and where to place singularities so that you can avoid projectiles and escape the ensuing blast radius. Described as "Portal meets Metroid", Desolus will introduce new singularity abilities as you explore a variety of atmospheric landscapes.

Desolus is early in development, still in pre-alpha with about 30% of the game's content done. You can learn more about Desolus on the developer's TIGForum devlog, as well as the game's site and Twitter page.

The Watchlist: Orphan

Title: Orphan
Developer: Windy Hill Studio
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Releasing late 2015
---

It started as any other day. And then they came.
In Orphan, you are a young boy left to fend for himself as an alien race invades the earth to eradicate humankind. There's not much else to do but run, but along the way as you evade enemy forces you may discover the way to halt their attack and save humanity before it's too late!

Inspired by War of the Worlds, Another World, and Blackthorne, Orphan is a game about surviving an alien invasion. Taking place over a single night, you play as a young boy surviving and traversing extraterrestrial-infested wilderness. From the screenshots and GIFs, atmosphere is key here; raging forest fires, foggy swamps, pounding rain, dense woodlands, crawling with alien mechanics, as your child protagnist flees the onslaught. However, these invaders aren't invisible and you won't be defenseless, able to use the machines' weapons against them. While the shadow art style may bring to mind Limbo, the developer has stated there won't be physics puzzles in Oprhan, just a young boy fighting off aliens across the countryside. 

Orphan is still in development, with an estimated release sometime in 2015. You can learn more about Orphan here and follow the game's development on the Windy Hill Twitter page.

The Watchlist: Phantasmal

Title: Phantasmal
Developer: Eyemobi
Platforms: PC
Releasing 2015
---

The crux of horror games is the unknown, never being able to rely on your previous experiences. Welcome to the world of Phantasmal, a procedurally generated game that will feel like a new experience every single time!

Ah...horror games. The thrill of good scare, tensing in your seat, that creeping dread. If there's one flaw, it's that once you've died or restarted at a checkpoint, you know what to expect; the scare has lost its potency if you're expecting it. Phantasmal hopes to sidestep that by blending first person horror with procedurally generated levels. Set in an university plagued by some Lovecraftian evil, you play as Vietnam war veteran John Hope. Drawn into the haunted place by dark voices, John finds himself in a struggle for survival and sanity against nightmarish creatures, Armed with impromptu melee weapons like pipes and brooms or perhaps the rare gun, you'll also need to fend off the darkness with limited flares and your flashlight. The most unique aspect of Phantamal is its procedurally generated levels, meaning new layouts, new enemy and weapon placements every time you play. However, there will be a persistent element, through earned XP that allows you to upgrade John between playthroughs.

Phantasmal is currently aiming to be released mid-2015; you can download early alpha demo here. Learn more about Phantasmal on its official site, support the game on Kickstarter, or vote for it on Steam Greenlight.

The Watchlist: Absolute Drift

Title: Absolute Drift
Developer: Funselektor
Platform: PC, Mac, Linux
In development, demo available
---

Absolute Drift is a car drifting/gymkhana game set in a minimal 3D world. The core-mechanic is simply controlling the car while it is sliding sideways. The aim is to increase your skill to the point that you are a master driver by competing in events where you must perform tricks around obstacles and demonstrate your driving skill.

Think back to 2011 for a moment, and you might remember the release of Dirt 3 and the Gymkhana mode, with its incredible drifts and vehicular stunts. Absolute Drift hones in on that focus, delivering a top-down, minimalist game all about the art of skidding sideways through the tightest turns and hair-breath gaps.

The current demo of Absolute Drift offers several race tracks and freestyle levels, all presented in contrasting red and white, black serpentine skid marks in your wake. The game can be played with either a gamepad or keyboard, but the controls feel more responsive and precise with the former. And you need every ounce of precision when playing Absolute Drift, as you slide around corners and turns with barely inches to spare. The freestyle levels offer an even greater and more creative challenge; achieving a high score means weaving between poles and under gates, performing donuts and spins, barrel-rolling off ramps and crashing through boxes. It's a game that requires skill and practice to achieve the best times and scores.

Absolute Drift is still in development, with new tracks, gymkhana courses, and challenges being worked on. You can download the demo and follow Absolute Drift's progress on IndieDB.

The Watchlist: Noct

Title: Noct
Developer: Chris Eskins
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
Releasing 2015
---

Noct is a 2D top-down multiplayer survival horror game that blends arcade combat with RPG survival elements. You are a survivor of the apocalyptic purge that formed the desolate wasteland now known as Noct. Explore a ruined world filled with ancient nightmarish creatures from a time long forgotten.

Seen through the grainy muted display of a thermal imaging satellite, Noct tasks you with traversing and surviving procedurally generated landscapes filled with monstrous beasts. It's a survival horror action game; while you may be armed with guns and melee weapons, the roaming creatures are relentless and ruthless and fleeing may often be the better option. Elements such hunger, hydration, and fortifying locations will also play a role, as the player scavenges for food and supplies. The developer plans to not have a heavy focus on survival mechanics, but rather for supplies to act as currency for trading. You won't have to face Noct's terrors alone; the game will feature online co-op so you can explore and fight enemies with a friend.

But even a friend may not be enough to protect you from Noct's nightmarish otherworldly creatures. Personally it's the creature designs that drew me to the game; the slow predatory movements, the washed-out glow of the eyes, the hulking size compared to your small human. From swarms of spiders and burrowing worms to creeping sinewy...things lurking within building interiors and massive room-filling bosses, Noct's bestiary promises a diverse array of monsters to flee and fight.

Noct will be released mid-2015. You can learn more about Noct on its official site, and support the game on Kickstarter (currently 117% funded with 70 hours left) or vote for it on Steam Greenlight.

The Watchlist: Human Extinction Simulator

Title: Human Extinction Simulator
Developer: Machine 22
Platforms: PC
Releasing late 2014
---

Human Extinction Simulator is a turn-based tactical space combat game designed as a "training program" against the inevitable alien invasion we all know is coming. The game focuses on tactical decisions made on the battlefield and each move can make the difference between victory or defeat.

Mankind has made contact with extraterrestrial life, and the odds aren't looking very good for us. Thankfully we have the ultimate tool at our disposal, allowing us to simulate the coming invasion and encounters and prepare fleets for battle. Human Extinction Simulator is a turn based tactical strategy game, set across hexagonal maps as you command your ships against attacking aliens. There really isn't any guessing here. You always know which hexes will put you in harm's way, where enemies can move, what you can accomplish from any possible maneuver. This knowledge places the focus on positioning and movement, as you stay out of your enemy's range while maneuvering into the best positions to attack. The variety of vessels to deploy, from heavy slow cruisers to fast but weaker fighters, offer a wide array of strategies against the alien threat. Playing the beta, I enjoyed the slower pace and methodical, Chess-like gameplay, and definitely want to see the developers expand on and improve Human Extinction Simulator in the coming months.

You can try Human Extinction Simulator for yourself; the beta is available here. Machine 22 plan to release HES later this year; you can learn more about the game on its official site and vote for Human Extinction Simulator on Steam Greenlight.

The Watchlist: Rapture World Conquest

Title: Rapture World Conquest
Developer: Tundra Games
Platforms: IOS Universal
Releasing September 2014
---
Rapture: World Conquest is an upcoming game that blends RTS and god game mechanics as you battle the followers of rival deities to take control of earth and mankind during the Rapture. Across thousands of years, you guide your followers against nations of heathens and crush the unbelievers with your godly powers.

After choosing a nation, your followers begin amassing armies and resources; surrounding countries fall as your forces spread and conquer, collecting resources along the way that allow your scientists to build new technology. Or perhaps you can focus on religion and food to gain more followers and increase your mana production, granting you the power to unleash devastating miracles upon your enemies. Summon earthquakes and volcanoes, call down meteors, decimate their ranks with disease and famine. Control the world and your followers will be rewarded with heaven, while those opposed your might will be banished to hell post-Rapture.

Rapture World Conquest will feature numerous missions and achievements, as well as various world configurations, each offering a unique challenge. You'll be able to control the globe when Rapture releases later this month, as a paid Universal game. Learn more about the game on Tundra Games' blog.

The Watchlist: That Which Sleeps

Title: That Which Sleeps

Developer: King Dinosaur Games

Platforms: PC

Release planned for late 2014/2015

---

That Which Sleeps is a turn based strategy game in which the player takes on the role of an awakened evil from the world's past and must manipulate a living, reactive world from the shadows using a cast of unique corrupted Agents.

That Which Sleeps is an upcoming strategy game that promises a unique and intriguing twist on the genre. Rather than controlling a burgeoning kingdom or nation, you are an ancient evil, a Cthulu-esque force awakened and prepared to take control of the world once more.

But in That Which Sleeps, you are far more clever and insidious than the mere mortals of other strategy games. Outright conquest is beneath you. No, through your influence and power, you turn the nations and enemies that might destroy you against themselves, by manipulating kings through dreams or sending out prophets and agents to do your bidding while you wait and scheme in the shadows. Sow chaos, bloodshed, and dissent in a randomly generated world that adjusts to your growing corruption; more aggressive actions will slowly alert the world to your presence. Great heroes will seek to destroy you, but with your abilities, you may be able to corrupt their minds or send your agents to fight back.

That Which Sleeps is currently in development. You can follow its progress on IndieDB and TIGForum. A Kickstarter is planned for September.

The Watchlist: Cavern Kings

Title: Cavern Kings
Developer: Vine
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
Releasing late 2014
---

Inspired by action-packed games like Vlambeer's "Super Crate Box" and the increasing difficulty aspects in "Risk of Rain", Cavern Kings aims to explode with special effects in classical arcade fashion and create interesting synergies with its powerup system.

Cavern Kings isn't coy about its inspirations. Risk of Rain, Super Crate Box, even a little Spelunky, the influences are clear but Cavern Kings doesn't feel like a ripoff or derivative. I lost an hour to the beta; this is a fun challenging action platformer with a lot of potential and promise.

In Cavern Kings, you have one destination: down. Armed with randomly selected ranged and melee  weapons, you tunnel your way through the ground into increasingly difficult arenas, filled with enemies and hazards of all kinds. Collects gems and gold from crates and defeated enemies allow you to unlock chests, maybe granting you a new power up or a new weapon to the overall armory. Similar to Risk of Rain, power-ups stack, so an especially successful run might end with your guy able to triple jump, fire missiles at random, be protected by a shield, or countless other permutations. Take too long, and a massive grinder begins descending from above, forcing you to move on or die.

Gameplay is fast paced and frantic, as you desperately evade and shoot the enemies encroaching from all sides, blast flying worms out of the air, decimate the arena with TNT, jump over saw blades and spikes. Your arsenal is varied and satisfying to use, from the blade-throwing Sawdriver and Nailgun to the ground-pounding Kinetic Fist. Even the Shovel is an effective weapon; each feels different, requires different strategies, and the power-ups only allow for more diverse play styles. 

Cavern Kings is currently in beta, with more enemies, playable characters, weapons, power-ups, levels, and bosses to come. You can download the beta here, support the game on Kickstarter, and vote for Cavern Kings on Steam Greenlight.

The Watchlist: Death's Gambit

Title: Death's Gambit
Developer: White Rabbit
Platforms: PC
Very early in development
---

Death's Gambit is an challenging action rpg where you explore a alien medieval planet filled with horrors, beasts, and knights. Every new enemy encounter is a complex hack-n-slash puzzle to solve. Every piece of environment and mechanic tells part of the story.

Shadow of the Colossus was and still is one of my favorite PS2 games. So when I saw a GIF of a figure scaling a towering moving behemoth one Screenshot Saturday, I had to learn more. Death's Gambit is an upcoming action RPG, set across a sprawling alien world that blends sci fi and medieval elements.

In Death's Gambit, you're not merely any warrior. You are an emissary of Death itself, armed with powerful weapons, guns, and magic to fend off the deadly enemies and beasts that roam the landscape. With three weapons at hand at any time, as well as items and abilities, you have a vast array of options in how to tackle any battle. Combat won't be a fast paced twitchy affair, but strategic and measured against relentless challenging foes. And just like the combat, the world of Death's Gambit will be equally open ended, offering multiple paths and non-linear progression.

Rounding out Death's Gambit's mechanics are its large scale encounters against massive beasts. While the nature of these encounters are still very much subject to change, the developers plan to have several of these battles throughout the game, as you clamber up and fight your way across these towering lumbering giants. Inspired by Attack on Titan and the aforementioned Shadow of the Colossus, each of these encounters will be a journey and experience in itself, offering intriguing details about the world and creatures while offering a challenging conflict.

Death's Gambit is still very early in development. You can learn more about the game as well as its development and progress here. The developers are also planning a Kickstarter for late Fall or early Winter of this year.

The Watchlist: Super III

Title: Super III
Developer: Super 91 Studios
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
In development
---

SUPER III is a fast-paced, action/puzzle-platformer that follows the story of an alien named, III (Three). After a galactic war, III is given the task of finding and rescuing all survivors. Utilize III's teleportation abilities and screen-wrap to smash baddies and solve puzzles!

There's nothing perhaps more disappointing than when an anticipated game is cancelled (or at least equal in disappointment to when an anticipated game doesn't meet expectations). I've discovered a lot of games, followed a lot of projects that have since been abandoned or put on hold. Games like Stealer and A Shepherd in Dark Times and, most recently, Frog Sord. You can read about what happened to Frog Sord here and its current status here, but I'm excited to say that while Frog Sord may be in limbo, some of the developers of that promising game are working on something new: the teleporting platformer Super III.

In Super III, you play as an alien on a sprawling planet filled with enemies and bosses to defeat, traps to avoid, and puzzles to solve. Super III promises to blend challenging precision platforming with large expansive levels, a design choice inspired by games like Mario 64. Rather then bite-sized rooms, levels here will house multiple challenges to tackle, from races and time trials to survivors to rescue and items to collect. Your little alien is more than capable of traversing these areas, thanks to the ability to teleport horizontally and wrap around the screen. Hazards are numerous - bosses, spikes, missiles, unstable blocks, and more - but all are surmountable through timing, precision, and smart use of your skills.

Initially designed as a jam game for indiE3, Super III has only been in development for little over a month; however the game has progressed at an incredible pace, with numerous levels and mechanics for the game's five worlds already designed and prototyped. A Kickstarter and Greenlight campaign are planned for early August. You can learn more about Super III and its development on TIGForum.

The Watchlist: Ashen

Title: Ashen
Developer: Aurora44
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
In development, no release time frame
---

Ashen is a 3rd person, action RPG about forging relationships. Players can choose to guide those they trust to their camp, encouraging them to rest at the fire and perhaps remain. People you meet out in the world will have unique skills and crafting abilities to bolster your chances of survival. Together, you might just stand a chance.

For many games, I remain on the fence until I learn more (which is probably a safe route to go). But then there are others that hook me at a glance, games that I know I absolutely need to play. Maybe it's the game's description or its concept, or some intriguing mechanic. Sometimes it's a single image. Ashen is in that latter category. One look at the bleak windswept plains, the pale air tinged grey with ash, the low-poly art style, I knew this was a world I needed to explore.

In development for the past seven months, Ashen is set in a world hanging on by a thread. The sun is gone, forever concealed behind the thick clouds of ash that clog the sky, the only light from volcanic eruptions in the distance. It's a ruined world, and you're a lone wanderer just trying to survive its many dangers. Bandits and beasts; cannibals, giants, and creatures lurking in the dark; the environment itself all are threats found throughout Ashen's expansive world. Similar to the Souls series, combat is a high risk endeavor, perhaps not even your best or first choice.

However, while you may be a lone warrior at the start, you won't be alone. Taking inspirations from Journey, Ashen is built around a passive multiplayer system, where players seamlessly enter your world sans lobbies or menus. Alone, survival is a bleak difficult prospect, but together, you just might thrive. Forging relationships is a key aspect of Ashen. Work together, roam the wastes, help each other against foes, or set out on your own. There are quests and areas where cooperating with others is needed to succeed. Even once you leave a player's world, you leave your mark on their game, by persisting as an NPC that remains in that player's town. Ashen won't forget the solo player either; if multiplayer isn't your thing, the developers plan to make the game fully playable offline in single player, with AI-controlled NPCs taking the place of other players.

Ashen is still early in development, with no release time frame. The developers are planning a Kickstarter for late this year or early 2015. You can learn more about Ashen here.

The Watchlist: Hardline Gunner

Title: Hardline Gunner
Developer: Lazorun
Platforms: PC
In development
---

A super hard minimalistic arcade top-down shooter

On Lazorun's site, Hardline Gunner is proclaimed to be "pretty damn hard like the good old days." And I'd have to agree, that's a pretty accurate description of the experience you'll find while playing this fast and furious top down bullet hell shooter. 

Hardline Gunner may sport a minimalist style, but the action in the game's alpha demo is anything but. Each level offers a new challenge, from tight cramped corridors to open areas with bosses firing insane amount of projectiles to special tiles that boost you forward or slow your movement. Your small square is agile and fast, able to dash around, and quickly maneuver between bullets and missiles. Crates drop health and special weapons like homing rockets and spread shots, allowing you to change up your arsenal at the most opportune moment. However your most important skill is the ability to deflect bullets; with the right timing, you can send projectiles back at enemies and enjoy a few moments of invincibility. Deflect bullets becomes invaluable as the action grows more hectic and you need to break through the hailstorm of projectiles for a better position.

Hardline Gunner is still in alpha; the developer is currently changing the flat 2D look to a 3D style with more depth, and as well as implementing other improvements such as slow motion when health is low. You can download the alpha demo here.

The Watchlist: The Masterplan

Title: The Masterplan
Developer: Shark Punch
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
Releasing late 2014
---

Drawing inspiration from both legendary tactical turn-based games and classic heist movies alike, the goal of The Masterplan is to put together the right crew, get the right equipment, and finally plan and execute the biggest heist ever.

I had been following The Masterplan closely after seeing it on Screenshot Saturday and I was fortunate enough to get my hands on the game's press demo. It's a small early slice of the game - a small store, three criminals to control - but it was more than enough to make me very eager to see how the game grows in the future.

The Masterplan is set in the 70s, the era of The Getaway and Dog Day Afternoon, of cunning thieves and daring heists. From a top-down perspective, you control a group of crooks in typical tactical game fashion (set waypoints, select actions, pause and queue commands) as you plan out and conduct robberies. In the case of the press demo, your goal is to steal as much as possible, the primary target being the safe in the back of the store. How you approach this is up to you. My first attempt went downhill fairly quickly. I spread my trio throughout the store and draw my guns to hold up the clerk and civilians. I was directing the people to the back at gunpoint, when another person entered the store. Panicking, I shot him, but that took my attention off the clerk, who drew a shotgun and opened fire. By the time gunfire died down, I only had one robber left. The police were on their way. I hurriedly stole what I could and barely escaped to the getaway vehicle.

My second attempt went much smoother. I left one person as a lookout, sent my group member who specialized in lock-picking to go around the back alley and enter through a side entrance and had my third robber kept the people inside at bay. Within minutes, the contents of the safe was mine, I was able to direct everyone to a back room and knock them out, and all three of us escaped to our getaway van. Such different outcomes showcases The Masterplan's tactical depth and gameplay freedom.

The Masterplan is still in development, with an Early Access release planned for this summer. Aside from more heists, more criminals to use, and refining the controls, the developers want to add a mission editor and experimental modes such as a twin-stick where you directly control a single character. You can learn more about The Masterplan here and follow its progress on TIGForum or the developer's blog. The game was recently Greenlit.