IOS Spotlight #39: Super Splatform

Title: Super Splatform
Developer: P1XL Games
Platforms: IOS Universal
Price: $1.99
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Despite my love for precision platformers, I didn't decide to check out Super Splatform until days after its release. The retro aesthetic and trailer hadn't exactly sold me on the game, but the positive impressions and active developer on the Toucharcade forums convinced me to give the game a try. And I'm glad I did.

Gameplay wise, Super Splatform is most reminiscent of the well-received IOS game Bean's Quest. Like in that game, your little sphere bounces constantly; it's up to you to move left and right, onto platforms and over gaps. But Super Splatform's ace up its sleeve is its difficulty. This game is very much about precision. Sure you can bounce around the levels, not caring about getting medals for reaching the end in less jumps, but the real thrill comes in learning the levels, learning the limits of your jumping, and then chipping away jumps. While the early levels simply challenge you with larger gaps and distant platforms, soon you'll be switching gravity and timing jumps over bursts of wind. The game's fifty levels are divided into five themes, each with their own look and obstacles. Levels also contain a gold coin to find and a rainbow coin to collect after achieving the gold medal that's even harder to reach.

But that's not all. Super Splatform offers more than its hefty campaign. There's all a Doodle Jump-esque Infinite Mode, which tasks you with getting as high as you can. Along with that mode, you can also play the original Splatform as well, which was first released in 2002 on the Commodore 64.

You can purchase Super Splatform for $1.99.

SitRep: Frog Sord

Title: Frog Sord
Developer: Mech6
Platforms: PC
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I first previewed Frog Sord back in November, where it was well into development. Recently the developers sent out an early playable alpha and I was able to finally play the game.

The alpha contains a handful of levels in the first forest area, a good 30 minutes to an hour of content. While there is no sound effects or music yet, the gameplay itself feels solid. The controls couldn't be simpler: arrow key to move, Z to jump, X to slash with your sword (sord?). In the framework, Mech6 has crafted a fun experience that feels reminiscent of Dustforce's mix of platforming and combat. But while Dustforce was focused on pixel-perfect speed runs, Frog Sord is slower paced but no less enjoyable. Even at this early stage, the game is fun and dashing between spikes and chaining together attacks with aerial maneuvering is quite satisfying. The pixel art and character design of the titular Frog gives the game character and a style all its own. The levels presented a nice difficulty curve, introducing moves and more complex uses of your abilities at a good pace, and only left me eager to see how the game will continue to develop and grow

The developers are hard at work, considering player feedback, and working on new areas. As seen in the GIF above, upcoming areas will introduce new hazards like collapsing platforms and new enemies to test your skills. You can follow Frog Sord's progress on its TIGForums devlog and the developer's site.

The Watchlist: Cuphead

Title: Cuphead
Developer: Studio MDHR
Platforms: PC
2014
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Cuphead is a classic run 'n' gun set in the style of a one-on-one fighting game universe. Inspired by cartoons of the 1930's, the visuals and audio were painstakingly created with the same techniques of the era, i.e. traditional cel animation (hand drawn & hand inked!), watercolor backgrounds and live jazz recordings.

When I first learned about Cuphead, the first thing I saw was a screenshot and I knew it was something I was going to be anticipating. As you probably have inferred by now, I have a love for game with unique and interesting visuals, and in that department, Cuphead is a game to keep an eye. The developers wished to replicate the style and animations of the old 1930's cartoon, the era of Popeye and Betty Boop, and going by the footage and images, I'd say they absolutely nailed that goal. 

But Cuphead promises to be more than just a cartoon facade. The gameplay itself is essentially an old-school arcade game, inspired by Gunstar Heroes and Contra, but rather than blowing through waves of low level enemies, you only face bosses. In fact, according to the developers, once completed, the game's 30 foes will break the Guiness Record for most bosses in a video game. Using a variety of different weapons, Cuphead's challenges revolve around timing and learning the proper timing to evade attacks. But if fighting alone proves futile, the game can also be played co-operatively. 

Not much else is known about Cuphead, but you'll be able to play the game sometime in 2014. You can learn more about Cuphead on the developer's site.
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They wouldn't insert for some reason, so check out these GIFs by clicking the links. The game looks even better in motion.

PC Spotlight #64: Detective Case and Clown Bot in Murder in the Hotel Lisbon

Title: Detective Case and Clown Bot in Murder in the Hotel Lisbon
Developer: Nerd Monkeys
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
Price: $9.99
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Now I'm not the biggest adventure game fan. I should probably get that out of the way before reviewing an adventure game. Gemini Rue is the only other point and click I've played, so my perspective on a game may not be as informed as those who've played more of the genre. Nevertheless, Murder in the Hotel Lisbon is fun experience that entertains with both its intriguing story and witty humor.

Playing as the (in?)famous Detective Justin Case and his wisecracking robot sidekick Clownbot, you find yourself engrossed in a strange and hilarious abstract suicide case. How strange? Well it's a man who "committed suicide with 14 stabs to the back while at the same time he peacefully drank his coffee." I really don't want to delve too much into the story because it's best experienced for yourself, but the zany characters and the witty dialogue and plot twists make for a fun charming narrative. The banter between Case and Clownbot is great and the developers loved poking fun at the genre mechanics as well as other game elements. Besides the funny narrative, you'll be exploring various locations, gathering evidence, and interrogating witnesses. That aspect reminded me slightly of LA Noire, in that you need to select evidence you've found with accusations during the suspect interviews. The game's pixel art gives the whole game a whimsical cartoony atmosphere that really adds to the experience

Murder in the Hotel Lisbon isn't that challenging or that long, but I feel it was the perfect length without feeling padded or over-extended. I really enjoyed my time with this humorous world and characters. You can purchase the game on the developer's site or Desura, and vote for it on Steam Greenlight.

Quick Fix: IGF 2014 Finalists (and my personal choices)

All the way back in October, I told you about IGF 2014 and the many indie games submitted to be judged. Today, the finalists have finally been revealed; you can read the full list here. Congratulations to the many titles selected, ranging from the innovative IOS adventure Device 6 to the witty and meta Stanley Parable and the document inspection simulator Papers Please. Even one of my favorites, the stylish SuperHOT, was an honorable mention for the Nuovo Award.

Personally I wanted to nominate the games I considered worthy and certainly excellent in the various finalist categories. I'm only considering games I've played or had seen footage of.

Excellence in Visuals
Hero of Many uses its subdued visuals and otherworldly atmosphere to tell a wordless tale of desperate survival against overwhelming odds and relentless predators.
Icycle: On Thin Ice impressed with its weird and abstract level design, only made more interesting by the constantly shifting and moving environments
I haven't played Myriad yet, but the footage I've seen show an experience of explosive color and psychedelic visuals that only enhance the shoot-em-up gameplay
Shelter's angular and pleasing visuals breathed life into the game's tale of motherly protection and survival. 
Cuphead is another game I'm eager to play, but the footage has proven one thing: the developers have absolutely perfected the old 1930's cartoon look and animations.
Type:Rider used the history of typography to craft an endlessly inventive, unique, and atmospheric world of fonts and letters.

Excellence In Design
SuperHOT is still merely just the genesis of a upcoming expanded game, but this early version is still incredibly well-designed, down to the slick slow motion effect, the minimalist visuals, and the puzzle-shooter gameplay
The Swapper combines so many polished elements in a single package, all working in harmony: the unsettling atmosphere, the visually cool uses of the Swapper device, its tactile clay art style
Rain World is a game that has grown and evolved since its early concepts, but its vision has remained true: crafting an atmospheric world to survive in, a unique organic pixel style, impressive AI, and subtle narrative.
Badland may be simple to control, but that's what makes the game so impressive. Not only does the game have a style all its own, the diverse, varied mix of physics puzzles and fast paced action was molded from a one touch control scheme.

Excellence in Audio
Sounddodger+ is probably an easy choice, and if this was 2013, Hotline Miami would surely have a place here, but for me, it was Sounddodger's fantastic soundtrack that made the game more than just twitchy evasion. It's rare for me to seek out the whole soundtrack of a game after playing, but Sounddodger's music was excellently crafted.

Excellence in Narrative
Gods Will Be Watching was like reading a short story. It was a confined and taut experience, laser-focused on delivering its bleak hopeless tale, but that only made its moral quandaries and tough choices that much more tense.
The Swapper impressed me with its subdued storytelling. The story is never in-your-face, aside from the rare moments of dialogue from another individual, but for the most part, the story was told through the ominous atmosphere of the ship you traversed and the unsettling consequences of your Swapper device. Even the logs you found were never clear or straightforward, giving the whole game this tense and creepy tone.
The Stanley Parable was a two-fold narrative; on one hand, it presented the ever-twisting mobius strip that was Stanley's journey and on the other, it was your story. Only a subtle line separated the two, and the game expertly knew how and when to blur that line, to engaging and humorous effect.

No Money, No Problem: From Hell's Heart

Title: From Hell's Heart
Developer: One More Turn
Platforms: PC, Mac
Free
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The Old Man and The Sea and Moby Dick are classic stories of conflict and struggle. From Hell's Heart takes those timeless tales, gives it a steampunk aesthetic and drops you into a hunt on unfriendly waters.

After a quick (maybe too quick) screen showing the controls, you find yourself on a rickety boat under an ominous grey sky. An expanse of ocean spreads out all around you, icebergs jut from the choppy waters. But you're not alone and you're on the hunt. Armed with harpoons, mines, and a small cannon, you must traverse the rolling waves in search of your prey: a monstrous shark-like beast that lurks beneath the surface, only exposing itself briefly, sometimes lunging from the icy depths. Chasing the beast across the ocean would be fun by itself, but you must all hunt whales for oil to fuel your ship; rounding out the experience are journal entries you can find to gradually piece together the story. What makes From Hell's Heart so fun and promising at this early beta stage is the sense of immersion and dread. Alone, with nothing but icy black water around, icebergs just visible in the haze, the screen rocking up and down in the rough current, you truly feel like you're in the midst of a desperate struggle.

You can download the free beta for From Hell's Heart here.

Quick Fix: Ushering in another year of indie games

A belated Happy New Years to readers and indie gamers worldwide! Once again, thank you for reading Indie Game Enthusiast and participating on this journey through the unique and inventive world of indie games. 2013 was a great year, with some incredible releases like Gone Home, Badland, Outer Wilds, and far too many quality games to list here. And 2014 promises to continues this impressive trend.

IndieStatik's Top 100 of 2014
Recently, IndieStatik published a pair of fantastic articles that I'll definitely be looking back to as the year progresses, listing their 100 most anticipated upcoming games as well as a whole separate article of honorable mentions. You can read them here (Top 100, Runner-ups). Distance! Hyper Light Drifter! SCALE! And so many more. Yes, 2014 is going to one hell of a year

2014 Kickstarters
2013 was not only a fantastic year in terms of releases, but also in promising and successful Kickstarters. From the hair-breadth success of Windforge and Neverending Nightmares' eleventh hour funding to the Hyper Light Drifter's and Rimworld's impressive final hauls, we saw myriad projects find success. 2014 is getting off to an impressive start, with four promising campaigns in January alone:

Proven Lands - "mid-January"
Galactic Princess - "mid-January"
Mighty Tactical Shooter - "No, not early January"
MTB Freeride - January 14th

Then throughout the 2014, expect Kickstarters for Edgar, Witchmarsh, Darkest Dungeon, Path of Shadows, Oblitus, possibly Rain World, and others.