PAX Rising - The Indie Games of PAX AUS 2018
Feature
Our favourites from PAX AUS Indie section
PAX Rising — The Indie Games of PAX AUS 2018 (cont...)
Party Crashers — Giant Margarita
We had the chance to test out a very early version of Party Crashers at last year’s PAX AUS, and it is clear that plenty of refining and additions have been made to the game. Party Crashers still has a ton of variations in gameplay modes, maps and vehicles which make the game endlessly fun for up to four players. But with an updated menu system, selecting the game modes you want is now even easier. The Tron-esque visuals and smooth racing controls make Party Crashers an enjoyable experience. And even after crashing out in the short races, gamers can still take part in the outcome of the race, so even when dead, you’re not out of the race.
Party Crashers is out now on Steam, so go take a look if you're interested.
Scout’s Honor — INCA Studios
Setting up a scout camp has never been so hectic. In a race to beat nightfall, a team of up to four players must pitch their tents, build a campfire and cook dinner. This game is all about co-operation and co-ordination of the players, as doing your own thing will generally end in a failed camp. The colourful visuals and simple gameplay make it ideal for younger gamers, but it is a great party game that has the campers setting up in a range of locations. The developers intend on including some fun mini-games throughout the story for the full release, which would allow some competitive play in addition to the fun co-op play on show at PAX.
For more information, visit the Scout’s Honor website, or check out the game on Steam
Soundfall — Drastic Games
Although this game isn’t a product of the Land Down Under, it still makes the list of cool indie titles. Described as a rhythm-driven dungeon crawler by developer Julian Trutmann, the colourful and procedurally generated levels are beautifully combined with the wonderful audio. Gamers take on the role of one of five playable characters and use their abilities in time with the beats of the accompanying music. Keeping to the beat increases the effectiveness of the attacks in this twin-stick shooter, and I must admit that I found myself tapping my feet to the beat whilst playing.
For more info, visit the Drastic Games website.
Speaking Simulator — Affable Games
It is often tough to fit into society, but even more so when you’re an android who has yet to master speech. This hilarious game has players controlling the mouth and tongue of the aforementioned robot in a variety of social interactions. The aim is to make your way through the conversations without making people suspicious that you’re actually not a human. The developers have attempted to make the process of speech as real as possible, whilst keeping the game fun. Mistakes in speech can cause some outrageously funny things to happen to the poor robot, but if you can recover, the human will remain unsuspecting.
For more info, visit the Affable Games website.
Subdivision Infinity DX — Blowfish Studios
Originally a mobile based game, Subdivision Infinity DX is a mission-based space shooter whereby you are a pilot of a spacecraft. Along the lines of the Nintendo classic Starfox, or Tie Fighter, you move through space destroying your mission targets, or in some cases preventing other ships from destroying a target. With over forty varied missions, this twin-stick shooter with a free roaming feel will keep you gaming for hours. Bounties from completing missions and from mining will enable improved ships and weapons to be purchased and upgraded as you fly through some lovely settings.
For more information, visit the Subdivision Infinity page on the Blowfish Studios website. Whilst there check out some of the other titles they had on show, including:
Projection: First Light — a puzzle game based on shadows and shadow puppets
Storm Boy: The Game — an interactive telling of the classic children's book
JackQuest — a retro style puzzle platformer
Qinoto — a paper folding puzzle game
Collateral Damage: Battle over Tyzanite — Artisans Games
Collateral Damage is a 2-8 player hero arena brawler/shooter that gamers get to play as a range of various hovering robots, each with their own set of unique abilities. It is a vibrant game with loads of colour and explosions. Players zoom around shooting enemies whilst collecting the titular Tyzanite which can be used to power the robot’s abilities. The twin-stick controls take a couple of rounds to master, but it is the variation of robot types that will get gamers to keep playing in order to find the one that suits their play style best. Each of the nine robots have their own map, and the three game modes are a heap of fun to try out with friends.
For more info, visit the Collateral Damage website.
Beam Team — No Moss Studios
Beam Team is a highly addictive 2 player co-op game that has players destroying planets with their two UFO’s. In this cute looking game, each of the planets have their own varied defences, in what can be described as a reverse tower defence game. The two players revolve around the planets and use their weapons to fire upon the planet. Controls are simple enough that youngsters can play, but with a range of difficulty settings, the game is for all ages. The levels are reasonably short, but the ‘one-more-turn’ adage comes into play with this fun little game.
For more info, or to purchase the game visit Beam Team on itch.io.