PAX Rising - The Indie Games of PAX AUS 2023
Feature
PAX Rising - The Indie Games of PAX AUS 2023 (Cont...)
Copycat – Spoonful of Wonder
Bringing home a pet from a pet store or from a shelter can be a lovely experience. The animal that you've fallen in love with slowly adjusts to its new surroundings. That was the inspiration behind Copycat, a narrative-driven game that places players in the role of Dawn, a shelter cat that has found a loving home. But her owner falls ill, and a stray copycat steals Dawn's place which forced Dawn onto the streets.
With some lovely visuals, Copycat is played at a more relaxing pace, allowing players to take their time to wander alleyways, through gardens and across fences as Dawn. Throughout the game, players will be forced to make choices that will evoke a range of emotions – from rejection to love and everything in between.
Wishlist Copycat on Steam
Adaptory – Stormcloak Games
With similarities to Fallout Shelter and inspiration from a range of base-builders and Sims games, Adaptory is a game that has players controlling four characters on a mysterious planet after their spaceship has crash landed.
Players must use the skills and traits of each of the characters to help keep each other alive, build up their base, explore their surrounds and then hopefully get back home. But with interaction between the four characters, the game is about relationships as well as building their base. Players will need to ensure that the characters have enough oxygen to breathe and food and water but also manage other functions within the base, such as having enough electricity to keep everything running.
With cute 2D visuals, a charming story, random triggered events and loads of replayability, Adaptory is looking like a winner.
Wishlist Adaptory on Steam
Memory's Reach – 100 Stones Interactive
Memory's Reach is a first-person puzzle-adventure and metroidvania. Players will explore labyrinthian megastructures, locate powerful abilities, and solve mind-bending puzzles in this cosmic sci-fi adventure to discover the fate of a doomed civilization. With the game having two different types of puzzles – a 2D sliding type puzzle and a large 3D puzzle - the game is as much about exploring the vertical labyrinth as it is about finding the solutions.
The game is segmented into four levels, but these levels will have sections that can only be reached by completing puzzles which will then enable players to acquire new abilities. Players will travel back and forth between the various levels after gaining these added abilities. The futuristic worlds look stunning, the puzzles are challenging, and we can't wait to see more as the game progresses.
Wishlist Memory's Reach on Steam
The Hamster's Journey – Rain Jam Games
The Hamster's Journey is a roguelite platformer about combining hats and pants to overcome the obstacles that get in your way, while being chased by the ominous Hamster's Nightmare. Players will guide our little Hamster through a series of platforming levels that has elements of Jetpack Joyride (in the power-up players can collect) and Hill Climb Racing (in the level design). Both aspects work well, as our little pet uses the tools at his disposal to navigate through the levels.
Collecting the tools and then combining them to outpace the nightmare is a heap of fun, and with some bright visuals, a cute main character and simple controls, the team at Rain Jam Games could a have a hit for the whole family.
Wishlist The Hamster's Journey on Steam
Box Knight – We Made a Thing Studios
Sometimes the boss at the office can be a pain. But has he (or she) ever transformed the once happy employees into dark dangerous characters?
Box Knight has players taking the heroic role of someone in just that scenario in this tongue-in-cheek roguelike. When the clock strikes 5pm on Friday afternoon, players become the Box knight as they take on all the office stereotypes – from the boss’ minions to the shit kickers (or in this case shit-throwers) – as they move up through the office levels to eventually take on the Big Boss.
With roguelike elements, each playthrough is different, and with players being able to collect short term upgrades for the Box Knight to equip as they progress, for use in the next dungeon (or office). The enemies are grotesque but cute, giving the game a fun vibe, one that players can play over and over again.
Wishlist Box Knight on Steam
Ailuri – Vivink Studios
Ailuri is a 2D platformer with some gorgeous hand drawn art that has players taking on the role of an endangered red panda. The game – which promotes awareness of endangered species – has the main character climbing, grappling, swinging and exploring through vast levels in an attempt to rescue other creatures.
Whilst the game looks bright and beautiful, the puzzles are fun and exploring the locations to find hidden secrets is a joy. And it is even better with a friend, as Ailuri is playable via 2 player couch co-op as well as singleplayer.
Wishlist Ailuri on Steam