Independent's Day: 10 Best Indie PC Games

In the wild world of video games, bigger is often better, as fans of popular series from major publishing houses such as Call of Duty, DOTA 2, and World of WarCraft can readily attest. But just as in the world of independent music labels, indie game developers and publishing outfits are increasingly responsible for some of today's most mind-blowing and original titles — a fact that hasn't gone unnoticed by growing legions of PC players. Sadly though, given the overwhelming amount of attention paid to new mainstream releases — seriously, when was the last time you turned on a cable TV channel without an ad for Assassin's Creed playing — many indie gems go overlooked. In an effort to right this grievous wrong, we've aimed to take a regular look at the latest and greatest new offerings the independent gaming scene has to offer. Below, you'll find sneak peeks at 10 of the hottest new releases from left-of-center — each of which rightfully deserves to be on your radar.

Hard West (Gambitious Digital Entertainment)

Think the West is wild as is? Wait until you add sick supernatural elements, detailed turn-based battles, and a cast of characters so colorful you can practically see the gunpowder and grime coating every inch of this gritty epic. Pitting gunslingers against powers from beyond the veil, Hard West's turn-based tactical gameplay looks to be brilliantly inspired by the X-COM series, while the title's "Weird West" takes a fan-favorite backdrop and successfully marries it with late-night TV staples. Splitting the difference between stereotypical Western elements such as bank robberies and shootouts in the middle of the town square with horror staples such as demons, ghosts and undead gunfighters, you'll want to pack your six shooter full of silver bullets before giving it a whirl.

Colonial Conquest (Argonauts Interactive)

This modern remake of the classic 1980s strategy game — an epic exercise in 20th-century manifest destiny — was launched via a Kickstarter project in early 2015 to strong critical reception. More importantly for today's hardcore tactical enthusiast: it's a true blast from the past for anyone who remembers the era of the Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit family, and Apple II computers. (Congrats, grampas: nice to see dementia hasn't set in yet!) Set in the Victorian age, it's a simple game of conquest and expansion wherein players control one of the six great powers of the era and seek their rightful place in the sun. Even better: this all-star remake features more colorful graphics than the original, while also retaining the same classic gameplay that so many know and love — think quick, addictive fun for would-be world conquerors.

Gulf of Aden — Task Force Somalia (BlewScreen)

Today, the Gulf of Aden is just one of several high-profile flashpoints in a world full of potential political powder kegs and military conflict zones. BlewScreen's Gulf of Aden — Task Force Somalia (a slick-looking mix of RTS and tower defense based in the region) charges players with patrolling this vital waterway to ensure that oil tankers, cruise ships, and drilling platforms are safe from Somali pirates. Designed around naval combat action, it asks players to command several different heavily armed seafaring vessels as part of a UN anti-piracy task force tasked with sinking opponents and sending them to Davy Jones' locker. Missions range from defending shipping lanes to rescuing those under attack and notably taking the fight to the pirates' mothership to clear the seas of would-be buccaneers. Prefer your strategy games mixed with a healthy dose of real-world themed excitement? It's one pleasure cruise you'll definitely want to sign up for.

Suits: A Business RPG (Technomancy Studios)

Instead of donning armor and a sword for your next adventure, why not put on a nice blazer and slacks and lead an uprising at your local office complex? That's the premise behind Suits: A Business RPG, wherein giant enterprises control the workings of global government, and the pocket protector–wielding revolution is underway. As a cog in the machine, it's time to stand up and fight back against your corporate overlords — a genuine pleasure in this funky, black-and-white hand-drawn role-player which looks like little you've seen before. Best of all, the game only costs $0.99 — not bad, considering what today's working salaries look like, and what currently passes for a living wage.

Aviary Attorney (Sketchy Logic)

Most games don't offer players the chance to take the role of a lawyer, fewer still let players be a bird, and we can think of approximately zero other games set in an alternate-reality France just before the great revolution of 1848. Aviary Attorney is thus no ordinary outing, managing as it does to combine all three elements together as players step into the suitcoat of Monsieur Jayjay Falcon, a bird of prey with a good heart but questionable legal experience. With his partner, Sparrowson, the two take on clients, interview witnesses, collect evidence, bribe (or at least persuade) colorful characters, and bring justice to the guilty. Curiously, the game is based on 19th-century art by caricaturist J.J. Grandville and features music by romantic-era composer Camille Saint-Saëns. Interesting aside: there are also three different endings — apparently, justice isn't so much blind as it is predisposed to enjoying multiple flavors of absurdity.

Battle of Empires: 1914-1918: Full Single Player (Best Way Soft)

While virtually all major game development studios have churned out a World War II–themed title in the past two decades, the first World War hasn't gotten the same kind of love. Cheerfully, those looking to experience the grand scale of the "Great War" can now engage with the full single-player version of Battle of Empires: 1914-1918 (a story-heavy RTS reliving some of the global conflict's most brutal battles), an add-on to the previous multiplayer-only game. Features include standalone campaigns for major world powers, a new skirmish pack, and even a scenario editor for the creation of countless "what if" battles. Managing to capture the sound and fury of one of history's bloodiest conflicts, the title promises to bring the thrill of victory and agony of defeat screaming to life on your screen — and we're not complaining.

Wick (Hellbent Games)

You may not want to play this survival horror outing — essentially a living, breathing ghost story — alone, and certainly not in the dark. In the tale, which feels like an interactive version of straight-to-DVD thrillers, you'll explore a local legend about long-lost children living in the nearby woods. The only trouble: to spot them, you'll have to enter a dark forest alone, and by candlelight — and it's not like you're the only entity creeping around out there. Filled with shocks and scares, to survive the night with no weapons, you'll have to learn what it's like to evade danger, or die trying. Needless to say, Wick comes recommended for anyone who likes a good supernatural thriller — just make sure you've stocked up on adult diapers before firing it up and giving it a whirl.

Age of Steel: Recharge (Quaint Emerald/Pirozhok)

In the near future, the world is consumed by great crisis as resources run out and vying powers battle for supremacy in this retro-styled 2D strategic outing, which looks like something that's crash-landed on your desktop straight out of 1993. In the game, a side-scrolling shooter that's heavy on sci-fi-style military mayhem, players take on role of the leader of the Alliance and must stop the Opposition's attempt to create a new society and enslave mankind, mostly by blowing them to kingdom come. To accomplish this, players complete a 14-level campaign using tanks, aircraft, and ships to carpet-bomb opponents. With each objective met, new units and upgrades are provided, allowing you to kick ass and take names in increasingly new and novel ways. Luckily for gamers, in the end times it's not the meek who'll inherit the earth so much as those with a willingness to ram a warhead or twelve up rivals' rear ends.

Space Pilgrim Episode One: Alpha Centauri (GrabTheGames Studios)

Dig classic point-and-click adventures? Then you'll want to hop a ride on a starship with Captain Gail Pilgrim, who finds herself unexpectedly bound for adventure on her latest jaunt through the cosmos. What happens when a fusion scientist, a retired space marine, and a priest walk onto a vessel bound for a remote interstellar locale? You'll find out across 10+ hours of pixilated, retro-esque gameplay that harkens back to the good old days of PC puzzle solving. Expect a sprawling sci-fi tale laced with humor that'll send you rocketing off to some of the galaxy's most unique destinations, from futuristic colonies and space stations to alien universes and more.

The Deed (GrabTheGames Studios)

In many games it is up to you to solve a murder, but contrarian RPG adventure outing The Deed is actually about getting away with it instead. As the rightful heir to a family fortune, you find you've been disinherited in favor of your sadistic (and slightly unhinged) sister. Rather than going to Probate Court though, here you'll aim to take a more direct approach and remove her from the equation using ropes, candlesticks, and other lethal household items. Just one catch: every decision that you make influences the outcome of the game and there are many possible endings, not all of which may end so favorably for you. Amusingly, you can choose from 10 possible murder weapons and plan how to frame your "loving" relatives for the deed. And here you thought your family reunions were bizarre…

 

By Scott Steinberg

 

 

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