Indie Obscure indies that deserve more attention - Updated Jan. 2020

[Jack Of Owls]

Underworld looks like it would be a very cool game to play but did you create character portraits from scanned photos of celebrities? One of them looks like the very strange looking and very doll-faced british actress Lily Cole. If I'm wrong, please feel free to sternly say so. Not that there's anything really wrong with that but I just can't look at that approach in the same way again ever since Cleve's kiss-and-tell tell-all about the original designers of what was suppose to become Wizardry VIII scanning all their character art from porn magazines lying around the chickenhawk lead designer's apartment amid the fucking machines and piles of poppers that poor Cleve had to tip-toe through to get to the little boy's room. I think he even had to tip-toe through a few little boys if his story is to be believed. Okay, big boys hopefully

 

[Charles-cgr]

Underworld looks like it would be a very cool game to play but did you create character portraits from scanned photos of celebrities? One of them looks like the very strange looking and very doll-faced british actress Lily Cole. If I'm wrong, please feel free to sternly say so. Not that there's anything really wrong with that but I just can't look at that approach in the same way again ever since Cleve's kiss-and-tell tell-all about the original designers of what was suppose to become Wizardry VIII scanning all their character art from porn magazines lying around the chickenhawk lead designer's apartment amid the fucking machines and piles of poppers that poor Cleve had to tip-toe through to get to the little boy's room. I think he even had to tip-toe through a few little boys if his story is to be believed. Okay, big boys hopefully

I don't know about Lily Cole but the directions I gave to the artist were very broad and I noticed a couple that looked familiar, after the fact. I don't think he scanned though, rather just had his eye on models for proportions.

No little boys involved I'm sure

 

[Roqua]

I think Blade of Destiny HD could definitely use some exposure, especially now since the game is pretty much bug free and has a lot of new content beyond the original and with importable characters into Star Trail HD. These guys worked their asses off and went through release hell and kept on working for free adding new content to bring one of the greatest games ever to new life.

 

[Bubbles]

I think Blade of Destiny HD could definitely use some exposure, especially now since the game is pretty much bug free and has a lot of new content beyond the original and with importable characters into Star Trail HD. These guys worked their asses off and went through release hell and kept on working for free adding new content to bring one of the greatest games ever to new life.

Amen, brother.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

I think Blade of Destiny HD could definitely use some exposure, especially now since the game is pretty much bug free and has a lot of new content beyond the original and with importable characters into Star Trail HD. These guys worked their asses off and went through release hell and kept on working for free adding new content to bring one of the greatest games ever to new life.

Yeah? How does it run these days? I tried it a year or two back but it was slower'n molasses going uphill, though I was able to play it smoothly before.

And if anything, you can properly navigate towns in the remake.

 

[vonAchdorf]

I applaud them for their efforts, not necessarily for the results. The combat character models are still an abomination.

 

[Roqua]

I think Blade of Destiny HD could definitely use some exposure, especially now since the game is pretty much bug free and has a lot of new content beyond the original and with importable characters into Star Trail HD. These guys worked their asses off and went through release hell and kept on working for free adding new content to bring one of the greatest games ever to new life.

Yeah? How does it run these days? I tried it a year or two back but it was slower'n molasses going uphill, though I was able to play it smoothly before.

And if anything, you can properly navigate towns in the remake.

I have no issues in town. There are forest zones/dungeosn (like enchanted woods) my FPS dropped dramatically in, but no issues other than that. I really wished they stuck with grid movement though, or turning on grid movement was an option. I hate free cameras in blobbers. I especially hate it in the iso combat parts since full rotating 3d seems to make all developers lazy and make you have to fuck with the camera every 10 seconds just to annoy everyone.

I just tried playing Star Trail and Shadows Over Riva again, and it is much harder now that I've played the remake with the latest free dlc.

 

[mastroego]

I think Blade of Destiny HD could definitely use some exposure, especially now since the game is pretty much bug free and has a lot of new content beyond the original and with importable characters into Star Trail HD. These guys worked their asses off and went through release hell and kept on working for free adding new content to bring one of the greatest games ever to new life.

Got me curious, but it seems hard to find info about this game other than reviewers and players relentlessly bashing it.
Could the last patches really have changed it that much?

 

[Roqua]

I think Blade of Destiny HD could definitely use some exposure, especially now since the game is pretty much bug free and has a lot of new content beyond the original and with importable characters into Star Trail HD. These guys worked their asses off and went through release hell and kept on working for free adding new content to bring one of the greatest games ever to new life.

Got me curious, but it seems hard to find info about this game other than reviewers and players relentlessly bashing it.
Could the last patches really have changed it that much?

Read what has been written since the last free dlc, which was like September of 2015. Also, this isn't like most crpgs. Getting bit by a rat and not treating it immediately can lead to disease and death. Having plates and cutlery waste inventory slots help stave off disease and sickness. If you haven't played the originals I would read the reviews for them, especially the negative ones. If Realms of Arkania trilogy still seems good to you after reading the reviews of the originals, I can assure you the remake is the better purchase with all the new additions. It is almost a 1 to 1 conversion, but a lot of the stuff that had no use at all in the original was removed like skills and spells. Also, magicians can now do 5 rituals to a crystal ball and druids can do rituals on their dagger, on top of the original game's 4 staff rituals. Things like that. Also, having a real quest journal is very nice.

 

[mastroego]

Read what has been written since the last free dlc, which was like September of 2015. Also, this isn't like most crpgs. Getting bit by a rat and not treating it immediately can lead to disease and death. Having plates and cutlery waste inventory slots help stave off disease and sickness. If you haven't played the originals I would read the reviews for them, especially the negative ones. If Realms of Arkania trilogy still seems good to you after reading the reviews of the originals, I can assure you the remake is the better purchase with all the new additions. It is almost a 1 to 1 conversion, but a lot of the stuff that had no use at all in the original was removed like skills and spells. Also, magicians can now do 5 rituals to a crystal ball and druids can do rituals on their dagger, on top of the original game's 4 staff rituals. Things like that. Also, having a real quest journal is very nice.

Thanks, that's the kind of info I was looking for.
I'll do some research on the original title then. My hesitation with these kind of games it's that I might end up not finishing them... but it's a "painful" process, since I don't like to leave things unfinished

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Vault Dweller did a small writeup on Realms of Arkania, worth a look:
http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/index.php?topic=2365.0

 

[Deleted Member 16721]

The developer of Tales of Illyria (Little Killerz) deserves some recognition. They have crafted a fine text-based RPG adventure on Android with a great amount of content and competent writing. Worth a look, especially considering it's a whopping 99 cents to purchase! It even comes with cheap yet very meaningful and meaty DLC that will expand your journey all the better. Check it out if you have a nice tablet.

 

[aweigh]

one excellent example of a fantastic game that is rendered unplayable due to its over-reliance on hotkeys is Devil Whiskey as Roquea rightfully pointed out.

that game is one of the best Bards Tale clones ever made and easily surpasses the original BT games but the game itself is almost unplayable due to the fact that EVERYTHING is done via hotkeys; if they had allowed me to use WASD to move a cursor around and use a CONFIRM button to select my option i would have finished the game.

 

[aweigh]

think of it this way:

you press the letter C to bring up the CAMP menu -> now you have the main CAMP screen with a vertical listing of options which you use WASD to move through and select using a CONFIRM button (Enter key) -> you move to INVENTORY and press Enter -> now you're in the inventory screen and you can use Q/E to cycle left/right through each party member and manipulate their inventorys using WASD to move the cursor up and down the selection of commands.

the players hand will NEVER have to stray away from WASD / Q/E / C and his right hand will ALWAYS be on the ENTER KEY. the CANCEL key can be spacebar or Z.

on top of this traditional method of UI management the player also will have the ability to freely hotkey any key on his keyboard to take him directly to a screen. obvious examples can be I for inventory, etc, but they should all be able to be assigned 100% freely by the player.

 

[aweigh]

during battles the player can then decide if he wants to use WASD to move the pointer through the commands and then press ENTER when he reaches SPELLS, or hi can immediately hit the letter "M" he had just previously hotkeyed to spell-casting and go there instantly.

you HAVE to feature both methods as only using one or the other is a complete waste. An even bigger waste of time is forcing the player to have to laboriously move the mouse pointer on his desktop just to click on the word SPELLS. Now THAT is bad UI.

 

[Deleted Member 16721]

Jeff Vogel's games also always deserve more attention. He crafts some excellent RPGs with wonderful exploration and great writing and immersion. I was shocked to see that Avernum: Escape From The Pit only sold 1,000 copies on Android. If the word of mouth spread more he'd have many more sales, since gamers do want interesting RPGs on Android. Maybe a free demo would help, or just some publicity in general.

His games are great, regardless.

 

[V_K]

Vogel's games consistently sell 50-200 thousand copies, compared to the titles listed here, or even to an average indie rpg developer, he's a rockstar. Not to mention that he's got a dedicated subforum here.
Anyway, the only thing including a game on this list can achieve is to slightly raise awareness of it on the Codex. I see no point in listing the games that are already well-known here, it just won't do them any good.

 

[aweigh]

i agree with V_K on this one. also on a critical level i don't think vogel's output in the last 10 years or so is worthy of merit. he basically re-skins his games and sells them again to the same audience. in most cases the re-skins are usually even worse than the originals since he has gotten much lazier as a programmer and he cuts out game features wholesale during the re-skinning. (i refuse to use the word remake as that would imply re-making of assets).

even indie games like Paper Sorcerer and Starcrawlers which have more than 1 dedicated thread on the Codex are like little tiny ants compared to the gigantic number of units Vogel has sold over the years. i approve of NOT shilling for him in any way whatsoever. he has made his bed and he can lie in it (and his bed is very comfortable).

 

[aweigh]

by the way, V_K i don't know if you've done so already but please add "Buy this game" links to every title listed like I have done in my compilation threads. If you already have i apologize. otherwise your goal of raising awareness will not be reached.

 

[aweigh]

if the game doesn't have a steam/indie go-go/patreon/etc page then under the "buy this game now" portion simply link to the dev's website (as i checked and noticed you have linked to threads on forums and the like but have not included links to buying the actual games)

 

[V_K]

Each game's title is already an active link that leads either to steam page or developer's stie.

 

[CryptRat]

Two similar free games, with keyboard control :
Void Pyramid
Cool setting, 3 classes which determine your base stats, free character developpement, (simplistic) turn-based combat and nice exploration with different paths and stat checks to overcome obstacles (no skill, unfortunately, at least as far as I already got).

Some more screenshots :

Spoiler

Void Pyramid is a post-apocalyptic RPG set in the spacefaring Egyptian empire.

In the far future, the maniacal Prime Pharaoh rules the wastelands of Earth. Any who oppose him are exiled to the Void Pyramid. This outer space prison is populated by criminals, beasts, and mutants. No one has ever escaped, but you must try…

*Choose to be a soldier, slave, or scribe. Overcome challenges with your unique skills.

*Explore the intricately designed pyramid. Each chamber is packed with foes, puzzles, traps, treasures, and other interesting stuff.

*Develop your character however you want with an unusual but intuitive advancement system.

*Use your brawn, wits, and agility stats to kick down doors, bend bars, hack computers, haggle with merchants, dodge traps, scale walls, and more.

*Find numerous solutions to every problem. Explore multiple paths through the pyramid. Experience alternate endings. Fight optional bosses. Discover hidden treasures.

*Experience a unique vision of the future. In the spacefaring future, the Egyptian empire has risen again. The Prime Pharaoh’s mutant armies oppress mankind.

Rumble Planet
Similar exploration, with better setting and nice texts but without most RPG elements unfortunately.

Spoiler

Your spaceship has crashed on Badmark, a frontier planet and tourist hotspot. To escape, you must scour this hostile landscape for replacement parts while befriending or battling its strange denizens.

Ramble Planet is a complete game 12 months in the making. It is a scavenger hunt of great depth and scale.

Features:

*Free-roaming gameplay!
*A sprawling world!
*Many puzzles and secrets!
*3 playable races with unique agendas!
*Groovy original music!
*An illustrated instruction manual!

 

[V_K]

Great find!

Similar exploration, with better setting

Why? I find the mix of Ancient Egypt wih cheesy sci-fy and post-apo extremely delightful.

Also

*Explore the intricately designed pyramid. Each chamber is packed with foes, puzzles, traps, treasures, and other interesting stuff.

*Develop your character however you want with an unusual but intuitive advancement system.

*Use your brawn, wits, and agility stats to kick down doors, bend bars, hack computers, haggle with merchants, dodge traps, scale walls, and more.

*Find numerous solutions to every problem. Explore multiple paths through the pyramid. Experience alternate endings. Fight optional bosses. Discover hidden treasures.

Seems to have everything I like in RPGs.

 

[Deleted Member 16721]

Vogel's games consistently sell 50-200 thousand copies, compared to the titles listed here, or even to an average indie rpg developer, he's a rockstar. Not to mention that he's got a dedicated subforum here.
Anyway, the only thing including a game on this list can achieve is to slightly raise awareness of it on the Codex. I see no point in listing the games that are already well-known here, it just won't do them any good.

Hmm, good to know.

It did surprise me that Avernum on Android only has 1k total downloads. That's a bit low if he's selling 50-200 thousand copies on PC. But eh, if he's happy with that then what does it matter what I say? I didn't think his games were that popular.

 

[Scroo]

Void Pyramid sounds really interesting, thanks for the link