The Indie Game Magazine April 2014 - Issue 36

APRIL 2014 | ISSUE 36
NERO
Child-like Wonderment Comes Alive
DIALOGUE SYSTEM
Branching dialogue in Unity3d
FARSKY
Is a wonderful effort in its genre, and a great

addition to any explorer-lovers library.
REIGNMAKER
Looking for a high fantasy world with great

gameplay? Reignmaker may be your answer.
15+ REVIEWS & PREVIEWS INSIDE!
#GAMEDEV CONTENTS
EVENT CALENDER. . . . . . . . . . . . 8
FEATURED INTERVIEW. . . . . . . . 10
NERO Interview . . . . . . . . . . . 10
PRODUCT REVIEW . . . . . . . . . . 12
DIALOGUE SYSTEM . . . . . . . . 12
ADVICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
LEGALESE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
ESCAPE TO EARTH. . . . . . . . . 18
UNIVERSE EDGE . . . . . . . . . . 19
SCREEN SHOT MONTHLY. . . . . . . 20

NEO NOVA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
CO-OP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
SUPER ROCKET SHOOTOUT. . . 22
CONCURSION. . . . . . . . . . . . 23
INTERPLANETARY. . . . . . . . . 24
CROWDFUNDING . . . . . . . . . . . 16
FRACTURED REALITY. . . . . . . 16
STYX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
SILENTEK STORY:. . . . . . . . . 18
The Indie Game Magazine -- Published by CV Newton Publishing Copyright 2014

All game logos, screenshots, artwork, trademarks, etc are property of their respective owner.
#INDIEGAME CONTENTS
FEATURED CONTENT. . . . . . . . . 26
NERO COVER STORY: . . . . . . . 26
CHILD-LIKE WONDERMENT COMES
ALIVE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
REVIEWS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
FARSKY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
REIGNMAKER: . . . . . . . . . . . 32
PUZZLING TOWER DEFENSE. . . 32
YOLO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
PREVIEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
THE ARCHITECT. . . . . . . . . . 36
BOOT HILL HEROES . . . . . . . . 37

GUTS & GLORY. . . . . . . . . . . 38
LUMINI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
MELTDOWN. . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
RICKY RUNFAST . . . . . . . . . . 41
MOBILE REVIEWS . . . . . . . . . . . 42
SPANDEX FORCE: CHAMPION RISING
42
RETRO RUNNER: . . . . . . . . . . 44
PRINCESS POWER. . . . . . . . . 44
Welcome to the All-New Indie Game Magazine!

Wow. This really happened, huh? We relaunched The Indie Game Magazine. The first thing Id like to
do is thank everyone for being a part of this massive undertaking. Your support is what keeps IGM moving
forward, motivating us to constantly improve ourselves. The second thing I want to discuss is what you can
expect from the Magazine, content-wise.
As youll notice while flipping through this issue, weve broken the Magazine into a few distinct sections,
most importantly: #GameDev and #IndieGame. We made this decision because our audience is a fairly
balanced mixture of both the developer community and the gamer community. We realize theres some
spillover between the two groups -- this isnt a Red vs. Blue situation -- so the #IndieGame section will make
up a larger portion of the Magazine.
While the #IndieGame section will contain traditional content youd expect from a gaming mag - reviews,
previews, features, all that good stuff - the #GameDev section will hopefully provide the dev community with
tips to avoid the many pitfalls of indie game development. This section will most notably include: Software/
tech reviews by guest developers, a legal advice column you can submit questions to (anonymously if youd
prefer), and even anecdotal stories from industry peers about how to avoid common mistakes made by
startup studios. A lot of teams reach out to IGM for advice about how to better promote themselves, and we
hear all too often that teams simply feel lost or on their own. We dont think anyone should ever feel that
way in the indie community -- not with all the peer support thats available -- so the #GameDev section will
be our best effort to fill the informational gap, and provide studios with the knowledge they need to make
informed decisions.
Finally, just so everyone knows, from here on out were calling our IGM community the Indie Armada as voted on by you via Twitter. Well be doing some fun stuff with ranks a little bit later on (stay tuned for
details!), but for now, everyone will start at the rank of Ensign. Except for me. Obviously, I jump straight to
Fleet Admiral! In all seriousness, I hope you enjoy the rest of this issue, and find a reason to stick around
each month. Being part of a Magazine is a lifelong dream come true for me, and I hope to do this community
proud.
Feel free to email any questions, comments, and concerns to us at editors@indiegamemag.com. Were
going to have a Letters to the Editor section in subsequent issues, so the most thoughtful questions will
wind up right here in the Mag!
Vinny Parisi
Editor-in-Chief
Indie Armada Fleet Admiral
Staff Credits
Mellyssa Diggs
Graphic Design
Chris Newton
Publisher
Luke Siuty
Bonnie Burgette
Johnathan Eustice
Connor Selinske
Laura Klotz
Nick Cescon
Writers
Vinny Parisi
Editor-in-Chief
Ryan Noble
Managing Editor
Jenn Stille
Editor
Guest Credits
Toby Hoover
Tyson Joehler
Programmer
Forum Admin
Ryan Hairyes
Ryan Morrison
Attorney
Website Admin
The Indie Game Magazine Contact Directory:

For advertising opportunities ... cnewton@indiegamemag.com
For review policy questions ... vparisi@indiegamemag.com
For forum support ... thoover@indiegamemag.com
To submit your game for review ... editors@indiegamemag.com
IGM Review Policy

IGM is well-known for our in-depth and trusted game
reviews. Since 2008 we have been THE place to find the best
quality and greatest selection of Indie Game reviews. Our
review selection is not biased based on the size or popularity
of the developer.
a score for each of the qualities above and then provide an

average score of the four. In addition to our score, our writers
will provide Pros and Cons for the game, which will help the
reader understand why we arrived at the score supplied. The
IGM Grading Scale is as follows:
We rate all of our games based on four primary qualities:
9.6-10 MASTERPIECE
Graphics
8.6-9.5 AMAZING
Gameplay
7.6-8.5 GREAT
Sound
6.6-7.5 GOOD
Lasting Appeal
4.6-6.5 OKAY
Our reviews are based upon a 0 10 score. We provide
0-4.5 BAD
COVER ROAD MAP

Nero Content
Interview ....... pg. 10
Feature ............. pg. 26
Dialogue System Review ... pg. 12
FarSky Review ... pg. 30
Reignmaker Review ... pg. 32
Cover art provided by Storm in a Teacup
APRIL 2014 | ISSUE 36
NERO
Child-like Wonderment Comes Alive
DIALOGUE SYSTEM
Branching dialogue in Unity3d
FARSKY
Is a wonderful effort in its genre, and a great

addition to any explorer-lovers library.
REIGNMAKER
Looking for a high fantasy world with great

gameplay? Reignmaker may be your answer.
15+ REVIEWS & PREVIEWS INSIDE!
#GAMEDEV
EVENT CALENDER
April 1 - Goat Simulator (Coffee Stain Studios), Cosmochoria (Kickstarter) (30/30)

April 2 - Eat Dinosaurs (AlfGames)
April 3 - Deadly Harvest (Kostas Yiatilis MacFarlane), Icebound (Fastermind Games)
April 4 - DawnKeeper (Planemo Studio)
April 6 - MOB1US (Mental Universe)
April 10 - Spandex Force: Champion Rising (KarjaSoft)

April 11 - Space Station Alpha (Nuclear Firecracker)
April 12 - Country Walker (FunskeIndie)
April 14 - OTTTD (SMG Studio)
APRIL 2014
GAME RELEASE SCEDULE
April 15 - Adventure to Fate: A Quest to the Core (TouchMint)
April 16 - Back From Afar (Expa Game Club), Elarooh (Sheevee), Life Goes On
(Infinite Monkeys Entertainment)
April 17 - Res Somniare (SteamFire Entertainment)
April 19 - Alone at Last (DannyRyuu), Pact with a Demon: Episode 2
(Bastcraft), WIL (UP Development)
April 20 - Explorium (Lemoncreme), Towaga (Sunnyside Games)
April 21 - Universe Edge (Kickstarter)(Albert Olivera), Tiny Kleptos (MrWhoof)

April 22 - Dungeons of Wor II (Timelot)
April 24 - A Dark Secret (Yldrania)
April 25 - FarSky (FarSky Interactive), Alberts Ascension (Martin Media Incorporated)
April 30 - InsectOS Klee (Juan Borda)
8
The Indie Game Magazine | www.indiegamemag.com
FEATURED INTERVIEW
NERO Interview Vinny Parisi

NERO is an ambitious title, but one Storm in a
Teacup is completely confident they can deliver.
Speaking to studio co-founder Alberto Belli, IGM
learned a bit more about the studios motivations,
expectations, and hopes for the future. We may or
may not have also unearthed a few exclusive story
tidbits as well, but youll just have to read the whole
interview to find out for sure.
IGM: Tell us a little bit about the formation of
Storm in a Teacup (STC). How did you guys first get
together?
Belli: When we started, the first day at the office,
we have a huge office in the center of Rome. We have
a villa, that is quite strange for Italy, especially in
Rome. We use the office, which is called Stormville,
because its not just an office, but its a place that
can be used to represent the team. We started the
first day presenting each other because we had
never seen each other before, because [many]
come from abroad. While everyone was introducing
themselves to the others, we received this phone
call: Hey guys, have you something to show for
Game Connection? Of course, when someone like
a publisher asks something like this, you have to say
yes; but we didnt have anything because it was the
first day. So weve basically been in crunch since the
first two hours.
IGM: A lot of indie studios attempt to selfpublish, but STC isnt all that worried about attracting
publishers. Whats the strategy there?
Belli: Its all about the positioning. When
we started the studio, we decided to be indie
because we have the money and the power to go
on with the development on PC. So the idea was to
push through indie channels, and we talked about
Kickstarter for sure. But then we received such
amazing feedback that we decided to wait a little

bit to understand what the best positioning for the
studio is because, lets say, philosophically we are
indie and we are going to stay indie. But coming
from the publishing side, what I would like to say
to the other indies is that the publisher is not evil.
When you find the right partner, not just the right
publisher, they could give a lot of help. We are
aiming for small partners who will take care of the
game.
IGM: What do you see the next year being like
for the studio and NERO?
Belli: Assuming that we are going to release the
game in March (2015), the next steps are: If someone
decides to bring the game on consoles, we will
probably bring something playable to E3. Otherwise
we are [attending] the next Game Connection in
Germany. I think for that we will probably have a
vertical slice working [for the public].
IGM: Can you talk a little more about where the
inspiration for NERO came from?
Belli: The main references are Journey and Myst.
The game is of course, a first-person adventure,
so Myst is the main reference because its about
10
desperation, puzzle solving, and such like this.

In regards to the Journey reference, its because
basically when you talk about an experience about
love, feelings, and stuff like that, its all about the
journey. So the idea we have is that, you have to think
about the game, the experience, and your feelings,
even when you turn off the console. One of the
most important assets of Journey is the community;
all the players sharing their own experiences online.
are using a kid and the black, hooded figure is not

a kid. There is a statue of a woman in all the levels,
so maybe you can have an idea of what theyre
searching for
Its a story about love and family. This is maybe
the most important thing.
IGM: When you see reactions to games like Gone

Home where some people say its not a game, do
you worry that NERO is not a game?
Belli: Well actually, I think that having a game
that is not a game could be cool from, lets say,
a marketing point of view. For example, when we
announced NERO, we announced it as a first-person
visual novel; that means a lot of things actually,
but means nothing, under a certain point of view.
Because for example, visual novels in Japan are
something strictly connected to images and text,
but maybe well push for a new genre.
IGM: What sort of exclusive story tease can you
give to the IGM audience?
Belli: [Pauses to think] Okay, lets say that, you
11
PRODUCT REVIEW
DIALOGUE SYSTEM
Tyson Joehler
Developer: Pixel Crushers

Platforms: Unity
Website: http://pixelcrushers.com
https://www.assetstore.unity3d.com/#/content/11672
Branching dialog trees have existed for a long

time; people have been using them for decades
to bring life to their stories and games. The idea
is simple enough: the story changes based upon
the decision the player makes. Youve undoubtedly
seen this mechanic used in many games: youre
talking to an NPC, and he or she says something.
You are presented with a few responses to choose
from. You may choose only one thing to say in
response, and the mood of the NPC may change
depending upon what you said. Using this simple
mechanic, you can drive your story in wildly
different directions if youd like.
When evaluating any tool, the first thing I

like to look at is the documentation, and for this
Dialog System I was truly impressed. The package
comes with all of its own documentation, including
examples, step-by-step instructions, even the
entire class API for programmers. Its included in
the downloaded .unitypackage, and is therefore
available even when offline. I was able to use these
docs to quickly and easily set up a conversation
between two characters in a 3d scene.
Another impressive feature about this tool is

the extensive support for other Unity Store assets.
As of this writing, the Dialog System lists 9 different
Now say youre developing a game in Unity3d: editor extensions and frameworks that it provides
how would you go about adding this mechanic? support for. Plus in addition to the Dialog System,
Sure, you could program a solution yourself, this package also comes with a built-in Cutscene
expending many hours to get the tool just right. Or, Sequencer and several different customizable
you could pick up the Dialog System for Unity, and UIs. Its built in a modular fashion, so you can use
start dropping branching dialog sequences into your own cutscene sequencer and/or UI system
your game immediately. Out of the box, the Pixel if youd like, but the built-in systems seem pretty
Crushers Dialog System includes a full-featured robust, flexible and extensible. Further, it includes
dialog editor, built right into Unity. It allows you to a complete save-game solution and quest log
add Actors, Conversations, Quests, and more, and implementation. As if that werent enough, several
stores it all into a Dialog Database asset in your 3d assets are thrown in for good measure.
project. Whats more, you can import stories from
The only thing that struck me as difficult about
external sources, such as ChatMapper, articy:draft
or the Neverwinter Nights toolset. This allows this product was the learning curve for some of
you to create dynamic interactions between your the more advanced features, such as the cutscene
players and the NPCs in your world, as well as sequencer. However, I think that speaks to the
do things like add barks - typically single lines, flexibility and power of this system. A determined
spoken by NPCs to no one in particular, just to add individual wouldnt have a problem making this
system do anything they wanted.
some life to the game.
12
All in all, this seems like a really solid product. Between the extensive documentation and examples,
to the regular updates and fixes the product receives, you can tell that the developer really cares about this
product and believes in their customers. Especially considering all of the included bells and whistles, Pixel
Crushers Dialog System for Unity is a bargain.
Are you a Programmer? Have interest in writing a review for game

development software such as Dialogue System? Or maybe you are the
developer for such software and would like to have your software reviewed?
Contact us at editors@indiegamemag.com and let us know!
13
ADVICE
LEGALESE
w/ Ryan Morrison
Greetings, my name is Ryan Morrison, and Im a

video game attorney based in New York City. Many
people have never heard of a video game attorney,
but basically I have focused entertainment law
down to a smaller niche to know the ins and outs of
the game industry. Also, I am made of pixels.
Speaking of things made out of pixels, Candy
Crush Saga and its owner, King, have made
headlines constantly as of late with their attack on
others IP. I often get asked from indie game devs
how they can best protect themselves, so I thought
an introduction to trademarks would be a good first
article for my column here. First, its important to
realize that the law doesnt have to be intimidating.
You can figure this stuff out, and you will be a lot
better off if you do. Take the time, its worth it.
Despite the common vernacular, there is
a difference between copyright, trademark,
and patent. Copyright protects your art assets,
scripts, stories, and code. It takes hold as you
create something, for free. Squiggle a design on a
chalkboard? That image is copyrighted. Patents are
to protect inventions, and for most who are reading
this article you almost certainly dont need one.
They are extremely expensive to register, and even
more so to enforce.
That leaves us with trademarks. Trademarks
protect your game title, company name, and logo.
They are used as a shield against other people
riding your coattails to success. If everyone could
call their burger place McDonalds, what would be
the point of all the marketing and quality control
the franchise did? (yes, McDonalds does quality
control.)
Lets stay with McDonalds for a second to
learn exactly what trademarks protect. They can
protect your name and your logo, but those are two
different marks. McDonalds would have their name
trademarked, as well as the golden arches. This stops
someone from calling their place Joes Burgers but
still using the arches in the background. Sure, they
didnt use the actual name, but they are creating
consumer confusion, and that is what trademarks
try to stop.
Im sure youve noticed the small (tm) symbol
next to names, as well as the small (r) logo. The
(tm) is something you can put next to your name for
free. It requires no registration, and it is the basis
for common law trademark protection. It tells the
world you are meaning to establish rights with that
mark, and you should absolutely use one if you cant
afford to register. The problem is, the (tm) symbol
only offers regional protection. Since we are dealing
with the world of video games, that is almost useless.
There is no New York version of Steam or Houston
version of the App Store. Instead, these things are
all national, and in most cases international. This
means if someone has nationwide protection, then
they trump your little regional (tm).
How does one acquire national protection then?
You must register with the USPTO. The fee is $275
per class, which I will discuss exactly what a class
is in a moment, and per mark. This means, going
back to our earlier example, it would cost $550
for McDonalds to register both their name and
their logo. Its two marks, so two fees. Also, I cant
recommend enough to not do this yourself. The
14
search to find conflicting marks alone is extensive

and if you think you are doing it right, you probably
arent.
A common misconception with trademarks is
that people think you are trying to own a word.
That is true, but only to a point. The way it works
is you are trying to own a word within a class,
otherwise called an area of goods. That means
you are trying to own your game title within the
context of video games. If you also want to protect it
on bubble gum wrappers youll have to pay another
fee.
These fees, and their associated lawyer costs,
can of course add up quickly. But I really think, of
all the things you can get, this is one of the most
important, and should absolutely be part of your
startups costs if you plan on making money with your
game. Hire an attorney and have them make sure
the search is done properly and your application is
as best it can be. There are no refunds here, so dont
throw your money away.
If you honestly and truly cant afford a lawyer
but want to attempt this on your own, my best
advice to conduct your own search on the USPTO
website is to:
1) Think of names that could sound kind of like
yours phonetically.
2) Use a thesaurus to come up with names that
mean the same thing as yours.
3) Use Google translate to check your title in a

few different languages
4) And the safest route of them all, make your
company or game name something REALLY unique.
Theres less of a chance for disputes that way.
None of this is surefire if done yourself, but its
a lot better than most do when they just type their
video game in Google and smile when no exact
match pops up.
So keep all of this in mind when creating your
game. A trademark is as important as your art and
story, because if you dont properly protect yourself
you might lose everything. There are guys out there
with lawyers on a payroll who are bored enough
to send you a C&D, no matter how small you are.
Protect yourself so you dont get scared when you
receive one. You worked hard on your game, dont
let someone else bully you into taking it down.
Have a legal question for Mr. Morrison?

Feel free to send in your questions to Ryan:
ryan@ryanmorrisonlaw.com
CROWDFUNDING
FRACTURED
REALITY Luke Siuty
Developer: Unity3D
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, Ouya, PS Vita
Website: http://www.newrealitygames.co.uk/
Twitter: @NewRealityGames
For many, RPG Maker has been a gateway, for both developers and players alike. Its often one of the
earliest forms of connection between an aspiring game developer and the audience. This is how Ross Tunney
got his start, by making RPG Maker games commercially. If youre into those, you might have heard of his
Data Hacker series; complex, fully-fledged RPGs with a theme centered on hacking.
Now Tunney, as head developer at New Reality
Games, is making the next step in his game developer
career. Hes transitioning to Unity3D, but staying
faithful to his roots, creating another role-playing
game called Fractured Reality. This time, hes fleshing
out a fully-3D RPG with inspiration from Japanese
and Western fronts.
Suijin, a goddess of water based on Japanese folklore.

The combat revolves around an Active Time Bar
that fills up, permitting actions, keeping the fights
fast and engaging. The enemy AI is important to
the developers as well. Boss monsters are typically,
famously immune to status effects, but not in this
game. Instead, they want to use the opportunity for
some interesting AI behavior. More details on that
A catastrophic Event drew in all the other will be available soon.
worlds connected to it, even those virtual, surreal,
and void-esque. As they mixed together into one
Fractured Reality will hit a variety of systems:
form, which quickly went unstable, chaos resulted, PC, Mac, Linux, and the Ouya. Recently, New Reality
turning into something called the Paradoxical Games also secured permission for a PlayStation Vita
Power Vortex. As a result, random original parts port, which is very exciting. No word for the Xbox
and people of the sucked-in worlds came together One as of yet.
in a singular, new one the setting for Fractured
If an indie mixture of Japanese and Western
Reality. From a game designer perspective, this is an
exciting opportunity to create varying environments RPG styles sounds intriguing, you can support the
and eccentric characters, to keep things fresh and team directly; the Kickstarter campaign for the game
interesting for the player. A ragtag team of dropped begins April 1st. Look for more information about
Fractured Reality on Tunneys YouTube channel,
in people forms the party.
where he uploads a weekly development diary.
As for the games features, they are still being
fleshed out, but New Reality Games is aiming for
Have a campaign launching next month?
a deeply-customizable experience. The characters
Get in touch with us and let us know about your
can switch their class at any time, retaining learned
game and goals. We will cover the most interesting
skills and easily creating different teams. The
games in an upcoming issue!
customization revolves around Familiars that are
pinned to individual party members; one example is
Your Campaign Here!
16
Contact us at editors@indiegamemag.com.
STYX Ryan Noble

Developer: George Dziov
Platforms: Windows
Website: styxthegame.blogspot.com
Twitter: @Android_Music
S.T.Y.X, which is an acronym for Source of Territory and Yaw Xenos, is the 2D action-platformer project from
George Dziov, an indie developer who has professionally composed game music for the last 13 years. After
creating the beginnings of S.T.Y.X in five days for a Construct2 competition and with a cold, Dziov hastens to
add this intriguing platformer is one and a half years into development, and looking for funding to make it
a polished, planet-exploring reality.
The premise behind S.T.Y.X is that a small, talented
team of inventors known for their ability to build the
best gadgets around - from trainers with built-in GPS,
to robotic tech for the military - have discovered
activity on a planet that had previously been thought
to hold no life. With their curiosity piqued, the team
decides to explore the planet, leaving the safety of
their workshop behind them.
When they reach the planet, they are indeed not
alone.
From here, action-platforming becomes the
order of the day, as players avoid or kill the dangers
that present themselves while traversing the planet.
According to the developer, S.T.Y.X will contain a rich
world with full RTS implementation, side quests,
minigames, voice acting, incredible art, factions and
most importantly, a full story that may be expanded
depending on how successful the crowdfunding
campaign is.
needed to develop a game from start to finish such

as S.T.Y.Xs code, music, art and voice acting Dziov
would like to be able to bring in outside help to
improve certain qualities; namely the art and voice
acting.
S.T.Y.X is one of the latest indie projects to get the
IndieGoGo treatment, and looks worthy of attention.
The campaign for this 2D action-platformer and
RTS hybrid is launching on April 25th, and the very
success of the crowdfunding will decide whether the
game gets made. Additionally, the more successful
the campaign, the more content gamers can expect
for it, so those interested are encouraged to show
their support.
If you like the sound of S.T.Y.X, theres a chance
that a demo will be included alongside the IndieGoGo
campaign, so dont go wandering off too far: Its
dangerous to go alone.
Though Dziov has had unsuccessful campaigns

before, S.T.Y.Xs upcoming IndieGoGo campaign
comes with even more pressure, as he states that it is
an all-or-nothing effort. He wants to know once and
for all whether his time is best spent on the game he
has been working on for so long.
Despite being capable of many of the skills
17
SILENTEK STORY:
Escape to Earth
Luke Siuty
Developer: SiLeNTeKs
Platforms: PC
Website: http://silentek.co.za/
Twitter: @SiLeNTeK
A studio by the name of SiLeNTeK is developing a game with a self-reflecting title, known as SiLeNTeK
Story: Escape to Earth. SiLeNTeK is a company heavily focused on gaming as well as hardware. In their own
imaginative way, they want to convey the story of SiLeNTeKs founding while simultaneously delivering an
engaging 2D sidescroller.
The protagonist finds himself on an abandoned
space craft in an alien universe, coupled with amnesia.
With little clue on what to do, he salvages for power
supplies in order to make the ship usable again. This
doesnt work out well, so using the remaining power,
he launches an escape pod, landing on another
foreign planet. He finds documents connected to
the same ship he was on, and has to somehow make
his way to planet Earth. Its time to scavenge more
and make use of our brain the more scientific and
logical side.
Physics will play an integral role in puzzle-solving
during SiLeNTeK Story: Escape to Earth. Gravity
is expected to figure into many of them, and the
developers hope for it to have a challenging and fun
effect on gameplay. Really intriguing though, are
minigames that bring some real-world knowledge
into use. For instance, they might use basic
electronics as a way to solve puzzles. Some basic
science knowledge will be helpful, approximately
around 8th grade science or physics level. Other
puzzles might make use of simple programming and
coding, or some machinery work, such as welding,
drilling, and cutting. Usually, the environment will be
the real foe.
Rather than aiming for a longer, possibly drawnout experience, SiLeNTeK is hoping to make a trilogy,
with each game focusing on a different setting. As
for the graphics, its not pixel art this time but
modern, highly-detailed graphics. The whole project
is essentially a one-person job, so all the sights,
sounds, and the skeleton underneath have thus far
been accomplished by just one man.
SiLeNTeK Story: Escape to Earth needs
crowdfunding to make it the best experience possible.
The IndieGoGo Campaign will start on April 4th.
PC is the target platform, with plans for an Android
release as well. Its gearing up to be a fascinating 2D
puzzle-platformer, with unusual puzzles that aim to
be challenging and fun. Stay tuned to Indie Game
Magazine for more information as it comes up.
18
UNIVERSE EDGE
Ryan Noble
Developer: Albert Olivera

Platforms: Windows, Linux, OS X
Website: http://universe-edge.com/
Twitter: @UniverseEdge

All over the world, people are hoping that warping through space becomes a reality. In the upcoming
single-player, sandbox game Universe Edge, that day has come. Gamers will have the chance to explore with
their own unique spaceships, full of crew members that must be managed in order to ensure successful
flights.
Albert Olivera, the sole developer of Universe
Edge, says to think of his game as a mix between
the exploration and mining of Gnomoria, the
management of The Sims and the combat mechanics
of Eve Online.
need to be maintained if they are to keep everything

running at maximum efficiency. (Think The Sims.) If
your crew is happy and rested in space, they may not
eject themselves out the airlock (or however it is that
astronauts deal with stress). Simple, right?
Universe Edges Kickstarter campaign is set to

launch during the first two weeks of April, and there
are three aspects of Universe Edge that should have
you flocking to pledge: Spaceship building, crew
management and space exploration.
Keep everything running smooth and youll get

to travel the universe, through asteroid belts, planets
and star-systems. In each, you will find resources and
AI factions that are dynamic and alive. Just like the
player, these races have goals and needs, and how
you interact with them will reverberate throughout
the worlds around you, so it will be interesting to see
just how much impact your choices have in the game.
The spaceship that you create will be put together

block by block, and these blocks can be painted and
texturized, meaning that youll be flying through the
procedurally-generated environments of the game in
a one-of-a-kind vessel.
Universe Edge seems like it will be an interesting

game, with many different aspects from successful
game series being brought together to create
something altogether new. Creating a completely
unique spaceship sounds fun, but when you add in
crew management, space exploration and a deep
level of AI and choice, Oliveras indie game becomes
one that youd be crazy to miss.
Inside that vessel will be an array of equipment,

such as mining tools, thrusters and turrets, all of
which need power to run. To maintain this power,
asteroids must be mined for their precious minerals,
which can be used for a number of different tasks.
Not only do they provide the spaceship with power,
but each has specific properties as well; certain
The Kickstarter campaign for Universe Edge is
minerals, for instance, can be used to build blocks launching early April, alongside the inclusion of a prethat will increase your ships defense.
alpha demo. Whatever you do, dont miss this flight.
Using these minerals, and the equipment that
they power, will be your dutiful crew members. The
crew has needs, such as hunger and comfort, that will
19
SCREEN SHOT MONTHLY
NEO NOVA
Did you ever used to think being at school after
dark was creepy? Well, Neo Nova plays on that
little childhood fear you may or may not have had,
and ups the ante by throwing in some nightmarish
creatures. Made by a husband and wife team, Neo
Nova is an action platformer mixed with a little bit
of horror (as if being at school isnt bad enough,
but with monsters, well) and some metroidvania
influences, plus an interesting flashlight mechanic
players will be utilizing to survive in the dark. You can
follow the development of Neo Nova by following
the developer TenGu on Twitter @TenGuProduction
and Facebook (Tengu Studios).
How is your alpha build looking?
Send us a handful of screenshots and maybe
you will find yours here next month!
Contact us at editors@indiegamemag.com.
CO-OP
As you may have guessed, Co-Op is a puzzler which will have
you teaming up with a buddy - or a complete stranger - in order
to solve mind-bending puzzles together. The game revolves
around two robots: R3D and BLU3 who have inexplicably
surfaced in a facility with no recollection of how they got there,
and must work together in order to survive. The game features
some striking visuals, and the promise of some simultaneous
co-operative puzzle solving will hopefully set a new bar, and
pave the way for additional entries into the genre in the future.
SUPER ROCKET
SHOOTOUT
This games premise is potentially our favorite. Super
Rocket Shootout features four bank robbers who cant seem
to pull off a successful heist, despite numerous attempts. To
end the resulting impasse, and satisfy their inherent anger
management issues, they decide to whip out whatever weapon
is closest and settle the score explosion-style. If you havent
already put two-and-two together, this brawler features up to
four-player local multiplayer, with players performing combos
and other special moves to best their opponents; or by just
picking up a rocket launcher and well Boom.
CONCURSION
Throwing five different genres into a mixing bowl to
make one big, playable pie, Concursion will be offering
some unique and thrilling gameplay. Players will find
themselves leaping over gaps and jumping on enemies
a la Super Mario, only to find the next sequence
inexplicably task them with piloting a spaceship
surrounded by enemies in an R-Type situation. The
game features five gameplay styles - from hack-n-slash,
to turn-based RPG - across five unique worlds with
five different soundtracks; so its kind of a rule of fives,
almost. The developers at Puuba are creating something
really unique and special here: Its like playing all the
genres of gaming at once.
INTERPLANETARY
Coming straight from the heart of Finland
from Team Jolly Roger games, Interplanetary
is a turn based strategy game with an affinity
for artillery strikes. Interestingly, the game
allows you to perform feats like launching
a strike from one planet all the way over to
the other side of another planet using their
own gravitational field against them. Kind of
like an interstellar Civilization, Interplanetary
features some in-depth strategic elements,
such as encouraging your planets population
to research futuristic tech, or prioritize finding
and gathering resources. Youll also be using
railguns, missiles and giant beam weapons to
claim the planetary system in your own name,
so that sounds fun.
#INDIEGAME
FEATURED CONTENT
NERO COVER STORY:

Child-like Wonderment
Comes Alive Vinny Parisi
Imagine an ocean. A never-ending movement of waves and foam. Once, every second, a wave stops, to
forever rest and meditate on what motion is. Some waves dream of keeping moving, jumping, spending the
eternity with their brothers and sisters. Funny, isnt it? But what moves, has to stop
NERO is a stunning new indie title in
development from the team at Storm in a Teacup.
Stunning in both its ambition, and visual fidelity.
While much of the game is still concealed beneath
a veil of mystery, the few details the studio was
willing to share are more than enough to stimulate
both curiosity, and a greater sense of expectation.
After a debut CG trailer that took the world by
storm, Nero must now follow up with an equally
enticing story-driven gameplay experience.
In order to complete such a daunting task,
Storm in a Teacup (STC) co-founders Carlo Bianchi
and Alberto Belli are bringing their twenty years
of combined experience across multiple fields to
the table. Bianchi is a veteran CG artist with an
expertise in lighting effects, having worked on films,
television commercials, and AAA titles alike. He
joined Ubisoft as their Lead Lighting Artist in 2009,
where he supervised the production of CG cut
scenes and reshaped the teams rendering engine.
His contributions to titles like Driver: San Francisco
have since been integrated into new-gen projects,
including Assassins Creed and the upcoming Watch
Dogs. In his current role, he serves as the Creative
Director for STC.
He has previously been the Editor-in-Chief of Xbox

Magazine, and a Senior Editor of PlayStation Official
Magazine. In 2006, he then moved on to the role
of Marketing and Communications Manager in Italy
for a number of AAA publishers including Bethesda,
Eidos, and Midway, helping launch over 250 games
in a three year time span. He is presently the
Executive Director of STC. Together, with their
15-person studio, the team wants to usher in a new
benchmark for visual storytelling, and NERO will be
their grand debut.
Described by STC as a first-person visual novel,
NERO intends to tell a captivating story set in an
Belli comes from a publishing career that began

in 2001, where he served as Editor for a number of
magazines under the Press Play Publishing umbrella.
26
amazing fantasy world broken up by puzzle-solving

mechanics. Its a world filled with lush, vibrant life
in constant motion. In NERO, nothing is static.
Everything moves gently, Belli described. Birds
can fly in the night sky with their bioluminescent
feathers, you can hear the sound of a gentle wind
that moves the trees, the grass blades bend slowly
and so on. If its true that we want to give a base of
logic to the gameplay, its also true that NERO takes
place in a wonderful world where jellyfish can fly,
and levels are not connected physically.
When Belli talks about giving NERO a base of
logic, hes commenting on the very foundation
of the puzzle mechanics. As imaginative and
fantastical as the world theyre creating is, the core
of NEROs gameplay will remain intuitive to the
player by design. Everything in NERO has a specific
meaning, Belli explained. For example, a huge
mushroom releases spores that make plants grow
on the path that [the player] should follow to reach
a certain spot. Solving the puzzles will make the
mushroom stop releasing such spores, to let you go
on with your journey.
Puzzles will be broken into two distinct
categories in NERO: Environmental puzzles, and
story puzzles. Players can choose to solve these
secondary environmental puzzles to obtain
additional information about the characters
and game lore, while story puzzles progress the
adventure. One of these story puzzles is referred
to by the team as the Stonehenge puzzle. At
some point during the adventure, players will find

clocks in the middle of the forest, with references
to a specific time code. Roman numerals are also
displayed on stone pillars where the puzzle must be
completed. Players must then find a way to display
the correct time code in a specified area using the
Sphere of Light (more on this in a moment). Since
every puzzle is story related, there is evidently
something the boy experienced in his real life that
took place at this time.
As mentioned, the protagonist mainly interacts
with the environment using something known as
the Sphere of Light, a power source that causes a
variety of reactions in whatever object it interacts
with. One of the main features of the game, Belli
describes the Sphere as a projection of the feelings
of the kid. Curiously, the Sphere of Light contains a
live, floating jellyfish inside of it. It turns out this is
no mere coincidence. In his real life, the kid loves
jellyfish for a reason. As will become apparent to
players early on, theres a story-specific reason for
everything players do and see in the game. Every
action available ties directly into the narrative.
Players will experience that narrative across 5
levels, estimated to last between 1-2 hours each
on an initial playthrough, leaning more towards the
latter when including the optional environmental
puzzles. Each environment has a totally different
art direction, which seeks to evoke the creative
imaginings of a child. NERO is a fantasy world,
and is the recreation, the representation, the
projection of a real world through the mind of the
kid - who is the main character, Belli explains. This
is the world as he would like. While the game is
not free-roaming, there is a large emphasis on
exploration, and maps are described as huge. The
most prevalent environment is the nighttime forest
shown off so far in screenshots and the debut
teaser. A desert area, caves and ruins have also been
confirmed. The process of progressing to new areas
will tie directly into the narrative, and will include
mind-blowing transition sequences. According to
the team, these transitions seek to mimic the way
the brain works while dreaming.
NERO includes two important elements players
will notice during their time with the game; notions
of beauty and purity are persistent throughout
27
both the theme and aesthetic. There is no HUD

or GUI present, which keeps the focus entirely on
the experience at hand. To further allow players to
inhabit the character and the surrounding world,
the first-person perspective will show glimpses
of the kids hood along the edges of the screen,
completing the sense of immersion. Complimenting
the visuals will be sound effects and an OST that
Belli is sure will enhance the experience greatly. He
was quick to point out that the music will not only
accentuate the games atmosphere, but also be a
huge component of the overall experience.
The team sought inspiration from two titles
in particular when conceptualizing the project:
Myst and Journey. Myst because it is a first-person
adventure full of puzzle-solving, and Journey
because the team intends to craft an emotional
adventure that will resonate with players long
after theyve put the controller down. The narrator
introduced in the trailer will underscore the entire
journey, explaining and highlighting key aspects of
the experience. At its core, NERO is a story about
love. Yet at the same time, Belli refers to it as a
sad story, before reinforcing that the entire world
is shaped to reflect a childs mindset, and how he
interprets the world.
Belli isnt shy about admitting that the team is
looking for a publisher to partner with, in hopes
of bringing NERO to consoles. One of the things
STC wanted to make clear to potential publishers
when introducing the game was that the project
is something that the team can handle completing
on their own. NERO is a game that we are able to
do Belli stated, confidently. He believes that since
all of the team members have years of experience
- many with AAA studios - they are equipped to
handle to projects development, and dont feel as
if theyre over-promising anything. Our vision has
to match reality. We are 100% sure to deliver what
we are pushing right now Their intent with the
debut CG trailer was to prove as much. Even if we
are not working with a AAA budget, we are able to
deliver AAA visuals. An impressive accomplishment
considering NERO is built in Unity, the teams work
becomes even more admirable when considering
that everything shown off up to this point was made
in just 25 days.
NERO hopes to be a multiplatform game, with

a definite release planned for PC, which has been
confirmed to feature Oculus Rift support as well.
STC reckons that players will likely have to complete
the game a few times over to uncover the entire
story, finishing all of the environmental puzzles
to unlock new information about the world. The
projected release date is March 2015, with a release
on consoles yet to be determined. The team does
not intend to bring NERO to mobile devices, but
have not completely ruled it out as a possibility
going forward. STC next expects to have more to
show at E3 2014, which runs from June 10-12 at the
Los Angeles Convention Center. Until then, the rest
of their plans are left up to our imagination, much
like the world of NERO itself.
28
REVIEWS
FARSKY
Bonnie Burgette
Developer: Time Spekler

Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
Website: http://farskygame.com
Twitter: @TimSpekler
Nathan is trapped underwater after a submarine crash. Before his escape back to the surface, he must find
food, shelter, and learn to use the surroundings to his advantage without succumbing to the many dangers
on the ocean floor. This is the premise of FarSky, an indie offering by Tim Spekler.
A new addition to Steam Greenlight this past
March, FarSky was available as a free Alpha for
the latter part of 2013. This newer Beta is prettier,
but it balances out that beauty with a slightly
steeper learning curve, and doles out punishment
swiftly for those unable to make decisions quickly.
However, after you make a mistake once, youre not
liable to repeat it again, making progression easier
with time.
After adjusting the graphics on my PC, I was
treated to a very short crash scene, where
protagonist Nathan had a short conversation
with another person via radio in an exchange
reminiscent of Bioshock. Shortly thereafter, Nathan
emerges from the wreckage, surrounded by kelp,
with a manta ray swimming overhead. The game is
in first-person, and after standing up and walking
around briefly (using typical WASD controls), I
noticed a map in the upper right corner of the HUD.
This map is topographical and dynamic, and shows
the terrain around you on a grid. When you view
the larger map (using the M key), only the areas
that are currently in view, or places youve already
been, are visible. While this makes exploration a
little tricky, it also makes you more cautious.
Your on-land companion tells you to find the base
noted on your map, which contains rudimentary
supplies and very few instructions. Explorations
leads to more materials, which are necessary for

weapons, base expansions, and better equipment
facilitating the search for your submarines wayward
pieces. This was the games first sticking point, for
me. I could not understand some of the symbols
as they pertained to building items, nor could I
figure out what the triangles all over the map were
supposed to be. The former was somewhat helped
by experimentation, and the latter was discovered
after deciding to put an extractor in the ground
to see what happened. It turns out I was mining
dirt, but this was an improvement over staring up
confusedly and then being eaten by a shark, which
happened the first time I encountered one of these
landmarks.
After yet another death by asphyxiation, I was
able to find my way to the supply chests scattered
in random locations and return back to my base
without losing air or being eaten. I then tried to
venture out at night, and was promptly killed by a
barracuda. Much like Minecraft, there are enemies
that are more plentiful at night, and others that
arrive when the opportunity strikes (i.e. blood in
the water, either from player injury or hunting fish
for food). Here we find my second quibble with
the game: The effort expended to get fish is much
greater than the reward for eating it, and if youre
lucky enough to find a school of fish that is easilykilled, youre very likely to be taken out by a shark
or barracuda very shortly thereafter.
30
I was very impressed by the graphics and character

controls. Though simple, the graphics were very
dynamic. However, I would look for improvements
on some of the animations in the future, such as with
mining. The kelp swayed with the current, and the
sea life responded to my presence. While jumping,
my character responded as if he was heavy, and
descended slowly as if fighting buoyancy. Fish are
killed by skill, not by chance. Shadows and light are
easy to recognize, and change based on where you
look. The sound design wasnt overly ambitious, but it
lent itself to the illusion of being trapped underwater.
If not for the threats of suffocation, starvation, and
barracudas, this game might even be called relaxing.
Luckily, theres a Sandbox mode that is unlockable
after completing the campaign, which allows for more
exploration with a bit less stress (or, if youd prefer,
a Survival mode will be available soon for more of
a challenge). In short, Farsky is a wonderful effort in
its genre, and a great addition to any explorer-lovers
library.
REVIEW SCORE
9.0
GRAPHICS 9.0
GAMEPLAY 8.7
SOUND 9.4
LASTING APPEAL
8.9
Pros
Movement quality is top-notch
Lighting design is gorgeous.
Sound design creates the
appropriate cues and tension
Cons
Difficulty ramps up a bit too
quickly for the average gamer
Tutorial for item creation is

lacking.
REIGNMAKER:
Puzzling Tower
Defense Nick Cescon
Developer: Frogdice
Platforms: PC
Website: http://frogdice.com/reignmaker/
Twitter: @Frogdiceinc
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frogdiceinc
Frog Dice Studios has been creating worlds for
players to enjoy since 1996; their motto has always
been, Our worlds, Your imagination. The newest
addition to their repertoire is Reignmaker, formally
known as Tower of Elements 2; a city building,
match-3 action puzzle game slotted to release later
this month. Enjoying early success through both
Kickstarter and Indiegogo, Reignmaker brings a
lot of quality content and gameplay to the table,
showing exactly what Frog Dice is able to do with
proper funding.
One of the only problems that the game suffers

from is a tutorial system that requires too much
reading for too little reward. Early on in the game,
youre clicking past far too many screens of pictures
and text when instead, some time could have
been devoted to a more guided tutorial. Given the
attention to detail in so many story aspects of the
game, it would be easy enough to craft a five to ten
minute tutorial where the king himself shows you
how he would make a city before he charges you
with doing so, to explain the ropes.
The game opens with a rather well thought out,

and quite intricate storyline explanation, as you
are welcomed into the world of (land), where your
childhood friend and monarch, King Rand asks you
to build a city state to help defend this world from
the void.
Once youve built your city, its time for the

bread and butter of the game, which is a beautifully
crafted match-3 puzzle game mixed with a toweresque defense game. Inside your castle are all
manner of icons representing different elements
and magical affinities; when matching three or
more of them they fire magic of that element
towards the encroaching hordes on the empty side
of the screen. Where you make the match is where
they are fired from, and how you make the match is
how they appear when fired.
You have a choice to build your city as one of

three separately-themed city states, which all have
their own bonuses, style of building and gameplay
options. Its a very nice touch that adds lasting
replay value, and caters to different fans of fantasy.
Care to make a sultans palace? You have the option
to create your city state in the desert. Prefer the
look and feel of European castles and peasantry?
They have that option as well. Once youve chosen,
that playthrough is set, though you can manage
more then one city at a time, just in case you want
to try something else.
This simple mechanic is where a lot of the

strategy comes into play; if youre being overrun
by lots of small creatures, its more worth your
time to match vertically as your shots will fire
across multiple marching lines and strike multiple
enemies. However if youre fighting something
bigger, like one of the games many boss scenarios,
then youll need numerous attacks to bring it down,
and thus you make horizontal matches.
32
As you complete these combat scenarios, you

gather resources to expand and upgrade your city,
which then allows you to research spells, build
equipment, and train army members to help you in the
battles to come. One of the best ways that Reignmaker
has you connect with the kingdom that youre crafting,
is by providing a small dilemma after every battle that
the city is currently dealing with. After choosing how
you want the dilemma dealt with, these policies are
remembered for the future, offering different moral
choices as you progress.
Combat grows increasingly more difficult in later
stages, adding on some age old mechanics, such as
locking certain icons which are unable to be moved
until broken free with a match; as well as a few unique
mechanics like corrupted icons, which you can either
heal with druids or simply match to break. Though if
they are not healed, they will not fire when matched.
If youre looking to lose yourself in a high fantasy
world with a lot of great gameplay, and hours of
content to boot, Reignmaker may be the answer. The
game releases later this month for Windows.
REVIEW SCORE
7.5
GRAPHICS 8
GAMEPLAY 7
SOUND 7
LASTING APPEAL
Pros
Amazing gameplay mechanics
Impressive narrative.
Good immersion and connection
with kingdom.
Cons
Tutorial could use some
reworking.
Combat matches go from walk in

the park to extremely hectic too
quickly
YOLO
Nick Cescon
Developer: Anson Rutherford

Platforms: iOS, Android, Windows
Website: http://ansonrutherford.itch.io/yolo
Twitter: @AnsonRutherford
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anson.rutherford
If youre completely worn out from playing

Jetpack Joyride, and youre looking for your next fix
in the world of endless survival games, YOLO is a
game you can play while youre waiting for that to
come out.
to avoid the predictable obstacles of the game;

others will give you a shield so that you only live
twice, and some are as far fetched as giving you
wings for a short amount of time to fly over any and
all obstacles.
YOLO is a new sidescrolling, endless survival

platformer by Anson Rutherford that claims every
playthrough is different because - as the name
would have you believe - you only live once.
There are really three things you need to know to

play YOLO: Collect coins, collect presents and jump.
Jumping will help you collect coins and boxes out of
reach, as well as let you avoid the hostile mobs in the
game which, if touched, end your life prematurely.
Collecting coins will add up across playthroughs
to allow you to buy more customization options
in the store; whereas the presents charge your
power meter, (when fully charged your power is
available for use). The forward button will boost
you forward a small distance and can be used in
conjunction with jumping to hover over obstacles
when needed. Sound simple? It is. YOLO is a very
easy to learn game, and its mechanics dont build on
themselves greatly over time. The levels, obstacles,
and mobs are spawned procedurally during each
play through, but lack complexity or variety if the
game is played for more than five to ten minutes.
While in the same vein as a lot of current iOS

and Android survival games, YOLO falls short on
delivering a truly unique experience compared to
other games currently available. The game does
have quite a bit of potential, and with some polish
and maybe another unique mechanic or two, could
be very successful.
The game begins on a character generation
screen, wherein you are given a randomly generated
character. Each time you play the game, the look,
name and powers of your character will change,
and through the in-game store you can unlock new
colors and looks that are available through the
generator.
The powers that your character is given
each playthrough is one of the most interesting
mechanics the game has to offer, and is its biggest
replay draw, as youll want to see what other neat
powers youll be able to get throughout the game.
Some powers will slow down time, making it easier
The store is simply cosmetic, allowing you to

buy new clothing options, as well as things like
eyes, mouths and hair styles. While the idea for the
globally upgradeable store isnt a new idea, its a
great one and really adds a bit more replay value
to this game. There are a few missed opportunities
though; it would be great to see non-cosmetic items
available for purchase in the store, as that would
not only give the game lasting value, but would also
34
provide passive player progression so that the more you

play, the more powerful and accomplished you feel.
Something else that would go hand-in-hand with an
upgraded shop would be to allow micro transactions for
buying in-game currency and boosts; providing a source
of both revenue, and a sense of pay for convenience
that makes a lot of apps very successful.
Music is another success of the game, and is
extremely retro, using a heavy amount of distorted low
pitch, and varying high-pitched midis to accentuate
your playthrough of what is meant to feel like an 8-bit
platformer. The music really helps cement that feeling,
and while the soundtrack is extremely short and quickly
becomes repetitive, it is a great throwback to games of
old.
Game creator Anson Rutherford got a lot of things
right with YOLO, however the things that are missing are
too great, and too badly missed for it not to affect the
game. The game is currently available for Windows and
Android.
REVIEW SCORE
5
GRAPHICS 6
GAMEPLAY 4
SOUND 6
LASTING APPEAL
Pros
Randomized character and powers
Great retro feel
Well done soundtrack
Cons
Not enough content
Gameplay becomes too easily
repetitive
In-game store needs more options
PREVIEWS
THE
ARCHITECT Connor Selinske
Developer: Spooky Star
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
Website: http://spookystar.itch.io/the-architect
Twitter: @BelaBartha
The Architect is a game about escaping, controlling the environment to your advantage, and being a mostly
transparent sphere that eats other spheres.
The game places you on a 3D grid, with a
camera fixed at an angle above your character who
is, as mentioned, a sphere. You can move freely
about the grid with the keyboard well, until you
encounter grid squares that are raised. Youll also
come across lowered squares, but you can drop
onto these without issue. Its the raised platforms
that are problematic, because you cant jump. What
you can do is manipuate the grid itself. Right click
on a square and it will go up, left click and it will go
down. This gives you two options for moving past
the already raised squares: Raise yourself up to an
equal height, or lower the platform to your height.
Simple enough, right? Except each time you lower or
raise a platform, you expend either a blue or a green
orb, with both colors corresponding to a particular
kind of movement. You dont have an infinite supply
of these orbs, either the only orbs you get are
the ones collected on the level, and these tend to
require some very careful expenditure of orbs to
get anyways, meaning there is a constant pressure
to either grab more orbs or simply make for the exit
as quickly as possible.
The game has a few other interesting features as

well, like little magnetic distortions which teleport
you to a different section of the grid, a custom level
editor, and a relaxed, ethereal story.
While the game itself is excellent, it does have
one major flaw: The camera. Because of the nature
of the grid, its difficult to see where youre clicking
-- or worse -- often times it is impossible to click
where you want. That said, this is an Early Access
game, so it can certainly be fixed. However, other
than the camera, The Architect looks to be a very
interesting game.
That interplay between gathering and using

orbs effectively is where the real puzzle of the game
comes in, since traversing the grid is a fairly simple
matter. And dang it, I am horrible at managing those
orbs. If there was only one kind of orb, Id be pretty
golden I understand one resource. But two? Two
is madness.
36
BOOT HILL
HEROES Nick Cescon
Developer: Experimental Gamer
Platforms: PC
Website: http://www.experimentalgamer.com/boothill-heroes/
Twitter: @BootHillHeroes
Its finally happened. Experimental Gamer has finally answered the prayers of countless people, and we
finally have an answer to the question, What would a spaghetti western RPG look like? Boot Hill Heroes is
the answer, and Experimental Gamer has done an amazing job of answering it. From the beautifully-handled
narrative, to the quirky, real-time JRPG combat system, Boot Hill Heroes is sure to grab your attention from the
very start.
The game is being released in episodically; the
first episode is quite large and introduces you to the
American west, sometime in the nineteenth century,
where Boot Hill Heroes takes place.
The use of JRPG narrative style perfectly fits
the spaghetti western script and delivers a deep
and interesting story about Kid, son of Templeton
Howl, who tries to make his way through the world;
supporting his widowed mother, investigating his
fathers death, and bringing the evil Saints-Little
gang to justice. All while meeting a few plucky friends
along the way.
Everything about this game screams retro;
from the extremely thematic western music to the
16-bit-esque animation style, as well as the world,
characters and animations. Throughout the entire

experience, playing this game feels like youre
playing it on a Super Nintendo, which is a credit to
how strictly it adheres to its own style. This allows
the games personality to really shine through; it
feels like a complete package as you travel the world
of the old west.
A lot of the games mechanics are cleverly hidden
in the mundane tasks that you complete around
town. For example, the save mechanic is actually your
dog, who follows you and is stationed throughout
the game. The riding mechanic in the game (yes, you
do get to ride horses. I said this was a western didnt
I?) is introduced seamlessly when you take a job as
a stable hand, cleaning horses and delivering them
to their owners. Eventually this leads to you getting
your own horse.
Riding is a nice alternative to walking through the
game, as it allows you to avoid fighting the numerous
mobs around town if you so choose. Of course, youd
be missing out on one of the best combat systems
retro games have seen in the process. Combat
in Boot Hill Heroes appears as a JRPG turn-based
system, until you and your enemies timers start
moving in real time, meaning you have to act and
react accordingly to either throwing your punches,
or blocking theirs.
37
GUTS & GLORY
Luke Siuty
Developer: Ithai Levi

Platforms: PC, iOS, Android
Website: http://rlofc.itch.io/guts-n-glory
Twitter: @rlofc
Guts & Glory the perfect title for a game about cutthroat duels. But no bloodshed this time, at least not on the
screen. This title shoots straight for the skies, featuring aerial duels and flight challenges between the two titular
ships: Guts and Glory.
The game balances player-vs.-player face-offs
with less direct competition. Each stage in the game
features a different challenge; there are hoops to
fly through, balloons to shoot down, and of course,
1v1 dogfights. The controls are quite simple, taking
advantage of either a computer mouse or a plugged-in
controller. Only one button is needed, since each plane
is equipped with a fast-shooting machine gun for short
spray fire.
The alpha version of the game, although lacking
content, already has the basic build of the game
completed. The most important aspect of Guts & Glory
is the quality of controls, which are well realized. Still,
both the mouse and the pad do take some time to get
used to because the plane follows the position of the
mouse (which is invisible). The small plane cant take
sudden, unrealistic turns, so doing a 360 degree turn
takes a little bit of preparation and skill. Overall, the
controls simply feel good, with an appropriate weight
to them, and the challenges are well designed to test
flight precision in various ways.
and it looks to be a fairly unique multiplayer

experience. There are plans for additional features that
mix up whats already included, such as booster crates
containing gun upgrades and adverse conditions like
clouds that could provide tactical cover. Theres a lot of
potential, especially for expanded multiplayer options
like LAN support.
Whats more, Guts & Glory is a one-man project.
Ithai Levi is a father of three, who taught himself
programming back when the Atari 800XL came out.
Years later, inspired by the independent game developer
community, hes making games while working a fulltime day job. Hes looking to create a fun game, and is
looking for community support. He hopes to pay that
support forward by providing a fun experience.
The interplay between the two planes makes for

tenacious, precise battles, even if shooting isnt always
the objective. In one variation, the planes have to fly
through relatively small rings, untouched. It takes some
time getting used to, and not being precise results in
the plane spinning down uncontrollably. The best part
about this is that its still possible to crash into your
opponent, making both planes explode into pieces. If
its a PvP level, the machine gun can be used as a last
resort while the pilot is spinning down.
The structure laid out in Guts & Glory is promising,
38
LUMINI
Johnathan Eustice
Developer: Speelbaars
Platforms: PC
Website: http://speelbaars.com/vvv
Twitter: @speelbaars
Facebook: http://facebook.com/speelbaars
One lone Lumini is out maneuvering past hungry alien creatures trying to reach a mysterious totem that will
replace the fallen; the delicate creature glides past spikes, getting lost in the caverns of an alien planet along the way.
Welcome to the dangerous world of Lumini. Dangerous, and yet I did not feel tense while playing the game, likely
because the developers at Speelbaars created an open world so full of discovery.
We at Speelbaars aim at creating memorable
experiences, different from other games out there,
designer Steven Honders stated. With Lumini, they hope
to, offer people a relaxing and soothing experience,
with the intense and emotional moments we all know
too well from traditional adventure games.
Even as a pre-alpha, Lumini is full of character from
top to bottom. The demo, available on speelbaars.
com, immediately puts you in control of a large flock
of Luminis, an endangered alien species. With little
hand-holding, the game lets you glide and experiment
with the controls as you travel through the dangerous
cave world. The music and art provide a wonderful,
engrossing atmosphere that is relaxing in the process.
What makes Lumini unique are the alien creatures
along the way which are not super antagonistic.
Even after getting too close to one of the creatures,

the control over the flock is easy and intuitive. After
evolving the base Luminis into special Luminis, there
are even more options to outsmart the enemy. The
evolved Luminis have powers that compensate for the
defenseless basic Lumini, such as shield powers and a
dash mechanic, both tailoring to different play styles.
Another option is the ability to split the flock in two,
which helps to get around certain obstacles. These
controls take some getting used to and there are not a
lot of these sections, but keep in mind that this is prealpha. The demo currently serves as a good proof of
concept for the full release slated for early 2015.
Lumini is a testament to the cohesion between
atmosphere and design, resulting in a relaxing but
engaging experience. There is hope that Speelbaars will
be able to deliver on this promise, but they will need
some help. If the game is of interest, you can head over
to their Steam Greenlight page to show your support. If
you are still on the fence, visit the developers website
to download the demo.
39
MELTDOWN
Luke Siuty
Developer: Phenomenon Games

Platforms: PC
Website: http://www.phenomenongames.com/
Twitter: @PhenomenonPlay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhenomenonGames
Meltdown is a PC arcade shooter with nicely integrated strategic elements being ported from Android.
During the transition, Phenomenon Games is preserving the same cell-shaded graphics style. For now,
features from the mobile release are very similar, but the developers are vastly upgrading aspects of the
game, which is currently available as an Early Access Game on Steam for just $3.99. The question is is it
worth it?
The short answer would be yes, especially
for how little Phenomenon Games is charging.
Meltdown brings together up to four players in a
co-op shooting spree, pitting various robots and
turrets against gun-and-knife-wielding soldiers.
Simple WASD controls for movement and mouse
aiming work pretty well, if a little awkward for the
isometric view. Enemies pop up out of nowhere,
leaving coins, ammo, and upgrades in their wake.
Meltdown provides a menagerie of suicide
bots, stationed turrets, and commando bots who
like to get up close. The best thing about the enemy
variety is the fact that it actually brings about
changes to the players strategy. Its best not to
melee kill a suicide robot, and a turret with shields
cant be taken down straight on. The cover system
also plays a role here, because our character ducks
near any waist-high obstacle, avoiding fire. This
feature is brilliant and easy to use, expanding the
strategic choices and ways to get rid of enemies;
for instance, approaching turrets when they take a
break in firing.
From the accumulated drops, players can
upgrade their character with a fairly straightforward
equipment and skill system. XP from enemy kills
enables improvements in one of three skill trees:
Mastery, Brawling, and Medical. Its sad then, that
these dont truly present any choice. You can get
enough levels to put points in all trees eventually,
and all of them are passive skills; its a shame
that there arent any active, unique skills that

differentiate characters.
The gun improvements fare a little better. Up
to two killing machines can be brought to battle;
with choices including SMGs, shotguns, a flamer or
shocker, and a grenade launcher. Upgrading costs
both gold coins as well as chips that are dropped
or found. Guns really define a character build,
because each weapon has three upgrade tiers with
two separate effects, but only some of them can be
chosen. Furthermore, fully upgrading a gun unlocks
a new, even better toy.
Some of the issues in Meltdown are in the
movement, which feels just a tad sluggish. Vaulting
over obstacles is a little too slow. Knockback from
any explosion is a real issue because there are no
recovery frames, making one knockback particularly
deadly in groups. Even the level-up animation
leaves the hero temporarily defenseless, as the
camera zooms in and the game is slowed down. Its
particularly disruptive if four people are leveling up
relatively quickly.
However, the majority of letdowns in Meltdown
are on BulkyPixs list. The game needs more levels,
new environments, and quite a few more bosses,
because the games 30 stages get repetitive quickly.
The game already shows promise, and in spite of
the simple, arcade look, employs real strategy in its
fun, four player madness.
40
RICKY
RUNFAST
Connor Selinske
Developer: Starlord Games

Platforms: Android
Website: http://www.starlordgames.com/
Twitter: @StarlordGames
Facebook: http://facebook.com.com/StarlordGames
Ricky Runfast is about a man named Ricky

Runfast. He runs. Fast.
total deaths affect your overall score, meaning the

slow respawn is a secondary penalty.
No, but seriously, Ricky Runfast puts you in

control of a tiny stick figure who has apparently
decided that his mission in life is to live up to
his name, and run very fast through incredibly
dangerous areas. Spikes, pits, frickin laser beams,
and rotating blades all serve to keep Ricky from
running fast at least, provided he wants to keep
all of his limbs. Your job is to maneuver him past
all of these ridiculous obstacles towards the giant,
checkered finish line at the end of each level,
preferably without dying too many times.
All that said, Ricky Runfast is a game that

I could very quickly become addicted to. In its
current form (most of the levels have yet to be
implemented), youll work through the available
content very quickly. But once its been finished,
itll be a platformer worth screaming (in rage
and fury) about. The incomplete form of Starlord
Games latest venture is available for free now on
Android, or for a small price if youd like to support
the developers.
Your progress through each level is made slightly

easier by helpfully placed checkpoints, though their
helpfulness is mitigated somewhat by the timer
that will end the level for you, regardless of how
many checkpoints youve hit. I, as it turns out, do
not reach the end of many levels, and am glad to at
least have checkpoints to mark how far my corpses
have gotten.
Whats surprising about this game is how
precise the controls are, and how rarely they make
you feel cheated, particularly for a mobile game.
The only time I really had an issue was with the
jump button holding it down produces another
jump as soon as the game allows it, which killed me
more often than not. Besides the odd jumping, the
slow respawn quickly becomes annoying, if only
because the time it takes to respawn is included
in your time limit for the level. While hardly gamebreaking, this is definitely frustrating, and seems
more like an oversight than an intentional design.
While I could see wanting to penalize players for
dying, this is already done when the level ends and
41
MOBILE REVIEWS
SPANDEX FORCE:
Champion Rising by Ryan Noble

Developer: KarjaSoft
Platforms: Windows, Android
Website: karjasoft.com
Twitter: @karja
The title of KarjaSofts indie game, Spandex Force: Champion Rising, says a lot about the game while
actually revealing nothing about the gameplay. With a name like Spandex Force, I should have expected this
Puzzler-RPG superhero game - initially planned for release on Windows and Android devices - to have a sense
of humor; yet the witty and often sarcastic dialogue pleasantly surprised me.
Spandex Force takes the age-old symbolmatching gameplay of games like Puzzle Quest and
gives it a spandex-clad makeover. Your superhero
is created as part of a bet between a wizard and
a shady silhouette, so that they can finally answer
one question: Are superheroes made or born? The
wizard says that even the most ordinary, boring
and downright pathetic person can become a
superhero, and before you can decide whether to
feel privileged or offended, hes teaching you the
ways of justice.
If order to take on this role, you must first
customize your superheros looks. KarjaSoft keeps
things simple, with the only options being male
or female, and the ability to change the main and
secondary colors of your dashing spandex uniform.
Yet I still spent a few minutes trying to decide the
exact colors I wanted my hero to wear. I guess when
there are superheroes involved, youre never too
old to put the effort in.
From there, Spandex Force opens up into a
casual open-world of sorts, whereby you play
through a few variations of the symbol-matching
gameplay that makes up the five acts of the games
storyline. The first is working to gain money, which is
used to improve skills and upgrade your apartment
with such equipment as a burglar alarm, sounding
when a burglar is in town looking for loot and a

butt-kicking.
This money is then taken and used at a number
of different buildings, in which you train a specific
set of skills. Unlike most heroes who always seem
to have little choice over their abilities, you get to
choose your skill set. You can be a hero that uses
power, elemental, or mental abilities.
Each type has a strength and a weakness, and
these are things you have to pay attention to in
battle. To train your abilities you head to the relevant
building, where you play yet another symbolmatching game - no different to the game you
played when trying to earn money - and increase
your XP and effectiveness within the desired area.
When you face the burglars that are running
around the streets of Vigilance Valley - the Gotham
to your Batman, the Metropolis to your Superman,
and so on youll enter into another game of
matching symbols. However, this one is slightly
different and keeps the gameplay fresh for a little
longer. This time, in addition to matching symbols,
you can also use your superheros abilities, which
change depending on the path youve chosen.
As a result, it is no longer a matter of mindlessly
matching the first symbols, but actually trying to
42
match the symbols that will activate your skills.

Once activated, these abilities deal out damage to
the burglar, until his life is depleted and victory is
achieved.
These battles can be quite difficult if you dont
match up your preferred symbols for abilities, and
are ultimately satisfying to win; but then its right
back to the repetitive grinding of earning money
and improving skills. Spandex Force would be all the
more fun if each specific building had its own version
of matching gameplay, but in the Windows version
of the game that I played, this isnt the case. Luckily,
some sarcastic dialogue is never too far away.
Spandex Force is good, harmless fun. The
dialogue is comedic, the narrative simple, the
gameplay perfect for the casual gamer and, hell,
who doesnt want to be a superhero? Even if they
were chosen because they were deemed pathetic
and ordinary. My only issue with this game is that
its gameplay, which remains almost the same
across all different aspects of the game, might be
better suited to mobile devices; whereby shorter
playtimes would help alleviate the repetitiveness of
prolonged symbol-matching.
Grab your spandex, because Spandex Force:
Champion Rising is coming to Windows and Android
mid-April, with Mac and iOS versions planned for
the future.
REVIEW SCORE
7
GRAPHICS 7
GAMEPLAY 7
SOUND 6.5
LASTING APPEAL
Pros
Perfect for the casual gamer.
Sense of humor.
It has superheroes need I say
more?
Cons
Gameplay can become repetitive
during longer playtimes
Not as well suited for PC gaming

Spandex can be itchy
mobile.indiegamemag.com
RETRO RUNNER:
Princess Power
Laura Klotz
Developer: Stratum Games

Platforms: Android, iOS
Website: http://theretrorunner.com
Twitter: @StratumGames
Retro Runner: Princess Power is the fourth game from indie developer Stratum Games, based out of
Toronto, Canada. Im going to be honest - I volunteered to review this game because of its name. On some
level, I never quite outgrew an interest in princesses, and the title makes it sound like the princess gets to be
the badass in this game. Furthermore, its an old-school sidescroller just like the kind I played in my debatably
misspent youth. In simplest terms, it sounded like something I would want to play. So I did.
And I was right.
The unnamed titular princess has been captured
by an unknown enemy and held in a castle dungeon.
At first, as the opening narration explains, she
dutifully waited for the arrival of a prince to rescue
her. After a bit of that, however, she got bored and
poked around in her cell, discovered a dagger, and
decided that she was going to bust herself out. Selfrescuing damsel in distress for the win.
The graphics start off rather beautiful, but upon
playing through the prologue (spoiler alert: you
cant defeat the robot in the prologue), theyre
downgraded to an aesthetic straight out of an Atari
2600 game. As the princess progresses through the
game, determined to find and defeat the one who
held her prisoner, she can collect coins with which
to make purchases in the store. She can also find
potions that will give her different boosts, upgrades
to the weapons she collects, and pigeons. Yes, you
read that correctly - pigeons. Homing pigeons,
that is, who can help the princess fight her way to
freedom.
The journey through the castle takes her into

five different eras of gaming, ranging from basic
pixel art to high resolution. She can improve her
abilities by upgrading three attributes, which the
game calls Strongness, Toughness, and Wiseness.
Are these a subtle reference to the Power, Courage,
and Wisdom of the Legend of Zelda games? Its very
possible, because Princess Power contains dozens
of hidden shout-outs and nods to different classic
video games.
Is this an easy game? I dont find it to be. Engaging
and addictive, yes, but not easy. Of course, thats a
good thing -- gamers want a challenge! The music
is a lot of fun, reminding me of the many hours I
spent with my old consoles. As much as I enjoyed
the actual gameplay, I truthfully found myself even
more entertained watching for the references to
other old-school games in the background, like the
pennants in the Atari-esque section with emblems
of Atari games on them. At one point I was even
running past a backdrop depicting a scene from
Oregon Trail.
44
Speaking of difficulty, death will happen, and

often. For some reason I fall in holes a lot. But
thats kind of okay for one reason: Every time you
die, the game-over screen contains a gaming trivia
question. Answer correctly and youll win more
coins! I earned fifty coins for knowing where Atari
buried all of their cartridges of their horrible E.T. the
Extra-Terrestrial game. (I had that game...) Those
coins can then be taken to the in-game store to
purchase improvements for your fully customizable
skill tree in order to create the kind of princess you
want to be.
Anyone who loves the old games will definitely
want to get in on the Princess Power action. Its
quick, clever, and a wonderful homage to video game
history. Its on the top of my to-be-downloaded list.
REVIEW SCORE
8.5
GRAPHICS 8
GAMEPLAY 8
SOUND 9
LASTING APPEAL
Pros
Great homage to old games.
Customizable skill tree.
Sidescrolling action
Cons
Old game shout-outs are slightly
distracting.
Weapon throwing angle was a

little hard to adjust slower

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APRIL 2014 | ISSUE 36

Child-like Wonderment Comes Alive

Branching dialogue in Unity3d

Is a wonderful effort in its genre, and a great

Looking for a high fantasy world with great

15+ REVIEWS & PREVIEWS INSIDE!

SCREEN SHOT MONTHLY. . . . . . . 20

The Indie Game Magazine -- Published by CV Newton Publishing Copyright 2014

BOOT HILL HEROES . . . . . . . . 37

Welcome to the All-New Indie Game Magazine!

The Indie Game Magazine Contact Directory:

IGM Review Policy

a score for each of the qualities above and then provide an

We rate all of our games based on four primary qualities:

Our reviews are based upon a 0 10 score. We provide

COVER ROAD MAP

Cover art provided by Storm in a Teacup

APRIL 2014 | ISSUE 36

Child-like Wonderment Comes Alive

Branching dialogue in Unity3d

Is a wonderful effort in its genre, and a great

Looking for a high fantasy world with great

15+ REVIEWS & PREVIEWS INSIDE!

April 1 - Goat Simulator (Coffee Stain Studios), Cosmochoria (Kickstarter) (30/30)

April 10 - Spandex Force: Champion Rising (KarjaSoft)

April 21 - Universe Edge (Kickstarter)(Albert Olivera), Tiny Kleptos (MrWhoof)

NERO Interview Vinny Parisi

amazing feedback that we decided to wait a little

desperation, puzzle solving, and such like this.

are using a kid and the black, hooded figure is not

IGM: When you see reactions to games like Gone

Developer: Pixel Crushers

Branching dialog trees have existed for a long

When evaluating any tool, the first thing I

Another impressive feature about this tool is

Are you a Programmer? Have interest in writing a review for game

Greetings, my name is Ryan Morrison, and Im a

search to find conflicting marks alone is extensive

3) Use Google translate to check your title in a

Have a legal question for Mr. Morrison?

Suijin, a goddess of water based on Japanese folklore.

The Indie Game Magazine | www.indiegamemag.com

STYX Ryan Noble

needed to develop a game from start to finish such

Though Dziov has had unsuccessful campaigns

Developer: Albert Olivera

need to be maintained if they are to keep everything

Universe Edges Kickstarter campaign is set to

Keep everything running smooth and youll get

The spaceship that you create will be put together

Universe Edge seems like it will be an interesting

Inside that vessel will be an array of equipment,

SCREEN SHOT MONTHLY

NERO COVER STORY:

He has previously been the Editor-in-Chief of Xbox

Belli comes from a publishing career that began

amazing fantasy world broken up by puzzle-solving

some point during the adventure, players will find

both the theme and aesthetic. There is no HUD

NERO hopes to be a multiplatform game, with

Developer: Time Spekler

leads to more materials, which are necessary for

I was very impressed by the graphics and character

quickly for the average gamer