Indie Games Threads
Share your thoughts on the latest and greatest from the indie side of the gaming industry.
Enter Game Rant's On Your Tail Giveaway!
Game Rant and our friends at Memorable Games are giving you the chance to win a Steam code for?On Your Tail, and help Diana catch a serial thief! Better yet, we're even giving you multiple chances! To enter, simply follow these steps: - Copy and paste the following URL?https://gleam.io/TyDI0/on-your-tail-x-odyssey-group-giveaway?into your browser and follow the prompts to submit up to 34 entries! - For a bonus entry, simply comment on the Thread below in ten words or more,?what's your favorite cozy game and why? Rules for Thread competition: No purchase necessary. Contest begins on January 7, 2025, at 08:00am EST and ends on January 15, 2025, at 02:59AM EST. There are a total of five (5) prizes available to be won as follows: five (5) game codes redeemable on Steam digital store to download the game On Your Tail, each prize having an approximate retail value of $44.99 CAD ($34.99 USD). Winning contestants are randomly selected from valid entries, and a skill-testing question is requ
Have You Played Animal Well?
I haven't had a chance to check out?Animal Well, but between the Indie Game of the Year nomination and the nod from?Balatro's dev as being their favorite game of 2024, it's getting harder to ignore. Have you played it? What did you think? If you haven't click the linked article to the right for more info!
What's Been The Best Epic Store Freebie You've Claimed?
The Epic Store has never been shy with giving away free titles for eager fans. I'm not sure which one I would consider the?best, but most recently I managed to snag?Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria?and a couple of?Warhammer 40K?titles that kept me well and truly busy.
What Were Your Top 3 Games of 2024?
There were plenty of great titles out this year, but I fear I missed a lot of them! I still need to make the time for the big ones like?Black Myth: Wukong?and?Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, but I'd say my top picks for this year would be?Astro Bot,?Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2, and?Marvel Rivals. Who sits on your 2024 podium?
Do You Think 2025 Is The Year We Finally Get Silksong?
I'm honestly starting to lose hope for?Hollow Knight: Silksong?coming out at all. Every year it seems more and more like something went wrong in its development or at Team Cherry itself, it wasn't long ago that?Silksong?was featured in a compilation of Xbox games that were guaranteed to be coming out within the next 12 months, and that video came out in 2023. With virtually no news since its delay, I honestly don't think it's coming out in 2025. And if it doesn't come out this next year, and if we don't get any news in 2025, I think a lot of people are going to disembark what was once an unstoppable hype train for the sequel to one of the most beloved indie games ever made.
What January Game Are You Looking Forward To The Most?
Hyper Light Breaker has been on my radar ever since it was announced. I loved Hyper Light Drifter, and while this new game is leaps and bounds different from its predecessor, it still looks like it's right up my alley. I've been craving for a new third-person action roguelike, and I hope Hyper Light Breaker can scratch that itch.
So, It's The End of 2024. How Many Games Are Still In Your Backlog?
I can think of at least eight games in my 264-game Steam Library that I still want to finish at one point, yet I'm already itching to buy and play a new one. I distinctly remember buying the Hitman: World of Assassination bundle with the express purpose of letting it sit in my backlog, and I honestly don't know when I'll be able to play it.
Hotline Miami Doesnt Need A Third Game - It Needs A Roguelike Spinoff
Both?Hotline Miami?and?Hotline Miami 2?are among the best Indie games ever made, but we don't need Hotline Miami 3. We don't need to continue the story, which undeniably finished at the end of?Hotline Miami 2, but the gameplay would be absolutely perfect for a roguelike spin-off. I think it could find a home in the roguelike genre with?Binding of Isaac-style room generation and randomized builds, as it would bring back one of the most fun combat systems ever made without having to consider continuing the totally-finished story of the series.?
What Was The First Indie Game You Fell In Love With?
The first Indie game I truly loved was?The Binding of Isaac. I was playing a lot of Flash games at the time and I remember coming across?The Binding of Isaac?relatively soon after its release over on Newgrounds. To this day it's hard to think of a better distillation of the roguelike genre, and the religious commentary woven into it all makes its story more compelling than it has any right to be. If you've never played it,?The Binding of Isaac?has received a lot of updates over the years and has become an enormous behemoth of a game that goes?way?deeper than you think. Plus, the combat and build variety makes for one of the most satisfying (and rewarding) gameplay loops of all time.
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I'm Struggling With Ante 10+ In Balatro. What Advice Can You Give?
I finally won my first game of Balatro, but I'm having trouble breaching those million-chip blinds. I'm pretty sure half of my problems come from my own personal skill issues, but even with a perfect set of jokers and upgraded cards, I just can't get past Ante 12.?
What's Your Favorite Way to Make Money in Stardew Valley?
There are tons of different ways to make money in?Stardew Valley, and taking care of the animals and making animal products, such as cheese and mayonnaise, is my favorite way to do it. I'm not sure why but it's an activity that I enjoy much more than gardening.
What Do You Think Is The Strongest Path of Exile 2 Class So Far?
I'm going to be a little biased and say it's the Monk. I've been killing bosses recklessly with Tempest Bell and Tempest Flurry while tanking big hits with Evasion and Energy Shields. Playing Monk has felt much smoother than my experience with Warrior, Sorceress, and Witch, and I can't wait to fully realize the endgame build I've been planning with this class.
When You Look Back on 2024, Which Game Will Spring To Mind?
As easy as it is to say the GOTY?Astro Bot?or the wildly popular?Black Myth: Wukong, I think I'll look back on 2024 and remember what an unexpected hit?Balatro?was, and even?Animal Well?as far as indie success stories go. It'll also be the year I remember?Marvel Rivals?kicking off, since I found it to be far better than I expected from a free-to-play game.
I Regret Not Playing Balatro Earlier
I was never interested in Poker, but after the spirit of Christmas compelled a friend of mine to gift me Balatro, I finally understand why this game was a GOTY nominee. The pure dopamine rush of scoring 1.120e10 worth of Chips in a single hand is absolutely euphoric, and I find myself itching to play just one more game everytime I boot Balatro up.
Which Path of Exile 2 Boss Gave You The Most Trouble?
The final boss of Act 3 gave me a lot of trouble while I was going through the campaign, and I mostly blame that on my Warrior build being extremely slow. I had to shift my focus around my basic mace attack and Sunder because Rolling Slam and Supercharged Slam were so slow that I kept getting blasted by the boss' area attacks mid-animation.
Which Path of Exile 2 Class Needs A Buff The Most?
I still think the Warrior needs a buff, particularly to its Mace skills for the early levels. I know that there are more weapon types and skills coming in the future, and I'm well aware that Warriors can one-shot endgame bosses, but as it stands now, the leveling experience as this class feels miserable with how slow Mace attacks are and with all the area denial attacks that enemies have.?
What's The Best Indie Game You Played In 2024, Old Or New?
As someone who grew up in the U.K., playing through?Thank Goodness You're Here!?was an absolute treat to play through earlier this year. It's such a perfectly absurd and wonderful representation of northern British coal towns, it makes me feel like I'm back home – the art style, music, and gameplay were all really enjoyable, too. But I can see how it might not appeal to everyone, as it's an indie game that I think only people who get the references and character of the town will fully appreciate. I really, really liked?Balatro?as well, and honestly thought it should win Game Of The Year over?Astrobot, but want to specifically call out?Thank Goodness You're Here!??for being a really faithful and whimsical way to revisit the U.K.?
Can You Resist Balatro’s Wheel of Fortune Tarot Card?
Players are always taking a gamble when they grab The Wheel of Fortune Tarot Card in Balatro. This card has a 25 percent chance of adding Foil, Holographic, or Polychrome to one of the player's Jokers. While it's very tempting, it will often not work due to its low chances of success. Unless I can pick a Tarot Card that is crucial for the deck that I'm trying to build, I will choose The Wheel of Fortune.
What Ruins Your Runs Every Time in Balatro?
A lot of the time, I'm so focused on how I've built my deck and chosen certain jokers that I completely forget how the Boss Blind might make it impossible to continue.
Tales of the Shire's Newest Footage Has Got Me Even More Excited
Tales of the Shire?is one of the indie games that I'm looking forward to the most in the near future. I was already pleased by what I had seen before, but the footage shown at The Game Awards took it up a notch. The gardening and cooking mechanics look so cozy - I feel like I'll get lost in this game. On top of that, it seems that there is a lot of freedom when it comes to customizing your hobbit house! Very exciting stuff.
What's The Best Game To Play During The Holiday Season?
In the wintertime, you want a game that's cozy, something that makes you feel warm and fuzzy to stave off the bite of the cold outside (if you live in a place that gets cold in the winter, that is). I always go back to?Stardew Valley?when it gets snowy outside and try a new layout and vie for different marriage candidates – it's the perfect game for any season really, but being indoors and away from the harsh winter weather always feels like a particularly good time to start up a new farm.
What Needs To Be Improved In Path of Exile 2?
If there's anything I want to see improved in PoE 2?as soon as possible, it's map generation. Almost every zone in the game so far is huge, and if there's one thing I dislike in ARPGs, its backtracking through a place that I've already cleared five minutes ago.
What's Your Take On Path of Exile 2's Gearing Experience?
It's on the right path, but as now, gearing up is painfully slow and oftentimes frustrating. There's nothing more disheartening than fighting an Act Boss for five minutes and getting absolutely nothing of value from it. I'm glad that GGG is already addressing this issue, and I hope the experience improves in the future.
I Finally Played Obra Dinn & Tunic - What Did You Clear From Your Gamer Backlog In 2024?
I have a gaming backlog of about 50 games on Steam alone, which is mostly games that I got extremely cheap or as part of a bigger bundle. Every year, despite how many games I try to get to, it always seems to end up getting longer. But this year I finally got around to giving?Return of the Obra Dinn?and?Tunic?a proper try. I didn't finish either game – hey, I've got a lot of Live Service games to cover OK?? – but got far enough into each that I really, really grew to love them.? Return of the Obra Dinn?is arguably one of the most innovative and just plain interesting puzzle games I've ever played, and all but certainly the best Detective-style game I've ever experienced. I would?highly?recommend it to anyone even vaguely interested in puzzle games, games where you investigate something and put clues together, or games with unique visual designs.? Tunic, on the other hand.... well I don't want to say too much, but the game's progression system is unmatched and gave me some of the stro
What Do You Think Of Gold Being Added In Path of Exile 2?
I think the addition of Gold is pretty good. Having a dedicated currency for buying things from merchants is very welcome, especially considering how troublesome finding good gear is in Path of Exile 2's Early Access build.
What's Your Take On Path Of Exile 2's New Skill System?
I'm still pretty new to the game, but from my experience of leveling a Warrior up to 28, I can safely say that I prefer the new skill system over the previous one. Not having to farm six-link items means itemization is much more lenient than in the first game. The new support gems confuse me a little, but I'm sure I'll figure things out eventually (probably).
I Hate To Admit It, But Path of Exile 2 Is Better With Twin Stick Controls
My pride as a PoE veteran didn't allow me to try the new twin stick/WASD controls, but I'm so very glad that I did. The game feels incredibly smooth with it on, and I dare say it even feels mandatory for ranged classes. I've already spent dozens of hours in Path of Exile 2,?and I don't think I'll ever go back to using traditional mouse controls again.
Path of Exile 2's Bosses Are Ridiculously Hard. How Are You Managing?
I didn't expect?PoE 2's?boss fights to feel like they came straight from a?Dark Souls?game. I personally haven't had much trouble with them, but all the boss fights so far (especially the one against Lord Geonor) have had my blood pumping in ways I never thought an ARPG ever would.
I Know Everyone Loved Life Is Strange, But I Had To Really Force Myself To Finish It. Have You Had A Game Like This?
I played?Life Is Strange?a few years ago because I was bored while visiting family and it was on sale for 2.49€ so I decided to give it a try. I found the character's dialogue quite cringe, which prevented me from connecting with them and being able to feel much throughout the story of the game. Some of the events also felt a bit too farfetched. However, I still finished it to see how it would end.
