But I'm going to talk about my favourite games of the past year and none of them are big bugeted games. I'm not entirely shocked that I enjoyed indie titles, but it's amazing that 2013 has been a year of personal broadening of gaming horizons and when I glance back that the best games for me this year were unattached from the big consoles. These are my favourite and most fun filled games of 2013.
BEST
Beatbuddy
It's as vibrant and lovable as Rayman Origins, it fuses a truly shoulder bopping soundtrack with innovative gameplay and beautiful designs. This is probably one of my favourite platformers ever. I'm really excited for whatever developers Threaks create next.
Lumen
Lumen is an impressive dreamworld game, where you must be sneaky and evade nightmarish Burtonequse creatures, as a little girl in glowing pyjamas. Your only weapon is a camera and it's utilised in really clever, fun ways.
Toast Time
Toast Time is the perfect iOs game, especially if you need something quick to play to sathe your gaming appetite. You play as a smiley piece of toast and must defend time on your farm from a variety of little monsters. Playing as toast, using toast projectiles and attacks and activating coffee time is quick fun, enjoyable and replayable.
Badlands
Badlands is a brilliant handheld game, suited well to Ipads and DooPods. The graphics are reminscent of a fusion of perhaps Enslaved meets Limbo, with another great soundtrack and ever evolving replayable game mechanics. The music and sound is part of the creative, funky skills of Joonas Turner. Keep an eye out for more of his work!
Dumb Ways to Die
I love playing this game, still do and it really makes you want to beat your previous best score. It was made available as a fun way of teaching people to be careful, though I'm not sure how many people suffer pirahna attacks these days. The music video that accompanies this game has to be listened too, it's hilarious and charming, exactly like the game itself.
Dumb Ways to Die Music Video -
The Novelist
The Novelist is a very different game, where you play as an inivible entity, lacking a body but having the ability to still influence and learn about the life of a novelist and his family. It's a great example of a different type of interactive story and thoughtfully executed.
Home
You can finish Home in one sitting and maybe want to restart it all over again to try and understand what just happened. This pixelbit spooky themed game has simple mechanics, but as you continue through abandoned eerie woods and factories, trying to find your way home you realise that it's a subtle game of choice.
Completed Gameplay -
The Swapper
This game is stunning and its gameplay reminds me of an spacey fusion of Portal, meets Braid, meets Alien. It's isolating, it's haunting and the sense of accomplishment from solving puzzles with a new twist that involves time, cloning and telepporting, is really wonderful.
First Impression Video -
Honourable mentions
These aren't indie titles, but it's been such a long time since I've truly enjoyed and made use of my handheld consoles like the DS or 3DS. I thought that the Pokemon games were just becoming to shoveled and they were beginning to lack any variety, but X and Y has refreshed, revamped and upgraded Pokemon without losing the essence of what made it wonderful to play.
Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies
The Wolf Among Us
Yes Telltale are favourites amongst many people and rightfully so. But The Wolf Among Us was a game I expected to at least try and see if I cared for it and within about 15 minutes I was hooked, when I finished the game I was basically twitching wanting the next episode to come out soon. I am excited to try out the second season of The Walking Dead, but truthfully, the art, characters and story of TWAU right now is higher on my want list.
The Wolf Among Us Video Review
Bizarre
Cat Lady
This game should come with a trigger warning from people who suffer with depression or suicidal thoughts, but nonetheless it's hard to complain that the people behind it didn't create a game that's visually unique and striking, a story that isn't fickle and gameplay that hits you in the face.
First Impressions Video -
7 Days
7 Days is an example of a very basic indie horror game that supercedes any AAA horror game of te past while. There's actually a few games I could give the same credit to, but given just how basic 7 Days is I'm going to stick with it, just to keep things brief. A lot of the scares are jump-scares but it's still eerie and for some reason the jumps as youtube-video irritating.
First Impressions Video -
Cry of Fear
This game is pretty good, it's like a game version of The Prince of Darkness starring Donald Pleasance. It's disturbing, isolating and for a free title a well crafted game.
First Impressions Video -
There you have it, the games that I enjoyed playing, had very little controversory that detracted from gaming and just all unique in their own way. What were yours?
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