More Indie Games Available with the Indie Royale Bundle

Here we go another bundle of great indie games brought to you by Indie Royale. This is a joint effort between video game editorial site IndieGames.com and Desura. For the next few days (at the time of writing this post) you can get some great games at lower prices. There is a difference between the system used here versus the recent humble bundle. The price for this bundle fluctuates depending on how much money is paid. You always have to pay the minimum price for the bundle. However, if you spend more for the bundle then the bundle becomes cheaper for the next people who buy it. If people just pay the minimum average price then the price will slowly increase over time. So this is not really a pay-what-you-want but pay-the-minimum-price. The great thing is that this bundle will spotlight indie game developers and bring some revenue to them so that they can create more games.

This particular bundle that they are selling at the moment is called the "Difficult 2nd Bundle".

Not really sure why it's called the Difficult 2nd Bundle.

Here is what you get with this bundle according to the previews on the website:

1. NightSky
Nominated as a IGF Seamus McNally Finalist, NightSky is an ambient action-puzzle game that offers a gameplay experience unlike any other, as cerebral challenges fill uniquely designed picturesque worlds. The player must maneuver a sphere by using realistic physics to advance; each of these worlds is broken into different areas. The original soundtrack by experimental jazz musician Chris Schlarb will further heighten the surreal experience. IndieGames.com says: "NightSky does things with balls that you never thought possible, and is stunning in motion."


2. Fate of the World
Fate of the World is a strategy game that simulates the real social and environmental impact of global climate change over the next 200 years. The science, the politics, the destruction - it’s all real, and it’s scary. Your mission: Solve the crisis. But, like life, it won’t be easy. You’ll have to work through natural disasters, foreign diplomacy, clandestine operations, technological breakthroughs, and somehow satisfy the food and energy needs of a growing world population. Will you help the planet or become an agent of destruction? IndieGames.com says: "A superbly addictive management game about the future of the Earth, in which no-one is ever damn happy."


3. Scoregasm
Scoregasm is an incredible, variety rich shooter with a non-linear, branching paths style galaxy to explore. It's pretty, accessible, fun and really rather good! Blast your way through the galaxy's many varied levels! Use your skills to change your route, find new levels, new enemies, unlock bonus challenge stages and fight the bosses to discover multiple endings! Linux users: Scoregasm is a 32bit app, so you'll need the appropriate 32bit libraries installed to run the game on a 64bit system. IndieGames.com says: "Scoregasmic! One of the best space shooters of 2011 by a good light year or two."


4. Ben There, Dan That! and Time Gentlemen, Please!
Ben There, Dan That! and Time Gentlemen, Please! are a couple of rip-roaring point-and-click adventure games . With tongue firmly in cheek, sit back, relax, and put your mind to work solving puzzles, and reading some very funny dialogue. It's like a book, only good! From an horrific and untimely death in deep, dark Peru, via preposterous-and-suspect alien invasions, to whipping back-and-forth in time to stop Hitler and his army of robot Nazi dinosaur clones, this is one set of adventures you're unlikely to forget. IndieGames.com says: "Nazi dinosaurs. Need we say more?"

It looks like there will be more bundles coming in the coming weeks.

I look forward to stocking up on some great games and helping out developers along the way.

Quick Thoughts on The Walking Dead Season 2 Episode: Cherokee Rose

Here we are another post about the most recent airing of The Walking Dead! There are spoilers below!

The episode begins with the other survivors reaching Hershel's home. There is a funeral service for Otis where Shane remembers his actions and speaks about Otis' final moments. Shane lies about the events and makes Otis into a hero who saved Shane and Carl.

The survivors decide to set up camp and to form a search party for Sophia. Maggie decides to go into town for a pharmacy run and Rick sends Glen to help her. Darryl decides to go off on his own to find Sophia. Dale and T-Dog goes over to the nearby well to pump some water. There is a problem though: There is a zombie in the well!


So the great idea that the group comes up with is to lower Glen into the well as live bait so he can rope the zombie. They can then pull the zombie out so that the water in the well won't be contaminated. Of course things go horribly wrong. Glen almost dies in the well but gets the job done. Things go horribly wrong once again when the zombie's body separates with the lower half falling into the well thereby contaminating the water in the well. This is also the Zombie Killing Highlight for this episode.

That has got to hurt!

Now what do we do?

T-Dog comes up with the solution. Smash the Zombie's face!

Hershel tries to convince Rick about the possibility of God. Rick is not convinced. Later Rick tries to convince Hershel to reconsider and to let them stay on the farm. Hershel doesn't make any promises but is willing to think it over.

Maggie and Glen reach the town pharmacy and Glen gets the secret item that Lori discreetly requested. In an embarrassing moment Maggie catches Glen holding a box of condoms. Maggie being lonely decides to have sex with Glen. Although it seems that Maggie was not satisfied telling Glen that what happened between them was a one time event.

The big reveal comes at the end of this episode. We find out what Lori had asked Glen to get at the pharmacy. It's a pregnancy test which we find out that it's positive! A question that arises is who is the father?

This was a great episode and cannot wait for the next episode this Sunday on AMC.

What the Heck is Voxatron and How Do You Get It?

Today I want to talk about a great indie game that has come out recently. It is called Voxatron.

 This game is a part of the Humble Bundle which allows people to pay what they want for amazing indie games. The games are all DRM free, and will work cross platform. Another great thing is that you can support charities such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), and the Child's Play Charity.
 Once you have figured out how much you want to pay, you can distribute the money between the game developers, the charities, and the people who run the Humble Bundle.

As of writing this there have been almost $670,000 raised for this bundle. Although it doesn't give a breakdown of how much money was distributed to the developers, or charities.
Some statistical breakdown can be seen below:











Also these bundles are a limited time offer. As of writing this there are about 8 days left. So I'll describe the three games included in this particular bundle (if you paid over the average amount).

Voxatron Screenshot of Stage 1

Voxatron is kind of an old school game + 3d platforming mixed in. The game looks different because it uses voxels which look like tiny cubes that are stacked and combined together to make a 3d model. So the point of this game is to get from point A to point B by destroy different types of monsters, grabbing keys to get to the next area, and platforming. Once you tire of the main adventure and arcade mode. You can design your own levels with the included level editor and can share them with others. So there seems to be a lot of replayability with this indie game. This is only in alpha right now and new updates are being released. These updates are also included once you purchase the game.

Voxatron's Level Editor

The other games that come with the bundle (if you pay more than the average) are Blocks That Matter and The Binding of Isaac. I haven't been able to try these games out yet. I don't know to much about them.

So from the Steam website:

Blocks That Matter: When indie game developers Alexey and Markus are in trouble, their only hope comes from their creation.You are the Tetrobot: a tiny robot that can drill blocks of matter one by one, collect them, and recycle them into new pieces of 4 blocks. You also have the possibility to destroy lines of 8+ blocks in a very «retro russian» game style. Sand, wood, stone, obsidian, iron, diamond: each matter has its specific behaviour you'll have to use wisely and take advantage of them. So get ready to use your brain and combine your platforming and puzzle-solving skills in this incredible mashup!

The Binding of Isaac: When Isaac’s mother starts hearing the voice of God demanding a sacrifice be made to prove her faith, Isaac escapes into the basement facing droves of deranged enemies, lost brothers and sisters, his fears, and eventually his mother. The Binding of Isaac is a randomly generated action RPG shooter with heavy Rogue-like elements. Following Isaac on his journey players will find bizarre treasures that change Isaac’s form giving him super human abilities and enabling him to fight off droves of mysterious creatures, discover secrets and fight his way to safety.

Both games retail on steam for $4.99 USD each. If you buy the humble bundle and pay more for the average you could save some money, support the developers/charities, and get some fantastic games!

Sign up for the humble bundle newsletter or follow them on twitter to get future updates of new bundles. You could get great games for a fraction of the cost!