From web slinging across the Manhattan skyline to an epic shootout and bank robbery in Saint Denis this has been an exceptional year for gamers. Among AAA titles including this year’s Game of the Year winner, God of War, and the mind-blowing sci-fi drama Detroit Become Human, were awe-inspiring indies that captured audience’s hearts and transported us to worlds beyond our imaginations. Spectacular graphics, original scores, and innovative storytelling have taken indie games to a level never achieved before and forever altering the future landscape of gaming. As 2018 comes to a close I’d like to highlight some of the indie titles that were released this year. If this is what gaming looks like in 2018 I cannot wait to see what 2019 has to bring. Cheers to a New Year! Florence Developer: Mountains Release Date: February 14 Available On: iOS and Android Winner of The Game Award’s Best Mobile Game, Florence is about finding love but more importantly, it’s about finding yourself. This 30-minute interactive story takes you on a brief but powerful emotional journey and offers a fresh take on what it means to fall in love. Be warned – side effects include rapid heartbeat and full-fledged ugly crying. Read my full review here: https://www.nerdershewrote.com/review/review-florence Moss Developer: Polyarc Release Date: February 27 Available On: PSVR, Steam, VIVE & Oculus If you’ve been wondering whether to invest in PlayStation VR the answer is yes, and Moss is the reason why. This dynamic game features an immersive environment that transports players to a magical world where even the unlikeliest hero prevails. Quill is a pint sized heroine with a big heart who must travel the woods and explore ancient ruins to save her uncle and defeat the wicked fire-breathing snake holding him captive. This game pushes the envelope not only in terms of stellar graphics but what storytelling on the PSVR is capable of accomplishing. I look forward to the next chapter in this series. Read my full review here: https://www.nerdershewrote.com/review/review-moss CHUCHEL Developer: Amanita Design Release Date: March 07 Available On: PC, Mac, iOS & Android CHUCHEL is a cherry-ific comedy adventure game and what I would imagine an acid trip to be like without having to actually take the drug. This game features a little ball of fuzz with a big mouth and an even bigger appetite for cherries. When a mysterious hand takes Chuchel’s cherry it’s up to players to solve puzzles and bring Chuchel’s cherry back to him. After its release this year CHUCHEL met some harsh criticism concerning the appearance of the main character being reminiscent of black face. The developers acknowledged the concerns from the community and issued an apology noting that it was never their intent to offend audiences and redesigned Chuchel to be an orange ball of fuzz with a black hat. CHUCHEL has a new look but is still just as fun! Read my full review here: https://www.nerdershewrote.com/review/review-chuchel AntVentor: Release Date: May 17 Available On: iOS, macOS, Steam, Android, Amazon Appstore, & NVIDIA Shield TV You will never meet a more relatable ant than Florantine in AntVentor. He has a mundane job, his life is fairly dull, and he’s easily annoyed by stupidity. But above everything else, this small inventor ant longs for adventure. AntVentor is delightfully quirky and fun with a photorealistic environment and puzzles to solve. Read my full review here: https://www.nerdershewrote.com/review/review-antventor Flipping Death Developer: Zoink! Release Date: August 07 Available On: PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC & Xbox One Take a walk in Death’s theoretical shoes in Flipping Death. This comedy adventure platformer follows the story of Penny Doewood, a super rad goth-like girl with big dreams and an obsession with the morbid. After being fired from her job at the local funeral home, Penny meets up with her boyfriend Elliot for food, movies, and smooches. But after a car wreck and taking a shortcut through a graveyard, Penny accidentally falls to her death and experiences what life is like on the flip side. *Warning* Due to the comedic nature of the game your abs may be sore by the end due to intense fits of laughter. Read my full review here: https://www.nerdershewrote.com/review/review-flipping-death Donut County Developer: Ben Esposito Release Date: August 28 Available On: PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS & Xbox One Winner of the iPhone Game of the Year, Donut County is a hilarious physics adventure game about a raccoon named BK who is obsessed with getting a super dope quadcopter. In order to win this coveted prize though he consequently opens up a series of holes around town sending the residents 999 feet below the surface. While operating the hole players can explore negative space, collect trash, catapult objects, and combine items to solve puzzles. At the start of each level the hole starts out small and the more items it swallows up the bigger it expands, eventually becoming large enough to collect entire homes and mountains. I cannot express to you how oddly satisfying it is to control the hole (that’s what she said). Read my full review here: https://www.nerdershewrote.com/review/review-donut-county Seers Isle Developer: Nova-box Release Date: September 18 Available On: PC, Mac & Linux Embark on a journey to discover if you’re worthy of the Sacred Flame. Seers Isle is an interactive graphic novel that takes place within a fantasy universe set in medieval northern Europe. The game follows a group shaman apprentices who embark on a voyage to a sacred island. Once they reach shore the group is faced with a series of tests as they journey to the summit. Those that pass these trials and are deemed worthy by the island’s seers are rewarded with the Sacred Flame. With this power they will possess the ability of second sight, divination, healing, and are free to return to their village as a full-fledged shaman. Read my full review here: https://www.nerdershewrote.com/review/review-seers-isle GRIS
Developer: Nomada Studio Release Date: December 13 Available On: Nintendo Switch, PC & Mac GRIS is vibrant, elegant, and offers a striking take on an otherwise sensitive topic. It follows the story of a young girl who is dealing with an unexplained trauma in her life. Told only through stunning visuals and a captivating score the game explores the five stages of dealing with grief; denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. It is up to players to restore hope within the protagonist and help her begin to heal. I think I may have played the entire game with my mouth open, in awe of its beautifully polished and meticulously crafted environments. It’s an absolutely mesmerizing experience that will simply take your breath away. Read my full review here: https://www.nerdershewrote.com/review/review-gris
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