If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, this is the place to be! Hip indie game publishing site itch.io constantly has new games coming out, and I’ve done the hard work for you by sifting through the new releases and bringing you the six games that caught my attention.
MacroFATE
MacroFATE is a kind of space colony sim and space exploration simulator. It’s difficult to pin down a simple description of the game because it does a lot of cool things all at once. You get to build your own ships and colonies (I’m reminded a bit of TankCraft), build up your populations, and explore the infinite, randomly generated universe. If you’re not sure about the $6.10 price tag, there’s a demo available for you to try the game before you pay up.
Distant Star: Revenant Fleet
Distant Star: Revenant Fleet is a game I’m surprised I haven’t seen more about. It’s a space RTS game, and the trailer looks like something from a AAA title. The game itself has some pretty high production value, but whether high production value translates into a good game is yet to be seen—and, the game is also still in development. For £4.99 (~$8), you can help support the game’s development and give it a shot for what’s probably going to be a deal after the game gets completed.
Fully Bugged Little Cells
Fully Bugged Little Cells is a neat puzzle game that has you placing cells under a microscope, trying to prevent a disease from spreading. I like the concept, and the game looks pretty fun. I’ll leave it up to you to decide if the $4.99 price point is worth it, but it gets you a copy for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
16 Bit Rally
16 Bit Rally is a classically-styled racing game—and oh, man, does it make me happy. I don’t even really care about racing games, but something about the period-accurate graphics makes me want to hand over the $2.99 (Australian!). Just look at those horizontal lines. That’s how you know you’re going fast!
Sol 0
Sol 0 is another Mars colony simulation games, and if you’ve been paying attention to this column in the past, you’ll know that those terms basically guarantee a spot. The game is still in development, but $3.99 will get you access to the beta and let you start your mission and try to make a self-sustaining colony on everyone’s favorite neighbor planet. If you’d rather wait for the final version, you can also vote for the game on Steam Greenlight—you can do that for free!
Seven Bullets
Seven Bullets is a text adventure with over 280,000 words. This isn’t a Choose Your Own Adventure book! There are achievements and unlockables and everything! There’s even a ferret in the logo. For $3.99, the game is cheaper than most books you could buy—and, it’s also available in ebook formats if you pay a dollar more.
Did any of those games catch your eye? They were the ones that got my attention, but as always—if you saw some games that you think should have been on the list, say something in the comments! And, if you’re a developer, you can always feel free to email me if you’d like me to cover your game.
