Indie Video Game Round-Up #7 - THE DRAGONESS: COMMAND OF THE FLAME, DUNGEON ALCHEMIST, GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE-, and More
I’m back with more indie video game news for everyone. There’s been a lot of news lately, so I don’t want to wait too long before jumping in. If you think I missed something that I should’ve mentioned, let us know in the comments below. What indie game news are you excited about?
First up, we’ve got the announcement from Crazy Goat Games and PQube that The Dragoness: Command of the Flame is coming to consoles this year. The strategy RPG takes inspiration from Heroes of Might & Magic and our own Anna Williams enjoyed playing it on PC. Later this year, gamers will be able to enjoy it on Nintendo Switch, PS4/5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Next, Dungeon Alchemist announced that at the end of January, Dungeon Alchemist would be getting the Winter Wonderland update for free. This is a fantastic mapmaking tool for fantasy themed tabletop RPGs and the new update brings snow and related assets like snowmen to the mix. In fact, there are over 500 new assets with it. There are also some new features that were not included in the press release. You can head on over to Steam now to purchase Dungeon Alchemist and get building now.
Third, we have a trailer for the arcade party volleyball game Volley Pals. It looks like a fun game if you like pure chaos. Xbox players will be able to serve on March 10 while Nintendo Switch and Steam gamers will have to wait until April 6.
Guilty Gear -Strive- players should be excited. It was announced that a beta test for cross-platform play will launch this weekend. From February 3 at 11 PM PT until February 6 at 5 AM PT, PC, PlayStation, and Xbox players will all be able to play together to test out the system which is planned to release in full this spring. All 22 characters will be available to use across the following game modes. Are you excited?
Tutorial Mode - Players can learn the basics of how to play
Mission Mode - Players will learn useful techniques for matches in a mission format
Survival Mode - Fight consecutive battles against the COM with a limited pool of health.
Training Mode - Recreate a variety of situations and practice to your heart’s content
VS COM, VS 2P - Players can fight against the computer or a friend
Online Match (Rank Tower, Open Park, Player Match) - Play online against others from across the globe
Combo Maker - Make original combo or setplay, and search for other players’ recipes to try
Digital Figure - Set up characters, furniture, effects, and more to create a unique scene
Gallery - Check out the characters and BGM
Benjamin Rommel Games announced that their FTL and XCOM inspired game Galactic Crew II will be leaving Early Access and getting the full launch on Steam on May 8. The game was first launched on Early Access back in 2021 and has seen a lot of updates and fixes over the last couple of years including one to the custom game engine that it runs on.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous from Owlcat Games recently announced that it has sold 1 million copies. Plus, the team shared that the first DLC for Season Pass 2 will launch on February 28 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One players. A cloud version for Nintendo Switch will be released later. The DLC is titled The Last Sarkorians and will feature a new companion and the Shifter class. There will also be new abilities made available for the player similar to Ulbrig’s abilities.
The nation of Sarkoris was destroyed by the demons, yet the last of its people are ready to fight back. Meet Ulbrig Olesk, a Sarkorian shifter capable of turning into a mighty griffon, who remembers Sarkoris as it was before Areelu Vorlesh opened the Worldwound. Take him into your party and experience the crusade through the eyes of the last surviving tribal chieftain of old Sarkoris. Explore a new region, fight new enemies... And maybe even find new love!
Mimimi Games announced a new stealth strategy game called Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew. In this game, you’ll be part of a ghost ship as you search for some mysterious treasure. The game looks pretty cool and is set to release on PC (Steam|Epic), PS5, and Xbox Series X|S (affiliate link) in 2023.
In Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew, you will join a ghost ship with a living soul, sailing the Lost Caribbean, and assemble a cursed pirate crew. Embrace supernatural powers to defy the menacing army of the Inquisition, who stands between you and the mysterious treasure of the legendary Captain Mordechai.
505 Games and Raccoon Logic announced that their Stadia exclusive game Journey to the Savage Planet: Employee of the Month Edition will be salvaged after the death of the video game streaming platform. Starting February 14, fans will be able to play the game on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. This will also come as a free upgrade to PS4 and Xbox One owners. This version of the game includes the base game, the Hot Garbage DLC, bonus conversations with Martin Tweed, 4K support, Performance & Graphics options, and enhanced photo mode.
Join the Kindred Aerospace program as their highly-dedicated Employee of the Month, tasked with uncovering all sorts of otherworldly mysteries on ARY-26, a colorful and definitely not dangerous planet! Plunge into this space odyssey, discovering bizarre flora and fauna along the way and leaning into laser pistols, bombs, acids and other gross explosives to stay alive.
For all you Dune fans, Shiro Games and Funcom recently launched the Line in the Sand update for Dune: Spice Wars. Now, players will find new content from across the board including an end of game stats board which has been a highly requested feature. In addition military units have undergone some rebalancing and given some improvements to their AI. That’s not all though as map generation and starting spawns have also been improved to make the game start more fair. All of this comes alongside new regions, military gear, councilor reworks, and more.
Meanwhile, Atari has announced Caverns of Mars: Recharged, the latest title in the Atari Recharged series. This game has players delving into Mars trying to reach the planet’s core. You can play solo or with a partner and try to climb the global leaderboards. You can play Caverns of Mars: Recharged on Atari VCS, Nintendo Switch, PC (GOG|Steam), PS4/5, and Xbox consoles this spring.
In Caverns of Mars: Recharged, players progress through 30 unique missions set within three primary “depths” of Mars, descending deeper and deeper into enemy territory. Blast through oncoming hostile fire, bull through debris and obstructions, and dodge other obstacles all while keeping a close eye on fuel and ammo reserves. Featuring a unique local co-op mode, players can team up with one partner assigned to navigation while the other player shoots the drone!
If you’re a fan of the 1995 classic game Terminal Velocity, you’ll be excited to hear that it’s making a comeback! Ziggurat Interactive recently announced Terminal Velocity: Boosted Edition will launch on PC on March 14. This version of the game from Terminal Reality will feature smoother gameplay, upscaled graphics, a “fast framerate,” and improved sound. There will also be achievements and trophies for you to hunt as you play. There are even plans to release the game on consoles at a later date. You can wishlist Terminal Velocity: Boosted Edition now on Steam.
In Terminal Velocity: Boosted Edition, players will strap themselves into a fully decked-out fighter ship and battle through nine enemy-plagued planets across the galaxy. Set in the far future, the Earth is under siege as adversarial armadas from the surrounding systems have begun to strike. As a top-flying ace from the Ares Squadron, players will take control of the fastest — and most dangerous — aircraft ever made. Outgunned and outmanned, only a true fighter can make it out alive!
Tower of Fantasy has been seeing some solid success and Level Infinite and Hotta Studio recently announced a new simulacrum joining the game named Alyss. Alyss joins the game in the February 2 2.3 update alongside the game’s 6-month anniversary events full of exciting rewards. You can play Tower of Fantasy now for free on Android and iOS.
Alyss, codenamed M-sec 2000, is a new Special Forces agent whose unparalleled talents and work ethic are widely recognized across the Security Force. Though she has a natural talent for combat, she trains vigorously, always striving to be better than her colleagues. Following her outstanding simulation results, she has been called to take part in the Security Force's high-level missions. Alyss is a frost type with a distinctive foot-blade weapon and, as a special mechanism, she can transform herself into a fairy for infiltration.