Hades in early access, an (unofficial) Pokémon roguelike, and a big, new release from Supercell
James is back with the third edition of Sandbox Victory. A lot of cool stuff this month from big early access releases, to smaller hobbies, and even mobile releases.
🆕 On the Shelves
😈 Hades II
It's in early access now!
💀 Crypt Master
Typing of the dead meets roguelike!
Educational? I'd definitely be keen on using this in my teaching context with students.
From the Steam page:
SAY ANYTHING in this bizarre dungeon adventure where words control everything. Fill in the blanks with text or voice to uncover lost abilities, embark on strange quests, and solve mindbending riddles. Can you conquer the crypt and uncover the mystery at the heart of CRYPTMASTER?"
🧩 Infinimoes
Absolutely gorgeous PICO-8 puzzle game. You are given a selection of different shaped blocks (like tetronimoes) and have to fit them into a mould. The polish on this game is just wonderful.
Just check out the promotional video:
🔑 Master Key
From the Steam page:
Master Key is a top-down adventure game with a strong focus on item-based exploration and secrets. Embark on a journey to discover what that key could be used for and meet colorful characters!"
📡 On the Radar
🕳️ Hollow Floor (demo)
Cute little platformer with some excellent mechanics – float, flip, explore!
Looks very much like a PICO-8 game, but isn't. It's only inspired by it:
If you enjoy the demo, consider wishlist the game on @Steam. The game is inspired by pico8 constraints (it runs in 128x128 pixels and has a limited color palette)"
The music is really atmospheric and inviting. Really nice cave aesthetics. Tasty puzzles to crunch on. Wishlist on steam now!
🎮 In Rotation
🐣 ANIMAL WELL
From the Steam page:
Explore a dense, interconnected labyrinth, and unravel its many secrets. Collect items to manipulate your environment in surprising and meaningful ways. Encounter beautiful and unsettling creatures, as you attempt to survive what lurks in the dark. There is more than what you see."
I've put a few hours into it so far and am getting deeper and deeper into this labyrinthine dungeon.
The progression is really on point. Getting new items that unlock new areas and then new items again... rinse and repeat in a lovely, intricate maze that just keeps on giving.
🐙 PokéRogue
NOT affiliated with Nintendo or Game Freaks or Creatures. Just a hobby project. It runs in your browser and is a roguelike version of Pokémon.
It cuts out all the RPG elements and just pits you head to head with other pokémon and then trainers.
🚧 Squad Busters
SUPERCELL, creators of the other popular MOBA - Brawl Stars - have just released a brand new game: Squad Busters. "What's the difference," you might say. Based on my very limited play session of the new game (it only came out yesterday!), this one is more like a battle royale than a team-based shooter.
You create your team of heroes and are put into an arena with 9 other players to see which team can survive and collect the most gems.
The controls (as far as I have seen so far) are incredibly simple. Move a stick controller to walk around. Let go to shoot. There is also another button to use power-ups like sprint, use bombs, etc. Simple.
The gameplay loop seems to be:
- Kill mobs (or other players) → get coins
- Use coins to unlock new members or strengthen existing members on your team
- Then, after 2 minutes have passed, a central gem-filled chest starts spitting out gems.
- Collect the most gems (or be the last team standing) to win.
I can see the strategy in this game coming into team formation. That is to say, much like SUPERCELL's other games (Crash Royale being the main one that is featured as an eSport), there are a ton of characters to chose from.
