Indie games have revolutionized the world of gaming, opening up the genre to a wide range of developers and gamers alike. And, as you’d expect, E3 showcased a large number of different independent games for their Indiecade Showcase. From slightly weird to, well, really weird, here are some of the most interesting indie games I had the opportunity to play.
Vampire: We Eat Blood
Text-based games are always fun to play. After all, who doesn’t love Zork, Shade, or (of course) the iconic Thy Dungeonman. Well, Vampire: We Eat Blood takes that concept and modernizes it. The game exclusively features you texting another person, making certain choices as the story unfolds. As I finished my time with the game, the characters were conversing about how much they wanted to take a bite out of a rat. Needless to say, I’m curious what happens next.
Oikospiel Book 1
To call Oikospiel abstract would seem like a bit of a grand understatement. You see, I began the game as a swimming eel, jumped on the land and turned into a spider, ran from some dogs, and witnessed a human shooting a bullet at a house. I then turned into a rabbit and hopped towards the house, investigating the scene. You know, the usual. All the while, some strange yet atmospheric music accompanied your choices. While speaking with the creator of the game, he described it as a “dog opera”. I can say in all honesty this is the first of the genre I’ve experienced.
Metronomicon
The best way I could describe this game is “Final Fantasy meets Dance Dance Revolution.” You have a number of characters at your disposal which you can switch with the push of a button. Using the d-pad, you must tap the right direction at the right time DDR-style in order to pull off attacks. While I don’t get to show off my killer dance moves, I find it to be a nice mix of the two genres.
Frog Fractions 2/Glittermitten Grove
This one’s a bit hard to explain. When I walked up to their display, one of the team members explained to me that it was a quirky collection of minigames. She was not kidding. For one game, I was shaving a teenage President Obama so that he was prepared to give a speech to his high school class. In another game, I was attempting to hop toasters over pipes Flappy Bird-style. And in my final game I was the human roommate of an alien rudely moving the couch to annoy my interterrestrial house-mate. I feel like no further explanation is needed.
A Case Of Distrust
Much like Vampire: We Eat Blood, A Case Of Distrust is a very text-heavy game. However, there are a few key differences. First of all, the game is set in San Francisco in 1924, featuring a very noir vibe. Which is markedly different from the rat-biting quirkiness of Vampire: We Eat Blood. Additionally, the game has an adventurous point-and-click gameplay, making it feel even more like you’re an actual detective. Minus that awesome detective hat. You know the one I’m talking about.
