0°N 0°W (pronounced “zero north, zero west”) is a tricky game to describe. It doesn’t follow traditional game design structures at all; if you had to group it within a genre, “walking simulator” would probably be the closest you could get, but even that doesn’t really capture the essence of …
Shoot ’em ups are famous for their difficulty, but they also tend to find that sweet spot where the challenge is rewarding rather than frustrating. Most modern shmups will happily give you unlimited continues, letting the challenge from the game come from trying to keep that continue count as low …
I always enjoy a good rogue-lite. I don’t much care for the more hardcore aspects of proper roguelikes, but I love the way games like Rogue Legacy and Children of Morta find a balance between the high stakes of permadeath and accessibility through meta progression systems. It’s into this camp …
Over the last few years, we’ve seen an explosion in support for entry-level game development tools like RPG Maker and GameMaker. Such tools were once written off as too simplistic to make “real” games, but the current indie boom has given these engines and the games made with them a …
You can always improve a game concept by adding cats and an onslaught of cat-themed puns. Always. The latest example of this is Cat Quest, a small, straightforward open-world RPG that finds plenty of charm in its feline persuasion. Cat Quest starts as many a game does, with someone close …
Strange, abstract trailers have a way of catching my attention. No, I’m not talking about that Death Stranding thing from The Game Awards, but the curious-looking 0°N 0°W from indie outfit Colorfiction. The title, pronounced “zero north, zero west”, is based on the coordinates of the fictitious Null Island. The game itself is described …
In a world where shooters almost always given the military of sci-fi treatment, it’s refreshing to play a game like Ace of Seafood. Instead of army fatigues or space marine armour, it gives you… a gang of fish and other sealife. That shoot lasers. And roam the ocean beating up …
Despite its prominent place in Japanese art history, there haven’t been too many games that channel ukiyo-e; Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines, it’s Japan-only predecessor Ore no Shikabane wo Koete Yuke, and Tokyo Tattoo Girls are the only ones that come to mind. Asakusa Studios, based in Tokyo’s historic Asakusa district, is …
In Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia, many communities have no access to clean water. Travelling miles each day to find collect water and lug it back home is a task that falls overwhelmingly on women, taking away from time they could spend learning and helping their families. The UN …
Mystik Belle is a neat Metroidvania with a heavy focus on item puzzles, all wrapped gorgeous pixel art that calls to mind the last days of Super Famicom. Belle McFae is a freshman at Hagmore School of Magic, skilled at fire magic and getting into trouble. One fateful night, that …
