The best Indie games at Gamescom

Whilst everyone loves a triple A shooter game, many don’t realise the small beauties that rest in the hearts of indie games. Whilst larger games have money to lavish on them to create beautiful graphics and employ famous people in the industry, indie games are usually smaller and have to pack a lot more punch with a lot smaller budget. So to show off these wonderful games, we’re making a list of the top indie games from a variety of genres that we found at this year’s Gamescom which you might not have known about before!

 

 

Forma.8

Developer: Mixed Bag

Platforms: PSVita, PS4, Wii U, Apple Devices, Mac and Linux

Whilst originally being announced for a release date in late 2014, Forma.8 got delayed slightly and boy are we glad it’s ready now! Forma.8 has visual vibes of Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet with its dark outlines and bright backgrounds so if you enjoyed that game, this one might then this might be right up your alley. A puzzle exploration game, you play as a small robot on an alien planet where you explore a large open world and face the challenges it offers to move on with the game. So if you like puzzle games this may be the pick for you, and it hits shelves in September!

 

 

 

 

Cuphead

Developer: Studio MDHR

Platforms: Xbox One and Steam.

A favourite at E3, Cuphead is a run and gun action game with an aesthetic based off 1930’s cartoons, giving it a very black and white Mickey Mouse feel making it a very fun game to play. The game’s premise is that Cuphead and Mughead gambled against the devil and ended up in servitude to him and now must do his bidding. The game seems very fast paced and full of action which fits in perfectly with its cartoon style. You can also get friends involved too with the game making use of Mughead as well to create a two player co-op mode! However there’s a wait for this one, with it not being released until 2016.

 

 

 

 

Distance

Developer: Refract

Platforms: PS4, Windows, Mac, Linux

With a distinct Tron vibe, Distance is a fast paced driving game incorporating neon lights against dark backdrops as you race around courses in a variety of different gameplay modes, however unlike regular racing games the key objective isn’t just to finish a lap … it’s to just survive the course. One of the key features Distance brings back is the use of split screens, so you can play against your friends all in the same place! However unlike most racing games, Distance has a story to tell, meaning that the more you play the more you unlock the dark story behind the world. Currently the game is out in Steam’s early access store, and will be coming to the PS4 sometime in 2015!

 

 

 

 

Hue

Developer: Curve

Platforms: Steam, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, PSVita and WiiU

Another puzzle game, Hue is described by Vibe as being “Playdead's Limbo meets a Splatoon accident” and we can see why. The dark base of the game, contrasted with the backgrounds that you can just pull off of a Photoshop colour wheel creates a shadow effect which looks absolutely stunning. The story comes when in a world of grey, Ann, a researcher at a university creates a ring which can create and alter colour, however when a fellow researcher argues with her she disappears into the coloured world, leaving her son the ring so he can come and find her. Battling spikes, lasers and other challenges that the colour world throws at you, Hue promises to be a challenging but fun game, being released in 2016!

 

Mother Russia Bleeds

Developer: Devolver

Platforms: PS4 and PC

Since it’s from the creators of Hotline Miami, it’s unsurprising how violent and bloody Mother Russia Bleeds is … though with a name like Mother Russia Bleeds the clue is in the title. However, from the trailer there’s an undeniable fascination with the platformer as it’s so reminiscent of the golden age of brawlers, from the art style to the general mechanics of the game and it simply looks fun! With a 4 player experience, you and your friends can all brawl your way through the levels, adding to the fun as you take down gangsters as violently as possible. The game launches in 2016.