Giving some small indie games a chance

In recent years, I haven't branched out as much as I'd like when it comes to my gaming taste. I did venture away from exclusively playing AAA games, but the indies I played were the huge titles that may as well be AAA at this point just based on their ubiquity, like Hades, Disco Elysium, Stardew Valley, and so on.

I really love AAA games, but when I sit down to play one, I pretty much know right away what to expect in terms of the overall experience. When I got to thinking about everything that's releasing in 2022, I found myself feeling less enthused than usual. Don't get me wrong, there are some huge, genuinely really exciting games coming out this year, like Horizon Forbidden West, Elden Ring, and God of War Ragnarok, but none of them have me counting down the?? days until their release.

That got me thinking, is there anything I'm excited about whe?n it comes to games this year? Well yeah, of course there is. I wouldn't write about them for a living if that wasn't the case. As I started thinking about it, I realized I'm more excited for the games I don't know about than the ones that I do.

[caption id="attachment_303920" align="alignnone" width="1600"] _{[Image Source: Common Sense Media]}[/caption]There ar?e so, so many games out in the world, and a vast majority of them won't get a fraction of the attention even lesser-known indie games will receive. The thing is, though, these super small indie games are often the ones doing some of the most unique and interesting things to push games forward. They tell the stories we wouldn't otherwise hear, and they incorporate experimental mechanics that would never make the final cut of a triple-A game. Without all the corporate red tape, small games really get to shine, and show off the endless potential of what the interactive medium can do.

Most of these super-small games won't even get trailers �you kind of have to hear about them through word of mouth, or just actively seek them out. While I wish many of these types of games would get more of a chance, there is something cool about coming across a passion project some??one worked really hard on but didn't expect anyone to see. When you take away the business side of any art, you know you're getting someone's vision, pristine and undisturbed, for better or for worse.

[caption id="attachment_303926" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{[Image Source: Overland on Steam]}[/caption]My plan this year i?s to just be on the lookout for anything?? and everything that piques my interest. When I see someone post about their game on Twitter that's finally out, I want to take a look, or really listen when my friends tell me to check out a game they liked.

There are tons of amazing indie festivals and conferences that showcase these types of projects. Reddit is home to some great indie communities where devs post their progress, so I'll be scouring those, too. Organizations like WINGS and GLITCH are invested in funding and publishing diverse indie voices. I also have one of those massive itch.io bundles that I bought last summer that I haven't even looked through yet, so I know there's gonna be a lot of good stuff in ther??e, too.

With all of the huge games that are constantly coming out of bigger studios, it can be easy to forget how much of the gaming industry is little games made by single people or small teams, simply because they love them. Open source tools, and websites like itch.io have made it easier than ever for people to share their work, so at this point I really have no excuse. Now I'm looking forward to 2022 being the year that I really immerse myself into the indie scene, because although indies make up most of my "favorite games of all time" list??, there is still so, so much to see. Looking forward, I think it's a pretty safe bet to say that my favorite game of 2022 will be one I haven't even heard of yet.

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Indie developer goes DIY to get horror title sold

Delisted horror title Devotion is back on the market, some two years following its initial release, after Taiwanese developer Red Candle Games opened its own store in order to sell the creepy adventure game directly to anybody who wi?shes to purchase it.

Originally launching in February 2019, Devotion was pulled from the Steam platform following a massive surge of negative reviews after a talisman was discovered in-game openly criticizing Chinese President Xi Jinping. Red Candle removed Devotion from sale, claiming that the offending message was a placeholder, never intended to ship in the finished product. But egos had already been damaged and, ultimately, Devotion would not return to the Steam store. In completely unrelated events, Devotion publisher Indievent had its business license revoked by China later that year??.

The situation would then go quiet until December 2020,  when publisher GOG.com announced on Twitter that it was preparing to carry Devotion on its retail store. GOG would do a complete u-turn mere hours later, refusing to release the game "after receiving many messages from gamers." Clearly, Red Candle? Games has decided that the only course of action - some two ?years later - is to step up and sell the controversial title directly to players.

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COVID relief, NAACP, and Australian bushfire fund among the beneficiaries

While 2020 was most certainly not a year to look back on with any great fondness, the trials and tribulations of what should have been a promising start to a new decade did not stunt the kindness and generosity of the gaming community. Games Done Quick, Pokemon GO Fest, itch.io, Extra Life, and many other events and companies donated/raised funds for a variety of important and worthwhile causes??. And discount gaming store Hum?ble Bundle was no different.

Over the course of the year, Humble Bundle raised a total of ov??er $30 million USD via the sales of its gaming and book bundles, with the impressive total reaching a total of 224 global charities. Of this figure, some $8.1 million was donated to COVID relief and healthcare causes such as Direct Relief, Medecin Sans Frontiers, and Partners in Health, all of whom worked tirelessly in e?fforts to? provide resources, PPE, and healthcare during one of the worst global pandemics the planet has ever faced.

Humble Bundle also raised around $2.2 million to help fight the terrible Australian Bushfire crisis, which saw 46 million acres of land and wildfire decimated between the months of September 2019 and March 2020. In the summer of 2020, at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, Humble Bundle raised almost $5 million in a single week to benefit multiple Black charities including the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Race Forward, and? The Bail Project. The publisher also committed $1 million to an initiative that prioritizes publishing titles? from Black developers.

Since its inception ?in 2010, Humble Bundle's "Pay What You Want" sales methodology is expected to have raised over $200 million for charity. This is one in any number of stories I've reported on that showcase the compassionate and supportive side of this often maligned industry and community. While the world remains deeply embroiled in much of 2020's negativity, it's endlessly comforting to see publishe?rs and players contribute toward better times, even in the hardest of times.

Humble was founded with a simple mission: to be a force for good in the world through gaming. We’re inspired by the way the community rose to the extraordinary challenges of 2020 and proud to share everything we’ve been able to accomplish together. pic.twitter.com/rDoAFtY6Lp

— Humble Bundle (@humble) March 10, 2021

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Want to feel old?

Ten years ago, we covered the very first Humble Indie Bundle – a unique concept at the time that snowballed into something truly long-lasting. Think of how different the landscape felt. Think back on what kinds of indie games were blowing up back then (World of Goo!) and what it was like to find them.

So much has changed for independent games, developers, and gaming deals over the past decade, but Humble is still doing its thing in 2020. It's wild ?to pause for a moment to reflect. How many games in my l?ibrary came from bundles? Hundreds upon hundreds, I'm sure, but I don't even wanna know.

This week, it's the Humble Indie Bundle 21, a sma??ll curated collection of name-your-pri??ce indies.

The $1-or-more tier:

• Hotline Miami
• Beat Cop
• Dustforce DX

The beat-the-average-price tier:

• Moonlighter
• Gato Roboto
• More games that'll be revealed in a week.

The $15-or-more tier:

• Hypnospace Outlaw
• Starbound

The list is surprisingly spa?rse, isn't it? I ex??pected more fanfare.

Other than Hypnospace Outlaw – a ridiculous game about ??hunting down scumbags in a 1990s surfing-the-web simulator – nothing jumps out at me?. A dollar is a dollar, and I can't argue with that, but most of these games have had countless heavy discounts before. They're not exactly fresh picks in 2020.

I'm so curious to see which games are added? to the lineup next week. If you're on the fence, make sure to check back by Tuesday, May 26. The Humble Indie Bundle 21 will be around until 11:00 a.m. PT.

_{[Image credit: ScrambledEggsOnToast]}

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New titles to be revealed in video presentations

Online video game retailer Humble Bundle will be adopting a new approach to announcing its upcoming games and deals, with the announcement of a new video presentation platform known as "Humble Brag.??"

The first Humble Brag video will arrive next week, and will be available to view over at the publisher's official YouTube channel. This new delivery system is expected to offer customers news on the company's charity-loving bundle deals, as well as individual releases published by Humble themselves, such as incoming releases Temtem and Them's Fightin' Herds.

Online presentations, whether done via live stream or just video releases, are fast becoming the most popular and cost-efficient way of getting knowledge of your wares on the internet and in the eyes of the public. Giving the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which is shutting down a lot of public gatherings, it's expected that more companies will be adop??ting this approach in the near future.

The spring Humble Brag presentation will go live March 24 at 23:00 PT and March?? ?25 at 02:00 ET / 07:00 BST.

Want to s??ee more new amazing indies coming from our publishing team?

Check out our brand new series, The Humble Brag, where we will?? be revealing new games and showing what's coming up!

Mark your calendars for March 24th at 9am PST. //t.co/qwt7wX41eS pic.twitter.com/ijWZ5fZPjg

— Humble Bundle (@humble) March 20, 2020

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'Chris, this way!'

When a major publisher like Capcom partners with Humble Bundle, I feel like I have to take a look despite knowing full well that I'll inevitably already own most – if not all! – of the featured games. That's exactly the situation I'm in with this week's Humble Capcom Mega Bundle. My fate is sealed.

These PC deals are somewhat scattershot, but here's the gist. You can get the Mega Man Legacy Collection for a dollar – a dollar! You can also save on the Mega Man Legacy X Collection, which is uneven but still great, and a few Resident Evil gems including Resident Evil HD Remaster and Revelations 2.

But as far as newer Capcom games, it's a little less outwardly enticing. This bundle only includes half-off coupons for Resident Evil 2 (2019) and Devil May Cry 5, not the full games, and that's a harder sell.

I understand they want to keep the overall ??price ?down, but still. This deal is going to click with a particular audience. The rest of us will need to figure out if we're fine hoarding duplicate copies.

The bare-minimum $1-and-up tier:

• Strider
• Mega Man Legacy Collection
• Resident Evil 2 - All In-game Rewards Unlock
• Resident Evil Revelations 2 - Episode 1: Penal Colony

The pay-more-than-the-average-price tier:

• Mega Man X Legacy Collection
• Resident Evil: Revelations 2 - Complete Season
• Resident Evil 0 HD Remaster
  
• Resident Evil Revelations
• Humble Store Coupon: 50% off Resident Evil 2
• Humble Store Coupon: 50% off Devil May Cry 5

The $20-and-up tier:

• Mega Man 11
• Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection
• Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
• Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition
• Resident Evil HD Remaster
• Dead Rising 4

The Humble Capcom Mega Bundl??e will be sold until 11:00 a.m. Paci??fic on March 31, 2020.

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Deals on Oculus Rift, Vive, and Valve Index games

If there'?s one thing you'll quickly (and continuously) learn as a new VR owner, it's that sales are crucial.

After breaking through that initial financial barrier to entry, it's important to buil?d out your early library with restraint. When I first got my headset, everything looked so fresh and exciting – I was impulse-bu??ying left and right. Thankfully, VR is further along now, and deals pop up on a pretty regular basis.

Depending on what you've played so far, the Humble VR Bundle has a lot of value. It includes two of my favorites: the pint-sized platformer Moss, and the share-with-friends showstopper Superhot VR.

You can pay $1 or more for:

• Cosmic Trip (Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Valve Index, Windows Mixed Reality)
  
• Smashbox Arena (Oculus Rift, HTC Vive)

If you pay more than the average price (~$12), you'll also get:

• Gorn (Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Valve Index, Windows Mixed Reality)
  
• Budget Cuts (Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Valve Index, Windows Mixed Reality)
• Space Pirate Trainer (Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Valve Index, Windows Mixed Reality)

If you drop $15 or more, you'll also get:

• Superhot VR (Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Valve Index, Windows Mixed Reality)
• Moss (Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Valve Index, Windows Mixed Reality)
  

In terms of PC VR, consider this bundle a good little starter kit. Some of these titles are more fleeting experiences, but the price is right. A?? few of them will be worth revisiting multiple times over.

The Humble VR Bundle will stick a?round until February 25, 2020, at 11:00 a?.m. Pacific.

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A worthy cause

It's hard to wrap your head around the scope of a crisis like the one Australia is facing. Numbers on a page – no matter how wide-spread and terrifying they sound – can't fully capture the devastation.

This week, Humble Bundle and around 30 developers are showing their support with the Humble Australia Fire Relief Bundle, a special vide??o game bundle intended to "help the wildlife and animals affect??ed by the Australian bushfires." It's selling for $25, and all of the proceeds will go to charity.

Here's the list of game?s, many of which are excellent:

• Void Bastards
• Hollow Knight
• Armello
• Euro Truck Simulator 2 + Australia Paint Pack DLC
• Duck Game
• Hand of Fate 2
• Paradigm
• Crawl
• The Adventure Pals
• Regular Human Basketball
• Satellite Reign
• Hacknet + Hacknet Labyrinths DLC
• Mr. Shifty
• Primal Carnage: Extinction
• Assault Android Cactus+
• Frog Detective
• Framed Collection
• Think of the Children
• Feather
• Tower of Guns
• Rising Dusk
• Death Squared
• Paperbark
• Quest of Dungeons
• The Stillness of the Wind
• The Gardens Between
• Paper Fire Rookie
• Masquerade: The Baubles of Doom
• Machinarium

You probably own quite a few of these if you're a deal-hunting PC gamer, but it's a wor?thy cause.

If you decide to support the bundle, you'll be able to split your money between three (very relevant) organizations: the World Wildlif??e Fund, WIRES (NSW Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service), and RSPCA Australia (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).

The Humble Australia Fire Relief Bundle will be sold until January 23, 2020, at 11:??00am Pacific.

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Featuring Cities: Skylines, Surviving Mars, and other PC games

When I think of winter gaming, I think of video games with a propensity for eating whole afternoons like it's no big deal. Management titles, sims, strategy games – you know the kind. Once yo??u get in there and untangle their inner workings, it's easy to fall into an endless loop of progress and refinement.

The currently-running Humble Paradox Management Bundle speaks to that whole philosophy. The collection cove?rs a range of time-hogging PC games across multiple name-your-pr??ice tiers.

Pay $1 or more:

• Prison Architect
• Prison Architect - Aficionado
• Cities in Motion
• Cities in Motion 2

Pay more than the average purchase price:

• Cities: Skylines
• Cities: Skylines - Content Creator Pack: European Suburbia
• Cities: Skylines - Green Cities
• Cities: Skylines - Synthetic Dawn Radio
• Cities in Motion: US Cities
• Cities in Motion: Tokyo
• Cities in Motion: German Cities
• Cities in Motion 2: European Cities

Pay $18 or more:

• Surviving Mars: Digital Deluxe Edition
• Cities: Skylines - Industries
• Surviving Mars: Space Race
• Surviving Mars: Green Planet
• Surviving Mars: Project Laika

This is a great way to get started with Cities: Skylines and its DLC, the latter of which can be overwhelming for newcomers. Surviving Mars – a colony-build?ing sim – is also worth considering.

The bundle will stick around until 11:00am Pacific on December 24, ?2019.

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PS4 and Switch up for grabs

Enter our contest for your chance to win a PS4 or Switch physical copy of Forager!

I know I say this every time, but giving away limited physical editions of games is my favorite thing to do. There's nothing quite like having something sitting on your she??lf for everyone to see. Or if you're me, for you to ignore and never open or play. I've got a problem, for sure.

Good news is these copies of Forager aren't for me -- they're for you! We've got a P??S4 and a Switch copy of the game? to give away. You just gotta promise you'll actually play it and not let it rot on your shelf like I would. Pinkie swear!

My uncle stole my keybo?ard, so I'll have to paste in this press info about the game.

Forager is a 2D open world game inspired by exploration, farming and crafting games such as Stardew Valley, Terraria, & Zelda. Start small and improve your base, skills, equipment, network of friends (and enemies!) and build your future as you see fit! You can play Forager in a very varied array of playstyles. The physical edition will come with an excl?usive poster and stickers.

• Forage, fish, mine, hunt, dig, farm, gather, collect and manage resources. Plant and Grow all sorts of veggies, flowers, fruits, and herbs.
• Craft useful items & structures and upgrade your equipment to venture into 4 distinct dungeons to face off against mighty bosses.
• Build and grow a base out of nothing. Buy land to expand and explore. Place decorations and create roads to make travel easier.
• Animals are awesome! Pet them, feed them, and take care of them and they will love you forever!
• Level up and learn new skills, abilities, and blueprints. Solve puzzles, find secrets and raid dungeons or build and empire through trade and aggressive expansion.
• Achieve anything you want! The choice is yours, set your own goals to work towards!

My uncle was foraging through my computer eq??uipment again. He didn't craft anything, though. But he did start growing some strange herbs in the back yard, so I guess he's pretty good at this game!

To enter to win, use the widget below to leave your name and email address. You can enter daily. Be sure to specify which platform you'd like a copy for. For bonus entries, follow Dtoid and developer HopFrog on Tw??itter, and share our contest post with your friends.

While you're waiting, tell us your f?avorite thing to craft. Or fish. Or grow. Or build. Or anything from the description above. Just don't be like my uncle, please.

We have one ??copy each for PS4 and Switch to give away; you must have a ?United States shipping address to qualify. Winners will be drawn Monday, November 4.

Forager is available now wherever video games are sold. Hit up PlayStation and Nintendo Enthusiast for more chances to win!

Contest: Your ??search? is over with a physical copy of Forager

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So many questions, too little time

Jackbox Games and Humble have teamed up once again to let you get a bunch of You Don't Know Jack games on the cheap. Much like last time, a ton of the classic YDKJ titles are on offer in the cheapest tier while the more recent Jackbox Party Pack ??compilations will run you at least $12. All things consi?dered, this is still an incredible deal at $15 for everything, which gives you roughly 30 games to play through.

Here's everything on offer in the "Humble Jackbox Party Bundle 2019."

$1 Tier

• YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 1 XL
• YOU DON'T KNOW JACK TELEVISION
• YOU DON'T KNOW JACK MOVIES
• YOU DON'T KNOW JACK SPORTS
• YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 6 The Lost Gold
• YOU DON'T KNOW JACK HEADRUSH

$12 Tier

• The Jackbox Party Pack
• The Jackbox Party Pack 2

"Beat The Average" Tier

• Drawful 2
• Quiplash
• Fibbage XL
• YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 2
• YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 3
• YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Vol. 4 The Ride
  

$15 Tier

• The Jackbox Party Pack 3
• The Jackbox Party Pack 4

Jackbox Party Bundle 2019 [Humble]

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Here's a perfectly good basketball half

Hopfrog's charming indie title Forager? is headed to consoles later this month, with a digital release planned for PS4 and Nintendo Switc??h July 30. This will be followed by a physical release sometime in September.

Released on PC back in April of this year, Forager blends the genres of multiple video games, as players guide a cute, weapon-wielding character through the overground and underground of a colourful,?? 16-bit style world. As the title denotes, players can scavenge for goodies and materials, explore dungeons and take down bosses, even build a farm and sell their produce for profit. Who?? knew sifting through garbage could be so productive!

For those of you hanging on for the physical release, it is scheduled for launch in North America September 10 for around $30 with Europe to follow a couple of days later. ??This edition will also come bundled with a few extras, such as a poster and a sticker set.

Forager is available now on PC and is coming ?to PS4 and Nintendo Switch?????????????????????????? July 30.

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Sky high views

The previously PS4 exclusive bird training game Falcon Age will be heading to PC soon. Announced at Kinda Funny Games' E3 showcase, we got a quick trailer that didn't show off a whole lot, but did confirm that VR support will be included. Whether it is Oculus?? or Vive is unknown, but we wont have long to find out.

Falcon Age ?;will be? hitting PC this summer. Hopefully it won't be an Epic Games Store exclusive.

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Who needs a wallet, anyway?

I thought I was in the clear after Steam's mega summer sale. I figured I would be good until at least the Fall season before nabbing all kinds of indie games on the cheap. Leave it to Humble Bundle to yell, "CHEAP GAMES!" and get me worked up into a fever. How?? are there still so many games I have yet to buy?! Why have you forsaken me?!

My crisis aside, Humble Bundle is hosting an "Indie Mega Week" sale with quite a bit of titles on the cheap. Some savings are 90% off, which is basically like stealing these games. I'm not going to list everything that is on sale, but I'll give you guys some highlights ??that are bound to keep you entertained until the next game sale rolls aro?und.

• A Hat in Time - $19.49
• Amnesia: The Dark Descent - $2.99
• Broforce - $3.74
• INSIDE - $8.99
• Owlboy - $14.99
• Rocket League - $11.99
• Undertale - $4.99

Indie Mega Week [Humble Bundle]

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BioShock Infinite is kind of cheap, though

If you're looking for an eclectic collection of titles to kick start the new year, this latest Humble Bundle is sure to tickle just about any fancy you could find. Called the "Staff Picks" bundle?, this collection of titles spans so many different genres that I'm surprised there is even a recognizable name in the bunch.

For $1, you can nab Punch Club, Tempest and LiEat which is actually pretty damn good for the price. At the "Beat the Average" tier (currently sitting around $6), you can get BioShock Infinite, Beholder and Aragami, which is also not a bad deal. The final $12 tier gets you SHENZEN I/O and a $2 Humble Monthly credit, though you need to be subscribed to Humble Monthly to rece?ive the last bit.

While I can't see every person actually enjoying all of these games, you'd be hard pressed to find a more broad collection for the same price. It is always good to try new things, so why? not give this bundle a shot?

"Staff Picks" Bundle [Humble Bundle]

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From Sam & Max to The Walking Dead to Batman

This is one of those Humble Bundles that's going to be an absolute steal for?? a certain type of person but,? for the rest of us, there will be too much overlap to justify a purchase. Maybe you have a friend who's never messed with Telltale games before. Maybe you should give them a holler. I'm just sayin'!

Pay $1 or more:

• Sam & Max: Season 1
• Sam & Max: Season 2
• Puzzle Agent 1
• Puzzle Agent 2
• Bone - Episode 1 & Episode 2
• Hector: Badge of Carnage
• Telltale Texas Hold'em
• Poker Night at the Inventory
• The Walking Dead: Season 1

Pay more than the average:

• The Walking Dead: Michonne
• Tales from the Borderlands
• The Walking Dead: Season 2
• Game of Thrones
• More to come

Pay $15 or more:

• Batman - The Telltale Series
• Minecraft: Story Mode
• Minecraft: Story Mode - Adventure Pass

I can safely recommend the middle tier on this one. For a lot of folks who keep up with Telltale's goings-on, Borderlands is a high point for the studio. You don't need to care about the source material to get down with that game. I can't stress that enough. And if you've somehow avoided the first season of Telltale's Walking Dead ??all this time?, you should consider getting that for a dollar.

Here's hoping The Wolf Among Us makes it into that beat-the??-average tie?r next week.

Humble Telltale Games Bundle [Humble]

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Why haven't you done it already?

Its still super crazy, to me, how Adult Swim seamlessly transitioned into video game publishing. I used to watch them with an almost religious devotion when I was a teen and that followed me into college. My roommate freshman year had never seen Futurama before ?meeting me, but after that first year, he had watched the entire series about four times through.

Anyway, you can get Volgarr the Viking for a dollar in the newest Humble Bundle, based on Adult Swim Games. Some of the other games are pretty good, too, but Volgarr is absolutely worth that low entry price. As a matter of fact, why are you even reading this? Just go buy Volgarr and prepare to get your teeth?? kicked in for a few hours. It will turn you into a bad ass, guaranteed.

The other games are as follows:

$1 Tier:

• Small Radios Big Televisions
• WASTED
• Westerado: Double Barreled
• Volgarr The Viking

Beat the Average ($6.25 at time of writing) Tier:

• Duck Game
• Rise & Shine
• Headlander

$12 or More Tier:

• Glittermitten Grove
• Rain World
• Frog Fractions 2

Humble Adult Swim Games Bundle [Humble Bundle]

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Grim Fandango is worth it alone

The latest Humble weekly bundle is chock full of great choices. For $10, you can grab Grim Fandango Remastered, Day of the Tentacle Remastered, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Her Story, The Stanley Parable and a few ot??hers. Everything is offered for Windows and Mac while only a few games aren??'t available on Linux. Some also don't include DRM free keys, but for $10 you can't really complain.

You'll also nab some soundtracks if you "beat the average" or go for the $10 tier. Even with a few games I've never tried, this is one of the best bundles Humble has offered in quite some time. If you don't already own Grim Fandango and Day of the Tentacle, then what are you waiting for?

Pay What You Want:

• Worms: Clan Wars
• 80 Days
• Her Story

Beat the Average ($5.51 at time of writing):

• Grim Fandango Remastered
• The Stanley Parable
• Broken Sword 5 - The Serpent's Curse

$10 or More:

• Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
• Day of the Tentacle Remastered

"Game On" Bundle [Humble Bundle]

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Okay, wow, I'm in

It's hard to believe we're on the Humble Indie Bundle 18, but never mind that alar?ming realization about how quickly time moves -- there are good games to play at sill?y-good prices.

Pay $1 or more:

• Dungeon-crawling FPS Ziggurat
• Co-op high-seas sailing title Windward
• Turn-based tactics game SteamWorld Heist

Pay more than the average (which is $7.90, at the time of writing):

• Real Good episodic adventure Kentucky Route Zero (the full season)
• Spying-for-the-government landlord game Beholder
• Wonky physics sandbox Goat Simulator (with all DLC)
• More games to come

Pay $13 or more:

• Sublime-looking platformer adventure Owlboy

I've gotta buy this bundle. I love me some SteamWorld Dig, but I've yet to get around to Heist.

Humble Indie Bundle 18 [Humble Bundle]

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This is Soneat!

Humble Bundle has long since eclipsed the idea of being solely about indie games. While they only have limited experienced with any console distribution (previously hosting Nintendo bundles), it looks like Humble is ready to tackle another industry giant. Teaming up with THQ Nordic, Humble is proud to present the "PlayS??tation Bundle," compromised solely of THQ games and a lot of remasters.

The $1 tier isn't that hot (save for Red Faction), but it really picks up with the "beat the average" tier. Currently going for around $12, you can get both Destroy All Humans games along with a cross-buy enabled version of Legend of Kay. Bump up to the $15 tier and you'll receive both Darksiders and Darksiders II on PS3 and PS4. That is pretty a?wesome, if totally unnecessa??ry.

Any way you slice it, this is a great deal. $15 for 13 games basically amounts to a buck a title. You can't even find these games on Steam for that cheap and this even caters to PS3 us??ers a little.

Pay $1 or More:

• ArcaniA: The Complete Tale (PS4)
• The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 (PS4)
• Deponia (PS4)
• Red Faction (PS4)
• Super Dungeon Bros. (PS4)

Pay More Than the Average:

• Battle Worlds: Kronos (PS4)
• Destroy All Humans! (PS4)
• Destroy All Humans! 2 (PS4)
• Legend of Kay Anniversary (PS3 and PS4)

Pay $15 or More:

• Darksiders (PS3)
• Darksiders: Warmastered Edition (PS4)
• Darksiders II (PS3)
• Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition (PS4)
• MX Vs ATV Supercross (PS3)
• MX Vs ATV Supercross Encore (PS4)

Humble THQ Nordic PlayStation Bundle [Humble Bundle]

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Vote, watch, play

So that's what was inside Tim Schafer's mystery box: Amnesia Fortnight!

Double Fine's two-week game jam is back for 2017 with a fresh batch of pitches to hear out and vote on. The winning ideas will move onto the next stage, becoming playable prototypes, and the whole wild process is documented by 2 Player Productions (Double Fine Adventure) for our viewing pleasure.

Voting is handled through Humble Bundle with a $1 bundle purchase, and that's also where you'll be able to hear more in-depth game pitches from the hopeful creators. In this year's Fortnight, there are going to be four winners -- two chosen by us, one by Double Fine's team, and one by T??im Schafer.

At a glance, my favorites are The Gods Must Be Hungry, "a 3D platformer where warrior chefs make giant meals to stop ravenous gods from eating the human race," and Outside, "a game about kayaking and exp?loring the great outdoors." What about you? What's sounding good here?

Amnesia Fortnight 2017 [Humble Bundle]

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HackyZack Furniss

I can't say I've even? thought ??about hacky sacks in any capacity over the last decade. They were a massive fad in the '90s that took the world by storm. There was an inherent joy in maneuvering a sack of beans through the air that clicked immediately for a lot of people.

Now, would I want a video game of that? Not particularly, but at least if one existed it should strive to be deeper than the crap seen in California Games back on the NES. Thankfully developer Spaceboy Games has done ju?st that; they've created a fun litt??le game about kicking a sack of beans through the air.

HackyZack (PC)
Developer: Spaceboy Games
Publisher: Humble Bundle
Released: March 28, 2017
MSRP: $9.99

Trying to overcomplicate HackyZack by setting some kin??d of story up would be pointless. Even the developers didn’t pull that on the official Steam page. "You are Zack. Juggle balls with unique properties through platforming puzzles to ??a goal at the end of each stage," reads the description. Done; signed; it’s in the movie!

Like I said above, HackyZack follows a simple puzzle platformer formula. The game begins with a simple concept, explains itself through visual cues and direct int??eraction and then ups the ante or changes the gimmick in each "world." What you end up with is a simple game that tests your reflexes and puzzle-solving skills along with providing some cool visuals and music.

The main mode of the game has you kicking around different sacks to a goal and then proceeding to?? the next level. You can find collectible stickers in each level that unlock a secondary option, Target mode. Target mode shares the same gameplay concept, but switches out a single goal for multiple targets that need to be broken.

The controls are super simple and easy to grasp. You move around with the arrow keys or d-pad, and you have a double jump, a wall jump, and your basic kick. By holding the d-pad or arrow keys in specific directions, you can control how Zack is going to kick the sack in the air (exemplified by a grid around the sack). Some levels will have a regular old sack while others will give you a floaty beach ball, some Matrix-esque slow-motion sack, or hyper bouncy sacks.

Through the process of natural experimentation, you figure ??out what the properties of each sack are, what the level is asking of you, and how you should go about it. A few levels do allow for different solutions, so you can sometimes get around by breaking the rules set in front of you. That makes for some good replayability, even if the developer’s solution is usually the simplest to execute.

Of course, since this is a platformer, you aren't just kicking sacks around with no obstacles. You'll need to guide the sacks through time-sensitive walls, moving platforms, and even death blocks. If Zack isn't careful, he can die by missing a jump or running into an obstacle, but the punish??ment isn't too severe. Since each level is micro-sized, you'll lose approximately 30 seconds of progress ??depending on what the challenge is asking of you.

Along with that extra game mode, collecting stickers also unlocks different costumes for Zack. They don??’t modify the gameplay in any manner??, so it acts purely as a cosmetic difference. I particularly like the frog suit that has Zack ribbit as he jumps about.

Honestly, that is all HackyZack has. There are no hints of some grand evil schemes or any explanation for why Zack is playing a game of death sack; you just get put into a level and are told to complete it. It is refreshing to see a game state its intention and deliver on that premise w??ith no compromising.

The presentation is really killer, evoking the charm of Yoshi's Island in its visuals. The level select screen is shown like a storybook? and everything has a crayon style to it. Zack sports a goofy face and makes funny sounds when he jumps. It's hard not to smile when playing the game.

The soundtrack is also very relaxing, probably a??s a counter to the sometimes difficult puzzles. E?ven when I was getting a little frustrated at the timing required for some of the later levels, just taking a second to soak in the ambiance helps with calming your nerves.

So if everything is simple and it works without a hitch, why aren't I more positive? Mostly for one reason: the game lacks ambition. I suppose that is more a personal thing, but I would have liked to see more levels?? with different concepts or eve?n a level editor. Heck, a multiplayer sack-off would have been great, especially with how crazy some of the levels are.

There is also the fact that I've played a lot of indie platformers that iterate on what Braid did, so the very idea of a mechanic-focused platformer isn't novel anymore. Just this year I played through HoPiKo, another indie platformer that follows in the same vein as Jonathan Blow's masterpiece. That doesn't mean HackyZack is bad or shouldn't be p??layed, just that I didn't gel with it as ??much as previous efforts in this genre.

The thing with these types of games, though, is that they really engage the player at a mechanical level. I think it's impossible to walk away from one of them and think your time was wasted. It doesn't patronize you with endless tutorials or wrestle control away from you at key moments; everythin??g that happens in the game is because of your input.

So even if I'm not in love with HackyZack, I still really like it. It o?nly lasts a few hours, but it's a few hours of genuine fun that makes you feel good. There is no need to complicate that further.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the gam??e provided by the publisher??.]}

The post Review: HackyZack appeared first on Destructoid.

Gandhi would be proud

While pretty much every main Civilization game is great, a lot of people prefer a specific entry. Be it III's refinement of the classic style of games to IV's jump to 3D, there are many different opinions about which game is the best of the bunch. I suppose having a series where everything is pretty damn good is better than one where certain entries are best left forgotten. Regardless, if you've been dying to get into the series, but have no idea where to start, why not just grab this latest Humble Bundle that includes Civilization III, IV, and V along with all of their expansions?

In the $1 tier, you'll received Civilization III Complete and Civilization IV Complete Edition. That is an incredible deal and everyone without the games should buy that. In the beat-the-average tier (currently hovering around $7.61), you'll get Civilization V, Gods & Kings, Brave New World, and the DLC collection pack along with a 20% discount on Civilization VI and 25% discount on Civilization VI Digital Deluxe.

Better yet, if you opt to spend $15, you can get everything above and Civilization: Beyond Earth with its expansion. While Beyond Earth wasn't exactly well-received by fans, spending less than $20 for four games is an awesome deal. Too bad I own everything else in the bundle, because I'm kind of tempted to get Beyond Earth.

Humble Civilization Bundle [Humble Bundle]

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40 games bundled in support of three charities

Humble Bundle has partnered with numerous game developers and authors to put on a week-long "Freedom" bundle to support the ACLU, Doctors Without Borders, and the International Rescue Committee in light of President Trump's immigration ??order. You in? Wa??it'll you see this list.

The bundle has a minimum buy-in of $30, which might seem steep, but all of the proceeds go to those charities (you can split your paym??ent between the three as you see fit) and the list of games, to say nothing of the eBooks, is rather astounding. You're getting your money's worth here.

Games

• The Witness
• Stardew Valley
• Subnautica
• Day of the Tentacle Remastered
• Overgrowth
• Nuclear Throne
• Octodad: Dadliest Catch
• Invisible, Inc.
• Super Meat Boy
• World of Goo
• Mushroom 11
• No Time to Explain Remastered
• The Stanley Parable
• Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP
• Super Hexagon
• VVVVVV
• Guacamelee!
• The Swapper
• Thirty Flights of Loving
• Spirits
• Human Resource Machine
• RocketsRocketsRockets
• 2064: Read Only Memories
• A Virus Named Tom
• 7 Grand Steps: What Ancients Begat
• Mini Metro
• Retro Game Crunch
• Tower of Guns
• Waking Mars
• Song of the Deep
• Monster Loves You!
• AI War: Fleet Command
• Sproggiwood
• Hot Tin Roof: The Cat That Wore A Fedora
• Secrets of Raetikon
• Girls Like Robots
• Ellipsis
• Streamline
• Ninja Pizza Girl
• Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball

eBooks

• Information Doesn't Want To Be Free (audiobook)
• Walkaway chapter one preview (audiobook)
• R in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition
• The Boys Vol. 1: The Name of the Game (issues #1-6)
• A little Gold Book of Ghastly Stuff
• The Smart Girl's Guide to Privacy: Practical Tips for Staying Safe Online
• Any Empire

Humble Bundle is matching charitable contributions up to $300,000, a cap that will ?likely have been met by the time you read this. There's potential for "more content" to join the bundle as well.

Humble Freedom Bundle [Humble Bundle]

The post This week’s Humble Freedom Bundle is overwhelmingly good appeared first on Destructoid.

2 + 2 = Half-Life 3 Confirmed!

I know Humble Bundle has offered things like books in the past, but I don't believe I've ever seen them pre-selling tickets to an upcoming film. There is a first time for everything, though. Humble, alongside Starbreeze Studios, is giving us the John Wick bundle that includes th?e first film alongside two tickets to the upcomin?g sequel.

For the cheapest tier, you'll receive Payday 2 and some small DLC, including a John Wick-inspired gun pack (because nothing screams John Wick like bank heists...). For $6 you'll get the "Game of the Year" edition of Payday 2 and some mask DLC (plus the previous tier). $14 sees them throwing in Dead By Daylight, $25 gets you a pre-order for the John Wick Chronicles VR game, ?and $45 nets you the first film and the tickets for the new one (it should be noted that tickets are limited to t??he first 5,000 purchases and are for AMC or Regal theaters only).

Now, I'm not going to totally crap on John Wick as it was a decent film. The action was shot pretty well and I really liked how regular action movie tropes were thrown out the window. Sadly, the main villain then succumbs to stupid syndrome and begins complaining about how no one can kill John, despite having the guy knocked out right in front of him. I suppose there just has to be a totally contrived and thrown?-together finale in every film.

Still, $45 seems a bit insane for three games (one of which isn't even out yet) and a movie. I mean, you can get the 4K Blu-ray of the first film for $15 on Amazon and Dead By Daylight routinely goes on sale for cheap. I've heard Payday 2 isn't worth a damn anymore, but with Starbreeze handling the game, maybe everything has changed. Still, I? know I've seen the "Game of the Year" version for $5 during a Steam sale.

Supporting charity is always a nice thing, so maybe I'm just being too frugal about this. Well, if you feel like biting the bullet, you only have a few more days to get a shot at this deal. If you don't feel like going through Humble Bundle, pre-ordering the John Wick Chronicles game on Steam will net you Payday 2 and the John Wick DLC for a short time.

Humble Starbreeze Studios Bundle Presents John Wick [Humble Bundle]

The post Humble Bundle is offering John ??Wick: Chapter 2 tickets alongside Payday 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

You and I are going to have a showdown

The overlooked DiRT Showdown is now free on the Humble Store for the next two days.

While the game isn't exactly groundbreaking or packed with loads of content, it does basically replicate the style of Burnout while providing some neat diversions in the form of an open-ended, goal-oriented Tony Hawk-style side mode. I love "Joyride" and all of those random objectives, even if Codemasters copy and pasted one entire area from Dirt 3 into Showdown.

If this trend keeps going, the entire Codemasters racing catalog is going to end up free for everyone. I doubt you'll find many people complaining, as the studio has been putting out quality racing titles for quite awhile now. Well, most of them are; Grid 2 can go rot.

The post DiRT Showdown i??s free over on the Humble ??Store right now! appeared first on Destructoid.

The 'Overwhelmingly Positive' bundle

From the name alone, I briefly thought this latest Humble Bundle was about games with happy vibes, but it's better than that -- it's a play on Steam's user reviews??. All of the featured games have attained the platform's coveted "Overwhelmingly Positive" rating.? Looking over the list, I'm not surprised.

Pay $1 or more:

• Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
• Epic Battle Fantasy 4
• Pony Island

Pay more than the average:

• Day of the Tentacle Remastered
• Deadbolt
• More games to come

Pay $10 or more:

• VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action
• N++

"Overwhelmingly positive" doesn't necessarily mean "widely played," and that's what makes this a special group. I can vouch for Deadbolt. Lots of us on staff are into VA-11 HALL-A. What are t?hose bonus games goin??g to be? I'm curious to find out. Regardless, I'd recommend this one.

Humble Overwhelmingly Positive Bundle [Humble]

The post Thi?s Humble Bundle compiles fan favorite??s like VA-11 HALL-A appeared first on Destructoid.

30+ games for $30

Yogscast is fairly popular, even if I couldn't name a single thing they've done. For a few years now, they've been hosting a "Jingle Jam" event to raise money for charities during the holiday season. It was only natural that Humble Bundle would partner with them, seeing as how most of their bundles have proceeds going towards charity. Enter the "Yogscast Jingle Jam 2016 Bundle," which sees a? bunch of games for $30 with a n??ew game being revealed each day of the month.

While I'm admittedly late to reporting on this, the current selection of games makes this bundle very tempting. You can grab Psychonauts, Gunpoint, Goat Simulator, Runner 2, and Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R with about 30 more games included. Some are sold out for any new purchases, but the value is still soli?d for late ad?opters.

In my research for this article, I've learned that Yogscast held a Kickstarter that then failed to produce a game, screwing over potential customers and wasting around half a million dollars. I don't know too much more about the incident, but I feel a lot of people ?are probably going to pass on this bundle for that reason. Know that all of the proceeds are going straight to charity; there is no ?option to pay Humble Bundle or Yogscast for this current selection.

Yogscast Jingle Jam 2016 [Humble Bundle]

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DRM free, too!

Shadow Complex is often hailed as one of the best Metroidvania style games around. I never got around to playing it, due to the game being based on the works of Orson Scott Card, but the newest Humble Bundle makes it tough to say no. $1 for Shadow Complex Remastered with a Steam and DRM free key is nice.

Another highlight of this latest bundle is The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, though that is included with the "Beat the Average??" tier. I never played that eithe?r, but I've always been interested. Everything else I can do without, but the deal is still pretty solid.

Pay $1 or more!

• Killing Floor plus Community Weapon Packs 1-3 and Chickenator DLC
• Shadow Complex Remastered
• Dangerous Golf

Beat the Average

• The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
• ADR1FT
• The Mean Greens - Plastic Warfare

$10 Tier

• The Culling (Early Access)

Humble Unreal Engine Bundle [Humble Bundle]

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