“Game Jolt Vault” is a new series where Gearburn explores and reviews the vast wealth of titles hidden within one of the web’s largest indie game depositories, gamejolt.com. If you’re tired of paying half your wages on games, waiting for massive downloads or playing games that seem all too familiar, then you’ve come to the right place.
Indie developers and their titles are the champions that will lead the world of gaming into the future. It is their ingenuity and creativity that will change the landscape of gaming and provide us with unique virtual experiences to enjoy.
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All the games featured on this list are absolutely free, downloads sized under 200MB (or playable online), and don’t require a beast of a PC to play. There are few ways to play good games as easily as this.
This week we are taking a look at three very interesting titles. One following the escapades of a particularly well-prepared thief, another delving into a pixelated world controlled by an Orwellian elite, and a game jolt horror that’s sure the tickle the fancy of Five Night’s at Freddy’s fans.
The Very Organized Thief
Genre: Puzzle
Game Engine: Unity
Status: Complete
In the The Very Organized Thief you play as… well, a very orgamized thief. Armed with nothing but a flashlight and a checklist, your objective is to collect all the items in your checklist in the fastest amount of time possible and then make a run for the exit. Except for the designated items, you will also be able to collect money stacks. This will then be counted towards your final tally, which in turn will give you your thief rank.
Each time you play a round, your list will sport a different variety of items (usually comprised of items such as “DVD player” or “Diamond Ring”. There is also a safe hidden somewhere in the house and you will have to locate its code to be able to open it. Furthermore, some items will be found in different locations in every play through, giving this game a lot of replay value.
The Very Organized Thief may boast quite simple assets and sound design but with it’s unique objective and approach it manages to be extremely amusing and immersive title.
Why Play This? The Very Organized Thief will provide you with something different. It’s also not overly complicated and can be played in short bursts. Coupled with its replay value, this game can keep you busy for quite some time.
Night Blights
Genre: Horror
Game Engine: Unity
Status: Complete
Night Blights deals with a pretty interesting premise. You play as little kid that has to protect its family from the terror of the Night Blights. Night Blights are tiny, evil little creatures that come out at night while everyone is asleep and hide in various spots around your house such as closets, under the bed, etc.
To keep them from harming your family or you, you need to feed them your toys when they get hungry. While dealing with their very particular appetite, you will also have to run around the house and close any open closet or fridge doors to ensure none of them escape into the rest of the house.
There are five nights to be played where you have to protect your family until 7am each morning (about ten minutes per level). With each level the Night Blights grow more arrogant, presenting you with an increasingly more challenging experience.
I found Night Blights to be quite an unnerving title. The house you find yourself in is completely silent except for the sound of the ever ticking clock and unsettling breathing of the evil creatures. This created a wonderfully creepy atmosphere that really draws you into the gameplay. But what makes this title especially impressive to me is that it was created by a single developer as a student project.
Why play this? If you’re a fan of first-person horror titles like Five Nights at Freddy’s then you’re going to like this title. Night Blights offers a surprisingly scary experience and serves as good inspiration for those who are looking to get into Unity development, especially seeing how this was created by a single developer.
Dystopixelia: Episode One
Genre: Platformer
Game Engine: Game Maker: Studio
Status: In Development
Dystopexelia takes place in an alternative, Orwellian future where there is one simple rule to follow: do your job or die. You play as ID-22, a software technician and employee of Life Inc. You have consistently been slacking off by pitching up to work late and not satisfying the needs of “The Management”.
The game begins where you have once again failed to arrive at work on time and your superiors have had enough. It’s time for you to see Management. And those who go to see Management are never seen again. Instead of walking to your certain death, you decide to go on the run and face the full wrath of the powers that be.
Dystopexelia boasts a simple yet artfully crafted retro 8-bit pixel style, which is further complimented by a mysteriouly immersive soundtrack that sound like it’s straight from an 80’s crime drama. It has surprisingly challenging gameplay, providing you with the opportunity to take part in gun fights, hide away from your enemies and even traverse across rooftops.
The only downside of Dystopixelia is that you can currently only play “Episode 1”, which is about a twenty minute endeavour at most. And unfortunately news on the next update is as much of a mystery as the conclusion of the game’s events.
Why play this? If you’re into Orwellian style narratives and love that retro 8-bit look then you’re going to have a good time with Dystopixelia. It will provide you with reasonably challenging gameplay, intriguing environments and wonderfully immersive atmosphere.
