Verdict: interesting
In a Nutshell: This is a first-person shooter/puzzle and was one of the 2009 PAX 10.
“Tag: The Power of Paint, a first-person platformer created by seven RTIS and BFA students at DigiPen, was chosen from ten IGF Student Showcase Finalists as winner of the Best Student Game Award.”
Verdict: delightful
In a Nutshell: This is a point-and-click adventure about a robot trying to save his girl and the leader of the city and was one of the 2009 PAX 10.
“Machinarium is an independent puzzle / adventure game developed by the makers of popular web-games Samorost and Samorost2. A little robot who’s been thrown out to the scrap yard behind the city must return and confront the Black Cap Brotherhood and save his robot-girl friend. The game takes place in a strange rusty metallic city populated only by robots. The story is about a little robot who has been unjustly thrown out to the scrapyard behind the city. In the game he returns to the town where he meets the bad guys from Black Cap Brotherhood – they are just preparing a bomb attack on the central tower where the town ruler has residence in. Of course our hero must stop them and also rescue his friend robot-girl.”
Verdict: soooo relaxing
In a Nutshell: Physics game about cell-like creatures and was one of the 2009 PAX 10.
“Enter the ambient world of Osmos: elegant, physics-based gameplay, dreamlike visuals, and a minimalist, electronic soundtrack.
Your objective is to grow by absorbing other motes. Propel yourself by ejecting matter behind you. But be wise: ejecting matter also shrinks you. Relax… good things come to those who wait.
Progress from serenely ambient levels into varied and more challenging worlds. Confront attractors, repulsors and intelligent motes with similar abilities and goals as you.”
Verdict: more please
In a Nutshell: Puzzle game involving a tree spirit and captive bears. This was one of the 2009 PAX 10
“Puzzle Bloom is the innovative action-puzzle game where you control the tree spirit Canotila in her quest to bring back life to her island. Canotila needs the assistance of the island’s native creatures to get past the rigid machines of the world. She flies from creature to creature and uses her powers to guide them. New life will bloom into the world for each time Canotila breaks a machine, bringing Canotila closer to her ultimate goal of a return to nature.”
Verdict: cute and nostalgic
In a Nutshell: Interactive story book about a kid cyclops that includes a memory game and music videos. This was one of the 2009 PAX10.
“What is Bothering Carl? is the tale of a young cyclops named Carl whose laid back attitude is disrupted by a single nuisance. Readers will discover Carl’s dilemma and follow along as he tries to solve his problem in this colorful interactive adventure.”
Verdict: extreme challenge!
In a Nutshell: This is a top-down, real-time strategy space conquest.
(from the game’s manual)
“You are a space war commander who controls a small fleet of ships and must win against all odds. While your enemies usually have more money and ships than you, a clever strategy can always turn the situation upside down so that you’re the one with all the cash and a giant armada. One last thing. In an act of sabotage, someone turned on your starbase’s self-destruct mechanism. This means that it will gradually destroy itself, assuming that your enemies don’t eliminate you first. Really, you have no time to waste. Get to it, commander!”
Verdict: loved every minute of it
In a Nutshell: Defense Grid: The Awakening is a 3-d tower defense game that feels a lot like Starcraft.
“Defense Grid: The Awakening is a unique spin on tower defense gameplay that will appeal to players of all skill levels. A horde of enemies is invading, and it’s up to the player to stop them by strategically building fortification towers around their base. Beautiful environments, spectacular effects, and a dynamic, engaging soundtrack bring the world to life. The controls are intuitive and the gameplay is deep — the special attacks and properties of each tower work together to provide many ways to succeed.”
Verdict: delightful
In a Nutshell: Zatikon is an electronic strategy board game that feels like chess but with a good helping of medieval fantasy thrown into the mix.
“Welcome to Zatikon. Construct your army out of creatures as varied as the magnificent dragon or mighty warrior to the evil necromancer or holy Templar. Destroy your opponent with a heavy cavalry charge or defeat their army before they can reach you with archers, crossbowmen and mages. Use an unlimited number of strategies to defeat your opponents and earn gold to increase the might of your army. Play Zatikon for free and start building your armies today!
Zatikon is a turn based multiplayer tactics game featuring over 50 unique units. Build your army and defeat your opponent. With an almost unlimited number of possible strategies at your disposal Zatikon highly addictive and fun. Zatikon includes online player ranking and several extra game types including co-op, single player and random army mode.”
Verdict: adorable
In a Nutshell: The Maw is a third-person perspective action game about an alien and his side-kick who eats everything possible.
“The pinnacle of alien evolution, Maw is a cowardly fat blob concerned mostly with snacking and lounging. He can, however, absorb the traits of anything he eats, is virtually indestructible, and can grow to unlimited size. If he wasn’t a danger to all life in the universe, he’d make the perfect pet. In this action/adventure game, he’s the best friend of our hero Frank, and only by working together can Maw eat their way to freedom. The Maw was honored with the Audience Choice Award in the 2008 PAX-10 showcase of independent games, and is a finalist at this year’s Independent Games Festival for Technical Excellence.”
Verdict: Nine Inch Nails!
In a Nutshell: This is a rhythm game similar to Guitar Hero to the tunes of Nine Inch Nails.
“The first-ever special edition of Tap Tap Revenge, featuring 13 tracks from the last two Nine Inch Nails albums, The Slip and Ghosts I-IV. Put your rhythmic skills to the test, tapping and shaking your way through 13 tracks hand picked by Trent Reznor himself.”