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RPS@PAX 2023: 5 more indie games that caught our eyePlants, turnips and farming are a major theme here, with some added horror thrills
Plants, turnips and farming are a major theme here, with some added horror thrills
Image credit:Whitethorn Games
Image credit:Whitethorn Games
Liam and I played a lot of games atPAX East, likea lot. Most of them we managed to make videos for, but there were many more that we just didn’t have the time to cover, and that were also very good! So here’s a quick list of five more games I wanted to spotlight in written form while Liam’s busy in the editing mines working on all the community videos we filmed (the first of which is out right now, chronicling the PAX Facebook group that takes acommunity photo every single year). It’s very wholesome. We’ve got more community videos coming out this week,plusan article listing our absolute favourite games we played throughout the entire event, so keep your eyes peeled for those, too. For now, though, let’s dive into some more indie highlights.
14 Indie Games We Can’t Wait To Play In 2023Watch on YouTube
14 Indie Games We Can’t Wait To Play In 2023
World Of Horror
I played an early access build ofWorld Of Horrorwhen it first released back in February 2020, so seeing that publishers Ysbryd Games had a new build with them for PAX East, I decided to check it out. And yep, it’s still as creepy as ever. In case you haven’t seen it before, World Of Horror is a 1-bithorror gamethat peels its inspirations from the pages of HP Lovecraft and Junji Ito,especiallyits body horror inspirations. Actually, I think World Of Horror has some body horor scenes that would make both of their respective skins crawl.
Turnip Boy Robs A Bank
I had an absolute riot playingTurnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion, so I was desperate to check out Snoozy Kazoo’s newest game,Turnip Boy Robs A Bank. Looks like our little sprout friend has gone from life as a mischievous troublemaker to a full-blown criminal, and I’m here for it. Instead of exploring a cute Zelda-like adventure, you’ll be running around shooting other shrubberies in fast-paced roguelike action (it’s still very cute though).
In the demo I played, you take control of Turnip Boy as he runs around a bank, guns blazing, shaking down innocent veggies for their pocket change, raiding golden vaults, and dodging incoming security guard fire. It still has all the humour of the first game which I love, like how the owner of the ‘Botanical Bank’ is a moustachioed sleezy onion named Stinky, and how you can surf the dark web for weapon upgrades. TheSteam pagealso promises some deeper history of Turnup Boy’s world, which I am incredibly invested in, so I’m definitely looking forward to that.
Botany Manor
Any game about growing plants and I leap at the opportunity to play it. InBotany Manor, you’re tasked with exploring the inside of a large English manor house and its surrounding gardens solving plant-related puzzles as you go. It’s likeThe WitnessmeetsStrange Horticulture.
Each plant puzzle involves getting a seed and figuring out how to make it grow, and with each flower being incredibly fussy about its habitat, you’ll often have to think outside the box. One of the puzzles I played in the demo, for example, had to be figured out through environmental clues - a seed I had favoured flashes of lightning in its natural habitat, so I found an old pinhole camera complete with accompanying flash bulb to simulate the same effect. After taking a photo of the pot, the seed was nestled in it bloomed into a beautiful flower. Very cool.
Roots Of Pacha
I didn’t get a chance to properly root around in Pacha’s farming systems, but on the surface it’s exactly like other farming sims - growing crops, getting to know the locals, unlocking a technology tree, and so on. But one thing that really stuck out for me was the water irrigation system - and hell yeah, if you like farming sims you know how big a deal this is. In the 30 minutes I spent with the demo, I planned out the perfect layout for my water canals and crops. When everything was set, I started to pump water, and all my crops were thoroughly watered without me having to bumble about watering them all individually. Exciting, I know. I’d like to play more of Roots Of Pacha, and looks like I won’t have to wait long as the game is out on April 25th.
Vice NDRCVR
In this narco thriller, you’re tasked with rummaging through the digital innards of a PC in the 1980s. Playing as a cop, you need to go undercover as a computer operator working for a cartel group, attempting to implode their drug ring from the inside.
