Indie game reviews
Hey Blerdy Tribe!! There’s a brand new Kickstarter campaign for the Jellyfish Parade’s latest title, Belle Automata that needs our support! Belle Automata is an upcoming sci-fi fantasy visual novel developed by Jellyfish Parade. This is the team’s most ambitious project to date following Aureve an android who finds her life turned upside-down when she is sold to a mysterious benefactor.
Continue reading “Indie Spotlight: Belle Automata”
Arcade Spirits: The New Challengers is the follow-up to 2019’s Arcade Spirits, a visual novel of love and pixels, in which you seek friendship and romance while working in an arcade. Now the tables are turned, as you seek friendship and romance while PLAYING in an arcade!
Kohana is a short fantasy visual novel developed by Mushroommallow in one month for the Spooktober 3rd Annual Visual Novel Jam. Inspired by Japanese folklore, Kohana is a heartwarming story about two estranged childhood friends from two different worlds. Witness their relationship and unravel the tragedy that pushed them apart.
The Inn Between is an upcoming modern fantasy boys’ love visual novel developed by Australian based indie developer Cats on a Lilypad Studios. Drawing inspiration from Japanese mythology, The Inn Between tells the story of Myka Riley, a recent university graduate who finds himself drawn into a fantasy world that may have the answers he needs to uncover the truth about his hazy childhood.
Games offer a wealth of storytelling opportunities, giving players a chance to experience stories and characters far removed from their day to day lives–from supernatural romances to high fantasy adventures, each new game is a one of a kind experience. However, there are still many stories and characters that are often overlooked by the broader gaming industry. In recent years, indie games have become a hub for marginalized creators to tell their own stories and create characters that are representative of the diverse gaming community. Over the years, I’ve stumbled upon some true gems, but one series that always manages to tug at the heartstrings is npckc’s Springs series! Three LGBTQIA positive games that touch on the lives of three very different women as they come to an understanding about themselves, life, and friendship.
So, you can bet I was super excited to see that npckc had compiled all three games in the series into one compilation game, A Year of Springs! This new game comes with all three titles in the Springs series–One Night, Hot Spring, Last Day of Spring, and Spring Leaves No Flower–and as an exclusive bonus, npckc included a new epilogue that follows Haru, Erika, and Manami after the events of all three games!
