Indie Game News: June 2010

Game Audio Specialists IndieSFX (www.indiesfx.co.uk) have announced their 2010 sale, the first IndieSFX sale since November 2009.

During July all sound effect bundles will feature a 50% discount instead of the usual 25%. The full sound effect library, which includes all future sets, is set at £199 ($399 US).

The offer ends on July the 31st.

All sounds are available from www.indiesfx.co.uk by instant download in easy to access zip files. Visit the site for audio previews and bundle contents.

Match-3 Sound Effects

Space Shooter Sound Effects

Dungeon Sound Effects

Military Strategy Sound Effects

First Person Shooter Sound Effects

Essential Sound Effects

The Full IndieSFX Library

... stop waiting for it.

Sorry if that's got you all excited - all that's happened is that the name's been changed to Gemini Rue. Hopefully it won't take too long to come out!

I posted the trailer previously if you're interested...

Chronic Logic announces AstroDriller3020 for Windows and Mac!

AstroDriller3020 is a physics based arcade style space drilling simulation! If you like fast paced physics based action with a lot of flashing lights, bright colors and upgrade points then check out AstroDriller for free.

Download AstroDriller3020

About AstroDriller3020

Hey man, what are you doing sitting there? We've got asteroids to drill and gems to collect! Get off yer seat warmer and get your Laser Turret ready! We've got 90 levels to drill through, all with unique properties: how fast the asteroids fall, how many asteroids there are, different colored asteroids, and a few more surprises! I need you to catch the asteroids with your Laser Turret and guide them into their matching vacuum tubes...all the while grinding off excess rock to get extra points. So what are you waiting for, you'd better get to gettin' while the gettin's good!

Watch the video, check out the screenshots and get more info about AstroDriller3020

(Release date TBC)

Today through July 4th, there's an incredible discount on AI War: Fleet Command and AI War: The Zenith Remnant via the Steam "Perils of Summer" sale! We're experimenting a bit by trying out a discount rate of 66%, which is unusually large for us. We recently did something similar with Direct2Drive, and now we're trying it with Steam, but this deal definitely won't last, so make sure and tell your friends and family if you think they might be interested (or if you haven't yet taken the plunge, you might want to get to evaluating the demo while this deal lasts).

So what's going on with AI War, anyway? AI War is still very much a living and growing game, with a big version 4.0 + Mac OSX support upcoming in a few months, and our upcoming for-charity micro-expansion, AI War: Children of Neinzul. Those are both currently scheduled for release in August, but in the meantime we've also got a current beta version chock full of updates that will become the next official free DLC release within a few weeks (around the same time that preorders for AI War:CoN begin).

So, while it's safe to bet there will probably be other sales in the future, after this summer they probably won't go this deep again until 2011 at the earliest. Just fair warning!

Date: 24th June 2010

DX Studio v4 to include cross platform support

Software developers Worldweaver Ltd, based in Pinewood Studios (UK), announce upcoming features of DX Studio v4, due for release later this summer.

Key to version 4.0 will be a new player for Android devices (such as the Google Nexus One or the Motorola Droid), and a lightweight cross platform Java+OpenGL player.

Other important v4 features include instant edit and preview, editor based performance monitoring, additional water and terrain tools, and a significant performance upgrade to the rendering engine.

“We are very excited about offering cross platform support to our existing users. The ability to publish DX Studio built games on a wider range of devices has been an increasingly popular request.” said CEO and founder Chris Sterling. “We also hope the move will attract a significant number of new users to our engine, offering a cost effective way to build apps and games for the latest mobile phones.”

The price of DX Studio v4 will remain unchanged, with no upgrade fees for existing users and no additional license fees for publishing on the new platforms.

Full details of all the new features planned for the version 4.0 release can be found at www.dxstudio.com.

Yesterday Codeminion Team released their latest adventure / hidden object game - Brunhilda and the Dark Crystal, following a two month beta test period.

Brunhilda and the Dark Crystal's most prominent features include:

Clever blend of classic adventure and hidden object game mechanics
Over 6 hours of gameplay (longer than typical casual game)
10 different lands to visit with multiple locations and NPC characters
Engaging, epic and humorous story
All character dialogues with full professional voice over
Beautiful hand drawn graphics
3 arcane mini-games to master

Game Trailer:

Official Website

Download 1 hour free trial of the game (150 MB):

Screenshots

In a recent interview with Charge Shot!!!, Rudolf Kremers (one half of the development team behind indie RTS Eufloria), talked about the team's decision to bring the game to the Playstation Network:

“[The Playstation Network] is the only natural place for the game really as a WiiWare version stranded early after Nintendo approached us at the IGF (they don't like that we work from a home office) and Microsoft put so many extra demands on an XBLA port that it would be both too much a financial risk as well as introduce things in gameplay terms we are not that interested in. Sony on the other hand have been genuinely enthusiastic, and have shown to be very welcoming to the indie approach we bring to the table."

Eufloria's move to PSN is yet another example of the difference between Microsoft rigid XBLA business model and Sony's more open indie community.

Kremers also divulged what little information he could on his upcoming project Freeman and his desire to extend the IP across various media. Please find the link below:

http://www.charge-shot.com/2010/06/freeman-eufloria-and-transmedia.html

Stone Mountain, Georgia -- June 17, 2010 -- Eight Virtues is seeking public funds for the development of Sanctimonia, a multiplayer online game focusing on the building blocks of societies, the beauty and perils of the natural world and arcade style real-time combat. Sanctimonia hopes to reconcile the opposing gameplay mechanics of total freedom and gameplay restrictions to alleviate “griefing” by enabling real-world societal behavior such as the cooperative implementation and enforcement of laws. This will facilitate the creation of simple governments, including constitutions, bills of rights, police, trade law and inter-village diplomacy.

Features:
* Real-time arcade-style gamepad-optimized gameplay.
* Orientation rotation, strafing, circle strafing, hand-to-hand and missile combat as basic movements.
* Detailed building construction using acquired natural resources (no pre-fab buildings; complete player control). Players may collaborate to clear fields and forests or flatten mountain tops to build small villages, castles or grand walled cities.
* Create group organizations, vote, write legal documents, post public signs and assign duties. Players may create tightly or loosely regulated societies, writing and enforcing whatever laws they choose.
* Ability to knock opponents unconscious, bind them and move them, allowing for more subtle justice than simply killing an offender.
* Fully-customizable offline player AI, whether choosing a basic AI template or plotting a detailed weekly schedule with movement paths and other-player interactions.
* Hunting, mining, skilled trades, buying, selling, trading, contracts.
* Harvesting, using and combining natural resources with themselves or other objects to create new objects including food, medicine, poison, tools, weapons, building materials and works of art.
* Confining, breeding and slaughtering livestock.
* Planting seeds, watering, and adding compost to the soil to nurture crops to fruition.
* Landscape excavation for construction, farming or defense.

Game Information:
Title: Sanctimonia
Genre: Multiplayer Online Game
Platform: Linux, Windows and MacOS via virtualization (VirtualBox) and LiveCD (Ubuntu 10.04 LTS)
Release Date: 2011
Price: Client and server are free under GPL version 2, player subscriptions start at $5 per month

Minimum System Specifications:
Internet or LAN connection, 3 GHz processor, 4 GB RAM, sound card, game pad

About Eight Virtues:
Eight Virtues is privately owned and operated by husband and wife team Kevin and Maria Fishburne. Headquartered in Stone Mountain, a suburb of Atlanta Georgia, our services extend to the homes, businesses, and government agencies of the continental United States. Kevin Fishburne has been developing games as a hobby since the age of 13, taking his influences from such legendary games as Ultima (IV, V, VI, VII), Might & Magic (I, II), Gauntlet, and NES and arcade action titles.

Contact:
Kevin Fishburne (Lead Developer)
Email:
Telephone: 770.853.6271
Website: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/eightvirtues/sanctimonia

Doctor Entertainment AB, a Swedish independent game developer, releases their first game Puzzle Dimension for PC today. The game is released on Steam for the price of $9.99 / £6.99 / €9.99.

Puzzle Dimension is a puzzle game where the player exercises the spatial thinking. The player is invited to 100 unique labyrinth-like structures which become more and more challenging. In Puzzle Dimension gravity is depending on your movements, up and down are relative terms. Classic game play elements such as fire, ice, spikes, buttons and hidden sections give the player a diverse range of problems and satisfying eureka moments.

The abstract game world is visualized by the in-house engine which allows the audiovisuals to blend depending on the player's progress. The audiovisuals blend between 8-bit chip-tunes and pixel-like visuals to crystal clear music and high end graphics.

Puzzle Dimension will also be released for Mac on August 25th. Versions are in development for consoles and the mobile platforms iPhone, iPad and Android.

About Doctor Entertainment
Doctor Entertainment AB was founded in May 2009 by developer veterans Jesper Rudberg and
Anders Pistol. Together they have over 20 years of game development experience. They have
previously worked for companies like Starbreeze Studios and EA/Dice where they worked on
several multimillion selling AAA games.
Doctor Entertainment is an independent games studio located in Uppsala, Sweden. They develop and publish their own IPs via digital distribution. Puzzle Dimension is the studio's first game.

Resources
More information about the game can be found here: http://www.puzzledimension.com/press
Steam store game page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/57200
Game trailer at Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo0NsUaI3lY

My Escape Games, the newest star in the galaxy of online Flash games, is proud to announce its establishment and the birth of their first game, codenamed “Krong.” While currently in development and aimed to release in third quarter of 2010, its desired audience includes anyone with internet access and a few spare minutes. Through Krong, My Escape has brought together the talent, skills, and humor of game aficionados spread around the world.

The serendipitous meeting of audio designer and Illinois resident, George Hufnagl, British designer and writer Duane Beckett, and Scottish programmer Gillian Patterson has led to the conceptualization of numerous game ideas post-Krong and a rapid expansion of the team. With Australian artist Simon Turnbull, Indian advertising consultant Susmita Das, and Canadian programmer Alan Rawkins, My Escape is now a full-fledged game development group that maintains group loyalty through a community forum, Skype and occasional gatherings through gaming networks to play together.

To etch the brand in online gamers' memory, My Escape seeks to create games that will entertain and appeal to those seeking a less-immersive gaming experience and a quick escape from quotidian reality. Competing in the online gaming industry that boasts to reach nearly one out of every two internet users (Flash Games Market Survey, ComScore via Mochi Media, 2010), My Escape is set to play ball by introducing games centered around oddness, strangeness, and peculiarity.

For more information about My Escape, including Krong or future games, contact George Hufnagl, Audio Designer and Production Manager at or visit our website at www.my-escape.net.

We've just announced our new game, Dawn's Light 2. This will be the direct sequel to the original Dawn's Light and will feature many returning characters. Here's some of the new things that we're excited about:

* Create unique weapons by combining materials you find during your quest. Your weapon's power, design and name are all up to you.

* All new puzzles, mini games and side quests to keep you busy as you work you way through the main quest.

* Join Harvey on a brand new adventure. Harvey is struggling to adapt to his post adventure life. Days and nights no longer have any meaning. That is until his deceased brother Victor shows up at his doorstep.

Victor offers Harvey a chance to give his life purpose again. Are Victor's intentions pure or does he have something sinister planned for our hero?

Stay tuned to www.johnwizard.com as we get closer to the release.

It's been a while since we've done an update to the installer for Tidalis, but if you've been following the Tidalis forums or the budding Tidalis wiki, you already know that the game has been seeing massive nearly-weekly public beta releases since mid-April. The latest version, 0.854, represents the culmination of everything we wanted to get done before the PAX 10 contest deadline. And look! We've also now done an official trailer for the game:

So what all is new since the last time we updated the installer build (which was version 0.407)?

Visually and Aurally

We've now completed all the visual/art themes for the game, though we're still adding animations and polish on the art. There are now 21 of these themes in all, counting three hidden ones that get unlocked during adventure play.
There are now over 50 minutes of music in the game, or 90 minutes if you count the "dire" versions of the tracks.
A lot of the music has been updated since 0.407; we had some trouble initially getting just the perfect sound, but now we think we've really nailed it.
A ton of the art has already been polished and animated to a heavy degree; check out the Title Menu, the Open Plains theme, or the Volcano themes for specific examples. Pretty amazing, if we do say so.

Content

We're now up to 16 game styles for the game (counting the Normal style), which will probably be the final count for release.
We're now up to 31 special blocks for the game, which will probably be the final count for release.
The game now has items -- 25 of them -- which will probably be the final count for release.
There are now 74 (out of a planned 114) adventure levels, as well as 39 brainteaser-type puzzles. More coming on both of these.
The game now has achievements -- 20 so far -- with more coming.
There are now 19 story cutscenes out of a planned 40 or so.
Both co-op and VS play are available on the local computer, either with two humans or 1-2 humans against the AI.

What Isn't Complete?

We're still working on the networking, that will be done soon.
We still need to finish the last quarter or so of the adventure mode and story.
There are a few specific VS and co-op features that we still want to add.
More polish is still being added to the art, and we'll probably add a few more sound effects, too.
The VS AI is already pretty good in the specific game styles it is allowed to play in, but there are some tweaks we have in mind to make it better. All game styles are supported in human vs human play, but not all of them will be available for the AI; it's considered a fairly minor part of this game, by contrast with AI War.
Gamepad support.
Various other tweaks, polish, and bugfixes still remain, though our list is considerably smaller of late.

So, What's The Plan?

The beta is still in full swing, with the demo being free for anyone, and the full beta being available for anyone who preorders. Right now you can preorder at the main Arcen site, at GamersGate, at MacGameStore, and at myGameIQ. All of our existing partners who sell AI War will also be carrying Tidalis either at release or a few weeks ahead of release.

So when's the release? Right now we're looking at the week of July 12th, although we don't have a specific day nailed down just yet. We're still talking with our distribution partners and figuring out which day makes the most sense for everyone. But we expect to be materially complete with the game (including all the last polish, etc) by July 9th at the absolute latest, so anytime that week should be a possibility.

Check out the trailer if you haven't already, and if you're interested you might like to try the demo. Tidalis is available on both Windows and OSX (you get a license for both platforms when you buy it for either).

This game has grown incredibly far beyond what we had initially planned when we set out to make it, but that's largely due to the promise that the core mechanics showed and the team's enthusiasm for the project. Everyone on the team has the feeling that we've got something really special with this game, and so far beta customers seem to have that feeling, as well.

Definitely exciting times! We'll update with more news as the release gets nearer, and we'll also be having news in the next month about our upcoming AI War 4.0 (which will add full OSX support), and our upcoming charity-focused micro-expansion, AI War: Children of Neinzul. In the meantime, here are some other brand-new Tidalis videos that show off recent additions to the game:

About Tidalis

Tidalis is a block-based puzzle game with casual appeal, hardcore depth, and an addictive new "streams" mechanic. The basic rules of the game are this: blocks fall down into the board and have a color and an arrow direction. If a stack of blocks exceeds the height of the board, you lose. In order to clear blocks, you must right-click and drag paths through the arrows to set up chain reactions of like-colored blocks.

If this sounds simple, that's because it is -- you'll be lining up lengthy chains within minutes. But you'll be surprised how much brainpower it takes to set up combos of multiple chains, and the many brainteaser-style puzzles include some real stumpers. Tidalis has co-op and competitive multiplayer modes (offline only in this beta version); action-oriented modes and timer-less brainteasers; a lengthy, casual-friendly adventure mode; fifteen unique game modes providing innumerable twists to the basic gameplay; dozens of special blocks and items; and over fifty minutes of beautiful music to go with the painterly art.

In short, several games' worth of content are built on top of this core mechanic, which you'll quickly find to be as iconic as it is novel.

To celebrate the release at Xbox Live Arcade - www.spacearkgame.com

The previous update brought to surface a couple of nasty bugs, but with this update they will not show up anymore. But that's not all: the occasion has been seized also to raise the number of missions to 40 and to add a new translation!

More specifically, this update:
* fixes 2 bugs that could cause crashes;
* dds 2 new secret missions;
* adds the Polish translation;
* applies various other changes.

The update can be downloaded for free from the DOWNLOADS page of the official website at http://www.bohthegame.com.
The demos have been updated to reflect the changes.

Website: http://www.bohthegame.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/BOH/99598418583
Twitter: http://twitter.com/bohthegame

This was posted on an indie developer forum, I reproduce it verbatim here but I cannot confirm or deny the veracity of the information or the trustworthiness of this particular site. (If you have had experience using them I'd be grateful if you could , whether your experience was good or bad). From a quick look at the site it seems genuine enough.

Hello,

I am Jacky Zheng from bdstudiogames.com, we are now starting distribute
casual games with our own DRM system and payment gateway. Welcome to submit your games to our site.

1. You get 50% revenue share of the gross sales.
2. You set your game's price, we do not change it or discount it. (We recommend $9.99)
3. We do not withhold any taxes for you, you get all your revenue.
4. You can access detailed sales report after you register our developer zone.
5. We pay you by paypal or wire transfer every month.
6. We can help you translate your game to Chinese and sell it in the China, HongKong, TaiWan and Singapore.

We will sign a agreement with you after your game accept.

Just go here: http://dev.bdstudiogames.com/login.php

Jacky

__________________
BDStudioGames.com

Talking to an indie game developer recently, I was quite appalled to hear that he'd once been emailed by a couple of people who said they loved his game - and were waiting to be able to download the torrent for free! Will these same people be decrying the lack of new indie games in the future if people give up due to not even making back the money they spend on game development (not even taking into account the vast commitment of time it takes to create a worthy game)?

Black Lab Games is pleased to announce that its new tactical battle game, Star Hammer Tactics, is now available for the Xbox 360 via the Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

Strike Group Commanders are urgently needed to command the forces of the Novus Space Navy as they defend the planet Novus from the dangerous and mysterious alien race known as the Nautilids.

Star Hammer Tactics is an easy-to-learn game of tactical battles. Deploy your forces, engage your enemy and outwit them to achieve victory by blasting them to pieces! Along with the single-player campaign, Star Hammer Tactics features a choice of skirmish modes - single player against a devious AI, or the local multi-player mode in which gamers will compete for glory and bragging rights!

Star Hammer Tactics takes the strategy gaming genre and strips it to it's bare essentials. Designed to be enjoyed by gamers of all persuasions – from strategy gaming diehards looking for a lighter experience, to new recruits dipping their toes into the world of strategy gaming for the first time – Star Hammer Tactics is fun and captivating.

Features:
• Engaging tactical battles : individually control each ship in your fleet.
• Easy-to-learn rules; learn to play in minutes!
• Single-player campaign mode.
• Skirmish modes : create your own custom fleet, then duel against a friend in local multi-player, or take on the challenging AI.
• Use missiles to devastate your enemy from afar, or engage in close quarters ship-to-ship combat!

See find out more about Star Hammer Tactics, please visit http://www.starhammer.com, or see the trailer at http://tinyurl.com/2bpmdyq

Star Hammer Tactics is available now on the Xbox LIVE Indie Games channel of the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for just 240 Microsoft points.

About Black Lab Games
Black Lab Games, a boutique game development studio specializing in modern downloadable games with a hint of nostalgic flavor. Headquartered in the city of Perth, Western Australia, the company was established in 2008. For more information, please visit www.blacklabgames.com.au

__________________
Paul Turbett, Black Lab Games - See what's brewing in the lab!
My Dev Blog
Star Hammer Tactics - Out now on Xbox LIVE Indie Games.

Indie Game Review - Awesome World Soccer 2010

Over on my other blog I've posted a review of The Unsolved Mystery Club: Amelia Earhart by Freeze Tag, and an interview with Gary Marples of SuiSoft (developer of Gravity Core).

I've started a new poll to run for exactly one month - see the top right of the blog to vote. I'm interested in seeing what handhelds people own.

Get voting!

If you like the idea of a top-down survival shooter with RPG elements, you may well enjoy Elemental Shooter from Lightworks Game Studio. Check out the demo at http://lwgamestudio.com/.

For those who have a taste for some nostalgic Space Invaders-esque shooting, you can't go wrong with CoderGames' title Invader Attack, which puts some new twists on the classic concept. Get the demo from http://codergames.com/games/gamedetails/windows-game-shooter-invader-attack/.

Reviews on both of these games coming soon...

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. - June 9, 2010 - Telltale Games, the leading independent digital publisher and developer of episodic interactive entertainment, today announced a multi-year, two-title video game development deal with Universal Partnerships & Licensing. Telltale Games has secured the rights to create video games based on two of Universal Pictures' most popular intellectual properties, Back to the Future and Jurassic Park. The first game released under the agreement will be a Telltale Games "season" based on the successful Back to the Future series of films.

With more than five million episodes delivered to date across all major video game platforms, Telltale is the acknowledged leader in digitally delivering episodic content to consumers. The agreement broadens Telltale's product offerings into new genres and new styles of gameplay.

"Our partnership with Universal is an exciting next step in our continued growth as a mass-market games publisher and developer," said Dan Connors, CEO of Telltale Games. "We are all huge fans of both of these franchises. For Back to the Future and Jurassic Park we will leverage Telltale's expertise in story-telling and game design to deliver on the unique elements of each series with our goal being to create compelling cinematic adventures paying homage to each franchise."

Jurassic Park and Back to the Future are two of the most successful film trilogies ever, grossing over $3 billion dollars at the box office collectively.

"Telltale Games has succeeded in establishing a unique combination of digital and physical distribution models, and their reputation for quality production is well earned," said Bill Kispert, Vice President and General Manager, Digital Platforms, Universal Partnerships & Licensing. "Telltale's episodic story-telling is an ideal means by which to add compelling new content to these important franchises."

Look for the first video game based "season" of Back to the Future from Telltale this winter followed shortly by Jurassic Park. Telltale will release more information on both game series at a later date.

About the Jurassic Park franchise

Since Universal Pictures and Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment first joined forces to unleash an adventure over 65 million years in the making, Jurassic Park has become the "premier" and "authentic" dinosaur brand the world over. When Jurassic Park was released in 1993, it became an instant phenomenon. In the years that followed, two additional films were released - The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III - bringing the trilogy's worldwide box office total to more than $2 billion. The franchise continues to resonate with consumers worldwide via consumer products, popular attractions at Universal Studios Theme Parks and annual airings of the three films on a multitude of television networks.

About the Back to the Future franchise

From the Academy Award®-winning filmmakers Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis comes Back to the Future - the original, groundbreaking adventure that sparked one of the most successful trilogies ever! Starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, the phenomenally popular Back to the Future films literally changed the future of the adventure movie genre. Powered by innovative special effects, unforgettable songs and non-stop action, Back to the Future is an unrivaled adventure that stands the test of time. Back to the Future immerses you in all the breathtaking action, groundbreaking comedy and sheer movie-making magic of one of the most brilliantly inventive, wildly entertaining motion picture triumphs in Hollywood history!

About Universal Partnerships & Licensing

UP&L oversees Universal's consumer product licensing, film and home entertainment promotions, and all corporate alliances for Universal's theatrical, home entertainment, theme parks and stage productions. This dedicated division is also responsible for monetizing the studio's vast library of films and characters through licensing, branding and marketing opportunities. UP&L is part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% owned by Vivendi.

About Telltale, Inc.

Telltale is a leading independent digital publisher of interactive stories playable on every major gaming platform. Telltale is also the pioneer of episodic delivery of content developing games as series and successfully releasing on a schedule to create a longer consumer engagement for each release. Founded in 2004 by LucasArts veterans with decades of experience, Telltale has quickly become an industry leader, establishing the model for successful episodic game creation and digital publishing. Telltale has sold more than 5 million episodes since 2005. Telltale's reputation for quality has been established across more than 25 published releases that have cumulatively earned an average Metacritic score above 80%. Telltale's titles have won numerous awards including, "Adventure Game of the Year" accolades from publications such as IGN, PC Gamer, GameSpy, and Adventure Gamers, and have been recognized by mainstream outlets ranging from USA Today, to The New York Times to Variety. Telltale currently develops and publishes episodic series on PlayStation® 3, PC, Mac, Wii™, Xbox 360™ and iPad.

BlueCat Games releases v1.0 of Mystic Flower, a fast paced, exciting and fun casual game. Collect flowers to reach each level’s goals, but be careful about mistakes! If the flowers wither before you end the stage, you will have to start all over again! Don’t worry, though, mystic flowers are here to help you! Gather rows of flowers in order to have the mystic flowers appear, and your journey will become easier!

Mystic Flower is an innovative mix of arcade and memory game perfectly suited for casual game audience (females over 30 are especially targeted), offering hours of fun and addictiveness.

First 15 introductory levels are free, serial number required to play the other 35 levels.

Unique and exciting gameplay

Fast-paced and addictive

50 challenging levels

14 mesmerizing mystic flowers

Hours of fun

Visit http://www.bluecatgames.com for more details about the game.

Awesome World Soccer 2010 is out today, timed for release in line with the first World Cup match. Head on over to http://www.red27studios.com/ for more info, to buy the game, or get the original Awesome Soccer for a special price.

AWS2010 is available for PC, Linux and Mac.

Indie Game Review - Sensational World Soccer 2010

You Are The Ref is a football (soccer) rules trivia game based on the old cult cartoon strip 'You Are The Ref'. Buy it at

QuizQuizQuiz World Football is a follow on from our popular QuizQuizQuiz titles and contains hundreds of new professionally written questions relating to the World Cup. Buy it at

June 4th, 2010

Tennis Elbow 2011 released for Windows PC
The tennis game for all tennis lovers

Tennis Elbow 2011 is a tennis simulation with an easy and intuitive learning curve, but with exceptional gameplay depth.

In this tennis game, you'll have to show all your tactical skills, use an iron mind and quick reflexes, as well as a sharp eye to guess the ball trajectories, all of this to choose your next strike wisely.

To beat your opponent, you have the choice between all the possible strikes on a real court, from the safe strike to the acceleration, including the drop shot and the topspin lob.

This tennis simulation is designed for all tennis lovers, whether gamepad mashers or keyboard novices, because of its numerous difficulty levels. In addition, a visual help system will assist you in aiming the ball and positioning your player. You can turn these options on and off whenever it suits you.

TE2011 features one of the most complete World Tour ever made in a tennis video game. With 3000 players evolving other 36 years, competing in 300 tournaments each year, from the low rank tournament qualifications to the top level event finals, both in singles and doubles competition, you’ll feel like diving in a real professional tennis player’s career.

Version 2011 is the sequel of the version 2009. The main additions are the new 3D courts with a huge selection of camera angles, and an advanced tiredness simulation system.

For the best gaming experience, the minimum system requirements are: a 2 GHz CPU with 512 MB RAM, and a 128MB 3D video card.

Download a free demo version of Tennis Elbow 2011 from: www.managames.com/tennis

The online mode is freely available to everybody.

The full version of Tennis Elbow 2011 is priced at US$24.95 / EUR19, and is available right now on Windows, and within a few weeks on Mac OSX.

Tennis Elbow 2011 Gameplay Video:

Tennis elbow 2010 Screenshots:

Jolly Rover is set for worldwide release when the date hits June 7 in the US!

Jolly Rover will be available from these Locations:
Official game website: http://www.brawsome.com.au/JollyRover
Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/58200
Direct2Drive: http://www.direct2drive.com/
iWin: http://www.iwin.com/
Mac Game Store: http://www.macgamestore.com/detail.php?ProductID=1476
mygameIQ: http://www.mygameiq.com/
Big Pond Games: http://www.gamearena.com.au/shop/

The game is also being distributed to many other sites by Oberon Media and Real Networks, in addition iWin are distributing to Exent and WildTangent.

Greenhouse: http://www.playgreenhouse.com/

, are also distributing the game, but release on there isn’t for a couple of weeks.
Club Casual: http://www.clubcasualgames.com/ are set for distribution on re-launch of their site.

A FREE demo will also be able to be downloaded from Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/58220

Knoxville, TN—June 3, 2010— Double Apps Inc. announced today the release a new 1.2 lite version of their Pounce application for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad available immediately on the Apple App Store. Pounce Lite is a free app preceded by the already available paid full version.

“We are very excited to release this new lite version to the already popular full version of Pounce.” Says David Levi, President of Double Apps Inc. “The lite version has tons of great features, beautiful graphics and best of all, it’s free”

Pounce is a multi-player speed card game. Game play is similar to solitaire, except that you are competing to play your cards faster than your opponents. Earn points for cards you play into the shared center field, and be the first to empty your Pounce pile to score bonus points.

Features in the Lite version of Pounce include:
- Single player games against up to 2 virtual opponents at slow or medium speed.
- Multiple card face, card back, and playing field designs.
- Left-handed and right-handed modes.
- Multiple playing styles:
- Pounce pile can be face-up or face-down (face-up makes for faster game play).
- Bonus or penalty scoring methods when a player calls 'Pounce!
- Play a set number of hands, or play to a specific score.
- In-depth tutorial teaches you how to play.

Additional features in the full version of Pounce include:
- Single player games against up to 4 virtual opponents at slow, medium, fast, or hyper speeds.
- Head-to-Head games on a single device with 2 people and up to 2 virtual opponents.
- Multi-player games with up to 5 total players (up to 4 virtual opponents and/or 4 human players).
- Single player and Head-to-Head games are saved if Pounce is interrupted or you exit

Double Apps Inc is an iPhone and iPad application development business based in Knoxville, Tennessee, founded by twenty-year veteran of software development, David B. Levi. Double Apps provides app development services and also develops games for the iPhone and iPad.

Pounce at the AppStore

Pounce Lite at the AppStore

This new action packed game will put you in the boots of a treasure hunter. Fighting against the mighty pirates, lethal castles and deadly whirlpools you sail the seas in search of treasure chests. Pass through the Caribbean and Arctic on your quest for the title of a first class treasure hunter. The High Seas brings you into a whole new world, full of action, danger and mystery.

Each level will present you with a new challenge; a number of gold. You are to collect the set amount of gold, but the mighty pirates will do everything in their power to protect their loot. Take a stand against your enemies with your cannons, which follow your command at the touch of a button along with a steering wheel you rotate to guide your ship across the seven seas.

The sea is also against you on your quest as they put deadly towers, castles, icebergs and whirlpools in your path. The Ghost Armanda will bring your skills into question along with the mystical ghost towers. The title of treasure hunter never looked so far away.

The High Seas for iPhone Screenshots:

The High Seas for iPhone Game Trailer:

Buy The High Seas at

Five days ago, Janet left her dorm to go on a date. She never returned.

Was she kidnapped? Murdered? Did she run away? Will she ever be seen again?
The choices you make can change her fate and help her find romance or destruction in one of eleven surprising endings!

Date Warp Screenshots:

Date Warp Trailer:

Please note: This game has some mild sexual content due to the nature of it being a dating sim. This game is intended for players age 13 and up.

System Requirements

Windows version:2000/XP/VISTA
CPU 1.2 Ghz - 256 MB RAM
Macintosh version: OS X 10.4 or higher
Universal Binary - runs on Intel and Power PC Macs
Linux version: x86 or compatible processor

Official Website

Spiderweb Software brings you Avadon: The Black Fortress, the first chapter in a new, epic fantasy saga. You will serve the keep of Avadon, working as a spy and warrior to fight the enemies of your homeland. As a servant of the Black Fortress, your word is law. Experience an exciting fantasy role-playing adventure and battle a conspiracy to destroy your people.

Avadon: The Black Fortress Features:

Epic fantasy role-playing adventure in an enormous and unique world.
Four different character classes, with dozens of unique spells and abilities.
Uncover the fascinating history of Avadon and the land of Lynaeus.
Many different endings. Your choices will change the world.
Dozens of side quests, hidden dungeons, and secrets to discover.
Hundreds of magical items to find. Use powerful crystals to make your artifacts even more powerful.
Huge adventure with lots of replay value.

Coming in early 2011 for PC and Mac.

Official Webpage

Development Diary

BOH players will be pleased to know that this summer they'll be able to enjoy an even richer version of BOH thanks to the 11th update, which also makes the game a little easier to beginners.

More specifically, this update:

adds the aiming device (a tool that shows the shooting trajectory);
allows to restart from the last phase played when difficulty is set to "easy";
adds 2 new missions;
refines light casting;
enriches and extends the menu music of the theme "underground";
retouches the menu music of the theme "default";
adds the Danish translation;
improves the translations;
fixes the "mood" of the ending;
updates and improves the manuals;
applies various other changes.

The update can be downloaded for free from the DOWNLOADS page of the official website at www.bohthegame.com.
The demos have been updated to reflect the changes.

Sensational World Soccer 2010 is now on sale at www.SensationalSoccer.com. It is priced at $6.99 and features 32 international teams, a full World Cup tournament, tactics editor, 2 player mode and more. Get your retro footy fix now!

Graveltrain has released the first five characters for their upcoming Strategy RPG 'RPG2'.

Lion,Nun,Kumo,Pele and Pillar are shown individually, as well as together in a group picture. Head over to www.graveltrain.com and peruse the newly added 'Characters' page to view the 'Team Pic'.

It's obvious that the designs were meant to convey personality and power, and I'm taking this opportunity to say that they wield wildly individualized types of energies and magics. Gameplay-wise they will effect different aspects of the battle system and need to be appropriately utilized to achieve victory through working together as a fighting force.

The question is... are they looking for trouble, or are they fighting for a noble cause?

Gamers - have you ever bought a game on itch.io?

Indie Devs - if you are selling your game on itch.io, how many copies have you sold?

Wednesday, 30 June 2010

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Friday, 25 June 2010

Thursday, 24 June 2010

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Tuesday, 22 June 2010

Monday, 21 June 2010

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Friday, 18 June 2010

Thursday, 17 June 2010

Wednesday, 16 June 2010

Tuesday, 15 June 2010

Indie Game Review - Awesome World Soccer 2010

Monday, 14 June 2010

Saturday, 12 June 2010

Friday, 11 June 2010

Indie Game Review - Sensational World Soccer 2010

Wednesday, 9 June 2010

Tuesday, 8 June 2010

System Requirements

Friday, 4 June 2010

Tuesday, 1 June 2010