Ambush? No, of course not…would you believe me if I said I was selling these fine leather jackets?

Players can choose to create either male or female Mukashi, ultimate warrior-scouts chosen for their supreme combat and exploration ability. They’ll journey to Kanoko Island in search of the Scrolls of Hope, which are rumored to contain the location of a safe haven where their people can escape the rising ocean that threatens to destroy them all. Mukashi are customisable with items picked up in game or gained through completing quests.

In an interesting move, the developers have announced that they intend to keep the title as an OUYA exclusive, at least initially. The console supports indie developers and has an extensive list of experimental titles which they feel would be a perfect fit for the type of game they’re trying to create. OUYA is itself an indie console successfully funded through Kickstarter, and a platform the developers are keen to support. The game will be developed using the Unity 3D engine, a tool traditionally popular among indie developers for its multi-platform support. Once a fixed term of exclusivity has passed, Mukashi should then be available on other platforms.

Mukashi and the Scrolls of Hope is currently set for a release early in 2015.

[Editor's Note: As of August 20th, the game has now shifted to a PC exclusive.]

© 2014, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

Currently in beta, Fire With Fire mixes up the tower defense formula by adding in offense. Whether in online multiplayer matches or in the not-yet-available single player campaign, players must defend their own base with towers while also destroying their opponent’s. The former is achieved through customizable defenses and the latter via sending creeps at your enemies.

The ability to attack is limited by a one-minute cooldown timer which gives players a brief respite to focus on their own defenses. Placing towers can redirect the path that incoming creeps take, with the goal being to lengthen that path as much as possible. Individual towers can be upgraded using points earned through continuing to build more towers, and stronger tower types can eventually be unlocked in each group. There’s a fairly standard tradeoff when it comes to the tower specializations like offense firepower, range, and single-target vs. splash damage. However, there are some other interesting side effects thrown in like the ability to make the enemies pop up in the air.

The offensive system is just as entertaining as protecting your own base. Players choose the types of creeps they want to send from a handful of varieties and also the order in which they’ll come in. This adds an extra layer of strategy in that some creeps are damage soakers, some are weak but speedy, and others are offensive beasts. Running them in a particular order can be much more effective once you get a feel for the enemy’s defenses. Repeatedly sending creeps of a specific variety will also evolve them into a more ferocious version. Once combat actually starts, the game moves into a passive mode where the player is either watching their own base get attacked or seeing the outcome of their own offensive onslaught. The break is brief, though, and players will need to be ready to quickly resume focus on attacking and defending.

An area where the game shines – quite literally – is in the graphical style. The environments, towers, and creeps are all drawn in a cartoonish manner (think Castle Crashers with extra texturing), and there’s a definite ‘wow factor’ in the particle effects seen on the battlefield. Flaming explosions, singeing electricity, and other effects look downright beautiful. It’s really impressive, and it will be interesting to see whether all of that activity bogs down future mobile versions of the game.

Perhaps one of the best features of Fire With Fire is that it offers multiplatform and cross-platform play. You’ll be able to take on your PC-loving friends from the comfort of your couch or recliner. While PC and Mac will be the early recipients of this title, plans also include releases on OUYA, Android, and iOS. Although the current version is focused on multiplayer – and thankfully so – a single player campaign is also in development that will include leveling up by completing specific goals.

Fire With Fire is currently in closed beta, but appears to be progressing quite well. Skull Skill Studios has placed the game on Steam Greenlight, and their Kickstarter campaign is just about to end. Kickstarter backers will receive access to the closed beta, so check it out asap.

© 2014, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

You wait cautiously, as a bright green ship prepares to deliver its payload and cash in its haul of hard earned gemstones. The trap is set, ready for you to spring forward scattering a laser-light show of plasma beams across the abyss of space, straight into the hull of the unsuspecting emerald craft. As the ill-fated victim crumbles from your savage ambush, the spoils of war begin to drift amongst the stars, ready for the taking. Don’t be too hasty to count your space coins though, as seconds later a marauding band of space pirates deliver some swift karmic justice, making short work of your own crimson shuttle in a hail of gunfire. Space is no picnic, and Cashtronauts aims to prove that only the wiliest of space capitalists will emerge victorious.

The basic concept of Cashtronauts has you competing (or co-operating) against other players as you attempt to accrue the most money from the opportunities floating around in space. Mine asteroids, raid space pirates, or rob your friends of their hard earned cash, all in the confines of a 2D slice of deep space.  The game’s designer Simon Prefontaine describes it best as a ”Top down, twin stick, space-combat/trading party game with multiplayer”.

It’s an undoubtedly big list of interlocking features, enough to make me more than sceptical of what Prefontaine is hoping to achieve. Luckily, along with his Kickstarter campaign Simon has released an early demo version of the game to the public, with many of the basic features already in place for would-be naysayers like me to try out.

The first thing you notice is that the controls are tight, impressively so for such an early demo, and I’m instantly reminded of the slick sliding 2D movement found in twin stick shooters like Geometry Wars. The fact that it’s in space adds to the motion as well, with thrust and momentum playing a big factor in how you pilot your craft.  The zero-gravity adds the feeling of flexibility that gives a great sense of feedback when you’re flying around.

Cashtronauts structures its gameplay around one of two game modes. Skirmish, which is currently the only available mode in the demo, is a local multiplayer versus mode in which up to 4 players vie for the highest score by the end of a timed round. The second mode is called Venture, and could be considered the game’s campaign. In Venture mode you have to get as far across the galaxy as possible, stopping in each system to gather up enough cash to afford the toll on the warp gates scattered across space.

Cashtronauts is shaping up to be a strange beast. I only spent a few minutes with the game and it was easy to pinpoint Prefontaine’s inspirations. The controls are already fine-tuned and as responsive as you could ask for, and the focus on local multiplayer in every aspect of the game could easily see this project become a great entry to your couch co-op line-up.

© 2014, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

It’s only surprising because many 2D platforming games you play these days feature mechanics first seen in the sophomore effort; RPG elements of magic, armor, and weapons are all heavily indebted to it – Elliot Quest has all of these elements as you would imagine.

The game exists inside an open world, leaving you free to explore as you please (or are allowed to begin with). The first area to visit where you can really do anything is – both in visuals and audio - Link to the Past’s Lost Woods. What it lacks in originality though, it makes up for in visual charm and its simplicity in setting you up with the gameplay mechanics.

Elliot is paired up with a bow and arrow to begin with, and it works effectively. The arrow has a decent enough range, and basic enemies can be toppled with a few shots. The trailer shows off several other weapons that will be available as well, and it seems like certain weapons will help with traversing the environment and killing enemies.

While the forest music is a modified version of the Lost Woods, the rest of the soundtrack (currently available here) is more akin to the work of Nobuo Uematsu (composer of the Final Fantasy series) and it’s some seriously impressive stuff. Michael Chait has a keen ear for melody and is someone to keep a note on for the future.

The actual plot of the game doesn’t exist yet, but that’s a minor complaint (and really, who is going to be that concerned).

The official online demo is available to play here.

Elliot Quest is currently up on Steam’s Greenlight if you feel so inclined to vote for it.

Also, Zuno has put up a pledge on Indiegogo with the aim of raising $6,000. The packages go from $1 up to $1,400, and if you like what you see I would suggest going for the $8 package, as this includes a free copy of the game (Windows, Linux or Mac), the original soundtrack, and a PDF with drawn illustrations.

© 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

Whispering Willows was recently entered into the OUYA Create Game Jam and were picked as finalists for three separate categories including Grand Prize, Most Immersive, and Best Visuals. The developers are also seeking to get the game approved through Steam Greenlight.

Although the game isn’t expected to launch until Q3 of 2013, an alpha demo has been released to help drum up interest. The demo is brief (about 5 minutes or less), but offers a glimpse into what the game is all about. The lead character, Elena, has a connection with the spirit world and is trying to find her father who many believe is dead. She can create an astral projection of herself within the land of the dead, and the player must alternate in between these two forms in order to open up new paths and help ghosts within the 2D environments. The game features some quality artwork that looks inspired in design from a number of Japanese-animated films and cartoons. The background music also helps set the somber mood for the story. The only nitpick I have is with the browser-based controls in terms of the odd choices for the keys assigned to different actions. The game is still early on, though, and it’ll be interesting to see how the final product turns out.

Swap between this world and the land of the undead to aid spirits and further your own quest.

Whispering Willows will be headed to a variety of platforms including Linux, Mac, OUYA, and PC. The studio has launched a Kickstarter campaign to bring in additional artists to help get the first chapter of  this multi-platform game out the door. Give the demo a try, and if you like what you see, you can reserve your copy of the game through Kickstarter for $10. You can also receive updates on the game’s progress through Night Light Interactive’s Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube accounts.

© 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.