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Developers we’d love to see on Playdate: Part 3
On now to part 3 of our list of developers we’d love to see on Panic’s much-anticipated Playdate console. So far, we’ve had Asymmetric, thatgamecompany, Lucas Pope, and SWERY65 pop up. This time around, I’ve selected two developers that appear to be popular opposites of one another. Robert Yang Yes, Robert Yang – creator of Hurt Me Plenty, The Tearoom, and Cobra Club – was likely the first developer to jump to everyone’s mind when the Playdate was announced, but that’s only because he’s such a perfect fit for the platform. I struggle to think of any creative better at taking a basic, outwardly silly concept and using it to thoughtfully…
BayonettaBest mobile games of the year so far: Flappy Fighter
My next pick, the first fighting game on the list, seemingly came out of nowhere. Its intensely silly premise caused a sudden spike in chatter, spurring us all on to give it a go, with many at the time treating it as something of a goofy curiosity. That being said, the real surprise with Andrew Baxter’s Flappy Fighter, a mashup of 2013’s Flappy Bird and Street Fighter, is just how polished and smartly designed it is – so much so that it has the potential to become one of the best games of its type on mobile. Right now, with only 1 playable character and no online PvP, you could argue that it feels more like a demo than a full game. But, in the heat of battle, these conc…
Developers we’d love to see on Playdate: Part 2
This here is the second part of our list of developers we’d love to see on Panic’s upcoming Playdate console. Our first two picks were West of Loathing developer Asymmetric and Flow, Flower, and Journey developer thatgamecompany. These next two are slightly, well, stranger, though still totally suited to the Playdate’s niche appeal. Lucas Pope So far, both the Playdate’s actual line-up and my proposed line-up have been full of developers who specialise mostly in funny, family-friendly games. I figure we need to level that out a bit by throwing in someone like Lucas Pope, the man behind Papers, Please and last year’s Return of the Obra Dinn. His games are enjo…
Best mobile games of the year so far: Tropico
So here’s something slightly different, a strategy game, to mix things up. Honestly, I’ve lost count of what entry we’re on now – 10, maybe? 11? I don’t know. But what I do know is that 2019 has already been so packed with good games that I could easily keep this whole thing going until we’re bringing in the New Year. I won’t, probably, but I could, maybe. Tropico, everyone’s favourite dictator-simulator, launched on iPad last year, but only recently became available for iPhone. Like most strategy games, it’s all about long-term planning and weighing up the dozens of options given to you at any one time. Want to be a fairly progressive d…
Cosy Majora’s Mask-like puzzler 'Minit' comes to iOS on June 27th
Developer JW, Kitty, Jukio, and Dom’s nostalgic hug of Zelda-lite puzzling, Minit, finally has an iOS release date of June 27th. This one first saw the light of day on PS4, Xbox, and PC back in April 2018, so it’s been about a year-long wait for the inevitable mobile port. The idea here is that you have a mere 60 seconds to explore your pixelated surroundings and work out how to break the curse laid on you by a magic sword. After your minute is up, you die – booting you back to the start of your quest. Sadly, for me at least, it’s the type of indie that’s mostly content to cater to those nostalgic for the games of yore – who could have guessed that in thi…
Acclaimed roguelike Dead Cells is headed to iOS on July 17th
Motion Twin’s acclaimed Metroidvania, Dead Cells, finally has an iOS release date of July 17th. Android players needn’t worry too much, as a port will be heading to Google Play in the near future. It’s a challenging roguelike that sees you traversing a sprawling castle, from the deepest dungeons to the ramparts on high. Our sister site, Pocket Gamer, gave the Switch version a whopping 9/10 on release– calling it “a new action platformer classic”. Combat is fast, gloriously bloody, and endlessly varied; it’s honestly one of the best feeling games around. That being said, I’m a tad sceptical about how well it’ll play using touchscreen c…
Developers we’d love to see on Playdate: Part 1
The recent announcement of Panic’s Playdate handheld and its interesting method of game distribution has got me thinking up all sorts of dream collaborations. With the potential for more than one season of games, we could end up seeing dozens of awesome Playdate-exclusive projects from our favourite teams. A few of these developers could well feature in season 1, which would be lovely, but I’d also like to propose a few stranger picks. So here are the first two developers that I think could be a great fit for the weird and (hopefully) wonderful Playdate. Asymmetric Asymmetric’s western epic West of Loathing is one of my favourite games in recent memory. It’s bursti…
Best mobiles games of the year so far: The Gardens Between
I reckon, by now, I’ve probably offered up a varied enough selection of GOTY candidates to justify throwing in another premium, story-based title. I’ve got a racer, a runner, a couple of roguelikes, another runner, two platformers, and some that don’t fit quite as tidily into any of the above. The Gardens Between The Gardens Between tells the story of two kids who escape the mundanity of their suburban setting to head out on an adventure through their own memories. It sounds almost too painfully twee on paper, but part of the appeal here is that very precarious balancing act. The player takes on the role of a nameless, omnipresent being floating above and guiding the two…
Brawlhalla introduces Adventure Time’s Finn, Jake, and Princess Bubblegum
During Ubsoft’s E3 conference, we found out that Adventure Time’s Finn the Human, Jake the Dog, and Princess Bubblegum will be the latest playable fighters in Blue Mammoth Games’ Brawlhalla. This comes about thanks to a big crossover event with the hugely popular Cartoon Network series. The brief trailer gives us a quick glimpse of each fighter’s moves and combat styles. They join an already impressive roster of recognisable characters from several earlier crossovers, including Hellboy and Rayman. As part of the update, we’ll also be getting a new team-based mode called Buddy and a new arena called Tree Fort. The free-to-play brawler obviously draws a whole…
Devolver’s CARRION is a nightmare of tendrils and gore
During Devolver Digital’s annual fever dream of an E3 conference, we were lucky enough to get another quick look at the delightfully fleshy CARRION. The appropriately named Phobia Game Studio are the minds behind this reverse horror game of sorts in which you assume the role of a shapeshifting nightmare of tendrils and gore. It looks like the gameplay will feature a lot of sneaking about, stalking your human prey, punctuated by short, sharp bouts of action. The sheer nastiness of the horrors on show reminds me a fair bit of Inside’s sad, desperate science experiment gone wrong. Though Phobia’s creature’s slow hunting and considered bursts of violence appear altoge…
Panic’s Playdate is the most intriguing console in years
With the utterly crap Ouya now dead and dodgy novelty consoles proving popular, now would appear to be the perfect time for something genuinely weird and different to come along. Enter the Playdate, a very yellow, very odd handheld device from Panic, publisher of games like 2016’s Firewatch and the upcoming Untitled Goose Game. Not only does it look quite unlike any other recent console, with a cute hand-crank and a black-and-white display, but Panic’s method of dolling out its games has got me intrigued, if a tad concerned. Instead of buying individual games upfront, you’ll be getting one new game per week for three months – that’s 12 games in total. And…
Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad trots out Sam Fisher for a bit of 5v5 shooter action
During what was one of the most uneventful conferences in what has been a lacklustre E3, Ubisoft announced its latest foray into the world of mobile gaming – Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad. This one throws together a bunch of “iconic” characters from the Clancyverse, including Sam Fisher and that bloke from The Division. It looks to be a 5v5 tactical shooter of sorts, with a campaign mode and extensive customisation options to boot. While the game itself seems fine, it’s a bit upsetting to once again find my man Sam Fisher being relegated to little more than a cameo character. In the mix, we’ve got everyone’s favourite buff military dudes and their mil…
Bethesda graces the Switch with Elder Scrolls: Blades
During last night’s Bethesda conference, a Switch port of Elder Scrolls: Blades was confirmed for a Q4 2019 release. The Switch version will be free and will allow for cross-platform accounts, meaning you’ll be able to transfer over your current iOS or Android character. The conference itself was a strange one. My apathy toward Elder Scrolls: Online, my dislike for Blades, and my complete disdain for 76 were almost wholly reversed by the sheer pose-striking likeability of Tango Gameworks’ Ikumi Nakamura. She and the two dashing Frenchmen from Arkane Lyon supplied the few bursts of energy and excitement in what was otherwise a sea of tiring apologies and DLC. Like most r…
Bethesda gives Captain Keen the free-to-play treatment
After an attempted on-stage resuscitation of Fallout 76, Bethesda went on to announce something I’m pretty sure none of us saw coming – a free-to-play reboot of Captain Keen. It’s headed for a soft-launch on Android and iOS this summer. The original games hailed primarily from id Software (yeah, the Doom guys). They were side-scrolling platformers that followed a plucky, pogo-hopping kid on his adventures through space. Oh, and that kid, Billy Keen, is totally 100% the grandson of Nazi-slayer William "B.J." Blazkowicz and the father of none other than Doomguy himself. So what does that mean for 2019’s mobile-bound Captain Keen? Absolutely nothing at all, I’d…
Best mobile games of the year so far: Ordia
Ordia, the ninth pick in our rundown of the best games of the year so far, is a single-finger platformer from developer Loju. It’s also the newest game to be featured here, having only just released earlier this month. Ordia As a one-eyed ball of goo, you’ll start out by launching yourself from the bubbling primordial ooze to the endless caverns above. The goal is to continue working your way forever upwards, hopping between handpoint nodes and dodging the odd spike or hungry worm as you go. It’s all controlled with one finger in a way that’s somewhat similar to Angry Birds. It’s a system that feels simplistic at first, but, as you progress, you’ll need…
