Now on Steam

By: Derek Yu

On: April 23rd, 2012

A number of previously-released games have been added to Steam recently.

First off is Joakim “Konjak” Sandberg’s Noitu Love 2, a fast-paced platformer that was put out four years ago. Even if you already played it, you may want to relive the good times to support the development of Konjak’s latest project, The Iconoclasts.

Wizorb is a Breakout game with RPG elements that came out on XBLIG last year. Developed by Tribute Games with some help from Paul Robertson, Wizorb has great pixel art and adds a number of fun, new ideas to the classic genre.

Capybara Games has ported the popular iPad adventure game Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP to PC. If a lack of iThing was preventing you from experiencing the sweet sights and sounds of Craig Adams and Jim Guthrie, now’s your chance!

Lone Survivor, the creepy survival horror title from Jasper Byrne, was released on Steam 20% off… the first sale since the game arrived last month.

Finally, David Williamson’s casual roguelike Hack, Slash, Loot is also available on Steam. With cutesy graphics and a simple mouse interface, this seems like a good release for those new to dungeon crawling. The OST was released today, as well.

Lone Survivor

By: Derek Yu

On: March 27th, 2012

Jasper Byrne released his horror-themed adventure Lone Survivor today. The protagonist, an unnamed masked man, must escape a disease-ravaged city filled with monsters and hallucinations. You can play the demo online at Kongregate. The full version costs $10.

TIGdb: Entry for Lone Survivor

Read the rest of this entry »

Trailers: IGF 2012 Edition

By: Derek Yu

On: October 22nd, 2011

Some of the new trailers made for the IGF 2012 submission:

The Iconoclasts (Konjak), a non-linear platform game (demo is available from the website).

Read the rest of this entry »

Soul Brother

By: ithamore

On: April 23rd, 2011

For those of us who have been waiting to play the Flash version of Soul Brother, the age of its online existence is finally here: go and play. For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, please continue reading.

Jasper Byrne has been putting a lot of time and love into this platformer about a spirit who is transported into the nearest animal after the body he was in dies, which grants the player with different abilities to play with in order to proceed through the game. This alternate reality method of reincarnation is a central mechanic of the gameplay, and a tally is kept of the times you die without having an animal into which to reincarnate. There are also wisdom gems to collect, speed runs to attempt, and combinations of variables to explore for the more challenging achievements while playing and replaying Soul Brother. Then there is the extra difficult Rainbow Star Challenge, … Edit: the challenge has been bested.

The pixel art and animations are adorable. Then there is the catchy, melodious soundtrack, which Jasper will be releasing as an OST later this year. And, if you aren’t already playing the game by now, maybe you’re reading too much.

This Is How Bees Work

By: Guest Reviewer

On: January 21st, 2010

[This is a guest review by Cosmic Fool. If you’re interested in writing an article for TIGSource, please go here.]

I think I’m going to have to meet bento_smile.

This Is How Bees Work is from the creative minds of Jasper ‘superflat’ Byrne and bento_smile, and I know right now its a game I’m going to remember. The passive and relaxing gameplay of bento_smile’s games has never failed to bring a smile to my face, and This Is How Bees Work is no exception.

You open the game to be greeted by 2 simple instructions (Move and Plant) and a pleasantly relaxed queen bee resting on quite a comfy looking plant. The contented smile on its face is a sign of things to come.

The joy of growing and harbouring a home for the bees made me feel like a good person. When I would see the first forest I had created on the horizon I felt happy simply to see it from a distance as a measure of my achievement. It also amazes me the sense of reward I got out of subtle graphical changes. When I would spawn a purple tree or begin to collect red bees I began to genuinely feel like I had created something beautiful in this strange and weird magenta land.

Don’t get me wrong, this is not a game for everyone. Its lack of a superobjective and general endlessness might not appeal to those approaching it as a traditional game. Its beauty lies in a desire to excel on your own terms. If you got joy simply out of traversing the new environments in Knytt and Knytt Stories or seeing the new friends appear on your map in Tanaka’s Friendly Adventure, I’m sure you’ll garner some enjoyment out of this game, hampered only the brevity of the experience.