With the announcement that Gamescom 2020 was canceled, Gamescom Online was quickly announced. Taking place of the physical tradeshow, Gamescom Online spotlights many games, through a unique virtual show experience. Day one officially kicked off yesterday! One of day one’s big events was, the still ongoing, Indie Arena Booth. Indie Arena Booth Online features titles from 185 different indie developers, ranging from over 50 different countries. Below is a list of five of my personal favorites, showcased through the virtual event.
Pumpkin Jack – Nicolas Meyssonnier / Headup
Pumpkin Jack is a Spooky Scary 3D platformer in which you embody Jack, the Mythical Pumpkin Lord! Dive into an Epic Adventure through otherworldly landscapes and help the Evil annihilate the Good! This game really called to me, as 3D platformers are one of my favorite genres. While definitely taking inspiration from games such as Banjo-Kazooie and Ratchet & Clank, Pumpkin Jack offers a really unique world and art style. I’ve had my eyes on this title for a while now, and seeing how far it’s come along has me very excited!
Cyanide & Happiness – Freakpocalypse: Part 1 – Skeleton Crew Studios / Serenity Forge
You are a weird, unpopular, ginger-headed orphan. It’s time to save the world in this narrative-driven comedy adventure. I’ve been a big fan of Cyanide & Happiness since the 2014 launch of The Cyanide & Happiness Show. Freakpocalypse looks to encapsulate that dark humor Cyanide & Happiness is known for while offering what looks to be a really fun experience. I’m a sucker for a comedy focused narrative, and could not be more stoked!
Tunic – Isometricorp / Finji
Tunic is an isometric action-adventure game where you explore the wilderness, fight monsters, and discover secrets. You play as a tiny fox in a big world that is filled with mystery. A beautiful setting, tight combat, and a variety of items await you on this grand adventure. The gameplay is clearly inspired by Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda Series, while the characters and settings look entirely unique. Tunic looks incredibly polished, and I can’t wait to explore dungeons and take on the mysterious horse creature, as this little sword yielding fox.
Toodee and Topdee – dietzribi
A cosmic turbulence caused the worlds of Toodee and Topdee to merge with each other. Switch between Toodee’s 2D platforming and Topdee’s top-down block pushing to solve mind-melting puzzles, and bring back balance to the universe! 2D platformers are in abundance, however, the implementation of the free-roaming block puzzles is a very different approach to the genre. Couple the gameplay with its charming 16-bit inspired art style, Toodee and Topdee looks to be a really cool take on one of my other favorite genres.
Spinch – Queen Bee Games / Akupara Games
Spinch is a visual 2D platformer created by award-winning Canadian cartoonist Jesse Jacobs, with the audio composed by famed Canadian artist James Kirkpatrick. What really drew me to Spinch is its weird and almost trippy setting and wacky characters. The gameplay is very reminiscent to that of Super Meatboy. I love a good challenge, and Spinch totally looks like it will scratch that itch.
Narrowing down my picks to just five proved to be very difficult. Gamescom Indie Arena Booth is packed to the brim with a ton of exciting new titles. For more information, visit the official Indie Arena Booth website. Keep an eye on Marooners’ Rock as other writers here will also provide thoughts on games that really caught their eyes during the Indie Arena Booth Online event.
