This was a great week. Sure there were the prerequisite disappointments and a couple of games that shouldn’t exist, but none of that matters. What matters is that there are three games nestled in that little synopsis at the bottom under “Must Play” that are about as Must Play as a game in the Dome can get. I’ll leave it to you to guess which three, but here’s a hint: it’s the last three on the Must Play list. There’s actually a good chance that list would be even longer if it weren’t for the fact that we have a few pending reviews. And as you know, we don’t “rate” indies with full reviews on the way. We’re weird like that.

Anyway, it’s time to start reading. And maybe downloading if these past 58 Indie-Domes have given you any semblance of confidence in our opinions.

If this is your first time visiting the Dome or you’re an Xbox Live Indie Games developer wanting to know what we do here, check out our handy-dandy Xbox Live Indie-Dome explanation/disclaimer — Click Here.

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4-in-1 Cardgame Collection

(Developer: ReaperGamingStudios – 80 points)

It’s pretty hard to screw up solitaire. Actually, it’s more or less impossible. This may sound like a lead-in to saying “this game manages to defy convention and still suck,” but that’s actually not the case.

4-in-1 Cardgame Collection includes four different games of solitaire: demon, super demon, calculation, and one foundation. Not being an aficionado I have no idea whether or not these are real names, but I do know they’re at least based on existing variations. It makes for a decent collection of time-wasters, all things considered. The controls feel a little weird and the music is uncharacteristically foreboding, considering it’s just solitaire, but four card games for a buck is kind of a no-brainer.

Icebreaker

(Developer: DualOpAmp29 – 80 points)

Boy, there sure are a lot of block-breaking games, huh? Icebreaker is another one.

Thankfully, it’s not a broken mess like some of them tend to be. The controls are responsive, there are lots of items to collect that will affect the paddle in various ways, and some of the stages even use backgrounds designed to make tracking the ball more difficult. Sure, the intro with the talking yeti is kind of cheesy, but facing off against it while it occasionally lunges into the foreground and swipes at the paddle is honestly a little nerve-wracking.

Overall, I’d say it does the genre proud. Or at least doesn’t make it want to hide in a corner while all the other genres watch and laugh.

Card Creator

(Developer: Teaser Creations – 80 points)

*Utter Failure*

I understand the need to create, and I also get that sometimes you have to do something simple to test the waters first, but why the hell do people even bother to make stuff like this for the 360?

Card Creator does exactly what it says: it makes cards. Greeting cards. Extremely limited, overly-simplistic greeting cards. On a video game console. Not only is it as pointless as it sounds, it’s also way too simple. There’s a small selection of backgrounds, colors, images, and text to mix-and-match, but my real gripe (aside from it not needing to exist) is that nothing can be re-sized or rotated. Everything is also locked into a grid, so lining things up the way you want is next to impossible. There are layers, so various objects can overlap each other, but that’s honestly not enough.

And that’s really what Card Creator is, in a nutshell: Not enough.

Sum Fighter

(Developer: MDCopp – 240 points)

I can’t say too much about Sum Fighter because it’s getting a full review, but I will say this: It’s worth checking out the trial simply for the astonishingly well done intro movie. The illustration style will look incredibly familiar to anyone who’s watched Nickelodeon over the past few years, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive.

So when you’re ready to see how well Sum Fighter fares, check out our full review.

Pixelbit Helicopter Challenge

(Developer: Game Group – 80 points)

The folks at Pixelbit are at it again with a follow-up to their last game that’s more than a little bit of a departure. Going from pool to RC helicopters seems like a big leap, but in this industry it’s either “Make more of the same,” or “Reinvent yourself every chance you get.” Fans tend to condemn either of these choices while lamenting the fact that the devs didn’t go with the other one, but I’m glad to see Pixelbit trying lots of different things out. It’s good practice and makes for a much more diverse portfolio.

Anyway, if you want to know whether or not we think Pixelbit Helicopter Challenge is as worthy of your money as Pixelbit Snooker & Pool was, you’ll just have to check out our full review.

Ye Olde Hangman Game

(Developer: DualOpAmp29 – 80 points)

Ye Olde Hangman Game is Hangman (duh). However, it features a somewhat unique-ish (and altogether gruesome) medieval theme, so it’s not exactly more of the same.

Some poor schmoe is going to be hanged, and only someone with the ability to spell can possibly save him. For the most part it’s just like any other game of Hangman, except that the condemned is already fitted with a noose. Each incorrect guess will inch the gallows’ lever closer to release. If the phrase can be figured out in time, an arrow will fly in from the side of the screen and cut the rope, freeing the doomed man in badass Robin Hood-style. Conversely, enough bad guesses will see a crowd gather as the trapdoor is released and the unlucky bastard falls through. It’s surprisingly grotesque for such a cartoony game.

So assuming graphic cartoon death doesn’t phase you, and you love Hangman, Ye Olde Hangman Game will totally be worth your while. If you’re easily offended, then what the hell are you doing here?

Trigger Finger

(Developer: Lighthouse Games Studio – 80 points)

*Must Play*

Given the previous track record of Lighthouse Games, it’s somewhat surprising to suddenly have something like Trigger Finger thrown into the mix. It’s not that their past offerings are bad games per se, but it’s typically been Avatar stuff. This is different, and I like that.

Trigger Finger is the kind of game that focuses on waves and upgrades rather than location and enemy variation. Essentially it’s a reticule-moving on-rails shooter without actual rails. More of a shooting range, really. Enemies pop up in set locations with varying patterns and speed (and incredibly repetitive sound bites), but there’s still challenge to be had in sweeping the cursor to the right badguy before he can shoot.

It’s the ever-present customization and rewards earned through completing waves that makes Trigger Finger hard to put down. Players can choose to upgrade health, aiming speed, max ammo, get a defense-boosting riot shield, and unlock more weapons each time one is completed. It’s a simple idea that’s been used quite a bit lately, but that doesn’t make it any less appealing.

Astro Tempest

(Developer: Hardcore Techies Game Studio – 240 points)

Astro Tempest is an arcade shooter with… well it’s not really a twist. More like a few nifty tweaks.

Each stage is broken up into two parts: one in orbit and the other above a chosen city. Each involves the same concept of preventing asteroids from getting by as they fall from the top of the screen, but the fewer space rocks that can sneak past while in orbit, the less of a hassle it’ll be protecting the city. Every now and then an item will drop from an exploded ‘roid, granting the ship one of many abilities; some are temporary, some stick around and can stack with others. So that initial, almost useless tin can could very well become an asteroid obliteration machine.

The short version: It’s fun.

Bubble Buster 360

(Developer: Final Boss Productions – 80 points)

A somewhat lethargic Bust-a-Move with 360 degrees of colored balls to dispatch is what first came to mind when I started playing Bubble Buster 360. After a few levels, I’ve decided I was pretty much right on the money with my initial reaction.

I’m not claiming this is a bad thing–Bust-a-Move is a great game–but the combination of slow projectiles, subdued sound effects and a very mellow soundtrack make playing this game a little too relaxing. Which is a nice way of saying I started to nod off a little. Again, not because it was bad but because it was a bit too “slow.”

It’s still worth a look for any bubble-busting fans out there.

Poopocalypse

(Developer: Wolpertinger Games – 80 points)

I’m curious to see if titles ending in “-ocalypse” are going to be a running gag with Wolpertinger Games. If so, they have my full support.

Poopocalypse has nothing to do with their previous title, Quizocalypse. Aside from the “-ocalypse” thing I already talked about. Instead of a delightfully twisted quiz show featuring zombies and obscurely-worded questions, we have a highly stylized pissed-off pigeon-pooping simulator. Wow, even typing that took a few tries.

Wanna know what we think about it? Well too bad. You’ll have to check out the full review for that kind of info.

Monster Escape

(Developer: Pixel Polish Games – 80 points)

Monster Escape is essentially a “get the key to the exit” kind of game, but one with a couple of small tweaks and a fun art style. So that makes it okay.

The goal is to guide your monster to the egg in each level, then get the egg to the exit. With the addition of various power-ups, multiple monsters to control, enemies to avoid, and puzzle-like blocks to place in order to create a path, there’s quite a bit more to Monster Escape than there initially appears to be. The sound effects seem off somehow, like they were recorded with lackluster equipment or something, and the way that the level completion screen (complete with point counter) seems to start running before the visuals actually pop up makes the game feel like it may have been pushed out too soon.

Neither of these problems affect the gameplay, however, so puzzle fans should still give this one a look.

Them Blockz

(Developer: GLHF Games – 80 points)

Since there are a lot of block-pushing games out there, I can only assume GLHF Games decided to try something different and came up with block-pulling for Them Blockz. It looks charmingly retro, includes simple rules that are made complex through stage layouts, and does that thing where levels can be replayed in order to try and earn the coveted “star.” To prove that it wasn’t just beaten, but beaten good.

Movement is a little on the slow side, but since the game counts steps and not time it’s kind of a non-issue, although a slightly faster box or a speed-up button would have been greatly appreciated. What really keeps things from getting too easy is the way blocks will stick to the player’s box (and to each other) once they’ve attached themselves, so figuring out when and where to grab each block before dragging it to the proper tile is essential.

It looks great, it plays well, and it’s got plenty of levels to keep puzzlers busy. Not bad for a dollar, huh?

Lair of the Evildoer

(Developer: Going Loud Studios – 80 points)

*Must Play*

Buy this game.

Unless you hate the idea of playing something akin to a top-down corridor shooter mixed with a roguelike. In which case you’re hopeless.

I’m honestly shocked that this game is only a dollar. Going Loud Studios could have probably won just as many potential customers over with the less common 240 point price tag, but hey, I’m not complaining. It’s just that there’s a lot on offer here. It boasts over 25 weapons, hundreds of monsters, procedurally generated levels and RPG-like character leveling, complete with stat point distribution. I dunno, maybe I’m in the minority but this seems like something a person would be stupid not to play.

Mad Blocker Arcade

(Developer: Open Emotion Studios – 240 points)

Oh look, a pretty block-dropping puzzle game where you have to match four or more like-colored blocks to clear them! We haven’t had one of those in a few weeks.

A lot of effort clearly went in to Mad Blocker Arcade‘s visuals. There’s lots of detail not just in the blocks themselves, but in the backgrounds and interface as well. Unfortunately, I can’t help but feel like a little more time should have been spent elsewhere.

The sound effects are definitely the biggest offender. They sound awful and blown out, not to mention sparse and canned. Generic “children cheering” sound effects don’t really seem to fit the theme as far as I’m concerned. The second problem is that the game ramps up in speed a bit too fast, which doesn’t so much make things impossible as it causes the horrid sounds to start coming out that much faster. I’m also not a fan of how the tall grass in the first level tends to cover the bottom row of blocks.

Understand that Mad Blocker Arcade is a good, capable puzzle game. It’s just that a 240 point price implies a certain level of quality (or belief in quality) that just isn’t present in the final product. Puzzle fans will undoubtedly still enjoy it, but everyone else should probably check out the trial first. Just to be sure.

Paint Ball – Splashes of Fun

(Developer: CandelaCreations – 80 points)

As a two player versus affair, there’s a decent amount of good here. The maps seem fairly varied, there are extra things to utilize such as turrets that can be converted by shooting them and paint-filled bombs referred to as “blobs…” it’s just that all of it has to involve two players. There is no single player mode and no enemy AI. Playing Paint Ball – Splashes of Fun requires a second player, or at least a second controller.

It seems like it would be decent fun with someone who can actually shoot back, but setting up a second controller just so I can shoot at a stationary target is boring. I really wish developers would stop omitting single player options from their games…

Kung Fu FIGHT!

(Developer: Nostatic Software – 80 points)

*Must Play*

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect with Kung Fu FIGHT!, but it certainly wasn’t a “runner.” The graphics alone were enough to pique my initial interest, but I’m not sure how I would have felt had I known what kind of game it was. Not that I hate runners, I just feel like the genre is getting a little over-saturated.

Fortunately, Kung Fu FIGHT! does a lot to make things more interesting to the jaded gamers who’ve already played the shit out of Canabalt and the like (such as myself). Of course it sports a nifty visual style, but it also has a great “almost” chiptune soundtrack, randomly generated obstacles, a story mode with checkpoints, awards (the indie equivalent to Achievements), a few mildly interactive environmental objects (such as breakable decorations and chandeliers to swing on), and an endless mode that’s more akin to what one would expect from the genre. Oh, and it’s got a fairly silly and irreverent sense of humor which doesn’t fall flat as it sometimes does in other indie games.

Block the Laser

(Developer: John D’India – 80 points)

I was ready to write-off Block the Laser at first because it took quite a few levels before the titular beams of light even made an appearance. Thankfully they did, so I don’t have to go on a half-hearted faux rant about false advertising. Instead I can just talk about the game.

So yeah, Block the Laser. It’s a puzzle game based mostly around movement and switch-flipping. Rolling over a switch will trigger it, causing doors to open or close and lasers to switch on and off. Depending on the room this can be either a good or a bad thing. Oftentimes the angle of approach is more important than the actual flippage because moving the little robot backwards (i.e. in the direction it just came from) actually undoes the last move, so it’s very important to plan in advance and plot the proper course.

In a way, it makes me think of a simplified Gyromite, minus the weird little dinosaur things. This is mostly due to the colored doors I think. Still, it’s not a bad puzzle game.

Fredriksdal Assault

(Developer: All-templates.biz – 240 points)

*Utter Failure*

I hate having to talk about games like Fredriksdal Assault because I know I’ll end up either pissing someone off or hurting their feelings. Maybe both. I don’t feel that it’s undeserved, I just hate being “the badguy.”

But enough delaying. I won’t sugarcoat it: this game is bad. Not Diego Salazar bad, but close to it. The idea is to run around a butt-ugly map, doing something involving barrels that isn’t entirely clear and trying to kill your opponent so you can get a few minutes peace while you do whatever it is that needs to be done with those damn barrels. Aside from looking terrible, it controls even worse, with obnoxiously slow turning speed and hang-ups on geometry when entering any of the cramped buildings. It also features almost nonexistent sound effects and a very nonexistent soundtrack, as well as forced multiplayer like I mentioned up there in the Paintball thing. The fact that this is priced at 240 points almost seems like an insult.

Grid Legion – Deviant Remix

(Developer: Wind Jester – 240 points)

Tactical card battles will never go out of style. Not so long as games like Grid Legion – Deviant Remix are still being made, anyway. I’m not saying they should go out of style, it’s just hard coming up with something interesting to say 20+ times in the same article. Ahem, moving on…

Cards are used to flesh-out a deck and placed to block or attack an opponent. You know the drill. It’s vaguely similar to the relatively recent Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes, actually. Cards can be drawn and placed on tiles across the game board, some units can only be placed in specific areas, certain terrain can have beneficial effects, etc… It’s an interesting game with what seems like plenty of draw for card/strategy buffs. If nothing else, the artwork is beautiful.

Hide and Scare

(Developer: Silver Dollar Games 2 – 80 points)

Hide and Scare isn’t a game. It’s an audiovisual prank for a dollar. But as much as I hate seeing “apps” on Xbox Live, I have to admit this one isn’t totally useless.

Pressing certain buttons on the controller will bring “lures” up on the screen, designed to draw any nearby suckers closer to the TV. Or at least get their attention. Once their attention is focused enough, another button press will cause a “scare” accompanied by a loud noise to appear. If done right it’s supposed to scare your friends. And presumably get you physically injured. This is something I don’t plan to test, because the only person for me to try it on is my wife and she knows karate.

Seriously, she could hurt me. Badly.

A Game About My Cat

(Developer: thelostone – 80 points)

*Utter Failure*

*sigh*

I wanted to like A Game About My Cat, I really did, but it’s just… no. I figured the ugliness of the title screen was just an oversight, and imagined that the inclusion of a “laser pointer cat toy” was to show some love for the kitties. I also thought the game proper would be cool. It certainly looks cool.

Unfortunately it’s not. Sweet retro-kitty on a litterbox sled notwithstanding, the rest of the game just feels unfinished or broken. The controls for the sledding aren’t responsive, jumping seems to only work half the time, there’s no penalty for failing a trick other than not getting a “perfect landing” bonus and the only thing gained from extended play is pictures of another person’s cat.

I really wish I could have given it a Must Play…

Shift It

(Developer: Peabrain – 240 points)

Yet again I’m faced with a game that seems priced a bit beyond its means. Or something. Basically it’s doesn’t seem polished enough to warrant the larger price, but I suppose the value depends on the purchaser.

Shift It is a puzzle game (a genre Live is dangerously close to running out of…) that requires lots of preplanned block moving. A stage won’t count as finished until each and every block is gone, but they can only be gotten rid of if two or more like-colors touch. However, if there are an odd number of the same color this means things will have to be prepped just right or else you’ll find yourself with an errant block. Which will mean having to restart the puzzle.

It’s not crap, but the presentation leaves a lot to be desired. Especially at 240 points. Which is kind of a sad thing, (i.e. the current state of price expectations that everything should be a dollar), but that’s how it is.

Solar 2

(Developer: Murudai – 400 points)

*Must Play*

Christ, I’m not sure if I’ve ever been so conflicted about purchasing an indie game. On the one hand, it’s 400 points. Five bucks. It’s the BMW/other fancy car of indies.

On the other hand, it’s pants-shittingly insane in a totally awesome way.

The universe explodes into being and you control a single asteroid. High-speed collisions with other space rocks will cause you to grow, eventually becoming a planet. Moving close to asteroids as a planet will usually cause them to orbit, where they can be held in place and used as a makeshift shield against aggressors or be absorbed into the planet. Once enough asteroids are absorbed, the planet can support life. If enough time passes, the life will evolve and eventually gain technological advancements that allow for shields and orbital spacecraft that can attack enemy planets and ships. And it just keeps building from there.

The only sticking point I have is that $5 price tag. But the game is just so stupid-awesome I can’t not buy it. Either way, it needs attention.

Who is the Best: Math

(Developer: FourthDimensional – 80 points)

As far as “edutainment” games go, Who is the Best: Math isn’t so bad. I mean, it’s just a collection of timed math problems but anyone who’s into this kind of stuff should enjoy it. Plus there’s a neat contest where you can compete globally to get your Avatar on the cover. Kind of like what Hack This Game did.

There’s really not much else for me to add here. It’s math. I’m not a fan. But someone who is will probably get a kick out of this.

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*Must Plays*

• Trigger Finger (80 points)
• Lair of the Evildoer (80 points)
• Kung Fu FIGHT! (80 points)
• Solar 2 (400 points)

*Utter Failures*

• Card Creator (80 points)
• Fredriksdal Assault (240 points)
• A Game About My Cat (80 points)