Upcoming Indie Platformers With Crazy Mechanics

While triple-A titles continue to rely on tried and tested formulas to sell their games, the indie scene is where much of the game design experimentation is going on. This is already apparent with recent releases like Pepper Grinder and Pizza Tower, but there's plenty more on the horizon.

Related

8 Indie FPS Games With Innovative Gameplay

For players sick of military shooters like Call of Duty, these indie FPS titles innovate on the genre's gameplay in unique and unexpected ways.

Posts 1

By  Harry Ted Sprinks

These upcoming indie platformers are implementing some absolutely crazy mechanics to try and stand out from the crowd. Each one promises to not only push the genre in new directions but also to appeal to gamers who are desperate for something fresh. While not all of these games have a release date as of this writing, they all look fantastic and are sure to make waves whenever they finally hit online stores.

RECUR

Time Manipulating Postman Adventures

Some may see "time manipulation platformer" and think that Braid is the obvious inspiration, but RECUR has several key differences that set it apart. First off, the game's environments are a lot more chaotic, as players explore the world in the midst of an ongoing apocalypse. Debris, panic, and semi-destroyed structures are everywhere.

More importantly, players' time manipulation abilities have a significant impact in terms of changing and warping the environment as they explore. Shattered structures and demolished trains reform and crumble apart at the player's whim, allowing them to use the environment at any stage of destruction to solve puzzles and progress. It's a really cool visual element that also promises to deliver head-scratching challenges.

Croak

Frog Physics Are Changing Things Up

What immediately stands out about Croak is its stunning animation and art style. Developed by a team that features devs from Cuphead, as well as animators who worked on Rick & Morty, it's no surprise that this game's visuals are smooth and, at times, jaw-dropping. From a smoking raccoon to a lithe fox, Croak promises to be a feast for the eyes.

While it may not seem like a crazy mechanic at first blush, Croak's standout feature is its grapple, or in this case, the frog protagonist's tongue, which can latch onto any surface to pull the player towards it. However, what deepens this system is that, after pulling themselves towards their grapple point, players can use their momentum to "bounce" in the opposite direction. It's the kind of idea that can seem simple at first, but is likely to become very complex and satisfying as players master its intricacies.

Electrokinetic

A Wild 3D Action Platformer Roguelike

If there's one thing the roguelike genre's resurgence in recent years has proven, it's that virtually any genre can add roguelike elements into the mix and create something special. In this case, Electrokinetic takes the 3D platforming genre and adds roguelike mechanics where players select their moveset during each attempt.

Related

Best Tactical Roguelikes For Beginners

For a soft landing into the tactical roguelike genre, here are some of the best beginner-friendly titles to start with.

Posts

By  Harry Ted Sprinks

While there is action and combat involved in this game, that doesn't constitute the only moves players will be selecting. Their platforming abilities will also be randomized on each run, meaning classic platforming abilities like double jumps and air dashes may not be available, or may not work as expected. It's a fascinating twist on the genre and has the potential to be the Blue Prince of 3D action platformers if all goes well.

Vikings On Trampolines

Success Is All In The Name

Sometimes, an idea just speaks for itself, and Vikings on Trampolines is exactly as advertised. Players control a Viking who must continue bouncing on a trampoline as it moves through the world. While doing so, they must battle other Vikings, enemies, and even bosses, all while maintaining their trampoline-based momentum.

Vikings on Trampolines is going the extra mile by introducing a competitive mode where players try to knock each other off the trampolines while staying on their own. There is also a co-op mode where they take on AI enemies and bosses as a team of up to 4 players. The controls are simple and intuitive, to the point that the game can be played with just one hand. Vikings on Trampolines is as inviting as they come, offering a simple yet engagingly unusual premise and a simplicity that makes it accessible to veteran gamers and newcomers who just want to try it out.

Gecko Gods

Chill Lizard Lifestyle Simulator

Imagine Mario 64, but instead of controlling Mario, players have control of an everyday gecko. That's the basic premise of Gecko Gods, an upcoming 3D puzzle platformer where players can not only jump, swim, and dash, but can also climb on walls and ceilings and eat bugs, just like a gecko would.

Players also have a ship that they can pilot between individual worlds (which is very un-gecko-like, but we'll let it slide), each of which is loaded with puzzles to solve and secrets to uncover. There is more to discover than just the occasional puzzle, though, as players will begin to unearth the secrets of a lost civilization as they explore. However, Gecko Gods is a cozy game at heart and is meant to be a relaxing experience, so those seeking a 3D platformer that doesn't demand precision and speed to achieve success will feel right at home.

Iron Corbo: Kung Fu Janitor

Climate-Conscious Kung Fu Combat

Coming in hot like a mix of Absolver and Guacamelee, Iron Corbo: Kung Fu Janitor is a metroidvania platformer where players control a matrial artist janitor who is hellbent on cleaning up the streets of both garbage and any unruly robots that get in his way. However, unlike most games in this genre, Iron Corbo offers a degree of combat customization that's rarely been attempted before.

Players can customize their combat abilities from a selection of over 50 kung fu moves, allowing for some radical and unusual playstyles born out of nothing more than player creativity. There are bosses to fight, secrets to discover, and a branching narrative that will take the story to some wild places. Made by a solo developer, Iron Corbo is an ambitious metroidvania platformer that puts player creativity at the heart of the experience.

Screenbound

Mind-Breaking Perspective Shifts

Some people want 3D platformers, others want classic 2D platformers, but what about people who want both genres at once? For those players, there's Screenbound, a mind-bending simultaneous blend of 2D and 3D platforming, or as the developers call it, "5D platforming." Players control both their 3D avatar in first person and a 16-bit 2D sprite on their "Quantum Boy," a Game Boy-like device that allows them to see the world from a 2D perspective.

Related

Puzzle Games You Have To Be A Genius To Complete

While there are dozens of puzzle games for fans to choose from, some of these titles are nearly impossible to complete.

Posts

Players move both avatars at the same time, but actions in 3D can affect things in 2D, and vice versa. There may be obstacles that players can't bypass in 2D, but can simply walk around in 3D, or jumps that are impossible in 3D but simple in 2D. There's also combat, just to make things even more brain-melting. Screenbound is one of the most innovative puzzle platformers announced in recent years, and it promises to make players twist their minds in never-before-seen knots to get through its many challenges.

Necrofugitive

Hollow Knight Meets Prototype

When a game looks as cool as this, it almost sells itself. While it's not technically a full-blooded platformer, it certainly has platforming elements, and it's such a cool premise that it deserves a mention here. In Necrofugitive, players control a shape-shifting cultist on the run from a massive army of soldiers. However, while they may not have an army of their own, players can absorb and shapeshift into the enemies they kill, allowing them to hide in plain sight and escape unnoticed. They can become an archer and climb platforms to target enemies from above, or transform into a spearman and hide within enemy ranks. Alternatively, when surrounded by too many soldiers to fight one-on-one, players can transform into a massive horned beast and wipe away swaths of the army single-handedly.

On top of stellar visuals and an exciting gameplay concept, Necrofugitive also boasts impressive enemy AI that will adjust to players as each battle progresses. Enemies can even set ambushes and will flee if they see the tide of a fight turning against them. Necrofugitive has been in development for a while, and some may have resigned themselves to never seeing a full release, but it recently reached a major Kickstarter goal, and there is a free demo available on Steam as well, suggesting that the game is indeed progressing towards a launch sometime soon.

More

Upcoming Games With $100+ Million Budgets

These upcoming AAA games would easily rank among the most expensive video games ever made.

Posts

By  Vlad Mazanko