3 Indie Video Games by February
1. Active Fungus Studio – A Bavarian Tale: Hush up
The title is perhaps not easily pronounceable, for this first indie of February that we are going to offer you. A Bavarian Tale: hushed up is the new title from the Active Fungus Studios team, which gives us a detective story in an RPG version for PC. Let’s find out together what we experienced in this title, released on February 2nd.
In A Bavarian Tale: Totgeschwiegen we have to step into the shoes of Valentin Schmidta young surveyor sent to the quiet village of Wolpertshofen in Upper Bavaria. We are in the 1866, and Valentin is sent there on behalf of the Bavarian crown. Our detective skills are put to the test when a cruel and mysterious death shakes the village community. At first, Wolpertshofen looks like a quiet provincial village, but it soon turns out that it hides a hidden world full of dark secrets and unexplained events.
Developer:
Active Fungus Studios
Price:
14,99 €
Valentin must figure out who he can trust and who will lead him down a false trail, protecting himself from those who want to forcibly stop him from completing his job. So looking at the gameplay we tested, as an investigator, the goal is clearly to find hidden clues erreceive valuable evidence which will help move the plot forward. Difficult decisions await us as well, which may affect the investigation, one way or another. The challenges facing Valentin can be solved in different ways: between an interrogation or a diplomatic solution, we have different modes available, which make the game interesting. Also defend against opponents with bare hands or run away can be solutions.
We admit it: in general, this first chapter did not shine for graphic resolution and attention to visual details. If the response of the game engine is still good and quite fluid, however, the movements are rather rudimentary and unnatural. Not an outstanding performance, but a good opportunity for those on the lookout for quite a curious and interesting title. It certainly does not stand out for its technical characteristics, a little more original instead in the content and in its ability to draw on a narrative world that is difficult to repeat.
2. Game Source Studio – Mahokenshi
Our second selection for the month of February is a digital card game with a focus on deck-building. If changing the deck of cards during the game is one of the mechanics that most inspires you, Mahokenshi is the one for you! how was theblend of deck building and fantasy adventure? Let’s find out our test on Steam together!
We played a martial arts expert who lives in a world of clear fantasy and Japanese inspiration, without forgetting goblins and fantastic creatures. We are a “mahokenshi”, a sort of samurai wizard, skilled both with the katana and with the magical arts, ready to face missions with one or more objectives to complete. We will therefore have to cross the map to defeat enemies or look for points of interest to interact with, e at the beginning of each mission we receive a default deck of ten cards.
At the beginning of each round, the cards from the hand (five on average) will be drawn, played by spending energy points or discarding other cards. With three different types of cards, from attack to defensive, not forgetting the movement cards, we will be able to move on a board with hexagons where we will have to defend ourselves from enemy attacks and counterattack in turn. In addition to cards, we can also use An amulet to be selected at the start of the mission, and used once after a few rounds to collect special talismans that provide additional abilities. In short, a carefully constructed gameplay. Almost always.
On the one hand, in fact, we have the default game maps to collect items and achieve goals. The random generation of content is definitely missing, without forgetting, however, that there are still gods secondary levels with special objectives to complete. In this game, however, there are also many elements to unlock as you play.
Developer:
Game Source Studio
Price:
24,5 €
From just one initial character we will have three more completing various missions, each with its own cards and specific strategies. If also added to the available bonusespercepiremo a sense of gradual growth, which we greatly appreciated as well as the overall graphic and technical success. It is also true that everything is somewhat stigmatized and stereotyped in the representations, but this does not affect the game, unlike the remarkable repetitiveness. Mahokenshi remains a deck builder to try, there is no doubt, as long as you don’t expect a compelling and quite varied title.
3. Big Trouble Game Studio – The King’s Dilemma: Chronicles
We continue our selection of indie video games chosen for the month of February with another title that refers to past times, but drawing inspiration from a completely different context than Mahokenshi. Let’s talk about The King’s Dilemma: Chroniclesreleased for a few weeks also on Steam, after the first board game release. Let’s see together how this title seemed to us overall!
The video game is based on the Horrible Guide board game of the same name, but unlike the latter, which involves 3-5 players with a long campaign, the video game of the same name is designed only for single player. In any case, the characters taken from important noble houses remain in the service of the various kings who will follow one another in the reign of Ankist. We will have to make alliances, confront different traitors and prepare for the final uprising, predicted by an ancient prophecy.
Developer:
Big Trouble
Price:
14,79 €
The game, right from the start, leads us to having to make choices that are not always easy, combining classic mechanics with a not too well-finished design, unfortunately. However, leaving out some snags on a graphic and aesthetic level, we enjoyed the very engaging writing and settingswithout forgetting the frequent presence of a countdown that pushes us to give our best. The reproduction of political intrigue is well thought outcombined with a series of long-term choices that allow us to experience a captivating adventure, with different narrative paths to follow.
We remember that, fortunately for us, it is Italian localization is also available. Finally, we warn all players looking for a game with high complexity and replayability that this is not the case at all. However, it remains a good title to try, even if only to enjoy the narrative between the historical and the fantasy that never hurts.
Also for this month, our recommendations dedicated to indie video games for February end here. Stay tuned for upcoming titles to explore in the indie gaming world!