Andre's Indie Game Chosen Ones Issue #8
Issue #8 features Sherlock Holmes Chapter One, Moncage, Tavern Master, Next Space Rebels, Undungeon, Kickstarter Spotlight: Dros, and trailer impressions of eSports Boxing Club and Replaced,
Welcome to Issue #8 of Andre’s Indie Game Chosen Ones!
This is a reminder that anything below that is underlined is a clickable link.
Not every section will be included in every issue. My Indie Game Discovery Roundup will always be included! This is explained in the About section.
I’m being very selective with media embedded videos in order to make this newsletter as e-mail friendly as possible for readers using mobile devices.
Enjoy the issue!
Indie Game Discovery Roundup #57
Sherlock Holmes Chapter One
(PC, PS5, & Xbox Series X|S, PS4/Xbox One Later)
Sherlock Holmes Chapter One, developed by Frogwares, is their newest Sherlock Holmes game that features a young Sherlock Holmes investigating crimes in the Mediterranean island of Cordona. I have yet to play any of Sherlock Holmes games (although I should), but this is the first game in the series that is open world. One of the interesting aspects of the game is that you can make mistakes, get cases wrong, but the game still continues. Voice acting mixed with open world interactions adds a whole layer of quality that makes this an intriguing interrogating experience that I eventually want to play.
Release Date: November 16, 2021 (OUT NOW)
Sherlock Holmes Chapter One on Steam
Moncage
(PC, iOS, Android)
Moncage, developed by Optillusion, is a puzzle game that takes place inside a cube. Each side of the cube has a different setting and world that interacts with the other sides of the cube. Its your job to move the cube in various directions to discover how all of the sides of the cube interact and connect with each other in this optical illusion experience. This is somewhat similar to Subliminal (2019), another game that uses optical illusions and perspective to solve puzzles. I definitely look forward to trying this out in the future. The mobile version is cheaper than the PC version.
Release Date: November 15, 2021 (OUT NOW)
Moncage on Steam
Tavern Master
(PC)
Tavern Master, developed by Untitled Studio, is essentially a tavern managing simulator. You build your own tavern starting with a small room and eventually upgrading to more rooms for guests and tables. I recently discovered this game just surfing Steam and it has a level of quality that seems a bit above many of these other simulator type games. It isn’t at the top of my list to play, but a game I can see myself casually trying out down the road.
Release Date: November 16, 2021 (OUT NOW)
Tavern Master on Steam
Tavern Master | Official Trailer
Next Space Rebels
(PC, Switch, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox Game Pass)
Next Space Rebels, developed by Studio Floris Kaayk, is a game about designing, building, and launching space rockets. You have to grow your StarTube channel by recording your launches and getting new subscribers. New parts can be obtained by spending cash after completing challenges. This has a really interesting aesthetic, and due to the fact this is on Xbox Game Pass I’ll likely be playing this before the end of 2021 to give my thoughts.
Release Date: November 17, 2021 (OUT NOW)
Next Space Rebels on Steam
Undungeon
(PC, Xbox One, Xbox Game Pass)
Undungeon, developed by Laughing Machines, is a post-apocalyptic ARPG set in a science fiction universe, tasked with fixing the aftermath of multidimensional versions of Earth that were merged together known as The Great Shift. Playing as a Herald, you have to fight enemies in real-time in standard ARPG combat. You level up your character, collect items, weapons, and build your Herald to your liking. I played a little bit of this through Xbox Game Pass and have mixed feelings about it. I will say that the pixel art and cinematics in the game are very well done, but I am so-so on the gameplay mechanics after an hour or so of playing it. If you have have Xbox Game Pass, why not try it out?
Release Date: November 18, 2021 (OUT NOW)
Undungeon on Steam
Undungeon - Launch Trailer
Kickstarter Spotlight: Dros
Dros, developed by emergeWorlds, is included in my Kickstarter Spotlight because I really like the concept of dual-character control in a puzzle game. Dros also has a beautiful 3D level design and good audio tracks from the ones list on the page. Don’t just take my word for it, judge for yourself. There is also a demo available on Steam that I’ll likely play soon in the future.
As of this Writing: $14,798 pledged of $31,820 goal
ENDS Fri, December 3 2021 7:59 AM EST.
Disclaimer: This is not an endorsement of the Kickstarter, nor am I affiliated with the developers. Pledge at your own risk.
Trailer Impressions
eSports Boxing Club
ESBC Gameplay Walkthrough & Dev Update
I’m really excited about eSports Boxing Club because we skipped an entire console generation without a true boxing game. Fight Night Champion (EA Sports) released in the PS3 era, but ESBC looks like it will take boxing in video games to a different level. This walkthrough really shows the level of visual realism of both the boxers themselves and in-ring footwork and general movements. Steel City Interactive already signed big names like Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford, and Tyson Fury, so you know this is not some knockoff game. I can’t wait until this releases and I expect this to be put on my hype rankings once a version 1.0 release date is announced.
Release Date: TBA (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X}S, Xbox One)
eSports Boxing Club on Steam
Replaced
Replaced | Announce Trailer
Replaced, developed by Sad Cat Studios, was probably one of the big winners coming out of E3 2021 as far as hype goes due to this trailer. This is a really well done trailer with a catchy song (“Void”) that was so popular the developer decided to release it as a single on YouTube and other music streaming services. The song in the trailer is a perfect combination to the very beautiful pixel art animations in a game set in a sci-fi alternative 1980’s universe. You play as an artificial intelligence trapped in a human body against its own will. I can’t wait to learn more about all the gameplay mechanics in this game. Replaced is definitely on the shortlist to be added to my hype rankings list for 2022.
Release Date: 2022 (PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox Game Pass)
Replaced on Steam
Upcoming Content
What to Expect in Issue #9:
Indie Game Discovery Roundup (5 Games)
Kickstarter Spotlight
Trailer Impressions
Issue #9 may be pushed back to the week of November 29th with a special Black Friday shopping issue instead.
Issue #2 of Andre’s Gaming Odds & Ends will be published Tuesday, November 23rd! This will be a packed issue with at LEAST the following content:
Video Game News & Opinions (4-5 News Items)
Events & Showcases Thoughts
Mini-Reviews: Age of Empires IV, Forza Horizon 5
Lost Ark Closed Beta Thoughts
Trailer Impressions - Elden Ring Gameplay Overview
Andre’ Video Game Hype Rankings - November 2021 (2 Games added)
Expect the end of the year issues for Andre’s Indie Game Chosen Ones to be published late Friday/early Saturday. Maximizing general gaming, betas, and demos to finish 2021 is my highest priority to prepare for turning the page to 2022.
-Andre
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