Beldarak Games writes in to announce the release of Song of the Myrne: What Lies Beneath, an action RPG created using those ubiquitous Oryx sprite sheets that I’ve mentioned on a few occasions.

The premise:

You get back to your home after a day of hard work at your field to find that the love of your life, your bunny, has been murdered.

You then try to find who did that and go to the village of Namok where you hear about a dungeon in which you could find your wife’s murderer. Then begin the descent of the dungeon where lies the truth about the murder…

It’s deliberately weird (I mean, your wife is literally a rabbit) and more than a little tongue-in-cheek.

In terms of mechanics, the developer states that the game is linear, action-heavy, and light on dialog and role-playing. He describes the game as a

top-down action RPG where you’re free to play as you want. You can be an archer, a mage, a fighter… or some mixes between all of this, the game use no classes so you build your character as you want while you level up and chose which equipment suits your play style the best.

This trailer should give you the general idea:

Song of the Myrne: What Lies Beneath is available for Windows, Mac and Linux for $2.49 through Desura and through IndieGameStand. The developer states that the game’s soundtrack comes free with purchase.

With the recent full release of Heroes of a Broken Land, I felt it was time to give the game a second look (especially so because I was somewhat bewildered in my initial attempts to figure out what was going on in the alpha). Here is the altogether much more coherent result from my more recent attempts:

My thoughts?

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Word reaches me that a new jRPG called Reflection of a Fallen Feather saw release on January 22. Created by developers Forepaw Software, Reflection of a Fallen Feather utilizes a truly unusual character advancement system.

The premise:

The main character (MC) is lost in a mysterious labyrinth with little recollection of the past and of who he used to be.  The labyrinth is teeming with “lost souls,” others that have lost their minds and attack with blind rage.  Like all others in the labyrinth, the MC has the ability to transform into any defeated foe and has been doing so to survive, but at a cost to his identity.

The MC teams up with two others that still have their wits in a journey to find an exit from the labyrinth, back to a life that he no longer remembers.  Along the way he recalls faint flashbacks of the past and ultimately must confront what he once did and come to terms with who he believes he is.

And here is the game’s full feature list:

• become the enemy—50 playable character types
• full character customization—150 unique character abilities
• hidden loot—dozens of unique accessories and tools
• interactive open-world environment
• fast-paced battle system—identify and exploit enemy weaknesses

The ability to morph into versions of enemies you’ve defeated (to say nothing of the general overall aesthetic) reminds me a whole heck of a lot of Final Fantasy Legend III, a somewhat obscure RPG for the original GameBoy. I’m curious to see how the developer implemented the progression system here.

Reflection of a Fallen Feather is pay-what-you-want for Windows; throw whatever amount of money you deem fair at the developer and nab the game here. (It is also on the XBox 360’s Live Indie Games market for $1.)

Tassilo Rau of Bumblebee Games (ongoing developers of the jRPG Days of Dawn) writes in to tell me about a tactical RPG / strategy game hybrid they recently released. The name? GhostControl Inc.

Tassilo describes GhostControl as marriage of “turn-based strategy like in X-Com, business management as in Theme Hospital and insane ghosthunting like in Ghostbusters.”

GhostControl’s premise is pretty much a straight adoption of the premise from Ghostbusters:

For centuries we have accepted hauntings as unexplained phenomena which we can do little to stop. Side affects of living in a haunted home can include sleepless nights, headaches, smog everywhere and in some cases even physical damage in the house.

Enough is enough, with your help we intend to put an end to these paranormal pests. Build, manage and develop your own team of talented ghost hunters.

With the income from your team’s work you can equip them with some amazing gadgets, but manage your budget with care not everything is as useful as it may appear. Hunt your customer’s ghosts down – property damage should be kept to a minimum. Take on the ghosts, follow the map, take in the lovely sites and stunning landmarks.

Be the hero of the day and save the city!

The game features 18 types of ghosts, AI-driven competing ghost hunting businesses, and 20 hours of gameplay.

You can see a bit of the game in action (plus goofy live action video) in the release trailer:

Successfully Kickstarted in July of last year, GhostControl is now available in English, French and German, with Spanish and Russian localizations underway.

You can snag GhostControl Inc. for Windows or Mac for $13.99 from GamersGate, for Windows / Mac / Linux for $13.99 from Desura, or for Windows for £10.99 from the Windows store. (There is also an effort underway to get the game onto Steam via Steam Greenlight.)

Developer Chandler S. writes in to announce a new tactical RPG / strategy roguelike hybrid he’s working on called Knights-Errant.

…let’s play that back again, because if you’re like me, that genre description may not have computed. Knights-Errant is a tactical RPG with a series of procedurally generated overworld maps–maps which are themselves littered with procedurally generated turn-based tactical battles. So we’re talking something like Master of Magic, but with a stripped-down strategy layer, a beefed-up tactics layer, and individualized characters in lieu of generic legions.

Chandler writes that at the start of the game, you select a faction and are then matched against another, randomly selected faction. You select which battles to fight by moving your force around the overworld:

The game plays out in two parts. The overworld, and the battle map.

Each enemy unit you see on the overworld represents and encounter. When you walk into a unit on the overworld you get put into a battle where you gain experience, loot and gold.

Each overworld has a city or castle guarded by an enemy general that you are suppose to defeat. After clearing an overworld you move on to the next one, where the encounters are stronger and the loot is better.

Chandler states that the narrative premise changes somewhat based on the faction you play, but the general contours remain consistent. To wit:

In Knights Errant you play as a vassal stripped of land and title by an invading empire. It’s up to you to free your kingdom’s land and people from the invaders!

However, you can’t accomplish your quest alone… Along the way you’ll recruit mercenaries and train volunteers for your liberation army. Watch as your individual units grow and level up through a dynamic class system.

The combat system looks promising, with action points, flanking damage, elevation effects, and defense based on percentage resistances. The developer cites the roguelike Dungeon Crawl: Stone Soup as his primary inspiration here.

Knights-Errant is being developed for Windows, with possible Mac and Linux releases based on demand. The planned release date: “Hopefully 2014.”

Andrew Ellem reports that the much anticipated first-person dungeon delver / fantasy strategy hybrid Heroes of a Broken Land (previously covered here) has been released.

The premise:

The World has been Broken and only the surviving Wizards can restore it.  Frozen in crystal form, they cannot act alone.  The Wizards must recruit the Heroes of the land and assemble parties of adventurers to restore each Fragment of the Broken Land.  Explore each Fragment, build your town, form alliances and delve numerous dungeons in your quest to rebuild the World.

In terms of mechanics, this game is something like a cross between Master of Magic and Wizardry (or, somewhat less radically, Heroes of Might and Magic and Might and Magic). You play as a wizard who can manage towns, recruit heroes and form parties, then send them out across the world map to explore various dungeons, accomplish objectives and level up. (You’ll also want to keep some parties close to your towns to prevent roaming monsters from sacking them.) The dungeon delving portion puts you in direct control of the party, pushing through procedurally generated labyrinths in first person turn-based fashion.

I checked out an alpha build of the game way back in August 2013; Ellem has been working on improving it consistently since then, and I must say that it’s looking considerably spiffier in its new launch trailer:

Here is the game’s final feature list:

• Control one of 6 Wizards, each with their own unique power
• Construct your town,  equip your heroes, upgrade buildings and ally with other towns to recruit more heroes
• Each game is procedurally generated and highly customizable, create anything from tiny fragments to enormous worlds
• Recruit from numerous Heroes, each unique with 15 classes and races to choose from
• Command up to 6 parties of 6 heroes each, even explore multi-party dungeons

You can snag Heroes of a Broken Land for $14.99 direct from the developer, from GamersGate or from Desura; it is also on Steam Greenlight, where it awaits upvotes to allow it entry onto Steam. HoaBL is available for Windows, Mac and Linux; there is also a free demo available if you want to try before you buy (Windows / Mac / Linux / Linux 64-bit / Browser).

Full disclosure: I backed The Banner Saga on Kickstarter back in 2012. I was excited about it then, and I remain excited about it now. It was with some glee that I downloaded the game and played through the first chapter last night; you can witness that, along with my commentary (and attempts at voice-acting a bunch of giants) right here:

“So Craig,” you might ask, “what do you think so far?”

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After a long and harrowing development, Stoic Studio‘s epic strategy RPG The Banner Saga has finally been released!

Based on Norse mythology, The Banner Saga puts you in charge of leading a caravan of vikings fleeing from an approaching army of supernatural enemies. Along the way, you’ll settle disputes, make hard choices, traverse dialog trees and fight isometric turn-based battles.

The game features permadeath and eye-popping art in the style of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. In case you missed it, you can see the art style on full display in the official trailer from 2012 the new launch trailer they’ve just now released:

Here’s the official feature list:

• Player choice that drives your narrative Every decision you make in travel, conversation and combat has a meaningful effect on the outcome as your story unfolds.

• Over 25 playable characters from 2 different races, human and Varl (horned giants) Embark on your epic journey with a variety of characters from 7 different classes, each with unique abilities and upgrade options to fit your play style.

• Strategic combat with consequences Victory or defeat and even the permanent loss of a character depends on which characters you choose to take into battle and what tactics you employ while in combat.

• The journey is half the battle Your role in building and managing your caravan as you travel the vast frozen landscape is critical to not only your own survival but the survival of an entire civilization.

• An epic Viking saga brought to life in 2D glory Beautifully hand drawn combat sequences and animations, accompanied by an evocative score from Grammy-nominated composer Austin Wintory, will immerse you into a fantasy realm based on Norse mythology.

• Multiplayer Combat Enhanced Sharpen your combat skills in the free to play “Factions” multiplayer game. As you play through the single player experience you’ll also unlock new characters to use in multiplayer.

You can nab The Banner Saga on Steam for $24.99. The Banner Saga is for Windows and Mac computers. As for me, I’ll be doing an IndieRPGs.com Checks Out episode on this one very soon…

Hello, faithful indie RPG fans! We’re back from holiday break and ready to start spreading the word on up-and-coming RPGs by small independent developers. I’m trying to put more time into developing Telepath Tactics, so updates may not be quite as frequent as they were before, but I’ll definitely be updating the site at least once a week from this point onward.

Now! We left 2013 on a bit of a cliffhanger. How did all of our Kickstarter projects do?

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With Christmas looming over us and its associated shopping season in full swing, there is relatively little oxygen for indie game announcements (to say nothing of new releases). As I’ve advised developers to do, most indies have hunkered down and now wait quietly for the madness to end. Naturally, this leaves the IndieRPGs.com inbox rather bare for the moment.

Before IndieRPGs.com goes to sleep for the holidays, I want to know: what happened to those daredevil developers who waited until the last minute to run their campaigns? We had some successes from the group in our last Back to Back, but just as many casualties. The bright spots in a somewhat bleak landscape were Approaching Infinity, Bloom: Memories, Dex, Elliot Quest, Lords of Xulima, and The Mandate, each of which secured the asked-for funding. Among those which failed were After Reset, Deathfire: The Ruins of Nethermore, Festival of Magic (left out of the last Back to Back but covered here), Graywalkers: Purgatory, King Voxel, and The Memory of Eldurîm, which puts the success rate at 50%.

However, the success rate is actually worse given that of the other games we mentioned, nearly all are soon to end well short of their funding goals. They are joined by some other brave souls, at least some of whom will hopefully make it:

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