Joe Danger Touch will make the death-defying leap onto iOS in just a scant few hours. Hello Games revealed as much on their Twitter feed, as well as on their development blog.

The updated mobile edition of the downloadable console hit will offer new adventures, over 30 characters, and multiplayer compatible between all applicable apple phones, tablets, and other devices. Word is it’s also more challenging than the PSN/XBLA versions, have a look at the trailer:

The game is to arrive on Android devices at some point as well, but no official word from the team on when at this time – which may mean tonight, alongside the iOS version, but I wouldn’t really count on it.

Source: The Indie Game Magazine – ‘Joe Danger Touch’ Prepped For Midnight Launch On iOS

Divine Space is a whole new take on sci-fi games introducing in a huge range of detailed RPG elements to the genre whilst giving it the flexibility to be played on your prefered device. That is right Dodo Games are planning to make Divine Space available on every platform known on this earth.

Dodo Games are a small indie studio from Russia who have only recently launched their Kickstarter project and have in the very short time already gained much traction. Raising over $10 000 in the first few days Dodo Games are still a fair way off their ambitious $100 000 funding goal however.

An ambitious goal maybe, however the scope of this game sounds quite phenomenal. With a fully customizable ship you really are able to play the game anyway you want. Fitting it with a whole host of weapons and items creating quite the individual experience.

The level of customization of the ships alone seems very detailed and really what you would expect from a Sci-Fi RPG. I really like the way Dodo Games are taking this project as they are going to develop a whole galaxy for you to explore.

You will be able to fight, explore and even mine giving you almost a new EVE like game. Holding a conventional story arch it will contain all manner of interesting twists and turns finding you exploring far flung areas of the galaxy and seeing innovative and new worlds.

Divine Space aims to really reach out into cyberspace and begin to redefine the playing field by creating this highly engaging and exciting new title. Divine Space is going to be a free to play multiplayer title working, eventually on all platforms.

If you like what you see about Divine Space I encourage you to head to Dodo Games’ Kickstarter page here and support this extremely ambitious but totally awesome title. The Kickstarter page also contains a great deal of extra information in case you really need more reasons to back it. Also be sure to check out the official site here.

Source: The Indie Game Magazine – It’s A Space Sim, But not As We know It, ‘Divine Space’ Redefines Action RPGs

For better or for worse, Valve Software really do seem to be maneuvering themselves into position as a cornerstone of the indie gaming business, and now they’re getting right in on the ground floor. It’s been known for some time that Steam was going to be expanding to support commercial software soon, and now it does – the very first app on the pile? YoYo Games’ incredibly popular GameMaker Studio.

It makes sense – GameMaker has been the development software of choice for a lot of indie classics over the years, including the original version of Spelunky, Immortal Defense, freeware hits such as Iji and Hero Core and even the Cactus’ upcoming hyper-violent 80s action game Hotline Miami (coincidentally Steam-bound soon) were all developed using the package. Just about the only thing it can’t do consistently well is 3D graphics – Unity, UDK and Cryengine fill that niche, though.

What makes the Steam launch of Game Maker so important? Steam Workshop integration. Previously, games were showcased, launched and often completely lost on YoYo Games’ own showcase site. Now, games developed with Game Maker can be directly uploaded to the Steam Workshop where players can find, download, play and rate them. It effectively turns Steam into an almost Newgrounds-esque freeware hub filled, if you know where to look.

As with the regular site-bound version of GameMaker, the Steam edition comes in Free, Standard and Professional editions, and with optional upgrades to export titles as iOS, Android & HTML5 packages. Right now, there’s a 10% launch discount on all the software, and there’s even some strange Steam-specific perks, such as achievements… Yes, achievements. An amusing lot, including ones for racking up a certain number of compiler errors. Guess you’ll be able to see which of your friends suck as programming.

Source: The Indie Game Magazine – ‘GameMaker: Studio’ Debuts on Steam’s New App Store

Last week had a somewhat heavy Ludum Dare focus (arguable like most weeks), so this week I will aim to avoid Ludum Dare, simply for a bit of verity. Today’s entry comes from the two man team at Toge Productions from Australia and is a very interesting zombie infection game.

Each level on Infectonator 2 you are given a scenario in one of the places around the world. In each of these scenarios you are given a variety of different goals for that scenario to complete. The goals range from the easy to the much more taxing and can take a significant time investment to complete them all, this is why the save feature does come in handy.

The infection mechanic is great and works well overall. There are upgrades that tie into the mechanics of the game which work well in adding additional levels of variety and customization.

The overall graphics styling has been very well put together in a great cartoon manner that adds a bit more of a light hearted take on this zombie epidemic. All the scenes have been lovingly created with a nice amount of variety, yet they all feel consistent within the theme the game portrays.

The audio has been put together well with a few interesting musical choices which vary enough to keep the music continually interesting. Although it has clearly been put a little bit on the back burner it ties into the game well and is something that cannot be complained about overall.

Average play time – less than an hour

Infectonator 2 is a fun little time waster which does feel repetitive after a short time, but it works perfectly as a minor distraction. It is well worth your time and has very well constructed gameplay mechanics that works well for its duration.

Infectonator 2 can be played on Newground here. Toge Productions site can be found here.

If you are a developer with A fun indie game that can be played over a coffee break, we want to hear from you! Private message us on twitter @IndieGameMag or shoot us an email at editors@indiegamemag.com with the subject “Indie Intermission” and you could be our indie intermission pick of the day!

Source: The Indie Game Magazine – Indie Intermission Day 28 – ‘Infectonator 2′

Project: Mayhem is a fast paced platformer game where you play as Mayhem, which is a biologically engineered weapon of mass destruction (anything with mass destruction in it is a good game, right?), trying to escape the grasp of his creator, the mad scientist. The game is visually beautiful from a platformer stand point, not as beautiful as Trine, not even close for that matter but has some generally good graphics. The game was created by OneSmartBunny, and so far, the developers are doing an amazing job at making this a true puzzle platformer.

The concept may remind you of Amazing Alex in the sense that you have to complete a puzzle to progress to the next level. You’re also able to try and fetch for some pretty high scores in hopes of beating past records, which to me, adds a pretty good amount of re-playability in the game. On top of the re-playability it has, Project: Mayhem offers tons of content up to 90 levels spanning through two different game modes. I think one of the best parts about this specific game is that OneSmartBunny offers regular and completely free updates complete with new game modes and levels that will constantly challenge your brain power.

I should mention that the PC port of the game isn’t that fantastic. It works fairly well, but just isn’t all it could be. On the bright side, a developer has had the following to say about the PC port:

If this gets accepted into Greenlight there will be PC specific levels. It’s a port right now to gather interest. Either way we will be adding PC support for resolution/better UI Controls.

Project: Mayhem is currently on Steam Greenlight looking to be approved, but the game is also available for download on both PC and iOS. As far as I understand, the PC version is free if you go here. If Project: Mayhem manages to get on Steam, it is unknown whether they will charge for it or not. On the flip side, it’s going to set you back $0.99 on the iOS App Store.

With Project: Mayhem now available on the PC, this raises one question: are you actually interested in mobile ports on the PC, or do you prefer them to stay in the mobile ecosystem?

Source: The Indie Game Magazine – ‘Project: Mayhem’ – Developer OneSmartBunny Looks To Bring Mayhem To Your PC

Currently in development by Impromptu Games, InFlux is a meditative exploration and puzzle solving game. InFlux features vast levels of natural and abstract environments to explore, and with the ability to recline in your chair and utilize an Xbox 360 controller while doing so, InFlux should be on your radar.

As a metalic ball which fell from the sky, InFlux has players rolling around a seemingly abandoned island, solving the puzzles found encased in mysterious cubes scattered across the island. With no story or driving force to speak of, this allows players to relax and take their time exploring the lush island, rolling and bouncing along, checking out every cave and mountaintop for another puzzle to solve.

The video above showcases the island portions of InFlux, where players will roll around and look for new puzzles. The second video (below) shows off what exactly are in those cubes scattered over the island. The impressive visuals are product of the Unreal Development Kit.

InFlux is Impromptu Games’ second title, and a departure from their tongue-in-cheek Vroom! which Impromptu developed and released last year. Currently in development for PC , Mac, and iOS devices, InFlux is due out around the end of the year.

Help bring InFlux to Steam by voting for it in Steam Greenlight, here. The feedback has been largely positive but they still need your vote.

Follow the developer on Twitter: @joewintergreen and check back to IGM for updates, as they become available.

Source: The Indie Game Magazine – ‘InFlux’ Looks Like A Puzzle-Solving Ball of Fun

Fat Fish Games, the British indie studio behind Pork Chop, Keepy-Uppy and others, announces the release of their new iOs puzzle game called Bubble Shot! today.

This free new game is a fast-paced, classic matching and popping bubble game. Players swipe or tap to fling bubbles and match up colors to clear the game board before time runs out. Players of Bubble Shot! will also have access to four types of power-ups, called Beam, Bomb, Freeze, and Barrier, designed to help players of different styles, or players on different game boards, do well. Each of these power-ups grants the player a short-term special ability to help solve the screen. The “Bomb” destroys a circle of surrounding bubbles, the “Beam”extends the length of the targeting beam, “Freeze” pauses game time, and the “Barrier” ability clears extra bubbles. Players gain power-ups and bonuses by winning Goldfish coins, and of course Bubble Shot! also allows players to shares scores and challenge friends through Facebook, for head-to-head battles or just bragging rights.

The game is available as a free download from the app store, and the trailer is here:

There are so many versions of the addictive match-three for iOs, Android, and PC, and so many themed versions as well. It will be interesting if Bubble Shot!’s bold colors and power-ups can make it stand out in such a crowded field.

Source: The Indie Game Magazine – Beam, Bomb, Freeze with ‘Bubble Shot!’

Does anyone remember Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo? It was a puzzle game created by Capcom. It featured Street Fighter Characters and was eventually rereleased for the PSN and XBLA. Yes? Oh, you loved its lightning fast puzzling and 1-on-1 style action? Well then, mysterious gamer from 1996, you are in for quite the treat. Developer Novaleaf have announced a competitive falling-block puzzle game made in the spirit of Puzzle Fighter. They call it God of Puzzle.

God of Puzzle plays nearly identical to Puzzle Fighter. Two players have their own Tetris-style area into which blocks will fall. Blocks, which are called gems, drop in different combinations of colors. The combination of like-colored blocks will create bigger more powerful gems. Eventually a diamond-shaped gem, called a breaker, will begin descending. If the breaker is of the same color as the combination of blocks it touches, the gems will all break. This causes counters to fall on your enemy’s screen. These counters are unbreakable until their number reaches zero. If a player’s side fills and no blocks can fall, that player loses.

 Other features of God of Puzzle include “lag free” multiplayer, HD 3D graphics, and a feature which is described as “play it your way.” This feature allows players to play with classic Puzzle Fighter rules, new God of Puzzles rules, or customize the game to their liking. God of Puzzle rules include special abilities for different characters, which allows players to choose a character which gives them an upper-hand in puzzle battle. One example is character Aphrodite’s ability “Love & Lie”, which causes the opponent to be unable to see the color of dropping gems once they leave the preview window.

God of Puzzle is also Novaleaf’s answer to a problem they found with Puzzle Fighter on XBLA and PSN; it is tough to find an online match.  God of Puzzle answers this problem with a modern-day solution; cross-platforming. God of Puzzle will be available on iOS, Android, PC, and Mac, and all owners can play other players regardless of which system they are using. The hope is that lovers of the game will always be able to quickly match make and find an opponent, which will be made easier through the planned match-making, clan, and friends system integrated in God of Puzzle.

Novaleaf has hopes of gaining some additional funding for God of Puzzle through Kickstarter. They are currently $9,900 short of their $10,000 goal with 24 days to go. You can also check out more God of Puzzle at the official website, and check out Novaleaf online or on Twitter. Keep checking back on IGM for more details on God of Puzzle and all of your Indie gaming news.

Source: The Indie Game Magazine – ‘God Of Puzzle’: The Modernization Of ‘Puzzle Fighter’

I have been trying out some Ludum Dare games for the past couple weeks as I love the concept of programmers obsessing over their game for three straight days. Giving me a visual idea of what these obsessed developers look like or, more accurately what I hope they look. The room is dark, Coffee is abundant, Eyes are bloodshot from little to no sleep. It humors me and amazes me each and every time I imagine those awesome programmers. One of the games I had the pleasure of experiencing was Beast Feast an arcade-styled, frenzy-inducing effort from developer Underground Pixel.

In Beast Feast the player controls a little monster, which needs to evolve to his/her ultimate form. The only way for the little… thing to grow is by throwing egg bombs at enemies and then eating food they drop. The player needs to reach 50 pieces  to win, but each time one of the enemies hits our heroic monster five pieces of food will be dropped. The goal is to reach 50 as quickly as possible with your time being your high score, it is that simple.

Beast Feast could also not be that simple. Contradicting myself aside Underground Pixel is attempting to turn Beast Feast into a full-featured affair by improving graphics and music adding upgrades, stat boosts, new modes, guest characters, and locations; thus creating Beast Feast Deluxe! This would take Beast Feast from a simple arcade offering to a full-fledged commercial release.

To gain support for Beast Feast Deluxe, Underground Pixel has entered it into the Steam Greenlight sale. Along with Beast Feast Deluxe, Underground Pixel has also entered Pastry Panic, a popular iOS game being ported to the PC, and Invader Eliminator, a brand new arcade game which will be released sometime in early 2013 for iOS, Mac, and PC, which IGM previewed a month ago. Below is alpha footage of Invader Eliminator.

If you would like to try out the early Ludum Dare version of Beast Feast (from which all the pictures above were taken) you can check it out here or at kongregate. You should also view Underground Pixel’s official website, and the Greenlight pages of Beast Feast Deluxe, Invader Eliminator, and Pastry Panic. For more info on Beast Feast Deluxe and all things indie gaming, stick with Indiegamemag.com.

Source: The Indie Game Magazine – Ludum Dare Entry ‘Beast Feast’ to be Made Into Full-Feature Game

Vlambeer is an indie development company founded by Rami Ismail and Jan Willem Nijman in the Netherlands two years ago today, they have had a very interesting two years with some incredible highs but it has not always been plain sailing.

The biggest hurdle that Vlambeer have overcame to be here today was a battle over their first game Radical Fishing which originated as a flash game being cloned against their will by a San Francisco studio for iOS release as Vlambeer were developing their own port of the game. This led to the two man team losing all motivation that almost caused the studio to go out of business, luckily the release of Super Crate Box on the iOS was hugely successful and raised substantial revenue along with more importantly injecting a second wind into the team getting them back on their A-Game.

Looking at Vlambeer today at the PAX Indie Megabooth this weekend they seem to now be hitting their stride with their hotly anticipated game Luftrausers coming out later this year 2012 will continue to be a good year of Vlambeer. The year started off very strong at Gamescom where it was announced that their flagship game Super Crate Box is going to be a launch title on Sony’s Playstation Mobile, opening a whole new area for Vlambeer along with many other indie developers to truly focus on. On the back of this announcement Vlambeer now offer Super Crate Box for free on Steam for both Mac and PC so if you haven’t already played it check it out.

Vlambeer have a great retro styling for many of their games along with injecting a great deal of humour making them a great development team to have in the indie scene, with Luftrausers billed for a release later this year many including me will eagerly anticipate this release. It is very fitting that the studios birthday falls on PAX as their presents at PAX truly is a testament to how far they have came and also sending a message to new developers that it is indeed possible to overcome the slumps and hit success. Be sure to check The Indie Game Magazine for all the latests on Luftrausers as and when it develops.

Source: The Indie Game Magazine – Happy Second Birthday Vlambeer, It Has Been An Interesting Two Years