Indie Highlight
Oct 22, 2019
Planet of Lana, created by Wishfully, a game studio in Gothenburg, Sweden, caught my eye right away with the art style. With that, the rich story and the odd creatures, I find myself thinking about Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind! Moreover, Planet of Lana is a cinematic puzzle-adventure where you play a young child, determined to out-think an entire planet.
This game is the new debut game for this studio and is a joint venture between moving art studio Makers Only and technology company Fully Studios. It’s in early development and currently has a release window of 2022. See below for what we know so far about Planet of Lana. I’m already quite found of the adorable animal-thingy Mui!
About Planet of Lana
Welcome to a beautiful planet where humans, animals, and machines live side by side, in an upside-down food chain. Planet of Lana is a cinematic puzzle-adventure where you play a young child, determined to out-think an entire planet.
Besides the obvious terrors of cold-hearted machines and giant monsters, the planet itself is full of enigmatic and vast ecosystems. Lana will need to navigate deserts, taigas, mountains, and seas with no one except her tiny, canine-like friend Mui by her side.
In Mui, Lana finds an intelligent, unwavering companion. And thanks to their teamwork, the journey has promise.
For another Studio Ghibli-esque game, check out this article here: Onsen Master Updates: Consoles and Multiplayer Announced. If you like narrative games with robots, check out this article here: ENCODYA – A Futuristic Dystopian Adventure Now on Kickstarter.
- Oct 21, 2019
Thystle is real time strategy game that is currently in the works by solo developer William “daoklyn” Beaujon.
Pixel art is by far one of my favorite styles! The simplicity really helps to boost the imagination, without distracting from the story. The color schemes also tend to be soothing and easily palatable. Games like Stardew Valley and Little Witch in the Woods have helped to prove that you don’t need insane graphics to make a beautiful game, and it looks Thystle wishes to prove this once again.
This title will be a game steeped in lore, as the developer has taken inspiration from some of his favorite RTS games, like Warcraft 2 and Starcraft. William describes Thystle as ” a massive world tree that holds multiple realms on its many branches.” It will be your job to explore these realms and mingle with the different inhabitants, which are said to include Humans, Demons, Dragons, Giants and more!
Thystle is still in early development, so all details are subject to change. For more information about the game, you can visit the official website. For up-to-date information on Thystle, be sure to follow the developer on Twitter.
- Oct 14, 2019
Leafvale Island is described by the developer as a cross between Zelda and Harvest Moon, and I can’t wait to find out more.
With what little I could find, I can can already tell that Leafvale Island is one cute indie that I will be keeping an eye on. In my opinion, there could never be enough 2D adventure games. As soon as I finish one, I am ready for another. I’m always excited to meet new people and creatures, and discover countless worlds and environments.
Being described as a cross between Zelda and Harvest Moon, Leafvale Island immediately attracted my attention. I could tell by the images that this game certainly has a charm that cannot be denied. I don’t know if it’s the beady-eyed tree or the happy waving little man, but I know I want to play this game!
However, it does appear that this game is still deep in development, so details are bit hard to come by. Luckily, you can follow the developer on Twitter to get a better idea as to what to expect in Leafvale Island. For more awesome 2D action, check out my coverage of the most recent update to Stardew Valley!
- Oct 12, 2019
We’re nearing Halloween, a wonderful time of year, and I wanted to keep you all in the festive mood this month! Although, I’ll never understand why people love pumpkins in October so much. I mean, potatoes are awesome every day of the year! Last month in September 2019, a creepy and cute little indie game gem was released for Steam, Origin, GOG and Humble Bundle. It’s a short casual and story-driven game with dark undertones but the narration by Mr. Voice and other voice acting really has me interested! If you’re a fan of A Series of Unfortunate Events, then you should probably check out this title.
About Little Misfortune
Little Misfortune is an interactive story, focused on exploration and characters, both sweet and dark, where your choices have consequences. Starring Misfortune Ramirez Hernandez, an imaginative 8-year-old, who seeks the prize of Eternal Happiness, as a gift to her Mommy. Led by her new friend, Mr. Voice, they venture into the woods, where mysteries are unraveled and a little bit of bad luck unfolds. Sharing the same universe with the cult video game Fran Bow, created by the visionary dev-duo Killmonday Games.
Key Features
- You may pet a doggy, a fishy, a wolfie, the Kraken, the kitty and the foxy.
- Visit a pet cemetery with a shovel.
- Now with real human voices: Hear Misfortune say some pretty cute things!
- Missing children.
- There’s a monster!
- Commit petty crimes.
- Original art by Natalia Martinsson.
- Original soundtrack by Isak Martinsson.
Stay tuned for more news on announcements for PC, console and mobile versions! For another interactive and spooky narrative game, check out this article here: A Juggler’s Tale – A Sidescrolling Puppet Theater Game.
- Oct 9, 2019
Explore enchanting storybook worlds and collect magical ingredients to craft costumes in Unfamiliar, a beautiful fantasy game coming to Steam on December 13th, 2019! Oh, and did I mention that you get to play as a magical cat!? Unfamilair is developed by Mana Tea Games, an indie game studio based in Melborne, Australia. Furthermore, you may still have a chance to snag some tickets to PAX AUS for this weekend (October 11th-13th, 2019) as the developers will be there with some goodies at their booth!
About Unfamiliar
Unfamiliar is a relaxing fantasy adventure game where you take the form of a cat-witch who sets out to acquire magic ingredients from storybook worlds to craft items and create enchanting costumes.
Key Features
- PLAY AS AN ELEGANT, MAGICAL CAT: Get fur-miliar with Yew, the cat-witch
- NO TIMERS, PENALTIES OR ENEMIES: Don’t worry, take your time
- EASY YET COMPREHENSIVE CRAFTING: The power is all in your hands! I mean… paws!
- IDYLLIC STORYBOOK WORLDS: Where will your whiskers take you this time?
- RENOVATE AND EXPAND YOUR HOME: Complete quests and unlock hidden rooms
- PLANT, GROW, AND HARVEST INGREDIENTS: Collect exotic ingredients to conjure wonder!
- CUSTOMISABLE BODY AND OUTFITS: All the glamorous paw-sibilities!
- GATHER USEFUL, MYSTERIOUS ITEMS: Who knows what’s needed next…
If you love magic and cats, then check out our article here: Calico Successful with Kickstarter Campaign + New Updates. You’ll also want to check out Potion Paws, a spooky but adorable potion-making game coming October 24th, 2019, right on time for Halloween!
- Sep 22, 2019
Explore a super cute land full of whimsical characters in Moonshell Island.
I just can’t get enough of the classic amnesia tale. Waking up in a mysterious land with nothing but your will and sense of adventure to guide you. You must discover everything you can to bring back what you once had.
Moonshell Island is a mystical land whose inhabitants just happen to be wary of all unknown newcomers. With the help of your little crab friend, you must search the island for any and all clues as to how you got there, and why.
As you befriend the settlers of the land, you will help them fulfill their dreams, whatever they may be. In doing so, you will help to build a stronger community on the island.
Any time you need a break from the complexities of managing an entire island, there will always be side quests and mini games to keep the days varied and exciting.
The super cute art style is what immediately drew me in. I can’t wait to find out more about the absolutely charming title. Keep an eye on myPotatoGames as I continue to follow this game.
From more information about Moonshell Island, you can check out the games website. For up-to-date info on the game, be sure to follow the developers on Twitter.
For more adorable gaming, check out my coverage on Lonefarm a life simulation and farming game!
