Pixel game Archives - myPotatoGames
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All posts tagged in Pixel game

  • svgSep 26, 2019Feature

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    There’s something really appealing about pixel art games. Their simplistic art-style induces nostalgic childhood memories of times when 8/16-bit games were the norm. From highly regarded releases such as Undertale and Stardew Valley, to the influx of upcoming pixel-art games in the making, such as Ikenfell and Eastward, it is evident that retro graphics are still highly in demand, and that pixel art is most certainly not dead. And so here’s our 8 favourite modern-day pixel-art games:

    Littlewood

    Littlewood is a new RPG where you play the role of a hero who has completed their quest of defeating the evil wizard, saved the world of Solemn, and is now trying to rebuild the town of Littlewood. Being developed by the indie developer Sean Young, Littlewood brings an interesting spin to the usual town building simulator by melding together aspects of familiar games like Minecraft and Animal Crossing. Littlewood is out on Steam for $14.99 and will soon be available on Nintendo Switch as well.

    Peaceful Days

    Peaceful days is an upcoming indie farming RPG game that aims to please fans of the cutsie, yet so engaging simulation game genre. In Peaceful Days you will meet new characters as you stroll through this beautifully crafted town, make new friends or catch up with lifelong buddies – the choice is always yours. Head over here for some more info on the upcoming Peaceful Days game.

    Stardew Valley

    Originally released for Windows, Stardew Valley was highly regarded for features such as complex characters, diversity in character customisation and dating, and the game’s enigmas and secrets. Its overwhelming success leads to its release on other platforms including Mac, Linux, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PS Vita. The popular farming sim is also available for Android and iOS. With Multiplayer now available on Steam and Nintendo Switch – soon PS4 and Xbox One, you can also enjoy farming with your friends.

    Celeste

    Celeste is a narrative-driven adventure platformer featuring pixel graphics. The aim of the game is to help Madeline survive her inner demons on her journey to the top of Celeste Mountain. with over 700 screens of platforming challenges and secrets, and over 2 hours of original music featuring live piano and catchy synth beats, it’s no surprise that the game was given a 92% rating by Metacritic upon its release for Switch back in January. At just $14.99, the game undoubtedly offers good value for money.

    Terraria

    Terraria is an indie 2D Action-Adventure game developed by Re-Logic. The game was initiall released for Windows in 2011, but has since been released on various other consoles and devices. Often compared to Minecraft, features of the game include exploration, crafting, building, and combat with a myriad of different creatures. The game has ‘overwhelmingly positive’ reviews on Steam, and as of September 2019, has sold 25 million copies across all platforms. At only $9.99 on Steam, the game is affordable and offers pretty good value for money.

    Undertale

    Undertale is a story-rich RPG by tobyfox with ‘Overwhelmingly Positive’ reviews. Described as ‘The RPG where you don’t have to destroy anyone’, Undertale is story-rich due to your character’s journey, and also due to player choices affecting the game. You play as a human child who has fallen underground into the realm of monsters and thus, tries to find their way home. You encounter both good monsters and bad along the way, which you can choose to spare or fight. There are a variety of puzzles to complete in order to progress, and a variety of interesting areas to explore.

    Rakuen

    Rakuen is a beautiful adventure game that features a hospitalised boy, who travels to the fantasy world of Rakuen with his mother. Upon its release on 10th May of last year, Rakuen was a firm favorite here at MPG, despite flying under the radar a little. Since then, however, it has obtained a well-deserved overwhelmingly positive review score on Steam, and captured the hearts of many. Priced at $4.99, the game offers very good value for money. A mini TV series entitled ‘The Farmer In The Sky’, which is based on the world of Rakuen, is currently in development.

    Moon Hunters

    Moon Hunters is an indie action RPG game developed and published by Kitfox Games. The game was initially released for Windows, Mac and Linux through Steam on March 10th 2016. It has since been released for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Described as a 1-4 player co-operative personality test, players can create their very own legend. Explore a mysterious Mesopotamian-inspired world which changes every time you play. The Steam version of the game (which is a reasonably-priced $9.99) contains a free expansion pack entitled Eternal Echoes.

    Owlboy

    Owlboy is a story-driven platform adventure game for Windows, PS4, Switch, Linux, Mac, and Xbox One. Notorious for its long development cycle, Owlboy was started in 2007 and completed in 2016. Playing as Otus, who is part owl and part human, players can fly and explore an exciting world above the clouds. Gather Otus’ friends to join you on your journey as you explore the open skies. Eliminate enemies and overcome obstacles in a game deemed “worth the wait” by Destructoid. The game was first released on Steam on November 1st 2016, where it can be currently purchased for $24.99.

    Crossing Souls

    Crossing Souls is an indie pixel art action-adventure game set in 1986 (retro vibesss!). After a group of friends discover an unusual pink stone which allows them to travel between two worlds, they become involved in a government conspiracy. Control five kids with special skills on summer vacation whilst fighting and solving puzzles in order to save the world. Released on 13th February 2018, the game which costs $9.99 on Steam has received ‘very positive’ reviews.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAZvS-YJkjI

    Golf Story

    Golf Story is an interesting take on an RPG. It is a pixel based RPG that revolves around the sport of Golf. It is from a new developer called SideBar Games. Besides a really fun and easy to learn Golf play, the game also features a story mode with tons of fun characters to meet. For the green thumb people, there is also some gardening aspect to the game. For only $14.99 this game offers many hours of fun, especially thanks to the multiplayer portion, the game has great deployability.

    Hearthstead

    Hearthstead is an upcoming farming and life RPG game with all the elements needed to make for an engaging experience. Games like Stardew Valley and Harvest Moon have redefined the farming and lime simulation genre, with marriage relationships, seasonal events and just so much more to do. The fantasy setting allows the game to take different paths with very little to no creative restrictions. I am thinking fairies, mermaids and garden gnomes who can help with chores! Head over here for some more info on Hearthstead.

    Hearthstead

    .Age ( Yes, dotAge )

    In .Age, you are the village elder in a town that has cursed with an apocalyptic curse. This causes all kinds of trouble for you and the villagers that you must protect while growing your village. You will need to gather resources and do research as your town grows, which will aid in the health and wealth of your citizens. If you are as excited as me, check out the latest on .Age here.

    .Age

    This list is by no means exhaustive as there are loads of other great Pixel-Art-Stylised games out there. Let us know in the comments what your favourite pixel art game is!?

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  • svgJul 8, 2019News

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    Fans of Harry Potter and Little Witch Academia will be pleased to hear that there are currently two very exciting magic school games in development. Whilst Chucklefish’s game, which has the working title of ‘Witchbrook’ is still in its early stages, Ikenfell is much further in development. Ikenfell is expected to be released around June 2018.

    Interestingly, both games use pixel game art, are simulation games, and are (obviously) set in a magic school. However, they both have unique art styles, with Chucklefish’s game Witchbrook having visual similarities to their very popular game, Stardew Valley.

    Ikenfell

    Ikenfell is a JRPG game which utilises turn-based and timing-based battle mechanics. These mechanics enhance it’s variety of characters and story development. It’ creator has said it’s art style was influenced by a plethora of games such as Paper Mario, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Earthbound (Witchbrook, Starbound, Earthbound, Warbound, everything-bound!), and Robotrek. The game also takes i nspiration from fictional teen series such as Harry Potter and Carry On.

    The game’s publisher is Humble Bundle, and its platforms are PC, Mac and possibly Linux. Humble Bundle are helping to polish the game, market it, and will soon add it to Steam.

    An update from the game’s founder talks of the release of a new game trailer at the beginning of 2018, so look out for that!

    Currently, the game takes around 20 hours to complete (possibly more for less experienced players).

    Story

    Safina is invited to the magical school of Ikenfell for witches and wizards, leaving behind her slightly embittered sister Maritte, who doesn’t have magic powers. Safina soon becomes one of the school’s most notorious students.

    However, Safina doesn’t return home one summer. She has gone missing alongside the school’s headmistress.

    You play as Maritte, who goes to Ikenfell to find her sister and discover the truth of what exactly is going on.

    The expansive school is full of ‘magic, mysteries, secret passages, hidden rooms, and many strange characters’ for you to explore.

    Features:

    • Magical duels within an original turn-based RPG battle system
    • The ability to time your hits to increase spellpower and to block incoming attacks
    • An expansive magic school, containing mysteries and secrets
    • A variety of strange and interesting characters
    • Hidden spell, items and equipment to aid you
    • Friendship, rivalry and romance

    Characters:

    Witchbrook

    Witchbrook is an up and coming RPG turn-based strategy simulation game in development by Chucklefish, the creators of Wargroove and publishers of Stardew Valley. Finn Brice, the founder and director of the game says that a formal announcement is “maybe quite a way off”. He also suggests that the game is around a three-to-four year project. The working title Witchbrook came from Chucklefish’s game Wargroove’s working title, Warbound.

    Influences on the game include a variety of old Nintendo console games (Earthbound again perhaps?), as well as games such as Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon and 2D Zelda games. Although not the intention of Chucklefish, many people compare the game’s graphics to Little Witch Academia. However, Brice has said that Ghibli films such as Kiki’s delivery service (which look similar to Little Witch Academia) did influence the game’s art style.

    Features:

    • A day and night cycle
    • Magic classes to attend
    • Dating mechanics
    • Folkore and exciting areas to explore
    • Undisclosed “interesting gameplay twists.”

    However, unlike Ikenfell, which is heavily story based, the developers want Witchbrook to have the appeal of Stardew Valley where players can simply enjoy being inside a charming world and make it their own.

    Dating:

    Similar to Ikenfell, Witchbrook allows players to have relationships with other characters and to go on dates with them. However, these don’t always go to plan, making the game more true-to-life, as opposed to the idealised romance often portrayed in other forms of media.

    However, Brice reassures players that even though the developers want to hit home and capture what it’s like to be in school, they want to provide a nice kind of nostalgia for players. Therefore, interactions with other characters won’t be too difficult or ‘horrific’.

    Ikenfell has been pretty much complete since late 2016, with the kickstarter campaign being set up to mainly fund:

    • Vocals for battle and vocalists for some music tracks
    • Additional battle animations and story animations
    • Additional artwork for cut scenes and critical moments
    • Any additional software and licences required for the above

    However, Witchbrook still has plenty of room for development, influences and features.

    What would you like to see in Witchbrook?

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  • svgMay 16, 2019News

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    Last year, you may remember us announcing a 3D animated series based on the heartwarming adventure game of Rakuen.

    Rakuen is a beautiful adventure game that features a hospitalised boy, who travels to the fantasy world of Rakuen with his mother. Upon its release, Rakuen was a firm favorite here at MPG, despite flying under the radar a little at first. Since then, however, the game has received overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam, earned a rating of 9.5/10 on Polygon, and received a Metascore of 84/100 by Metacritic. Priced at £6.99/USD$9.99, the game offers very good value for money.

    Rakuen

    On August 10th 2018, Laura Shigihara (the developer and publisher of Rakuen), posted a surprising and exciting trailer to her channel, announcing the future release of a 3D animated Rakuen series, entitled The Farmer in the Sky.

    The cute trailer gave us a sneak-peak of what to expect in the animated series, which is set in the whimsical world of Rakuen. Since the trailer’s release, The Farmer in the Sky has been in development by Laura Shigihara and animator Slamacow.

    However, fans of Rakuen will be pleased to know that the wait is over, as the first episode of the series, (entitled ‘Too Many Minimoris’) was posted on the YouTube channel of Morizora Studios three days ago on the 13th May. The Rakuen Steam page has confirmed that there will be more future episodes, and therefore to subscribe to the channel.

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  • svgApr 23, 2019News

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    PixARK was first announced over a year ago and no details have been spilled in the meantime. Today Nintendo broke the silence with the PixArk eShop listing. The big N lists the game for a release on May 31st.

    PixArk is a cutified version of the more intense counterpart Ark. In PixArk players will come together on a tropical island filled with wonder and… dinosaurs. You will have to gather resources, grow food and build camp in order to seek protection against the giants. Players can also tame these animals and use them to their advantage.

    Each map and quest is procedurally generated, so you never know what you will stumble upon in this vast open world game. PixARK also features a creative mode that invites the player to focus on the building part of the game. This mode lets players unleash their creativity with almost no limits, you can even build together with your friends via online multiplayer. Keep in mind that a Nintendo Switch Online Subscription may be required to play with your friends online.

    PixARK will be available on Nintendo Switch on May 31st on the Nintendo eShop for $39.99, a physical version of the game will also be released and the PixARK pre-orders are now open as well. PixARK will also available on Playstation 4 and Xbox One – the ladder is currently on sale for only $34 on Amazon.

    About PixARK

    Welcome to PixARK, a vast, wild world filled with vicious dinosaurs, magical creatures and endless adventure! To survive in this mysterious land, you must tame creatures both ferocious and cuddly, craft high tech and magical tools, and build your own base out of cubes.

    With a robust character creator, an infinite number of voxel based maps and procedurally generated quests, your PixARK adventure will be completely unique. Team up with friends to form a tribe, or play on your own. Spend your time building a towering fortress or go on a quest in a sprawling cavern. Fly on the back of a dragon and smite your enemies with a magic wand, or ride a mighty T-Rex and blast your foes with a rocket launcher. In the world of PixARK, how you play is up to you – as long as you survive!

    PixARK Features

    • Over 100 creatures to tame, train and ride
    • Voxel block building system
    • Procedurally generated maps
    • Procedurally generated quests
    • Creative Mode, where you can build anything you can imagine
    • Extensive character creation tools, and character progression systems with skill trees and customizable stats
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  • svgOct 28, 2018News

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    About Forager:

    [dropcap]F[/dropcap]orager is an upcoming indie game that is being developed by HopFrog and will be published by Humble Bundle, who will also publish Ikenfell and Mineko’s Night Market. Forager was initially released for free on itch.io, where it was well received. After a year of development, the game will soon be available to buy from Steam, the Humble Store and the Nintendo eShop. Whilst no set release date has been specified, the game is scheduled for release during fall 2018, meaning we should hopefully be able to play it very soon!

    Described as an “idle game that you want to actively keep playing”, Forager is a 2D open world game inspired by exploration, farming and crafting games such as Stardew Valley, Terraria and Zelda. The game contains a variety of lands and biomes to explore and players can craft, gather resources, uncover secrets and even build a base.

    Features:

    • Gather, collect and manage resources.
    • Craft useful items & structures.
    • Build and grow a base out of nothing. Buy land to expand and explore.
    • Level up and learn new skills, abilities, and blueprints.
    • Solve puzzles, find secrets and raid dungeons!
    • Achieve anything you want! The choice is yours, you set your own goals to work towards!

    New Features:

    • New lands and biomes (Deserts, Graveyards, Snowy Mountains, Volcanoes, and more!)
    • Combat mechanics have been added! (Dungeons, Bosses, Raids, Night time invasions, etc).
    • NPC interaction. Find quirky companions to trade or talk with.
    • Farming mechanics, including caring for animals and the harvesting of all sorts of crops and herbs.
    • Archaeology mechanics. Play as a professional secret-finder as you raid ruins, dig for artifacts and display your findings in your own museum!
    • Alchemy & Rune Inscription mechanics. Allowing you to go all in on the crazy wizard fantasy, destroying big masses of resources with a single bomb or creating trees out of nothing with a powerful spellbook.
    • 16+ new skills to learn and master, in a free-form upgrade system that allows you to customize your experience as you see fit. This brings the number of skills up to 64 total, each unlocking new items, structures or gameplay modifiers!
    • Random events have finally been added!
    • New resources, objects, structures, animals, puzzles, secrets and more! More EVERYTHING!
    • Steam only features!

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  • svgOct 12, 2018Mobile Game

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    [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he solo developer of Stardew Valley (Eric Barone of ConcernedApe) has recently made an exciting announcement. Stardew Valley will soon be available on iOS and Android! The game will be coming to iOS first, and will be released on the app store (where it can be pre-ordered) on the 24th October. The mobile version of the game is being overseen by London-based studio The Secret Police.

    About Stardew Valley:

    Stardew Valley is a Harvest Moon-reminiscent RPG farming simulation with pixel graphics. Developed by ConcernedApe and published by Chucklefish, the game was very well received. It currently holds a 10/10 rating on Steam where it also has ‘Overwhelmingly Positive’ reviews.

    Some of the game’s features include:
    • Raising animals, growing crops and improving your farm
    • Improving skills in 5 different areas (farming, mining, combat, fishing, and foraging)
    • A variety of complex characters, places, enigmas, and secrets to discover
    • Diversity in character customization and dating
    • Over two hours of original music.
    The game is already available to play on a wide variety of platforms including:
    • Microsoft Windows
    • Linux
    • Mac OS
    • PS4
    • Xbox One
    • Nintendo Switch
    • PS Vita

    About Stardew Valley for mobile:

    Unfortunately, online multiplayer farming will not be available on iOS and Android. The port will, however, include all of the single player content from the recent 1.3 PC update.

    The mobile versions have been optimized for touch screens, and contain a new UI, new controls, and a new menu system. Additionally, upon the game’s launch, players will be able to transfer their PC save data to iOS via iTunes.

    Priced at $7.99 and with no in-app purchase options, the port is seemingly good value for money.

    Eric Barone has said that the Android version of the game is nearly complete. He has also reassured gamers that work on multiplayer updates for consoles will be unaffected. This is because the console updates are being handled by teams separate from those working on the mobile versions.

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