All posts tagged in Pixel
Sep 26, 2019
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.
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.
.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.
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!?
- Oct 28, 2018
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!
- Oct 23, 2018
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t’s no secret that pixel-art-stylized games are popular right now (we even recently wrote an article about our favourites). Pixel-art-stylized video game fans will be pleased to hear that there is another game in development. Developer’s Aloft Studios are currently working on a Zelda-inspired game entitled Hazelnut Bastille, which they hope will bring some retro vibes and SNES magic to the Nintendo Switch console.
Hazelnut Bastille is an upcoming Zelda-esque 16-bit JRPG Metroidvania game that has been confirmed for PC, Mac, Linux, and more recently, Nintendo Switch. The game has been compared to Chrono Trigger and Golden Sun. It currently has a tentative mid to late 2020 release window.
Aloft Studios is a small indie game studio who have emphasised that quality is of utmost importance to them.
Additionally, composer Horoki Kikuta (who is known for his work on Secret of Mana) has joined the Hazelnut Bastille team as a celebrity guest composer.
Aloft Studios have given the following information about the game in a previous interview with Nintendo Life:
“The timescale for this release will either be simultaneous with our PC / Mac / Linux release, or following some months after, as funding and development time ultimately allows, but we would very much like to see a release across all four of our starter platforms if it proves possible!”
“Hazelnut Bastille, for PC, Mac, and Linux, and now Nintendo Switch, is a lush, topdown Metroidvania in a 16bit JRPG style, which seeks to continue the great lineage of superior design from the mid 90’s- the moment in time when mainstream 2D titles reached arguably their greatest level of refinement, in titles such as Super Metroid and Link to the Past. We seek to emulate this period in most ways, from graphic presentation to audio production, to general level design philosophy. Hazelnut Bastille tells the story of a young woman who travels to a foreign shore on the outskirts of her world, in order to seek out the promised gifts of mythological ancients, in hopes of retrieving something which was lost to her. On the way, her story becomes irrevocably intertwined with the lives of those living in this far off land.”
A Kickstarter for the game launches today (23/10/18).
- Oct 12, 2018
[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.
- May 28, 2018
We recently posted about Chucklefish (publishers of Stardew Valley) collaborating with Pixpil games to deliver an exciting new game entitled Eastward. In a recent interview with Red Bull, more information about the previously elusive game has come to light. Therefore we thought we’d take this opportunity to update anyone interested.
Eastward is an upcoming JRPG adventure game with pixel graphics, which is set in a post-apocalyptic Shanghai. The game, which focuses on a father and his daughter, is said to be very emotive and exciting. Eastward has beautiful graphics similar to Chucklefish’s farming simulation Stardew Valley and their upcoming magic school game Witchbrook (which you can read more about here). Therefore, Pixpil’s decision to partner with Chucklefish is undoubtedly a positive and prosperous one.
Pixpil initially started out as a small team of three. As the game progressed however, the team started to grow. There are currently around a dozen people from Pixpil working on Eastward. The company’s office is located in a Shanghai shopping mall, and is surrounded by many furniture stores. Pixpil have said that the ‘small and sneaky’ location of their headquarters has influenced the game.
Having also been compared to games such as Zelda and Earthbound, and inspired by Japanese anime, and the hustle and bustle of Shanghai, it’s safe to say the game has a wide variety of influences.
Pixpil’s co-founder and designer, Feng Ye talks about the game’s protagonists:
“The main characters are John and Sam,” Ye explains. “A tough, hard-working guy, and a long white fluffy-haired girl respectively, who start their journey in a mysterious underground place isolated from the rest of the world. In the outside world, the human population has shrunk to an all-time low, and strange creatures are beginning to descend on the cities. After leaving their small underground village, John and Sam are about to discover what has made the world become so dangerous and what destiny awaits them.”
Despite taking place in a bleak post-apocalyptic world, the upcoming JRPG still has a plethora of interesting characters to discover and engage with. For example a merchant character called William, who has an adopted robot-boy assistant, undergoing surgery to become a real boy.
Although the game is single player, players will have the opportunity to switch between the two protagonists in order to solve puzzles. The game will feature John the most, but will still incorporate his daughter Sam in order to add variety and different characteristics. On same occasions, the pair will need to be separated in order to proceed. This mechanic adds more complexities and possibilities to the gameplay.
The game combines 2D art with 3D effects. Eastward consists of tried and tested game art methods, as well as more modern effects, created with a variety of equipment, and a bespoke Homebrew engine. This very unique combination has resulted in beautiful graphics.
Eastward’s visual allure is one of the key reasons that Chucklefish got involved, according to producer Rosie Ball. “From the moment we saw Eastward we absolutely fell in love with the art style, and we just wanted to find out more! After we spoke to the Pixpil team and got hands-on with the game, we were so happy to discover that it’s not just a pretty game. It’s also really interesting from a technological point of view, with what it’s doing creatively with pixel art. The Pixpil team are being very innovative with their techniques, and that’s something that really excites us at Chucklefish.”
The developers have also made it clear however, that they want the audio in the game to be just as compelling. Due to difficulties in finding local composers familiar with their game language, Pixpil have decided to outsource audio to Joel Corelitz The Unfinished Swan, Gorogoa, Tumbleseed) and Hyperduck Soundworks (Dust:An Elysian Tail, The Adventure Pals). Pixpil are working closely alongside them to ensure the music and audio is exactly how they want it and that the soundtrack is well-matched to the game.
It has been hinted that Eastward is ‘moving towards completion’, although no fixed date for the game’s release has been set. Pixpil have said that they are very proud of their game, and belive that their partnership with Chucklefish has been very helpful in getting the ball rolling. Currently, the game is only set to be released for PC and Mac, although developers have expressed interest in releasing the game on other platforms, such as Linux.
Could this mean a spot beside Stardew Valley in the Nintendo eShop?
The full interview can be read here.
- Apr 28, 2018
A few months ago for my Games and Digital writing module at university, I found myself sifting through hundreds of game art images to add to a Pinterest board which demonstrated the aesthetic of a hypothetical video game. As well as discovering lots of amazing concept art on Deviant Art, I stumbled across two games currently in development that I never knew existed. The first game was HK Project, a neat cyberpunk themed game where you explore a futuristic Hong Kong as a cat. The second was Eastward. I was captivated by the beautiful art style of Eastward, and really wanted to share my discovery with readers of My Potato Games. My only issue was that no matter how hard I searched, I couldn’t find a lot of information about the game. Aside from a website post by game developers Pixpil Games dating back to 2015, and a greenlight page for the game on Steam (which was last updated in 2016), the game remained rather elusive. I pondered over whether the project was even still active, and decided to put the game out of my mind.
I thought nothing more of the game. That is until I logged into Twitter two days ago. To my greatest surprise, Chucklefish had announced that they were partnering with Pixpil Games to complete Eastward! Since then, a lot more information regarding the game has become available. We have high hopes for Eastward, as Chucklefish are the masterminds behind popular farming sim Stardew Valley, as well as the highly anticipated magic school game, Witchbrook, which you can read more about here.
Chucklefish’s blog contains the following information about Eastward:
Eastward is an adventure game combining RPG elements, with a visual style inspired by 90s Japanese animation. The game was built around pixel artist Hong Moran’s original intricate post-apocalyptic pixel designs, and the team’s joint love of the Mother and The Legend of Zelda series, inspiring them to create a narrative-driven RPG with a soft sci-fi storyline.In the not-too-distant future, the world around is falling to ruin, as the human population shrinks to an all-time low. You play as a hardworking digger named John, who discovers a mysterious young girl in a secret facility underneath his digging site. After being exiled from his village, John must guide this girl through dangerous decaying cities, inhabited by hordes of monsters and a quirky cast of characters!
Eastward’s emotional story and beautifully rich and vibrant world has been brought to life using a combination of 3D lighting and retro-pixel style artwork, powered by a game engine of Pixpil’s own making. Development on the game started in 2015 with only 3 studio members, and since then has grown to match the game’s ambition, also bringing on board the talents of soundtrack composer Joel Corelitz (Hohokum, The Unfinished Swan & The Tomorrow Children, Gorogoa) and sound design from Irish studio, Hyperduck Soundworks.
Additionally, the game has a swanky new trailer!
Chucklefish have said that updates will be given on the game’s progress in due course. To stay updated, you can follow @Eastwardgame, @Pixpilgames, and @ChucklefishLTD and of course @myPotatoGames on Twitter.
For more games from Chucklefish, check out their upcoming magic school game, Spellbound aka Witchbrook here.
