ALL GAME

Title: Escape Goat
Developer: MagicalTimeBean
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
Price: $4.99 ($3.99 on IndieGameStand for a limited time)
---
Don't be fooled by Escape Goat's charming pixel graphics. It's not a simple or easy game by any means. Escape Goat is a challenging inventive puzzle platformer that deserves your attention.
A goat imprisoned for witchcraft and his mouse friend, trapped within the trap-laden Prison of Argus. The goat can run, double jump, dash, while you can send the mouse to fit through small spaces, access unreachable buttons, or even swap places when he's wearing a magic hat. You'll need to use all these skills to escape alive. The Prison is divided into 64 levels across ten themed areas, from the Electric Lab to the icy Frozen Caverns, and each will challenge with precision platforming and puzzles. The key mechanic is the fact that the level layouts aren't static, but will shift and alter with the press of button or switch. It really never gets old seeing the levels change around you and then having to understand how to use this to your advantage.

Title: Reaper - Tale of a Pale Swordsman
Developer: Hexage
Platforms: IOS Universal
Price: Free to try, three game unlock tiers (2.99, 3.99. 4.99)
---
Reaper's art style might be the first aspect that stands out. Stylized, cartoonish, bloody, the game is wonderful to watch in motion. But looks aren't everything. Luckily, Reaper's gameplay matches the quality set by its visuals.
An action RPG, you travel across an overworld from quest to quest, stopping at shops and towns along the way to buy or sell items, gear, and weapons. Combat is a mix of swipe based melee and bullet hell. The controls work quite well and complement the fluid, evasion focused gameplay. While early battles may seem tame, later ones will be put your skills to the test as projectiles, enemies, and hazards fill the screen. You automatically attack when near an enemy; successful hits fill a meter that allows you to perform special attacks. This adds some strategy to the gameplay, as you must decide when and where to best utilize those moves. Furthermore, dozens of skills and upgrades boost your stats and enhance your attacks.
Reaper is free to try. Three game unlock tiers are available, each offering more content than the last. (That is the only IAP.) The $2.99 Adventure Edition tier removes the level 10 cap and unlocks the full game. The $3.99 Destiny Edition tier offers an arena location to test your skills, a special item set, and more. The final $4.99 Dark Legend Edition tier adds more special items, a side quest, and Dark Harvest mode, which is a wave based mode separate from the main campaign.

Title: Race The Sun
Developer: Flippfly
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
Price: $10
---
Race The Sun is not the most complex game. Move left, move right, jump...those are the only controls. But the minimalist style and white knuckle gameplay make Race The Sun a fun thrilling challenge.
There's no introduction, no tutorial, no cutscene setting up a story. Start playing and you're off, accelerating towards the horizon. And between you and that descending sun is an infinite gauntlet of obstacles and traps. Collapsing pillars, blinding meteor showers, barriers that shift and move as you approach, shadows that drain the energy of your solar powered vessel, and more...only split second reflexes and timing can save you in your endless pursuit of the sun. Pick ups along the way grand you speed boots, build your score multiplayer, or the ability to jump.
Every 24 hours, a new world is generated, giving the game tons of replay value, and even better, a level editor allows you to create your own levels or play user made content. Competing special challenges upgrades your vessel with gadgets like a pick-up magnet and more module slots. The game's minimalist art style is surreal and just visually cool and the changing sky as the sun sets is quite beautiful
Race The Sun is a fast paced game that put your reflexes to the test. You can buy the game here or vote for it on Steam Greenlight.

Title: Ninjah
Developer: Chris Mingay
Platforms: PC, Linux, XBIG
Free
---
A remake of the original freeware game released in 2007, Ninjah is now free to download. It's a difficult platformer which combines color switching, a grapple hook, and a gun to deliver challenging levels and a simple but effective art style.
In each of its 50 level, the controls are changed. Sometimes you have access to movement and your grapple hook and gun. Other levels, you may only be to use your grappling hook or only your gun. This allows for a great level variety as you avoid hazards, land precise jumps to change your color, and fly through the air with your elastic grappling hook.
Ninjah is a fun game with a nice amount of content and solid platforming. You can download it here or if you're feeling generous and wish to support the developer, you can buy it on Desura or XBIG. Chris is also working on Ninjah 2, which will feature a level editor, larger multi-screen levels, and just more levels overall.

Title: Sang Froid - Tales of Werewolves
Developer: Artifice Studios
Platforms: PC
Price: $14.99
---
Zombies. Robots. Aliens. Those enemies just sometimes seem too common nowadays. Leave the apocalypses and wastelands behind and face the cold dark Canadian wilderness and its lupine foes instead in Sang Froid.
Behind the stylized look is a tense game that mixes tower defense elements, strategic combat, and the scariest wolves since The Grey Each chapter is another night, as you defend your isolated home from the packs of demonic wolves and werewolves. You alone, in the dark, cold wilderness with only your rifle and axe and various traps to protect you. Each night consists of two phases. The planning phase is a top down map in which you can see what enemies are coming each wave, their path, and their strengths and weaknesses, and set traps accordingly. The action phase is where the fun begins You must balance your stamina and watch the fear level of the wolves surrounding you. Your rifle fires one shot at a time, takes like precious seconds to reload, and you're stationary while aiming. Traps must be triggered at the right time and enemies must be lured into range. All these factors combined make each night a very intense, very difficult challenge It is heart pounding to be reloading your rifle as the pack circles around you, eyes glinting in the torch light, as one prepares to attack and you don't know if you have enough time to get the shot ready...
Enemies range from simple four legged wolves to bipedal werewolves, wendigos, and more. As the nights pass, the map opens up with more areas to protect, there are shops to purchase new weapons and items or have your weapons blessed (which grant them a damage boost), and skills and upgrades to purchase.

Two negatives to note: the voice acting is pretty bad. Luckily, story isn't very important and cutscenes can be skipped. And the initial load when you start the game is very long, at least a minute. At first I thought the game was frozen. All other in-game loading is fast, but that long initial load can get annoying.
You're always desperately outnumbered and even with smart planning, each night is a challenging fight for survival. If you enjoy a challenge and games where victory is never assured, where success is a matter of planning and strategy, Sang Froid is well worth your time. You can purchase it on Steam here.

Title: Cornerstone - The Song of Tyrim
Developer: Ascension Games
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
Release planning for December 2014
Now on Kickstarter
---

Cornerstone is an open world action adventure, with an emphasis on exploration and combat mixed with physics and player choice. A game inspired by TLOZ (Legend of Zelda) games and Dark Souls. The world is structured similar to Wind-Waker with a series of islands connected within vast ocean, almost every areas is accessible from the start.

 Cornerstone: The Song of Tyrim is an upcoming action adventure game that promises to combine the stylized exploration of The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker with tactical free-form combat and puzzles. Ascension Games plans to offer an open world rife with secrets and enemies, able to explored on foot or in your trusty ship.
Combat will be focused on one-on-one combat, evasion, and strategic use of the environment. Players will be able to wield various weapons or craft equipment to turn the battle in their favor, from bombs to Metal Gear Style boxes to conceal yourself from enemies.
Cornerstone is planned to released in late 2014, with a closed beta set for July. You can support Cornerstone on Kickstarter and vote for the game on Steam Greenlight.

Title: Impulse
Developer: Deck16
Platforms: PC
Free
---
Don't be fooled by its simple graphics. Impulse is a challenging game with fantastic level design and tons of content.
The developers describe Impulse as "Super Meat Boy and Lunar Lander" and that's probably the best summary I could think of. The controls are simple: left mouse button to thrust in one direction, right mouse button to thrust in the opposite direction, but combine those controls with the myriad obstacles and levels and "simple" goes right out the window. From lasers to homing missiles to dozens of mines that must be carefully threaded between, controlling your thrust and altitude is paramount. One hit kills but restarts are infinite and instant.
Impulse's standout is its level design. Each one is challenging and unique and some are even homages to retro classic such as Pac-Man. A level editor allows players to make their own. You can download Impulse here.

Title: Orborun
Developer: Bulkypix
Platforms: IOS Universal
Price: $1.99
---
From Aerox and Gears to Dark Nebula and Super Monkey Ball, IOS is no stranger to the ball rolling genre. But the recently released Orborun stands out by combining the spherical action with Super Meat Boy style precision and difficulty.
Ninety levels are divided between three world: Haste, Puzzle, and Hazard. You control your Orbot by either tilting your device or touch controls; both control schemes work well. IOS7 controller support was also just added in an update.
Reaching the end of a level is no easy task. Not only do you have to collect every pick-up if you want to achieve a perfect score, but also must navigate through myriad obstacles, from jump pads, massive gaps, speed boosts, twisting and turning roller-coaster like tracks, portals, barriers, moving platforms, and more. The difficulty ramps up quickly but the game's fun level design and smooth controls give it a "one more go" appeal. You can unlock two other types of Orbots to play with, each with their own unique ability, as well different color schemes.
You can purchase Orborun for $1.99.

Title: Volgarr The Viking
Developer: Crazy Viking Studios
Platforms: PC
Price: 11.99
---
You will die. A lot. Enter the world of Volgarr The Viking with that knowledge and accept it. This is a game built from the ground up to deliver old-school hard-as-nails challenge and it does not disappoint. The retro games that inspired Volgarr may be before my time, but as a fan of Dark Souls and brutal platformers, I feel right at home
The controls are tight and responsive and the platforming and level design is tough, very tough but never feels unfair. I've played with both a keyboard and controller and both work equally well. In fact, I was surprised that I prefer using the keyboard. The combat is the highlight for me though. I haven't felt so satisfied with combat in a game since well...Dark Souls. Every enemy must be taken seriously because every hit is dangerous. The smooth controls and animations combine to make you feel like a Viking badass in every encounter. Combat is no button mashing affair; button mashing will only get you killed faster. Instead every fight is a combination of timing, reflexes, and split-second reactions. You only have a handful of attacks but each is useful and I never felt like I needed more. Do you have enough time to charge your spear to skewer that group of enemies? Or is it smarter to dodge behind them and gain some breathing room? Timing your attacks to avoid getting hit yourself and recognizing the strengths of each enemy and adapting according also enhances the combat.
Each level is varied as are the enemies and there's quite a bit of replay value. There are six worlds to play through, each with their own enemy types and hazards to avoid, with alternate levels to play if you don't die as much. There's a seventh world to be unlocked by the most skilled of players. I'm not sure if I'll ever see that last world, but each attempt is rewarding and exhilarating as the last. Each death is a learning process, from which you become better and better until you can master each world.
You can purchase Volgarr The Viking on Steam or directly from the developer (for a DRM-free copy and a Steam key) for $11.99.

Title: Windforge
Developer: Snowed In Studios
Platforms: PC
Releasing 2013
---

Windforge is a building-block RPG that mixes 2D-shooter action with the freedom to create and explore. Players will take to the skies in fully buildable airships, as they embark on a journey of discovery and survival that will take them to the heart of the world and beyond. Windforge is all about freedom, creativity, and chaotic emergent action. Basically everything you see can be created or destroyed, creating an RPG without barriers that rewards creative problem solving and improvisation.

Minecraft and Terraria have popularized games focused on crafting, building, and exploration. From exploring the outer reaches of space in Xenominer and Edge of Space to an endless fantasy landscape in Cube World, the genre has thrived and expanded. Now Windforge hopes to take the genre to new-found heights...literally.
Windforge is set in a steampunk world of floating islands. To traverse this expansive environment, players must build airships, adding means of propulsion and weaponry and armor. In their trusty vessel, players will explore a dangerous land where debris erupts from the core and falls from the sky in meteor showers, where flying whales and fire breathing basilisks rule the skies and giant squids lurk in the lower atmospheres, where pirates and other factions roam in ships of their own.
Not only does Windforge feature a unique world to explore, but also promises intense combat similar to games like Contra. Battles can be waged with a variety of tools and gadgets, ranging from jetpacks and grappling hooks to grenades and miniguns. You can even engage in ship on ship combat. Less violent players may wish to maintain a garden or just explore the world.
A Windforge beta is planned to released sometime in December. You can vote for the game on Steam Greenlight.