Thursday Triple is a weekly roundup of Indie Games from around the Net.
It’s been a wet and cold end of May where I am, holed up in the UK. I’ve had my far share of itty-bitty crawlers, from snails and slugs to spiders and beetles the size of my thumb. Am I squeamish? Around blood, no way, but critters have always made me restless. Needless to say, when I went looking for games to play, I aimed for the cute, the bold, and the supernatural to get my mind off my mundane paranoia.
ibb & obb
By Sparpweed, Codeglue
I broke my brain on this one. ibb & obb is a two-player cooperative puzzler that demands clever teamwork in order to solve levels. Gravity goes up or down, depending on which side of the screen you’re on, and gaps in the divide allow individuals to traverse freely between the two. Physics is involved as you propel your partner through walls, or give her a little boost to reach a higher platform.
I have a hard enough time thinking upside-down. Imagine coordinating with someone else through these twisty worlds. I’m almost scared to try playing it with my dearest beloved, but then again, maybe it’ll be a good test in patience and communication.
You can grab a friend to play locally, or if you can’t seem to entice anyone for some mind-numbing, frustrating, platforming goodness, there’s online matchmaking too.
[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUdxShTNWTc” width=”590″ height=”315″]
ibb & obb is available now on Steam for $11.99.
In Verbis Virtus
By Indomitus Games
In Verbis Virtus looks grand, with all the motifs you’d expect in a magic-filled fantasy world. There are stone tombs and lakes of lava, statues that look every bit as menacing as the monsters that can appear. But there’s one gimmick to this game that sparked a kind of childish glee in me – you cast spells by speaking their name.
You’ll need to literally speak into your mic to produce the proper incantations for the situations you’ll find yourself in. It’s hard not to feel self-conscious when you do; I’m embarrassed enough as is trying to talk about fictional characters with bizarre names, and the language used for spells is definitely not one I find natural. Given that I sometimes game in the presence of others, I may end up dying to a horrible beastie rather than shouting something to save my ass.
But if you can get over that initial awkwardness, it’s actually pretty fun. I’m not sure how long-lasting this gimmick will be, though it’s certainly good for a bit of amusement. Remember the joy of yelling expelliarmus! at someone? Think of that, only this time your words really do something.
[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrGa_zGXP8A” width=”590″ height=”315″]
In Verbis Virtus is available now on Steam Early Access for $16.99.
Witchmarsh
By Inglenook
When looking for an intriguing setting to place an action RPG, my first thought wouldn’t be Massachusetts in the 20’s. Maybe it was my upbringing in Canada, but the Roaring Twenties were neglected to bring focus on the more overtly dramatic events of the World Wars. As evident by the plethora of Nazi-killing shooters, the gaming industry seems to have the same opinion.
Which is why this quirky band of private investigators sent to find the missing townsfolk of rural America sounded like a fantastic idea.
It’s jazzy and stylish with a great many options for customization. There’s a touch of mystery and horror that harkens to Lovecraft, and you can dance through the story by yourself or share the experience with up to three other players. Just listen to the trailer below and you’ll get a good sense of the terrific atmosphere.
Find Witchmarsh on Kickstarter with 17 days to go.