Test Flight: Airscape: The Fall of Gravity

Daniel West has just released a demo for Airscape: The Fall of Gravity. Players can snag the demo by visiting the game's Steam page, which offers a chance to experience the first six levels. In addition, the developer has announced that the game will be releasing in August for PC, Mac, and Linux.

The game is a gravity-focused platformer starring an octopus on an alien world. As the octopus explores oddly-shaped planetoids, it is affected by odd gravitational pulls. Jump upward toward another surface and gravity pulls you up toward it, climb a curved surface and the world spins around you, ride a tumbling block downward and jump away at the last moment to pull yourself toward more solid ground. The octopus remains at the center of the screen for much of his adventure, with the world spinning around based on his perspective of the downward force of gravity, and forcing the player to consider how his movements affect his abilities. The game also features swimming sequences through floating bubbles of water intermixed with the gravity mechanic.

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New Blip: CrossCode

CrossCode, from developer Radical Fish Games, in an action-RPG inspired by 16-bit classics like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, except that is a science fiction game set in the future. The game's protagonist, Lea, finds herself trapped in an MMO called CrossWorlds where she must fight enemies, level up to increase her stats and gain new abilities, and solve environmental puzzles. While the game is inspired by 16-bit titles, the pace of the action is decidedly more fast-paced than anything that was being presented on the consoles of the day, with Lea furiously tossing projectiles, spinning and dashing through enemies, and taking on large fast-moving boss creatures.

CrossCode is currently in Steam Early Access and is expected to release for PC in Q1 2016, with Mac and Linux versions to follow. If you want to give it a go, you can try out the downloadable PC demo, or play it in your browser.




To find more promising 2D games currently under development, be sure to check out our Master List.

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Target Acquired: Super Chibi Knight

From Nick Pasto, the developer of the over-the-top actioner Abobo’s Big Adventure, comes an action platformer with a tiny star. Super Chibi Knight is being developed by Nick with the partnership of his eight year old daughter, who is drawing sketches for various characters and weapons, playtesting the game, and even providing the voice of the titular knight. You play the part of a young girl with a big sword who must slash her way through foes to gain treasure and experience points. In addition to sword-based combat, players can also learn spells and find a number of different beasts to ride, and the story changes based on whether you chose the path or sorcery or beast mastery.

Super Chibi Knight is now available on PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam

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New Blip: Death's Gambit

Death's Gambit, from White Rabbit Interactive, is an action-RPG where you explore a Medieval-era planet, taking on the role of an armored knight as he battles across a harsh landscape. The knight uses a number of melee weapons, as well as a bow and arrows and a large shield to face off against similarly-armed foes and larger-than-life monsters, but he must occasionally tackle gigantic towering creatures Shadow of the Colossus-style. In these encounters, the knight must ascend the bodies of the great beasts by using a grappling hook to attach to specific points, and keep the creature's movements in mind in order to avoid falling. The game world is nonlinear, with new paths generally becoming available as major enemies are felled, which allows the player to tackle the world as he wishes, or try a new path if he finds himself unable to move forward.

Death's Gambit is coming to PC via Steam sometime in 2016.






To find more promising 2D games currently under development, be sure to check out our Master List.

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Target Acquired: Mystik Belle

Andrew Bado, a.k.a. DarkFalzX, has just released Mystik Belle under his Last Dimension label for PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam. The game is equal parts metroidvania and point-and-click adventure, starring a witch named Belle who must travel through Hagmore School of Witchcraft and the surrounding lands to find the ingredients for the Walpurgisnacht brew, which she was falsely accused of ruining. Per metroidvania standards, Belle earns new abilities that slowly allow her to access new areas, and per point-and-click adventure standards, she does so by solving a number of inventory puzzles. Along the way, Belle speaks with NPC's, powers up her health and attacks, and fights a number of bosses.

Andrew Bado is also responsible for Legend of Iya, which is currently featured on our Master List, as well as Ultionus: A Tale of Petty Revenge. For more details about Mystik Belle, check our full coverage.

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New Blip: On Rusty Trails

On Rusty Trails is under development by Black Pants Games Studio, developers of Tiny & Big. In this game, you must help Guy Elvis find a comfy place to stay after his home was literally dissolved into rust. The game is a high speed precision platformer featuring wall jumping and no shortage of retracting platforms, with enemies spewing a constant stream of homing missiles and other explosives. You must make your way through the level quickly while avoiding your otherwise swift and explodey death. This one makes better sense in action (although it’s still a lot to take in), so check out the trailer below.

On Rusty Trails is coming to PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam later this year.




To find more promising 2D games currently under development, be sure to check out our Master List.

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New Blip: In the Shadows

In the Shadows, from ColorSpace Studio, is an action-puzzler where the player uses light to combat shadow creatures... and to use them in puzzle solutions. It turns out that a number of objects transform into creatures in the evening, but the player is able to transform them back by exposing them to light. This generally involves pushing lighted boxes toward shadow creatures, at which point they may become doors, ladders, or other objects that the player may use in order to press forward.

In the Shadows is coming to PC, Mac, and Linux later this year.




To find more promising 2D games currently under development, be sure to check out our Master List.

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Target Acquired: BiT Evolution

BiT Evolution, from Major Games stars a simple sprite named BiT who manages to escape his game and travel to four other worlds inspired by the 2D games of the 70's, 80's, and 90's. BiT traverses the world in typical platformer fashion, bopping on enemies heads to kill them and to reach higher platforms. He is also able to shift between worlds in order to discover hidden areas and get past certain obstacles.

BiT Evolution is available for PC and Mac via Steam

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Target Acquired: Not a Hero

Roll7, the developer behind OlliOlli, is taking their stylish skating mechanics and translating them into stylish shooting mechanics with Not a Hero. The game mixes the face-blasting shooty shooty with a cover system that lets you jump to cover fashionably by diving or sliding into place and dodging enemy fire along the way. Nine non-heroes are available, each with their own weapons and playstyles that promise a different experience when going in with blazing pistols or a swinging katana. Oh, and there's something about a giant purple bunny and political corruption.

Not a Hero has been released for PC via Steam, and it is also planned for release on PS4 and Vita later this year. Check out our full coverage.

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Signal Lost: Inexistence

Inexistence no longer exists... despite the fact that the developer released a playable demo. The game has fallen off our 2D RADAR. The developer's Twitter hasn't been updated in over a year, and its website no longer exists. Here's what we originally had to say about the game:


Inexistence | PC and Android | Release Date TBD
Inexistence is an action-adventure title from developer Pixold, inspired by games of the 16-bit era. Players move through platforming environments, take on enemies and bosses with melee attacks, avoid obstacles, search for hidden passages, and even ride the occasional moving platform. In addition, the game features a number of RPG elements such as acquiring new equipment to deal more damage, earning experience points to level up, and speaking with NPC’s to further the story and purchase items. Players may purchase potions to restore health, and equip items to provide passive buffs.

To find more promising 2D games currently under development, be sure to check out our Master List.

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New Blip: MegaSphere

MegaSphere is an action platformer under development by Anton Kudin. The game puts you and your giant gun up against a bunch of robotic baddies in a procedurally-generated sci-fi environment. Players have multiple weapons at their disposal, including a bouncing energy shot, a flamethrower, exploding rockets, and grenades, which may be supplemented by a number of weapon and suit upgrades. Players can even blast their way through certain sections of the environment to dig tunnels and blast through floors and ceilings in order to reach new areas or search for hidden items.

The developer is planning to release MegaSphere via Steam, with consoles TBD. The game currently does not have a release date, but even the pre-alpha footage (below) shows that development is coming along well.




To find more promising 2D games currently under development, be sure to check out our Master List.

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