New Release: Cannon Dancer - Osman

An enhanced edition of a bombastic arcade actioner, from Mitchell Corporation and ININ Games

New Release: Hazard Saviour

An open world platformer inspired by Crazy Taxi, from Sinclair Strange

New Release: Ginsha

An open world action-adventure that takes place across multiple planets, from PolarityFlow

New Release: Haunted Lands: Burial Grounds

A tough and bloody DOS-style shooter, from Alexey Goryachev

New Release: Curse of the Sea Rats

An open world action-adventure featuring 2D animation and 3D environments, from Petoons Studio

August 30, 2016

New Blip: Dimension Drive

Dimension Drive, from 2Awesome Studio, is a teleportation-based shmup where you must pilot your ship across two battlefields. As you fly, you will encounter impassible lasers, sprays of bullets, other objects that require you to move to the opposite screen, teleporting to the same relative position on the other side. Your ship is capable of emitting a spray of projectiles that may be upgraded to several power levels, and the bullets may be aimed behind the ship to strike enemies you have already passed when you teleport across screens. If you're having a hard time keeping track of the action - or if you don't have two brains - you can bring along a friend for 2P co-op.

The game 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.

August 29, 2016

News: Developer Renegade Kid Closes Up Shop

Renegade Kid, the studio known for the Mutant Mudds series, Xeodrifter, the Moon series, and the Dementium series, has closed permanently. The studio has been on the ropes for a while... In 2014, they broke off from development of Treasurenauts in order to get Xeodrifter out the door to bring in some much-needed cash. Then in 2015, Dementium Remastered released to lackluster reviews and failed to meet sales expectations, putting the studio further behind.

Renegade Kid was founded in 2007 by Jools Watsham and Gregg Hargrove. Jools was the creative director for the studio and worked previously in the industry on such titles as Turok 2: Seeds of Evil and The Red Star. Gregg was the studio’s art director, and has worked on such titles as Stubbs the Zombie and Vexx.

The duo aren't quitting games permanently, however; they're parting amicably, starting their own labels, and splitting up the studio's IP among them. Jools' new endeavor is known as Atooi, and Gregg's is Infitizmo. Atooi will be the new home of the studio's 2D titles, including the Mutant Mudds series and the still-in-development Treasurenauts. Infitizmo will own the Dementium and Moon series.

August 28, 2016

Target Acquired: Pharaoh Rebirth+

Pharaoh Rebirth+, from Japanese developer Krobon, was originally released last year as an episodic series. The game has since been bundled into a single game and translated to English, along with the addition of difficulty selection, a boss rush mode, and an unlockable bonus area. The game stars Jonathan, an adventurer who has been cursed and turned into a bunny, along with his adversary-turned-ally who was similarly cursed and turned a turtle. The unlucky duo find themselves cursed a second time and have only seven days to trek across Egypt to find a set of holy grails before they are killed

Serious though this may sound, the story is told as a lighthearted romp with plenty of humor and silliness... as you might expect from a game starring a humanoid turtle and rabbit. Along the way, players may uncover several movement abilities that allow them to reach new areas and discover stat-boosting powrups, secondary weapons, and loads of generally useless doodads. The overall difficulty level is low, but there is plenty of action to be had, and numerous interesting locales and unique gameplay elements to keep things fresh to the end.

Pharaoh Rebirth+ is now available for PC via Steam. Check our coverage here.




August 27, 2016

Signal Lost: Cloaks & Spells

Cloaks & Spells has dropped off the 2D RADAR. The game was in development for PC and had a playable alpha build at one point, but the developer's Twitter has not been updated with any new info since 2014, and the cloaksandspells.com website no longer exists. Here's what we originally had to say about the game:

Cloaks & Spells, from developer Ian Sean Menzies, is a game with an old school look and feel. This action adventure game takes place in a dark world filled with monsters and demons, and the player takes on the role of a mysterious character wearing a cloak. The action focuses on melee combat, with a Castlevania-esque whip as your primary weapon, but you have access to magic as well, including a flame spell for roasting enemies and a magical barrier for defense. The game also focuses heavily on exploration and puzzle solving as a means of progression, with no small amount of box pushing and lever pulling to be found.



August 24, 2016

Proximity Alert: Owlboy

At long last, after eight years of development, Owlboy is nearly here. Owlboy, from D-Pad Studio, is a game about a student owl named Otus who wears a cloak that allows him to fly. The world in which he lives is made up of a series of floating islands, which has recently come under attack by sky pirates. Otus has set out on a quest to stop the sky pirates and save his home village of Vellie. But in order to do this, he will need some help.

Otus is a more-than-capable platforming hero – especially given the fact that he can fly freely – but he is lacking in offensive abilities. He has a spin attack that knocks enemies back, and he can pick up items such as rocks and toss them at the baddies, but he has no projectiles of his own. To assist him in this department are a number of gunners that can be carried through the environment, and the player is able to use them to aim and fire in any direction.

At first, the player will have access to only a single gunner, a somewhat meek friend named Geddy, who has the advantage of firing at a high rate of speed. Throughout your journey, you are able to recruit new gunners, and switch between them at will, giving you a number of different offensive options. Each gunner has different projectile types and firing rates. The game is coming November 1 to PC via Steam, GOG, and Humble Store, or get a physical copy on IndieBox. Check our the brand new trailer below, as well as our interview with the developers (from 2011!) and our preview coverage from the game's demo here





August 23, 2016

Proximity Alert: Hue

Originally planned for release today (8/23), at least according to the trailer below, Hue will be hitting PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam on August 30. The game is also coming soon to Xbox One via XBLA, and PS4 and Vita via PSN.

Developer Fiddlesticks Games offers up a tale of a boy named Hue who is searching for his mother in a monochromatic world. Fortunately, Hue has control over the hues around him by way of a color ring. By changing the color of the background to match the color of nearby objects, they become transparent, allowing Hue to walk safely through them, which is the basis for the game's puzzle platforming challenges. Time slows down a while making color transformations, allowing for some on-the-fly changes while jumping between colored obstacles and pits of spikes.




August 21, 2016

Target Acquired: Metagal

Metagal, from RetroRevolution, is an action platformer heavily inspired by the Mega Man series. You take on the role of Meta (a.k.a. GAL.00) as she faces off against her cyborg sisters who have been turned against her by the nefarious General Creeper. Meta must fight her way through four lengthy stages before reaching her sisters, each of which has a different special ability. Following the tradition of Mega Man, Meta is able to copy her sisters' abilities once they are defeated (although they aren't weak to any specific weapon). The first four stages may be completed in any order, after which, a final set of linear fortress levels unlocks, putting the player's skills and special abilities to the test. The game is quite challenging, and it's a bit rough around the edges with some cheap deaths and bosses that are less difficult than the levels leading up to them, but it offers a fairly solid Mega Man-style retro experience.

The game is currently available for PC via Steam. Check our coverage here.




August 19, 2016

Arrival Delayed: Below

Below was originally planned for release this summer (i.e., the right now times), but its status has been updated to "Release Date TBD". Developer Capybara has assured its fans that the game is still coming along, but that it's not quite ready for public consumption. The game is planned for release on PC via Steam and Xbox One via XBLA

Capybara is known for their stylistic adventure title Sword & Sworcery and over-the-top actioner Super Time Force, and their latest project, Below, is an atmospheric roguelike with a deep focus on exploration. You play a lone character who heads out into a dangerous world with a sword and shield to battle his way deeper and deeper into the unknown. While you will be able to acquire new weapons, you will be very limited in what you can carry, which forces players to learn the combat system in order to survive. The game features realtime combat and random environments, and it is meant to be very challenging. Death will come frequently, and is permanent per roguelike standards, but you will learn more about how to survive on your future runs and go even deeper. The game is built primarily around single-screen dungeons where your player character is very small and surrounded by darkness. The talented Jim Guthrie (Sword & Sworcery, Indie Game: The Movie) returns to compose the music for the game.



August 18, 2016

New Blip: Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap

Developer Lizardcube is working on a modern take on the Master System / TG-16 classic Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap. But this new game, entitled Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is far from a simple port; it's a complete redesign of the original shapeshifting action adventure with an HD facelift with a remixed soundtrack and some gorgeous animations. You play the part of Wonder Boy who has been turned into a lizard man by Meka-Dragon... but as he explores Monster Land, he discovers that more transformations await him, allowing him to eventually take on six different forms, including a lion, a hawk, a mouse, and a piranha. Each form has different abilities that allow Wonder Boy to take on enemies and access different parts of the environment. For instance, the mouse can run up walls, the lizard can spit fire, and the hawk can fly.

The game is headed to PC via Steam and as yet unannounced consoles (but probably all of the good ones) with a similarly unannounced release date.




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

August 16, 2016

New Blip: Klang

Klang is an unusual game from developer Tinimations, offering a mixture of platforming and rhythm action. You take on the role of Klang, a fellow who has been imprisoned by Soundlord Sonus. Equipped with a tuning fork, you fight your way through enemies with the proper timing to dodge their attacks and deflect sounds back at them. In addition, you must hop across platforms to avoid sound explosions, climb up walls that are constantly being bombarded with energy, and even take on some challenging bosses. The rhythmic timing-based gameplay is backed by EDM composer bLiNd.

The game is headed 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.

August 14, 2016

Target Acquired: Adventure Lamp

Adventure Lamp, from Ryan Davis, is a puzzle platformer starring an adventurer named Simon. Simon sets out to explore an ancient temple, but he gets separated from his equipment... all except his trusty headlamp. The player can toss this headlamp to activate switches and destroy enemies, but he must be careful when jumping as the helmet can fly off his head. Simon's adventure eventually takes him beyond the temple and into mushroom-filled caves, windy mountaintops, and into the fiery depths of an active volcano. Along the way, he must deal with ever more challenging switch puzzles that require him to engage hovering platforms, spring into the air on beams of light, contend with conveyor belts and reverse gravity beams, and make his way through dark corridors filled with enemy weaponry.

The game is now available for PC and Mac via Steam and Itch.io, and is also planned for release on Wii U via the eShop. Check our coverage here.




August 11, 2016

New Blip: Way of the Red

In Way of the Red (game site), you play the role of an accomplished swordsman who comes from a race of birdmen, and he is one of the last of his kind. Setting out on an adventure to find purpose in his life, he is shot out of the sky and captured by humans who turn birdmen into slaves. You soon discover that the human king is obsessed with something called "red seeds", which contain a mysterious power. Escaping, you fight your way through enemies using fast-paced sword techniques and projectile attacks, along with your ability to glide and climb walls. Discovering red seeds allows you to mutate and gain new abilities, which you will need to fight your way through the humans and beasts that stand in your way on your quest to put a stop to the king's plans and rediscover your lost love.

Way of the Red is headed to PC via Steam later this year. A demo is available via the developer's website.




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

August 9, 2016

New Blip: Flinthook

Flinthook is a procedurally-generated grapple-based platformer from Tribute Games, the studio behind a number of pixellated actioners: Wizorb, Mercenary Kings, Ninja Senki DX, and Curses 'n Chaos. In this game, you use a grappling hook to swing around the environment, dodging lasers, saw blades, projectiles, and spikes, while also contending with a number of enemies. Fortunately, you have more than just a grappling hook to see you through, as you can blast away at foes, toss explosives, and even slow down time a bit in order to line up a kill shot. Some exploration is required as well, as rooms are interconnected, requiring the player to seek out keys and do a bit of backtracking to track down treasure chests. There are also a number of boss encounters that require deft use of your projectiles and grappling abilities, as you fly around the room, connecting to grapple points and aiming for the boss' weak point.

The game is headed for Xbox One via XBLA and PC via Steam later this year.




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

August 4, 2016

New Blip: Möira

Möira, from Onagro Studios (game site), is an action platformer that mixes the aesthetics of the Game Boy and the Game Boy Color. You play the part of Rubick, a magician's apprentice on a quest to rescue his kidnapped master. Rubick is able to use his magic to copy the abilities of his enemies, as learning new spells from NPC's and defeated bosses, and he is able to combine the effects of some of these spells for new effects. Players will need to make the most of these combinations, as enemies are resistant to certain spell effects and weak against others. Levels are nonlinear, so players will need to explore them fully in order to move forward and learn the necessary abilities to overcome their enemies.

Möira is coming to PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam and is planned for release in 2017, following a successful Kickstarter campaign (with a hint hidden in its description). A playable demo is available on Itch.io.




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

August 2, 2016

New Blip: Alwa's Awakening

A development team made up of Mikael Forslind, Kevin Andersson, Robert Kreese, and Alexander Berggren (game site) brings you Alwa's Awakening, a game about a girl named Zoe who gets sucked into an NES game and finds herself in the land of Alwa. The game is a sidescrolling action adventure and sees Zoe battling undead creatures, dodging environmental obstacles, and navigating spike-filled landscapes. Zoe must use her magic abilities to make her way through the world, including the ability to create a bubble that she can use to float to higher platforms, and the creation of blocks that she can use as stepping stones.

The game is coming to PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam this winter.




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