Target Acquired: Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX

Inti Creates - the developer behind Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon, Azure Striker Gunvolt, Blaster Master Zero, and lots of Mega Man games - returns with the latest chapter in the ongoing Gunvolt saga: Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX. The game focuses on the exploits of Copen, who is the arch rival of Gunvolt, the hero of the main game series. Similar to the Blue Bomber, Copen is able to copy abilities from his defeated foes and use them in combat. Copen is able to move quickly around the environment and tag enemies, after which he can unleash a barrage of missiles, and he also makes use of a gun and electrical attacks.

The game is now available on PC via Steam, PS4 via PSN, and Switch via eShop.

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New Blip: Fallen Angel

In Fallen Angel, from Matrioshka Games, you take on the role of the fallen angel Lucifer, who has returned to Heaven to have his revenge. This is a hack-and-slash actioner where the enemies are the agents of God's holy army. While the odds may seem to be stacked against this anti-hero - inspired by John Milton's portrayal of the character in Paradise Lost - as it turns out, Heaven is in a bit of disarray. God has left the place unattended and the Angels are fighting amongst themselves for the honor of becoming the ultimate power, unless that lovable scamp Lucifer seizes the power for himself... or just destroys everything for the fun of it. Lucifer can make use of beastly transformations during combat to slash through enemies, target them from a distance, or slam down on them from above.

The game is coming to PC in June 2020.




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

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Early Arrival: Noita

Nolla Games is a studio made up of Petri Purho (Crayon Physics Deluxe), Olli Harjola (The Swapper), and Arvi "Hempuli" Teikari (Environmental Station Alpha), and they have returned with Noita. The game is a physics-based action platformer, but what sets it apart from the other games in the genre is the fact that physics are applied to every pixel in the game world, bringing about shenanigans you haven't seen since the PixelJunk Shooter series, only this time in a chunky pixellated world. You can freeze water and then blast through chunks of ice, smash objects to make them break and collapse, cause lava to flow into an open space, electrify pools of water, or burn through flammable gasses to ignite the air in a room and burn through your enemies... or yourself if you're not careful. This is a roguelike game featuring spellcrafting, permadeath, and procedurally generated environments filled with dangerous enemies and elements.

Noita is now in Early Access and may be purchased via Steam, GOG, Humble Store, and Itch.




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

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Target Acquired: Arcade Moonlander Plus

In 2017, Daniel Griffin released Arcade Moonlander, a game heavily inspired by Atari's Lunar Lander, offering gravity-based spaceship landing on the surface of the moon. This year, he revisited the game, adding 10 new arcade levels and updating the title to Arcade Moonlander Plus. The game is still fairly short - and it's easier than most other entries in the genre - but players are encouraged to replay levels to go for the best times. In addition to the 20 arcade levels, the game features a longer adventure mode, with a single contiguous level and a few possible routes through the level.

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

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Target Acquired: Demoniaca: Everlasting Night

Demoniaca: Everlasting Night, from AKI, is a Castlevania-inspired action-RPG starring a redheaded woman who is gutted... but somehow revives and sows her torn bits back together to return to the fight, but her blood has become contaminated with the blood of demons, giving her unholy new abilities. Over the course of her adventure, she meets new friends and enemies - many of whom seem fond of baring their chests - as she slashes and kicks her way through the many dark floors of the Tower of Babel. She can also make use of equipment that grants her passive buffs, stock up on restorative potions, and gain new combat abilities that help her take down baddies and bosses.

The game is now available on PC via Steam.

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New Blip: Shantae and the Seven Sirens

Developer WayForward presents the fifth entry in the Shantae series, entitled Shantae and the Seven Sirens. Everyone's favorite half-genie hero returns with Rottytops, Risky Boots, and her other and pals for a new adventure far away from their hometown on Scuttle Island. Apparently, there are other half-genies around the world, as Shantae discovers when she meets the eponymous Seven Sirens in a nonlinear action-adventure that takes her across a large interconnected world populated by villages, enemies, and bosses. As before, Shantae can dance to transform into animals, with a focus on aquatic forms this time around, and the game includes animated cutscenes.

The game is coming to PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and Apple Arcade later this year. There's no gameplay trailer yet, but there is this sweet opening cinematic, which is also meant to show off the animated cutscene stylings.




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

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New Blip: Shovel Knight Dig

Yacht Club Games returns with another tale in the Shovel Knight saga, this time teaming up with Nitrome, the studio behind Bomb Chicken and numerous mobile titles. Shovel Knight Dig sees everyone's favorite knight of shovelry - with increased graphical fidelity - in a descent-based adventure that mixes elements of the Dig Dug / Mr. Driller series and 1-on-1 Mega Man-style boss battles. Shovel Knight still fights enemies and grabs treasure, but this time around, he gains new abilities that let him hurl bouncing projectiles, blast nearby enemies with a great horn, and shrink down to a minuscule size to fit through small openings.

The game is coming to unannounced platforms (probably all the major ones) on an unannounced date.




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

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Target Acquired: Blasphemous

Blasphemous is a game from The Game Kitchen, developers of The Last Door. While The Last Door was a low-rez point and click adventure series, Blasphemous is a gritty and bloody 2D action-adventure with fast-paced action and detailed visuals. The game offers nonlinear exploration through a dark world as you take on the role of The Penitent One, an armor-clad warrior with a pointed thorned helmet who roams the land destroying evil... of which there is plenty, as most of the world's citizens have been transformed into hideous creatures due to their blasphemies. Players will equip items to enhance their abilities as they fight their way through grotesque undead creatures, self-abusing whip wielders, corrupt clergy, and numerous indescribable monstrosities, along with several large bosses.

The game is now available for PC via Steam, PS4 via PSN, Xbox One via Microsoft Store, and Switch via eShop.

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Target Acquired: Children of Morta

Children of Morta, from developer Dead Mage, is a roguelike dungeon crawler where you hack and slash your way through legions of dark creatures. The game focuses on the Bergson family, each of whom has a different set of weapons, ranging from a sword and shield combo, to a bow and arrows, to up-close daggers and hand-to-hand combat that require quick movement to use effectively. Players may also visit the blacksmith to increase the power of their stats, make use of various in-dungeon buffs to alter their abilities, and each playable character has their own upgrade tree. The game features incredibly detailed spritework and animations.

The game is now available for PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam, and is also coming to PS4, Xbox One, and Switch. Check our coverage here.

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New Blip: Sea Salt

Sea Salt is the latest from YCJY Games, the studio behind The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human, which was a dour metroidvania set in a dark and desaturated world... and their latest venture doubles down on that dark desaturation. Sea Salt is set in a Lovecraftian world where you take on the role of Dagon, one of the Old Gods, who calls forth loping horrors from ancient depths to terrorize mankind. The game mixes action and strategy as you cycle through a deck of creatures and bring them in the world to chase down humans and activate sigils. The humans will try to fight you, and religious figures will stand against you, so you must grow your army of creatures to overtake them, and unlock new creatures to add to your numbers.

The game is coming to PC 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: Savior

Savior, from Starsoft, is a colorful metroidvania starring Sam, a woman who finds herself in the midst of a cold war between The Chosen and The Fallen, in a world divided between the medieval and the technological. She explores the island of Arcadia, fighting her way through the harsh landscape of The Fallen, slowly gaining access to new weapons and items, meeting new friends along the way, and possibly becoming the savior who can unite this long-divided world. By becoming stronger and gaining new skills, she increases her ability to explore the landscape around her. Sam is incredibly acrobatic, and she is able to move fluidly through the environment, jump off walls (and enemies!), perform deft attacks and dodges, dive into the water and swim, and even leap onto the back of a great dragon.

The game is coming to PC and Mac but does not yet have an announced release date.




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

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Target Acquired: Biolab Wars

Biolab Wars, from Kolibri Game Studio, is a run-and-gun shooter inspired by Contra and similar NES-era actioners. It's 1985, and aliens have invaded the Earth. You take on the role of a musclebound dude, a deadly lady, or a dog in a mech suit to blast your way through soldiers, robots, and alien monstrosities. You start with a machine gun, but you can grab several other limited-ammo weapons along the way to dish out extra pain, and you can even find a laser-firing chicken and helicopter-propelled kitty to assist you in your assault. The game takes place across seven areas, with a boss at the end of each.

The game is now available on PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam. Check our coverage here.

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