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

January 30, 2018

New Blip: Super Meat Boy Forever

Super Meat Boy Forever, from Team Meat, is a sequel to Super Meat Boy, and once again features Meat Boy and Bandage Girl... only this time, they have a child named Nugget, and Nugget has been kidnapped by Dr. Fetus. So, the duo splat into action and try to rescue their sweet baby. This time around, instead of venturing through pre-made levels, the game world regenerates itself dynamically into harder and harder versions of itself, but built out of pre-made chunks to avoid sending the player into a hell of random objects. Also, instead of just being able to jump, Meat Boy and Bandage Girl can now punch their enemies in the face, and perform a jump attack, dive, and slide to deal with enemies and navigate quickly around saw blades and other obstacles.

The game is coming to PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, iOS, and Android in 2018. There ain't much gameplay in the trailer, but never fear, you'll surely be getting more meat before the game is released:




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

January 26, 2018

Target Acquired: Iconoclasts

Iconoclasts is a colorful action adventure title from Konjak, starring a girl named Robin who is a mechanic in a world where her particular craft is considered to be illegal. As is typical of this developer, the game is set in a beautifully crafted world filled with gorgeous sprites, detailed animations, and loads of character and humor. More than just an aesthetically appealing title, the mechanics are solid as well, with precision platforming, varied gameplay, and a compelling metroidvania structure.

Beneath the beautiful and colorful world, dark forces are at work, and it is up to Robin to set things right by upsetting the status quo and upending the power structure of the oppressors who have made such activities as excavation, mapping, and mechanics illegal. Unsponsored archaeology, cartography, or mechanical work are considered to be sins against the gods, and are punishable by death. According to the imposed law and religion of the land, holy agents of the gods are meant to control the world and ensure that it remains unaltered by earthly hands, which includes strict provisions surrounding the use of a rare fuel source known as ivory. And if that’s not enough, the moon is slowly breaking apart and pieces are falling to earth.

The game is now available for PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam and GOG, as well as PS4 and Vita via PSN. Check our coverage here.



January 24, 2018

News: Super Meat Boy Has 2P Splitscreen on Switch

Meat Boy has been meating his way around the world since 2010 and has continued to remain relevant among fans of precision platformers, going so far as to inspire numerous entries in the subgenre. Super Meat Boy, from Team Meat, has been released on numerous platforms since its debut, and in 2018, the game landed with a bloody splat on the Nintendo Switch, offering all of the meaty goodness of the original game – minus the original soundtrack, as in the PS4 version – while also adding a 2P Race Mode.


Race Mode pits two players against each other in a split screen race through chapters in the light or dark worlds, or a mixture of both. Players can play through individual chapters, a randomized selection of levels, or the entire game in this 2P splitscreen mode, giving players hundreds levels of insanity in which to best their bestie… or die trying. Multi-level races allow one player to move onto the next level independently of the other, and a meter at the top of the screen shows where each player is in relation to the end goal. Since most levels are designed to be completed in under a minute, this lends itself to short bursts of play, and the game’s instant deaths, high speed, and precise movements mean that any race can be lost in the blink of an eye by a poorly-timed jump.


In case this is somehow your very first time ever hearing about Super Meat Boy, check out our full coverage here.

January 23, 2018

New Blip: Unruly Heroes

Unruly Heroes, from Magic Design Studios (game site), is an action-platformer for a single player, or up to four players via local co-op, inspired by the famous Journey to the West, a.k.a. Legend of the Monkey King, which has been loosely used as the basis for numerous video games in the past, including Capcom's SonSon and Ninja Theory's Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. The game features four (unruly) heroes dashing through beautifully detailed platforming environments and engaging colorful enemies and bosses in melee combat, and each of the characters has different movement and fighting skills, which are emphasized through fluid animations with 3D characters appearing in 2D environments.

The game is coming to PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Switch in early 2018.




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

January 18, 2018

Proximity Alert: Remnants of Naezith

Remnants of Naezith now has an official release date! It's arriving on PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam on February 6.

We've said it before, and we'll say it again... there just aren't enough grappling hook games out there. Fortunately, Tolga Ay is here to help with Remnants of Naezith, a high-speed precision grappler that makes Radd Spencer look like Nathan Spencer. One day, a treasure-hunting adventurer named Kayra is grappling his way though some caves and finds himself possessed by Naezith the Thunder Dragon. As it turns out, Naezith needs the Kayra's skills to escape the cave, promising him great treasure in return. In the bargain, the adventurer finds that claws have been permanently attached to his hands, allowing him to fire them off and create a grapple beam. Players must swing their way past spinning saw blades, burning lasers, and pools of water while maintaining momentum, with gameplay inspired by Super Meat Boy and Dustforce. In addition, player have the ability to air dash, wall slide, wall jump, and double jump in order to make their way through the extensive array of caves.




January 16, 2018

Proximity Alert: Celeste

Celeste, by Matt Thorson (TowerFall) and Noel Berry (Skytorn), was originally released as a PICO-8 game (still available on Itch.io) and is now being reimagined into a more full-fledged experience. The game stars Celeste, a young woman who must make her way up the treacherous path to the top of a mountain. The game still features chunky low-rez art, but with a higher resolution than the original game, and with a widescreen presentation. The game is a precision platformer that sees the player climbing sheer cliffs, jumping around walls of spikes, performing wall jumps and double jumps to cross gaps, running against strong winds, dashing across crumbling bridges, and even bouncing on the occasional mountainside springboard (because platforming). Along the way, skilled players may attempt to collect gems and pieces of fruit tucked in out-of-the-way locations and usually surrounded by danger. On occasion, Celeste must face off against dangerous foes, such as a mirror versions of herself that duplicate her actions.

The game is coming to PC and Mac via Steam and Itch.io, as well as PS4, Xbox One, and Switch on January 25.




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

January 14, 2018

Target Acquired: Heads Run

Heads Run, from kass-stwa, is a follow-up and refinement of the developer's previous release, Porter, starring a fast-moving protagonist who is just a head that bops along the ground. The original game had 20 bite-sized levels that were built around moving as quickly as possible while dodging deadly obstacles. The new game offers 50 entirely new levels with several of the level elements from the previous game, along with some new ones, and numerous terrifying creatures that chase you through certain levels. Levels are built to be completed in a matter of seconds, and you can dash, wall jump, and (occasionally) double jump your way to victory... or to certain death in many cases. The game is presented in "greenscale" with a CRT effect, and there are lots of graphical improvements over the previous game as well.

Porter is still available on Itch.io as a pay-what-you-want title, and it's well worth checking out. Heads Run is available on PC via Steam and Itch.io. There's a slight delay in the Mac version due to a bug, but it's expected soon. Check our coverage here.




January 11, 2018

New Blip: Desert Child

Desert Child, from Oscar Brittain is set on a ruined earth and stars a hoverbike racer who is trying to put together enough money to get off this stinkin' planet and get his ass to Mars. His life consists of entering races, customizing his bike, going to work, and occasionally chillin' out with a bowl of ramen noodles to earn him some buffs for the next race. He still has to make rent each month, so he can take on missions to track down bounties or run some drugs to get some extra coin in his pocket. The hoverbike can be customized with different weapons and modifiers, allowing the racer to blast his way through the competition as he works his way up through the circuit... or purposely throw the race for a payoff. The game features chunky pixel art with lots of explosions and special effects as the player rips through the scenery, with sci-fi artwork inspired by Cowboy Bebop, Akira, and Redline.

The game is headed to PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam in Winter of 2018, with possible console releases at a later date. A demo is available on Itch.io.




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

January 9, 2018

Early Arrival: The Vagrant

The Vagrant, from O.T.K Games, is an action-RPG set a in a beautiful fantasy world and inspired by the works of Vanillaware. The game stars a travelling "sellsword" named Vivian (The Vagrant) who hopes to find her family and learn the truth her dark origins. In doing so, she must hack and slash her way through dozens of unique enemies across the land of Mythrilia, passing through the houses of a seaside town, and into mountainous landscapes, dense jungles, ravaged fortresses, and barren landscapes. Players will find numerous weapons and pieces of armor that can be upgraded independently, and they can upgrade Vivian's skills along a robust skill tree as she levels up.

The game is already available (for an unusually low price) for PC via Steam Early Access, and is planned for a full release in February or March of 2018. Check out the game - and its ludicrously luscious artwork - in the trailer below.




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

January 7, 2018

Target Acquired: Ersatz

Ersatz, from Paris Stalker, is a rhythm-based platformer with an electronic soundtrack, featuring house, trance, synthwave, DnB, and techno music, and each level has a BPM count. Enemies move and attack along with the beat - adding to the soundtrack with sounds of their own - and players can use the timing to dodge projectiles and predict the movement of objects in the environment. Much of the gameplay centers around the player's ability to dash, and he can only dash three times before he runs out of energy, unless he kills an enemy during the dash, in which case he can dash again, setting up scenarios where players can dash quickly through the level by stringing together attacks. The game is tough for first timers and relies on learning and repeating levels to get higher rankings.

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




Proximity Alert: Treasure Adventure World

Treasure Adventure World has just received an updated release date, and it will be here in a few weeks! The game is coming to PC via Steam, GOG, and Humble Store on February 7, 2018.

In 2011, Robit Studios released a freeware game called Treasure Adventure Game, an action adventure title with a large open world to explore, creatures to kill, puzzles to solve, and treasures to find. The game took Stephen Orlando about 3 years to create. Now, he he's back with a vastly expanded version of the game called Treasure Adventure World which features new content, new music, and a new visual style. The player controls an adventurer who sets out with his parrot to traverse a number of islands – to which he sails in a magical shrinking/growing boat that fits in his pocket when not in use – speaking to NPCs and embarking on various quests, slowly opening up the world Metroidvania-style as new abilities and equipment are earned, such as digging down through piles of dirt that block certain passages.




January 4, 2018

New Blip: Mega Man 11

You may have though it was never happening, but Mega Man is officially elevening! Capcom, has decided to bring the Blue Bomber back for another run in the main Mega Man series with Mega Man 11, despite letting Mega Man Legends 3 disappear into oblivion (leading to the creation of an alternate universe in which Keiji Inafune left the studio to create Mighty No. 9). All of the series' latter-day trademarks are in place, with Mega Man's buster and charge shot, ground sliding, and even some assistance from his buddy Rush. And of course, no Mega Man game would be complete without a new set of Robot Masters and their accompanying abilities that Mega Man earns by defeating them. Instead of the retro 8-bit style seen in Mega Man 9-10, the new game features HD visuals, making it look more like a modern continuation of Mega Man 8 than the first six games.

The game is coming to PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One in late 2018.




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

January 1, 2018

Target Acquired: Shin Megami Tensei: Synchronicity Prologue

Shin Megami Tensei: Synchronicity Prologue was developed by Den-fami Nico Game Magazine’s Ladybug team in collaboration with Pepo Soft and Krobon Station (Pharaoh Rebirth). On October 13, 2017, the game was teased as an apparent fake trailer for a nonexistent game, but a few days later, the game was revealed to be real (and free). The game was made available as a limited release, beginning on October 16, 2017 to coincide with the Japanese release of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux and the 25th anniversary of the Megami Tensei series, with the game’s availability ending on December 24, 2017.

The game stars a number of MegaTen series' trademark demons, with a Jack Frost and a Pyro Jack teaming up to take down a rogue Black Frost in an open adventure-platforming world. Jack Frost can freeze enemies and is immune to ice attacks, whereas Pryo Jack can fly and attack with fire, and he is immune to fire attacks. As they explore, the duo learn new magic attacks - some of which appear on optional side paths - and slowly open up the world for exploration, taking down enemies and bosses along the way. The entire adventure only lasts a couple of hours, but it's a fun and silly jaunt with charming characters and humor. Check our coverage here.