Some of the coolest upcoming games we saw on the show
PAX East 2022 was a strange one. It was my first time attending the show since the pandemic closed personal conventions. And it was great to see old friends, new faces and lots of interesting indie games in Boston again.
During my four days, I wandered around the show floor and checked out lots of games along the way. And to be clear, I did not see everything. Despite the best effort and a slimmer year than usual, there was still plenty on the floor I never got a chance to check out.
But among the list of what I saw, there were especially a few that stood out. So without further ado, here are some games worth keeping an eye on from PAX East 2022.
Clear
Take a little bit of every platform game you’ve dug into the past, mix it up and you’re somewhere in the ballpark Clear. It has suffered Celeste and Metroidplus some time-driving speedrunning influence, and one Hyper Light Drifter-adjacent style.
But comparisons do not really do justice to seeing it in motion. It ties it all together into a game that, even in a hands-off demo behind closed screens, looked tight and fast. This little indie project was one of my favorites this weekend, and even though I only saw a small selection, I’m incredibly interested in seeing what developer Eric Manahan has in store for the future.
Find it on Steam here.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
What more should I say? TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge turned out exactly as I had hoped it would. It is energetic, optimistic, easy to pick up and a bang to master.
It’s full of charm, the way you would like a Saturday morning fight to play. The Turtles, Splinter and April all feel unique and worth swapping around the list to check out. I’m glad this retro brawler is shaping up so well.
Find it on Steam here.
Cursed for Golf
Someone in the comment section of my preview asked why so many indies especially tackle golf. It’s been a few days and I feel like it Cursed for Golf gives the answer.
Golf in itself is a malleable sport. You have clubs, a ball and a hole you have to hit the ball into. Everything in between is entirely up to the designer; the track can take all the turns it wants. Cursed for Golf do just that by turning an old game of golf into a platforming, puzzle-solving, route-planning roguelike full of challenges and fun characters. It’s a clever reinterpretation in the style of Golf history and What the Gulfand worth keeping an eye on.
Find it on Steam with a demo here.
Signalis
The demo I tried on PAX East 2022 was actually the same one I played last year, so I do not have much news to report Signalis in front of.
It’s also an incredibly good thing as I was more than happy to play the excellent demo again and still be just as excited about the whole game. This lo-fi, sci-fi survival thriller with classic Resident Evil vibes is high on my watchlist. If you like horror of the technological, extraterrestrial variant, do not let it Signalis slip past.
Find it on Steam here.
The cult of the lamb
This was one of the big surprises for me. Not because I was not aware The cult of the lamb; I had seen it show up in showcases and trailers. But I did not think I was the demographic target for this one.
Behind the admittedly funny contrast of sweet and grim, in addition to the roguelit action, there is a base-building management page that caught my attention. After all, building a cult means building. And I’m very eager to build my own adorable animal after when The cult of the lamb finally falls.
Find it on Steam here.
Lego Bricktales
Few games have captured my childhood as Lego Bricktales, a game about physics and Lego bricks to an equal degree. It’s a fun adventure through a dioramic world that lets you solve problems with lots of plastic blocks.
Snap them together, then send over the robot and see if it holds. It’s a surprisingly simple concept that works very, very well in the Lego world. Watch out for Brick tales if you want more practical building in your virtual Lego experiences.
Find it on Steam here.
Rusten moss
I managed to catch a spot on Rusten moss setup in the PAX Rising area between the agreements, which was a surprise in itself. It got quite a crowd there, and after playing something, it’s easy to see why.
Rusten moss has elements of ball hell, Metroid, Contraand even Bionic Commando. It looks great, feels great to play, and it felt incredible to swing across holes with my barrel blazing down on enemies. It ticks an incredible number of boxes and even in a short demo made a long lasting impression.
Find it on Steam with a demo here.
Potionomics
The road Potionomics mixing several genres I really enjoy together into one cohesive brew is pretty amazing. Sell potions to meet people, date these people, get their cards and haggle better in the store. Build decks, search for rarer ingredients, and meet the needs of a city full of adventurers and mysteries.
Throw in a touch of quite excellent character design and animation, and Potionomics seems to stick together well. I’m excited to mix, socialize and sell later this year.
Find it on Steam here.
Demon throttle
The path for Demon throttle is quite different from your usual game. It’s just a physical game for the Nintendo Switch. And while I’m careful about the approach, I admit it’s a pretty fun game to play.
Demon throttle is a pretty tough top-down shooter for two (or one person with character changes). It has some RPG elements in the mix and a lot of fun jokes. The hero couple seeks revenge against a demon: the vampire because it took its chalices, and the gunman because it slept with its wife. It’s fun, very retro and a lot of fun. My only concern is that more people will not be able to play it as it is currently sold out on the site. Hopefully the production does not get in the way of a good time Demon throttle.
WrestleQuest
Wrestling and RPGs prove to be an incredible mix WrestleQuest. At first glance, it’s easy to get caught up in the pixel art and turn-based battles, with more fighters popping it out in the ring.
Show up for it, but stay tuned for the surprisingly good storytelling and tackling of darker topics. The narrative in this is not to draw blows and it has a star-studded array of wrestling legends.
Find it on Steam here.
And one last note, special PAX East 2022 shoutouts to Match balla four-player competition Pong-alike who are already out and were extremely fun to play; and Tough Love Arena, a free browser-based fighting game. They are both already published but very worth spending time on.
