Summary

At my very firstWASD, an indie game convention in London, England, I was spoiled for choice on what to play. There were so many games and not enough time to check them all out, even with three days and two other editors from TheGamer attending. Indies are thriving, you just need to look for them.

During the weekend I spoke to some of the devs behindChildren of the Sun,The Holy Gosh Darn,Pieced Together, CorpoNation andThe Deadly Path. Alongside this, I played a number of other titles. Here’s what else I got my hands on, and where you can find it.

Anger Foot

Have you ever wanted to play a game where you’re able to just pour your rage out onto the screen? If the answer is yes, then Anger Foot is for you. Set against a literally banging soundtrack, there’s fire, explosions, and so much neon blood you’ll wonder if your contrast is on the fritz. Rest assured though, you do not need to adjust your monitor.

Everything is in excess here. The music, the visuals, the kicking, the smashing, the shooting, and the fun. Anger Foot takes the concept of a run-and-gun FPS to heart and has you charge through levels at breakneck speed, smashing everything in your path.

Is there a story? I have no idea. Are there customisation options? I doubt it. Does the lead character even have a name? I don’t think so… but none of this matters. Anger Foot doesn’t need your questions and it doesn’t have answers. It just wants you to smash things and enjoy it, and you will.

Set for a 2024 release, you canwishlist Anger Foot on Steam here.

Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines

When collecting recommendations, Grapple Dogs was something that came up enough times to encourage me to slide it into my schedule, and the cute canine platformer didn’t disappoint. It’s a side-scrolling adventure where you run, jump and grapple your way to success.

It reminded me a lot of platformers from days gone by, and of many hours spent playing them. It has a simplicity that’s refreshing, and a modern art style that’s vibrant. The grapple mechanic also adds a slight puzzle element to proceedings as you navigate your way around.

As well as petting the dog, I’m also a big fan of taking him on an adventure, and look forward to seeing more of this one, while vowing to hunt out the first title and see if it’s as much fun as this demo was.

Grapple Dog isavailable on Steam hereand you canwishlist Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Caninesahead of release.

Victory Heat Rally

If, like me, you are old enough to have played arcade racing games like Outrun, Ridge Racer, or Sega Rally, then Victory Heat Rally will immediately transport you back to the arcades of the ‘90s. With a vibrant setting, synth soundtrack, and those trusty arcade racer mechanics, you’ll go back in time the second you see the menu.

The neat race track we ran practice laps on had cones along the side to help you stick to the optimal racing line. Apparently you are supposed to avoid them, but where’s the fun in that? As I prepared to flex my mediocre racing skills I got completely distracted by the cool trees that look like they came from the Green Hill Zone. And I lost. Badly. If only there was a competition to hit the most cones.

You canwishlist Victory Heat Rally on Steam here.

Green Again

I love a good city-builder simulation game, and Green Again was no exception. In it, you must help a tribe of tiny adorable plant people rebuild their civilizations after the planet was taken over by robots. The build system is constructed in hexagonal shapes, and you must explore and build on these to expand your settlement and harvest valuable resources.

In the demo, I built a small town, set them up with food and water, and got to explore some weird structures in the local area. I only managed to turn a tiny corner of the planet back to green but I look forward to helping save the rest.

Green Again can bewishlisted on Steam here.

Hymble Ventures

I was drawn to Hymble Ventures by the cute retro platform looks, and the adorable Hymble and Codee. I soon realised this was going to be far more personal than I expected, since the concept is based on the autistic experience of sensory overload.

The traditional 3D platformer is accompanied by a damage system based around your senses. If something is too loud, bright, stinky, or prickly then your senses get overwhelmed. Too much exposure to the trigger results in sensory overload and, my favourite part, going to recover in a quiet corner at the stimming well.

A unique combination of cute platformer and remarkable, unexpected insight into sensory processing disorder, this is one I’ll be watching out for.

Hymble Ventures isavailable to wishlist on Steam now.

Arcade Paradise VR

Arcade Paradise VR marked my first venture into VR. The high price point for entry, alongside a fear of being sick, has so far kept me out, but I was intrigued enough to give this one a go.

The game features a laundrette where you can really do the washing. The machines are usable and you can make a quick buck doing people’s laundry. Or you can head into the back room where a neon arcade awaits, with VR games galore.

In my limited time, I put on a load of washing, as is my natural routine, before heading to the games. Here I almost fell off the floor, crashed into a plant (only in the game, thankfully), and missed a lot of targets while shooting.

I honestly can’t tell you if this game is good. I have absolutely zero prior knowledge of how I’m supposed to interact with things in VR. I can only tell you that I had a lot of fun and didn’t break anything. Except maybe that plant.

Arcade Paradise VR is out now on Meta Quest andavailable on the Meta store.