Three Final Indie Highlights From EGX 2015

Thus far I've highlighted four smaller games from EGX 2015 that impressed me, and four titles that attracted some pretty lengthy queues, but that's really just scratching the surface of indie offerings at EGX 2015. For this final piece I've decided to highlight three more titles that I feel deserve a little bit of extra publicity. Consider it a sort of 'best of the rest' article.


Thumper (Leftfield Collection)

The word 'stylish' is thrown around a lot these days, and the vast majority of indie games being released fall under the 'stylish' umbrella simply because they employ somewhat unique looks or art styles. Thumper, however, is one such game that truly deserves the 'stylish' moniker, and if you watch and listen to the trailer above you'll probably quickly understand why.

The game centres on a chrome beetle that is following a set track. It must turn at the correct time and build up enough energy to destroy the obstacles and enemies that lay ahead of it. The music is fantastic, and the graphics are just as stand-out. In the entire Leftfield Collection (the truly indie games that don’t have publishers), Thumper garnered the biggest crowds, and it was easily the most difficult game to get hands-on with.

Thumper is expected to release next year on PlayStation 4 and Windows PC.



Knee Deep

Another major indie game on the show floor was Knee Deep, which is an adventure game that differentiates itself by offering a unique perspective on the genre. The story is unique in and of itself - you investigate a suicide - but the true marvel of Knee Deep is its setting. The game plays out on a stage where the investigator walks from one 'scene' to another, much like an actor would in an elaborate play.

So, for example, you might be conversing with your colleagues in one room, but you'll then walk towards the wall and it will drop down to reveal a new set (a car in the demo I played). It’s fantastically original, and really helps Knee Deep stand out in what is fast becoming a saturated market.

Knee Deep's first episode (there will be three in total), released on PC in July. The second episode is due out soon.



Monsters & Monocles


When I went to play Monsters & Monocles, I was simply told to wait by the developer. Slightly confused, I waited, only to soon discover that the developer was actually making sure four people were ready and waiting to play the game. This was so that we could all experience Monsters & Monocles in the way it was truly meant to be played.

So we took our seats, selected our characters (I chose a gentlemanly dog), and proceeded to play. Monsters & Monocles is a twin stick shooter affair with a great co-op atmosphere built up around it. The entire time we were playing we really did cooperate, offering cups of tea to those on low health (tea restores health), and giving tips to one another on the best guns and team combinations (the crumpet launcher was awesome, I must say).

It was a brilliant experience, one packed with a quintessentially British charm, and it made me realise how in recent years I've not played local cooperative games nearly as much as I'd like. Hopefully that will change when Monsters & Monocles releases on "personal computing devices everywhere" soon.