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13 Indie Games for 2013

2012 was a good year for the indie scene, with brilliant games like Hotline Miami, FTL: Faster Than Light and Super Hexagon all making waves in the industry. 2013 looks like it's going to be no different, with the 500+ titles submitted to the IGF this year standing as testament to the popularity of the indie market.

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With so many great games expected to arrive in the coming 12 months, we've collected together some of the titles due out this year that have caught our collective eye in recent weeks. In no particular order, here's 13 indie games for 2013:

Monaco: What's Yours is Mine

For many people, the most anticipated indie release of the year is going to be Monaco. It's a top-down stealth game that attracted plenty of admiring glances when it was first teased to an eager public back in 2010. Pocketwatch Games' Monaco picked up the coveted Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the Independent Games Festival that year, and we've been waiting patiently for it ever since.

It's a heist game at its core, but a wonderfully distinctive visual style has captured imaginations everywhere, including ours. We really can't wait for this one.

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13 Indie Games for 2013

Bit.Trip Presents Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien

The consistently excellent Gaijin Games are back in early 2013 with another Bit.Trip game, Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien (a tongue in-cheek title inspired by the names given to Western games in order to have them sell in Japan). It's another colourful and vibrant auto-scrolling platformer, and it tasks players with reaching the end of levels without crashing into any of the various obstacles that regularly try to get in your way. The voice of Mario, Charles Martinet, is set to provide narration for the cutscenes, only adding to the game's appeal.

13 Indie Games for 2013
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Mew-Genics

One of the most popular indie games of recent times is Super Meat Boy. Team Meat's debut game went down a treat (it was one of the titles featured in Indie Game: The Movie, which certainly didn't hurt its chances), and the indie studio's long awaited follow up is nearing completion. Mew-Genics is that follow up, but details surrounding the game are still pretty thin on the ground, but we do know you cryogenically freeze cats. How barbaric.

13 Indie Games for 2013

The Showdown Effect

Backed once again by Paradox Interactive, Arrowhead Games (Magicka) are back on the scene with The Showdown Effect. It's a 2.5D multiplayer action game with a firm emphasis on over-the-top action and outrageous weaponry. 8 players will be able to duke it out in the platform arenas, with the ultimate goal being to kick ass in style. Fans of 80s and 90s action movies should definitely keep an eye on this one.

13 Indie Games for 2013

Neo Scavenger

Some gamers want a little more challenge than others. Some gamers like a little bit more pain. For those who like it harsh and brutal, Neo Scavenger could be just what you're looking for. It's a post-apocalyptic adventure game, but where the Metros and the Fallouts of this world are all about experiencing an adventure against the backdrop of a decayed future, Neo Scavenger is all about survival, and although there's a story in there somewhere, you've got to stay alive long enough to work out what it is.

Given that you start the game with just a hospital gown and few disparate items to provide clues as to your identity, survival might be harder than it sounds. This is one game that looks like a masochist's wet dream.

13 Indie Games for 2013

Gunpoint

Gunpoint is the creation of games journalist Tom Francis. It's a stealth-centric espionage game that has you infiltrating high tech buildings to, presumably, steal secret documents and stick people's staplers to their desks. That there promises to be "gratuitous face-punching" also captures our interest, but not as much as "unusual" electronic sabotage. We've no idea when this one's coming out (and neither does Mr Francis), but when it does it should come complete with a level editor, which is only going to add to its appeal. Definitely one to keep an eye on if you like your games sneaky sneaky.

13 Indie Games for 2013

Apothean

It's the visual stylings of Apothean that elevate it to the list for us; there aren't many games that carry such a distinctive aesthetic. In short, it looks smart, like the side of priceless vase rescued from an archeological dig. The promise of a large action-RPG campaign and online multiplayer only further piques our interest. The team working on the game are Alientrap, and they're the team who released the popular Capsized back in 2011.

13 Indie Games for 2013

Antichamber

Antichamber is set to hit Steam on January 31 (tomorrow), so we have a tangible release date for at least one game in this article. It looks like an Escher painting on acid, and whilst that notion is enough to make eyes hurt and brains melt, it looks like a delicious treat nonetheless. The emphasis is firmly on exploration, and challenging preconceptions built up over years of playing first-person games.

13 Indie Games for 2013

Project Zomboid

Another indie game where the emphasis is firmly on survival, rather than the act cracking heads with bats and making bold moves with a shotgun. There's a cutesy isometric viewpoint, reminiscent of older games, and the devs promise that no matter how hard you try, you will die.

It's not just the undead that you need worry about here. Starvation, illness, loneliness, depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, suicide, insanity and trust issues are all listed as possible challenges to overcome. Throw some co-op multiplayer in for good measure, and an environment that degrades as the time progresses, and you've got one hell of a tempting proposition. If you like zombies that is.

13 Indie Games for 2013

Moon Intern

In Moon Intern you'll play an intern, who lives on the Moon. This one's a strange mix of genres, but it looks captivating to say the least. The experience will adapt to your play style, so for gamers who prefer puzzles, the game will tailor it so that's the kind of challenges you'll be presented with. Show a flair for more action orientated gameplay, and that's how the game will play out.

Underpinning this personalised experience is your soulmate. Once created (and you can define their sex and physical likeness) you'll take them with you on your adventures, and keeping them happy will be central to your success; the best player buffs can only be accessed if you keep your other half happy. Just like real life then.

13 Indie Games for 2013

Prison Architect

Introversion have been quietly building a reputation as one the finest indie developers in the world, and their back catalogue of games speaks for itself (Uplink, Darwinia, DEFCON and Multiwinia).

The latest offering to come from the small studio is Prison Architect, and it's quite a departure from their previous titles. As the title suggests you have to design and build a prison, but there's plenty to keep you occupied as you do, including making sure that the inmates are well kept, and not able to get their hands on any dangerous weapons. It's a delicate balancing act, get it wrong and you could have a riot on your hands.

13 Indie Games for 2013

The Swindle

Described a steam punk crime caper - or "Deus Ex mixed with Sonic the Hedgehog" - The Swindle is the latest offering from Size Five Games (Time Gentlemen Please & Ben There, Dan That!).

It's a platform game that'll challenge the player to break into various facilities and steal lots and lots of money. In fact, collecting lots of cash is the main goal of the game, using it to upgrade weapons and equipment to help you steal more money.

13 Indie Games for 2013

Super T.I.M.E Force

Capybara Games, the folks behind Superbrothers: Sword and Sorcery EP, are currently working on Super T.I.M.E Force, a run and gun shooter with an original twist: you're playing co-op with yourself.

Every time your character bites the proverbial bullet, you are born again and play the level with your former self, eventually the screen filling up with past iterations of yourself. But here's where it gets really interesting, you can save these past versions of yourself from their fate, and in doing so give yourself extra lives in the process. It's sounds devilish, but we can't wait to get hands on with this one.

13 Indie Games for 2013


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