Iron Fisticle (PC)

With a title like Iron Fisticle, one might suggest this is something they only do in Germany, or perhaps an obscure entry on Urban Dictionary. No, friends, you won't be hitting up the missus (or the mister) for an 'iron fisticle' any time soon. Unless you make it up. Rather, Iron Fisticle is the name of a fantastic new dual-stick shooter that harks back to the old days of quarter-chompers Gauntlet and Smash TV, developed by Confused Pelican Games (Amiga shareware-scene hero) and Tikipod (Rock Boshers DX, Aqua Kitty and of course r0x EP).

Shovel Knight (PC/Mac/Wii U/3DS)

I normally lead into these reviews by setting the theme or laying the foundation for a punchline, but this time this time I'll cut the (now traditional) waffle I'm famous for by simply saying that Yacht Club Games' Kickstarter-hit Shovel Knight is an absolute work of art. It's not the kind of indie game that wants to be famous for its 'message' or 'deepness of expression', it's instead the kind that polishes an established set of formulas and delivers a diamond-solid package.

Boson X (PC/Linux/Mac/Android/iOS)

Being a physicist never looked so exhausting. Or so death defying. Mu and Heyo's Boson X is a runny, jumpy platformer of the breed that has been made world-famous by games like the viral leviathan that is Temple Run, and like all of its brethren a spiritual successor to the modern classic Canabalt.

This particular endless runner takes a graphical style begging to be described as 'Super Hexagon meets Another World' and sees the player in charge of a miniature scientist taking a really hands-on interest in particle-colliders. Simplicity and ramping difficulty are key players in this game, which eschews the bells, whistles and fripperies of bonuses and rewards in an appropriately scientific just the facts sort of way. This is gameplay pared down to a pure and simple form; Occam’s Razor taken to the run and jump genre.

Duck Game (Ouya)

[This review was originally written by J. Monkman for indiegames.com, and has been reposted here with the editor's permission].

Remember back when everyone used to call the Ouya a $99 TowerFall box? Well, it's time to unofficially rebrand the indie-friendly console that everyone loves to hate, because a new challenger for the local-multiplayer throne has entered the arena and powerslammed the competition into the floor. Matt Thorson's magnum opus might match it blow-for-blow in the ring when it comes to fast-paced player vs player combat, but with a wonderfully unbalanced array of ridiculous weaponry, devious level design and twisted humour, Landon "SuperJoeBob" Podbielski's Duck Game ultimately delivers a K.O. every round. So, if you have both (a) friends and (b) a $99 Duck Game box gathering dust in the corner/on a shelf/under the bed, dig it out and get ready to fall in love with local multiplayer all over again.

Dynablaster Revenge (PC/Linux)

[This review was originally written by J. Monkman for indiegames.com, and has been reposted here with the editor's permission].

When it comes to party games, few can top Dynablaster (or Bomberman, depending where in the world you are) - so it's no surprise that Titan and Haujobb took first place in the game development compo at the Revision demoparty with Dynablaster Revenge. What is surprising however, is that hardly anyone outside the scene has yet taken notice of this fantastic tribute to Hudsonsoft's incendiary magnum opus. When I tested the game on Titan's server earlier this evening there were no other players other than myself and a few friends I'd hooked up with, but hopefully that's an issue we can resolve following this write up.

Powerglove Available! (PC/Linux/Mac/Commodore 64)

Initially released as an entry in the RGCD 2013 RGCD 16K C64 Game Development Competition (where it placed 3rd out of 15 entries), Lazycow's acclaimed 8-bit run 'n' gunner Powerglove is finally available to buy on Commodore 64 cartridge! This specially enhanced post-compo version features a revised five level map complete with Powerboots and Energy Doors, faster room-change transitions, slicker player controls, a map overview display, bug fixes, game balance tweaks and a (much-requested) shot sound effect!

But that's not all... In addition to all this awesomeness, over the past few months Matthias has also ported the game over to Windows, Linux and Mac OSX, making Powerglove the first game to be simultaneously launched on the C64 and modern-day systems since, well, ever! Exclusive to itch.io, this port of the game is completely faithful to the Commodore 64 original (despite featuring some minor enhancements such as parallax scrolling and optional pimped spritework). And the best part is that it's completely free!

If you enjoy playing Powerglove on your modern-day PC and have a Commodore 64, or maybe you're already familiar with the already-excellent competition build, you'd be a fool not to grab a physical copy of this all-new-and improved C64 version. Similar to last year's Super Bread Box, Powerglove is offered in multiple formats, coming either as a downloadable .CRT image for emulators or hardware such as the Ultimate 1541-II, on a real, physical cartridge complete with a 12-page printed manual and a bunch of ultra-cute vinyl stickers (available with standard cardboard packaging or a deluxe plastic case, the latter also including a double-sided A3 poster/map print). There's even an A2/A3 poster set bundled together with the .CRT download.

For prices and further information, head on over to our online store and order your copy today!

The Dungeoning (PC/Linux/Mac)

Roguelikes are the hot thing these days, so much so now that as even a die-hard, long term fan for the genre, I'm beginning to roll my eyes when I see the term being thrown around. Especially when it's used loosely - "contains roguelike elements" (as in, not a roguelike) or some such. Don't think I'm a purist, but there's no doubt that these days it's being slapped on decidedly non-roguelike games in an effort to cash in on the genre's newfound popularity. Thankfully, The Dungeoning is not one of those titles.

Continue?9876543210 (PC/Linux/Mac)

Indie gaming has a reputation of being deliberately opposing the the ideals of current mainstream gaming, and to some measure this is true. Some choose to subvert the 'norm' deliberately, choosing to single themselves out believing it to increase their weight in their own shallow end of the fish bowl. However, some have no agenda other than the simple need to express themselves in what amounts to a fleeting burst of human experience that we all share, perhaps an attempt to truly connect - if even just for a second - with another soul.

Ninjajar! (ZX Spectrum)

Once again it's time to give the old Speccy a dusting off and inject a fresh infusion of life into the tape deck courtesy of the ever-prolific Mojon Twins! Stalwarts of the ZX Spectrum scene, the Mojon's output over the years has varied in quality from great to not-so-great, but their latest release Ninjajar! has undoubtedly set a new benchmark for the much-loved 8-bit home computer.

Janosik (ZX Spectrum)

Host to many legendary puzzlers, adventure games and cracking arcade remakes both new and old, the humble ZX Spectrum continues to surprise its loyal followers even today. However with a software library of over 25,000 titles and growing, the old 8-bit has its fair share of lame ducks. Janosik, seemingly an unofficial Spectrum port of an early 90's game for the Atari XL, sadly falls into this latter category.