The Indie Informer

Amid an ongoing Game Developer’s Conference and the impending start of PAX East in Boston, MA, the games industry is busy to say the least. But our friends at Six One Indie have been busy for weeks putting together the March 2024 edition of its indies showcase series, not only surfacing games from all over the world but surfacing and pointing the spotlight at many upcoming projects you may not see in other presentations. 

Clocking in at around an hour, today’s Six One Indie showcase, hosted by Kyle Stephenson and Mike Towndrow, features thirty-nine games, six of which are already available but are given a soapbox in the pre-show to raise awareness for some cool games like Helskate, Berserk Boy, and CorpoNation (now console-bound) that players may have missed.

We’ve picked out a handful of indies to highlight from the show, but if I’m being honest, you should watch the entire thing. It’s embedded above for your viewing pleasure.

The Secret of Crystal Mountain – Revolutron LLC

The show properly opened with a stunning world premiere of The Secret of Crystal Mountain by solo developer Chris Rosenthal under the banner of Revolutron. It’s a chill-looking platform RPG, inspired in some ways by Mario and Zelda, but I spot a hint of Flappy Bird in there as well. You play as a dapper delivery fox who can run, jump, and glide, as well as a smol bird companion who flaps its tiny wings to traverse the world.

Kiopioke! – Hardie Softworks

Speaking of little birds, Kiopioke is a 2D platformer featuring a red bird that uses its sharp, springy, and stretchy beak to get around. You’ll have to be nimble while propelling through the electrifying and earth-shattering levels to avoid getting your feathers plucked.

Finding Frankie – Finding Frankie Team

Normally, I’m a tough sell on a game with creepy children’s mascots, but Finding Frankie just might turn me around on the idea. Instead of being slowing, stalked, and spooked by animatronics, Finding Frankie opts for action-forward, free-running gameplay reminiscent of Mirror’s Edge, except for more psychological scarring. 

Forge of the Fae – Datadyne LLC

I’m sure you’ve learned this about me already (if you haven’t, here it is on a silver platter): I’m a sucker for retro RPGs. However, games that strive for the greatness of games like Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, or Earthbound very often fall short of the measuring stick for me. Our first look at Forge of the Fae, thanks to Six One Indie, is a big step in a positive direction. The pixel art world and characters are gorgeous. The choice-driven narrative is intriguing. And I want to dive into its ARC and battle systems as soon as I can. Fans of recent home runs like Sea of Stars and Chained Echoes should keep their eyes on Forge of the Fae.