Ready for gaming’s biggest season? Summer is here, and with it, a vast array of indie showcases and announcements. But before getting buried in all the good news, I played these three games and want to urge you to get them on your radar.
Cat Quest 3
You know that feeling when a cat decides to make your lap its new nap spot? Like, torn between wanting to hug them (but you can’t because it would wake them) and feeling filled to the brim with glee. That’s what playing Cat Quest 3 feels like.
The visuals are downright cuddly and sparkling with hand-drawn charm. Every piece of land looks like a pirate map, which makes sense, considering our protagonist is a self-made pirate cat. As a baby, its ship ran afoul of treacherous opponents, but the tiny critter managed to float to a deserted island in a basket. Fifteen years later, the adventurous cat sets out to seek the famous North Star treasure.
Almost immediately, hostile rats get in my way. Combat gives me the option between a cutlass (the description of which says the classic sword “makes me feel like a pirate” and it’s such a delightful entry), gun, and magic. My first major boss is called Mr. Clean, which is purrfect. Nothing here pushes the limits of my skills, but existing in this world is good for the soul.
Keylocker
What does it mean to be free in a world where someone is always watching? Somewhere in which my sentience is tied to an interconnected network, meaning I can never fully ensure I’m alone in my own mind. How do I fight against oppression when the opessers know my every move?
Keylocker opens with an — illegal — underground concert. The expression music allows is far too dangerous for the powers that be. So, they send ever-smiling inhuman goons to capture anyone that would dare defy them. This is how I’ve ended up sitting in a prison cell listening to ads on the radio. To go with the game’s themes, the advertisement offers its criminal listeners a “taste of freedom by becoming free of choice.” But I won’t listen for long. It’s time for a jailbreak.
Getting out of my cage means fighting a few of the creepily mirthful guards, and this wasn’t my favorite part of the experience. Admittedly, of the various class choices, I went with a defensive class — Samurai — rather than something more straightforward like the juggernaut. A lot of my moves involve perfect timing during the game’s interesting blend of turn-based and real-time combat. Unfortunately, the game seems to demand pixel-perfect reflexes.
Mirthwood
I can not begin to explain to you how deep this game is. And even if you go check out the public demo right now, you are unlikely to see every inch of it. Some of this is because the game only allows players to explore for three in-game days. I barely made it through one when I set off on my adventure in the pastel RPG on stream. However, my curiosity led me to hop back in later that day, and I had to stop myself from playing and replaying the preview until the wee hours of the night trying to see it all.
In my online playthrough, I ended by discovering a little house, which I noted took a very Stardew turn. What surprised me was that it was really only one of numerous fates. I could decide to spend my three allotted days clearing the fields, sowing seeds, harvesting crops, and either using the fruits to cook or taking them into town to sell for proceeds.
My instincts took me from the agrarian path and towards the town — I decided my second character’s background was a noble after all. What noble worth anything knew how to plant seeds? Just south was a popular hamlet where I could spend my time befriending every citizen, buying from a barrage of merchants, and learning how the world worked. I could get involved in trading markets, making the town (and myself) more prosperous. I could put money down on furniture to aggrandise my shabby new home. Or I could head off on various quests I picked up in town. The latter led me to a new possible home, business, and wealth. I can’t wait to have the time to dig in so much deeper.
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