What’s better than a cheap game? How about 7+ cheap games? The Humble Indie Bundle 17 was just revealed, and it is indie-licious! (I’m so sorry you had to read that, I truly am.)
If you’re a PC gamer and somehow don’t know about Humble Bundles, they are a cheap way to do get awesome games on Steam (or DRM-free versions to share with friends!) and do some good for the world while you’re at it. You pay what you want, choosing how much of your payment is divided between Humble Bundle, the developers, and your choice of one of thousands of charities! Based on your payment, you get a certain amount of games to download. Even if you pay $1, you’ll get at least 3 games from this bundle! Now that you know the concept, let’s break down this bundle’s selection.
Tier 1: Pay Anything
–Lethal League: I haven’t played this one, but God this trailer looks awesome. A fighting game where you have to hit a ball at your opponent without them smacking it right back in your face. Team Reptile seems to combine a funky soundtrack with satisfying swings to make a zany arcade experience. When I get this Bundle, this is definitely a game I’m trying out. Did I hear exp4all livestream competition?
–The Beginner’s Guide: Slowing things down, we have a walking-simulator game from the writer of The Stanley Parable. I’ve played this one once, and while it’s a very troubling narrative, I can say that it left me pondering my own sense of creativity and my motivation behind basically everything I do. I recommend this one if you want your philosophy of gaming and creativity truly challenged.
–Galak-Z: Haven’t played this one before, but man am I excited to! Hearkening back to classic anime and science fiction, 17-Bit, Inc. creates a badass procedurally generated shoot-em-up. It looks like the art style, music and fast-paced gameplay are going to fulfill my dreams of piloting my own giant robot, so I’ll probably be installing this one immediately!
Tier 2: Beat The Average
If you beat the average donation (currently $5:24), you get three extra games, plus any extras they add later on (usually two more games).
–Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime: A wacky co-op experience that forces two to four friends to pilot a ship together and trade system management to defend themselves. Think Faster Than Light‘s ship management with any squad-based shooter’s tactical teamwork. Don’t worry if you’re a single-player type, you can use your A.I. controlled cat to help you through everything. If you want couch co-op to come back, you better beat the average!
–Octodad: Dadliest Catch: I’ll be shocked if you haven’t heard of this one, so I’ll keep it short. You are an octopus. You are a dad. Try not to destroy the entire world with your sticky tentacles. Good luck convincing your family that you are a human. Young Horses’ hit title can make you and a friend incredibly grateful that you only have two arms!
–Super Time Force Ultra: It looks like a Saturday morning cartoon, but it seems to play like Braid meets Contra. Capybara Games is going to blow your mind with the seizure-inducing bullet hell they’ve crafted. I don’t know much about this one, but the trailer was both hilarious and badass. I’m for sure interested in this one.
Tier 3: $10
This last game is only available if you pay $10, but it costs $20 on Steam so it’s still a great deal, on top of getting everything else in the bundle.
–Nuclear Throne: Considering that most of my games last 10 minutes at most, and I’ve never beaten it, the 19 hours I’ve put into this game seem like a lot more. The bullet-hell style roguelike offers intense skill-based gameplay with endless options stemming from varied characters and random weapon drops. I prefer finding a Sledgehammer and backing it up with explosives, but if you want lasers and a minigun, go ahead and do your thing! This game is The Binding of Isaac on steroids, and so much harder! So shell out that $10 and learn (like I did) exactly how bad you are at video games.
All of these games would be worth a few bucks on their own, but for less than a good steak you can have them all! Head over to Humble Bundle’s website to pick it up.
