Freeware / indie game requests

Over the past few days I’ve read a bunch of blogs and lists about great little games, and I noticed the scene loves arcade shooters, arena shooters, adventures, platform games, and puzzles. I am set on those for life. However, I didn’t really encounter any of these types of games in my research:

  1. Final Fantasy Tactics clone. Heck, any kind of party-based combat on a grid.

  2. Beat-em-up, like River City Ransom or Final Fight.

  3. Really good JRPG that the community was excited about. I’d prefer a short one with a good battle system over Eastern storylines and character archetypes, if possible. I haven’t played any since the SNES days, so if there’s a fun freeware or indie title to check out, let me know.

  4. Scrolling space/plane combat game with upgradeable, persistent ships, like Tyrian 2000. Jets N’ Guns is the only example I found. Everything seems to be power-up based.

Do any of these exist? (PC only, please.) I’d be amazed if nothing existed for 1 and 2 above.

#3 is Last Scenario. It’s a free RPG Maker game, but it was really well received (especially at somethingawful, since it was made by a member).

http://browse.files.filefront.com/Last+Scenario+Official+Demos/;2218837;/browsefiles.html

Something like Civ, but with much less battle and much more exploration, and generally, less complex.

I was going to also request a post-apocalypse Roguelike, but a brief search indicates that I’m probably out of luck. There is Ithaca, Plutonium, and Alphaman, but none of them are really that great or even complete.

There’s one for the first category, but I can’t remember the name right now. It’s essentially a version of Ogre Battle for the PC, and it’s a freeware or shareware game. Someone help me out here. You put together a party that can fight other parties on a grid…

There’s also Battle for Westnoth, if you want something a bit like that, but more like Advance War.

Are you thinking of Land of Legends, by a member at this forum?

And I forgot to mention that years ago I had found a Flash-based demo of a game that seemed like FFT, but it was for an online-only game where you paid to play I believe. I periodically forget the name and have to find it again.

I’d like to request an interesting roguelike with intuitive controls and a decent graphical tileset. That isn’t POWDER.

Diablo? ;)

http://64.131.72.156/game-talk/showthread.php?t=45461

Damn, this is going to drive me insane now until I find it again. All my Google searches turn up nothing, and I can’t believe I didn’t save a hyperlink on either of my computers.

As far as shooters with persistent ships goes, maybe give Flatspace 1 or 2 a try? They’re really difficult, but they’ve got a good Space Rangers/Privateer vibe. I should mention that if you’re looking for old-school SHMUPs (Raiden, etc) then this won’t fit the bill, as Flatspace is less about one ship destroying hundreds of thousands and more about one-on-one dogfighting.

Touche. Played the game for about five minutes and still haven’t figured out how to pick something up off the ground, but working on it.

You’d think there would be more of these, right? I haven’t seen too many. It’s a really good genre for indie development I think. The diverse world of indie games seems to be pretty focused on puzzle games and clever platformers right now though.

I’ve been kicking around an idea for a pretty involved flash one (it’s a little more xcom than FFT and has a sorta lovecraft vibe), but finding the time/funding to actually do it is another matter. As much as I love the genre, I’m really unsure how big the potential market is.

Tactics Core? Doesn’t look like anything’s happened with it since, though.

Yes, thank you. Bookmarked!

It’s obviously not very replayable, but I’m saving it for the next time I forget about it. And no, nothing has been done with it although he says it’s an engine he developed. Tactics Arena Online is similar but is the multiplayer game I was talking about.

Hovendall Tactics might fit for number 1.

For number 4 there’s a game I really like, starring Clifton Spoon… Raging Skies!

Here it is:
http://www.gamemakergames.com/?a=view&id=809

IMHO, it’s great!!

I don’t know what “decent” would mean regarding roguelike graphic tiles, but I’d say IVAN is better than most roguelikes in that regard. They’re rather charming, and even animated in some cases (blood of your slayed enemies drips off of you and also from your mouth if you eat their dead bodies, flies circle etc.)

Zombie Smashers X (free) or the sequel, Zombie Smashers X2. I loved the latter enough to pay the $20 asking price, back in the day. It basically mimics River City Ransom except with a really random sense of humor and more dismemberment.

You beat up pirates on a pirate ship for their DSL, for example. And just imagine beating French vampires to death with another vampire’s spine.

  1. Really good JRPG that the community was excited about. I’d prefer a short one with a good battle system over Eastern storylines and character archetypes, if possible. I haven’t played any since the SNES days, so if there’s a fun freeware or indie title to check out, let me know.

Tales of Game’s Studios Presents Chef Boyardee’s Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden, Chapter 1 of the Hoopz Barkley SaGa.

Or at least so I hear.

I completely forgot that Odium had that same tactical combat style, with the goofy four directions for shooting guns, etc. I remember playing the demo years ago, and I know it’s had some decidedly mixed reception.

If there are any other commercial games like that (for #1), let me know.

Norman Antivirus tells me that this file contains a trojan named W32/Polipos.A.dropper.
Is that as it should be?