The 10 best independent games at E3 2016
Every June, the game industry descends upon Los Angeles to see the best that gaming has to offer at E3. Even though the triple-A studios have the biggest booths and towering theaters, the expo also hosts some of the most innovative independent game talent in the world.
This year was no exception, with so many games from indies and small publishers that the convention center couldn’t hold them all! Here are the top ten indie games from this year’s show.
1. Manifold Garden
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Manifold Garden’s puzzles blend perspective and physics with architecture for a truly mind-bending experience. It offers a chance to see what M.C. Escher might have envisioned if he’d made a video game.
The actual brains behind this project belong to William Chyr. Given his experience as a artist, it’s no surprise that the game is a visual treat, but the puzzle mechanics are equally refined. Chyr hopes to have Manifold Garden finished within the next 12 months.
2. Absolver
One of the most striking games at E3 wasn’t actually on the show floor. It was in a parking lot a block away from the convention center, in an area hosted by Devolver Digital. The game is called Absolver, and it’s an open-world RPG about martial arts.
Rather than improving your stats in agility or willpower, the specialization of Absolver is in developing your own distinct chains of fighting moves. Add in beautiful artwork and options to compete or cooperate with the other fighters you encounter, and Absolver equates to one fantastic experience. The game is slated to launch in 2017.
3. Inversus
The black and white maps of Inversus look like peculiar crossword puzzles, and that color binary is the key dynamic in this third-person shooter. Each side is trying to shoot their opponents, but they can only move on tiles of their opposite color. Firing turns that entire row or column to the goal color, so the board state is in constant flux.
It’s the brainchild of Ryan Juckett, a developer who worked on Destiny. Inversus is exciting, energetic and endlessly replayable. When it comes out later this year, it will have options for local and online matches of either 1v1 or 2v2.
4. Kona
In Kona, you’re a detective who has been summoned to a snowy, isolated Canadian town that has gone eerily quiet. The story unfolds in teasing hints as you explore your surroundings, and will hook you right away. It’s set in the 1970s, so don’t expect any fancy technology to make your job any easier. The game offers a unique sense of place and mystery that left us wanting more. Kona is targeting a fall release this year.
5. Far
Resource-management games fall into two types: the stressful ones and the zen ones. Far is one of the latter. You’re in a rickety jalopy that needs to be powered by burning crates and other junk found around the world. Keep the engines going and the ship in good repair as you make your journey through a barren, yet beautiful landscape. You’ll have to solve some environmental puzzles along the way, but generally the game puts you in a meditative mindstate. This simple but lovely game is due out in Jan. 2017.
6. Clustertruck
You stand on top of a moving truck, surrounded by other moving trucks, and try to make it to the end of the road. Take that already zany premise and turn it up to 11, with tumbling rocks and swinging cleavers and missile rockets all making your task that much harder and more hilarious. Throw in a total disregard for the laws of physics and safe driving and you’ve got Clustertruck.
For even more laughs, the team at LandFall Games has included some Easter eggs and in-jokes. One level is dubbed Super Truck, where the vehicles only move while the player does, a wink and nod to the mechanic of innovative first-person shooter Superhot.
You’ll fail. Constantly. But you won’t be able to stop trying. The game is currently in alpha testing and is targeting a September launch.
7. Mr Shifty
In the stealth/action game Mr Shifty, you play as a secret agent infiltrating a well-protected government building. Your job is made easier by your ability to teleport short distances through thin air, walls, or even bullets. It’s made harder by the vast number of armed guards.
Even at this early stage in development, playing the game just feels good. It’s satisfying to bust a door into an enemy, blink through a wall to land a couple punches, then zip past the final enemy to attack. There will be an overarching narrative for the final version, but this early look has enough fun to be on the radar for the next year. Mr Shifty is anticipated to release in spring 2017.
8. The Metronomicon
The Metronomicon is best described as a fantasy RPG gone to the dance club. In typical RPG fashion, you assemble a group of four characters, each armed with a distinct set of abilities for offense, defense, or support. But rather than engaging in turn-based or real-time combat, your group will take on opponents through a rhythm game. The two genres may seem like an odd pairing, but this clever game has seamlessly meshed the concepts. Lead developer Danny Garfield has hours upon hours of infectious fun in the works, with built-in tools that acknowledge some players will be stronger at the RPG elements while others will prefer the rhythm elements. Expect a launch some time before the end of 2016.
9. Obduction
Sit down to play Obduction, and in about 30 seconds, you’ll know that you’re playing something inspired by Myst. That’s the best thing you could hope for in this new title from Cyan, the studio that created Myst more than two decades ago.
The atmosphere is immediately familiar. You’re placed into a strange setting and quickly realize that there are different takes on what exactly happened in the abandoned town. That town and the space-meets-western setting are gorgeously rendered, and even a brief play time at the IndieCade booth is enough to whet the appetite for more. Fortunately, the wait will be short: Obduction is coming out for PC, Mac and Oculus Rift on July 26.
10. Mimic Arena
Mimic Arena is another couch co-op party game that turned heads with its challenging demands on both hand-eye coordination and critical thinking. It’s a multiplayer platform shooter coupled with a unique escort mechanic.
Each of the players is trying to chart a path from their home base and into their opponent’s. When they successfully make that journey, a clone appears that will travel along the exact same path the player took, complete with every shot fired, jump missed and detour taken. Protect and deliver your clone to its destination, and you’ll score a point for your team. As with the best games, the concept is simple on the surface. But when you’re in the middle of a match, dealing with the challenges of each map and trying to interfere with your opponents while helping your own team, it creates lots of fast-paced fun. And best of all, Mimic Arena is already available to play on Xbox One, PC and Amazon Fire TV.
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Anna Washenko is a freelance writer covering digital entertainment, social media, science, and tech. Her work has appeared on USA Today, Mashable, Yahoo and Digital Trends. Follow her @AnnaGetsPithy.
