Following Freeware – November 2015 releases
Libretta
For quite some time now, Libra has been a regular sight at the library. Each time she has left without finding what she sought, but today that has changed. Discovering a strange book on the upper floor, she finds herself transported to a series of dream-like worlds. Each world has a story of its own to tell, and Libra must unlock all their mysteries to piece together the whole narrative. But these worlds are not entirely safe, and the companions she finds there have secrets of their own. Do these lands really hold that which she has been searching for?
Previously a translator for other people’s games, with Libretta vgperson has now made a game of their own. The graphics are displayed in a retro RPG style, with a top-down look and environments laid out in a grid pattern. Despite their low-resolution appearance, characters are easily distinguished, with Libra herself sporting a wild mane of white hair. These characters are simply but elegantly animated. The scenery varies somewhat from world to world. At the start, the landscape continues to closely resemble the library where your quest began, but a later world features platforms made of loosely fitted planks suspended high in the sky. The musical soundtrack is as retro-inspired as the graphics, with varied 8-bit tunes playing. These range from gentle melodic pieces backing simple exploration to tracks with harsh discords when danger threatens. There are also many sound effects, the most notable being the turning of pages as you read the various books you find.
You’ll control Libra using the cursor keys, with space interacting with objects you are facing. Pressing X brings up your inventory, and also has another use discovered in-game. To save you from interacting with all the shelves in the game, those with books relevant to your quest are marked with a discreet arrow. In each world your goal is to find all the chapters to the story of that realm, unlocking the stairs to the next level. This is no simple exploration task, however, requiring you to operate various devices and make use of the knowledge found in other tomes. Some inventory use, like unlocking doors with keys, is automatic. At other times you will be asked to select an appropriate object. With the worlds having a dream-like quality, some solutions require you to adopt an extremely lateral approach. Regular saving is also recommended as, whilst not a constant threat, there are numerous opportunities for a sudden death. Despite the surreal nature of the setting, the story is a straight drama that builds to a satisfying conclusion.
Libretta can be downloaded from the developer’s website.
Blue Lobe Inc.
With the advent of online distribution, indie game development has become easier for small teams to achieve. One such team is the group of three friends that form Blue Lobe Inc. Working from the basement of the lead developer’s parents’ house, they are putting the final touches on the demo of “Kentucky Scott and the Scavengers of Ruin”. This awesome piece of software is primed to blow gamers away, leading to a huge Kickstarter project. But the team is out of coffee and trolls are putting the game down all across the net. Can our intrepid trio deal with these trials and complete their magnum opus?
With a somewhat skewed view, Blue Lobe Inc. from Baronic Games takes a light-hearted poke at the indie scene. The graphics feature an exaggerated cartoon style, predominantly black and white with occasional splashes of blue. The lead developer has a hugely spiky hairstyle, whilst the coder is a skinny nerd with goofy teeth and glasses. Their basement “studio” is decked out with memorabilia referencing classic adventures, including the somewhat disturbing “monkey wench” dancing statue. Animation is minimal but smoothly effected. The game also features segments where you play scenes from the internal demo. Given the clear inspiration implied in their game title, it is unsurprising that these mimic the classic LucasArts Indiana Jones adventures. The full game is voiced to a decent quality, along with having a solid musical backing and a handful of sound effects.
Control is handled using the right and left mouse buttons for examining and interacting, respectively. In the real world sections, you can call up your inventory by interacting with the lead developer. In the game demo sections, the inventory appears as on-screen buttons instead. You will have to face “typical” indie developer problems, such as a lack of coffee and your parents’ internet connection going down. In the demo you will face over-wrought scenes of peril, as your foppish foe from the Ancient Regime tries to thwart your plans. Clever inventory use and a little dialogue puzzling will see you through. The overall tone is one of light humour, with the digs at indie developers clearly tongue-in-cheek.
Blue Lobe Inc. can be downloaded from the AGS website.
Other new releases
Not all games are created equal, and freeware games especially come in all shapes and sizes. Not to be overlooked, the following list might also be of interest, though these games may be significantly shorter or less polished, more experimental titles than those detailed above, some perhaps only borderline adventures to begin with.
Investigative Journalism by Astrid Dalmady – In the strange town of Night Vale, investigative journalist can be a surreal and deadly occupation.
David and Keithan: The Haunted Lighthouse by Carmel Games – With a storm raging over town, David and Keithan decide to go in search of a supernatural mystery.
Nekra Psaria 4 by Drawmaneater – Johny continues his adventures in the surreal world of Nekra Psaria.
A Matter of Time by Expera Game Studio – A ‘playable teaser trailer’ for the upcoming A Matter of Caos: No Rest for the Wicked, starring the purple octopus detective, Mr. Gilbert.
That’s it for this month. Think we’ve missed a gem or want to tell us about your own game? Then pop in to our Adventure forum and tell us about it!
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