PAX Indie Space Game Showcase Part 2

Text and post design by Merritt Adkins and Mike Maddox


Can’t get enough Space Games!

We talked about the games that are in development in Part 1 of our PAX East indie space game coverage. As we’ve stated before, space games weren’t as popular a few years ago, and now we are up to our eyes in space games – not that we are complaining! Hopefully the trend for space games continues to rise.  Now, for Part 2!

Part 2: Early Access On Steam

Yes, you heard that right! All these great space games from PAX East are available on steam  and me, Merritt, is giving you the scoop on them. So, time to empty your piggy bank and start shopping!  We love indie game developers as they keep the space gaming genre alive. Keep coding guys!

Moonshot

Moonshot is a multiplayer game with you as a tiny space tank with a massive cannon. The goal is to shoot your friends (or enemies) off of little planets. Once you’ve gotten a hang of the physics and you can make some pretty epic kills (curving shots around planets, for instance!). Some maps include additional methods to hurt other players – in the map I played on included a sun, and if you shot it enough it released a solar flare that burned your enemies! Moonshot features very fast-paced co-op multiplayer with tons of fun in a small package. Developed by Pump Actions Games, Moonshot could be a game that will make or break friendships, and is a great household party game. I would recommend gamers that prefer local co-op to definitely get Moonshot. I played it a bit a PAX, but didn’t get a hang on the physics until a few games in. I can’t wait to stream Moonshot on our live stream so that I can totally own everyone. 😀

Multiplayer – Available now on Steam playmoonshot.com

Here I am with Brent, the Creative Director and Co-Founder of Pump Action Games, the studio behind MoonShot.  They’ve recently updated the game to support online multiplayer, so don’t forget to check it out!

Cause a solar flare and you can “scorched earth” your enemies in 4-player local and online multiplayer!

Astroneer

Explore new planets and channel your inner excavator in this space adventure game. Find new artifacts, items and materials that will allow you to stay alive and even thrive! However, you have to utilise materials you’ve discovered effectively to prosper. Astroneer is developed by System Era Softworks and isn’t just about surviving, the more you dig the more interesting the storyline gets. I’m really excited about Astroneer as I’m a big fan of adventure games that include puzzles and creativity. Astroneer will provide tons of both and be a feast for my eyes! A total package! The game play is super beautiful, regardless of the block style of the game. Can’t wait to get my hands on it! I hope the great developers as System Era Softworks see my plea for a game key – no shame! Thanks to Riley Gravatt, Astroneer’s sound designer, for telling us about the game at PAX East!

Multiplayer – Adventure – Released Date: Available 2016 astroneer.space

Mike and I had a great time talking to Vlad, the Business Development Manager for Data Realms (the company behind Planetoid Pioneers).  He was super enthusiastic about how powerful and flexible their ‘Crush’ engine was, yet how easily it allows players to create their own content or import user generated content from friends or steam.  He even gave us free shirts!

Planetoid Pioneers

Ever want to know what it is like to be a game developer? You can now with Planetoid Pioneers! You can create your own planets, characters and adventure with physics! You can also share your creations with friends easily. Creations are saved as PNGs and you simply drag/drop them into your game. It is absolutely insane! This isn’t a polished game, but if you’ve got a passion for game development then you should try out Planetoid Pioneers. Planetoid Pioneers is developed by Data Realms and is a game purely for modders. I’m not a modder at all, I get nervous when the command prompt opens on my computer. Watching people mod in Planetoid Pioneers was crazy, the stuff people can create and the ability to change stuff in game is mind blowing. Once it’s a playable game I’ll definitely check it out, but for now I’ll leave it to the mods.

Moddable – Adventure – Available now on Steam datarealms.com

Watching people mod in Planetoid Pioneers was crazy, the stuff people can create and the ability to change stuff in game is mind blowing!

We were lucky enough to spend quality time chatting with Star Crawler’s Chief Creative Officer, George Cochrane, about everything from the game’s visual aesthetics to who’s working behind the scenes (George and team have been putting in *tons* of time to make this the best game they can!).  He’s especially proud of Star Crawler’s game play, dungeon crawling with style, storyline and cool graphics. You really see their passion for game development.

Stay tuned for Part 3 next week: released games!

StarCrawlers

Starcrawlers is a dungeon crawler RPG (in space!) that you’ll be hard pressed to stop playing. With a great and unique storyline, StarCrawlers is definitely on my list of games to play. You’ll get to build a crew and set out into space as a mercenary hoping to find a big pay day and stick it to the people keeping you down. Be nice, neutral or a jerk while you hunt down bounties. Developed by Juggernaut Games, StarCrawlers brings back dungeon crawlers in style, and is 100% procedurally generated, meaning every time you play the game, the traps, puzzles and enemies are completely different. So, everyone gets a different experience, which is really cool. I also really like the art style (comic mixed with cartoon) and the turn based combat it a nice break from the FPS or other more intense space games that I’m typically playing on our stream. I found the controls in the game a bit odd but I figured them out in a few seconds. I could tell there was a lot more to this game than I witnessed at PAX, but what I did see piqued my interest, as I’m a big fan of story-driven games.

RPG – Single Player – Available Now on Steam Juggernaut-games.com

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Hello there! I'm Merritt and I love to play games! I don't only play space games but I sure have an obsession for Star Citizen. When I'm not playing, streaming or writing about games I am working my 'day job' as a marine biologist. Watch me stream live on Wens & Sun @ 8c :)

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