WASD is the UK’s foremost independent gaming expo, where devs from all over the country and beyond come to show the hottest new and upcoming indie games. Just About partnered with WASD to bring a little of its magic online, and as one of our many at-event bounties, challenged attendees to put together mini reviews based on their hands-on experiences with these games.
This article covers: Children of the Sun, Pine Hearts, Paper Trail, Slope Crashers, Alien Hominid Invasion, LOK Digital, Cricket Through the Ages, Bib Goes Home, Lumi: Starbound Adventure, Cult of the Lamb, Kriegsfront Tactics, NanoApostle, Bootleg Steamer, and Wax Heads. So whether you’re looking for a great new game or you’re wondering WASD the big deal about any of those, you’re in luck! Read on for a collection of hands-on reviews of these games from WASD 2024.
Children of the Sun
Status: Released on PC February 1 2024
“Definitely one to look out for!”
‘Become the bullet’ sounds like a rejected line from the 2008 action film Wanted, but it’s also the novel idea behind Devolver Digital’s stylish new puzzle-shooter mashup. After firing their shot, players enter a bullet-eye view and must navigate their projectile between small gaps while hitting multiple enemies and setting off traps. Two of our community members played this one at WASD and submitted hands-on reviews; we’ll start with LegendaryJL’s take:
“The art style, which is very cool, immediately caught my eye, and the bullet-following camera made it very immersive. Devolver has done a great job of capturing you in a moment. Plus, I enjoyed the ninja combat physics when you’re sneakily planning out your attacks. Definitely one to look out for!”
Misfitsworld very much agrees:
“Wow! Simple, easy, one-handed controls on PC. I loved what I saw and played. I’m highly intrigued and hope it comes to console.”
Pine Hearts
Status: Expected release date May 23 2024; to be released on PC and Switch
“You can pet the dog!”
In most games, the wilderness is a fearsome place of peril. Not so in Pine Hearts, a delightfully sleepy casual adventure from Hyper Luminal Games. It follows the egg-shaped protagonist Tyke as he roams the great outdoors, makes friends, and rediscovers locations that were once meaningful to him. We had two community members review this one too; the first was Gaypengwing, who said:
“Pine Hearts is an amazing game, and all the devs were so attentive and lovely to talk to. Its Animal Crossing vibes combined with its gentle approach to loss feels like the start of an amazing game that I can’t wait to play again soon!”
Our second critic, Prattymatty, reviewed it via TikTok. Check it out below:
Paper Trail
Status: Demo available on Steam; full release planned for May 21; to be launched on all major consoles, PC, iOS, and Android
“One of the most eye-catching games at WASD!”
Top-down puzzle adventure game Paper Trail by Newfangled Games looks as cute as it does enchanting. The USP? You play in a foldable paper world. Players take the role of the budding academic Paige (get it?) and help her navigate by folding, spinning, merging, and crimping the landscapes of a world papered with secrets. Here are Vee’s thoughts:
“Paper Trail was one of the most eye-catching games at WASD! Not only does it utilise unique mechanics, but it has great difficulty scaling, beautiful art and sound design, and an amazing team behind it. Fantastic work Newfangled Games!”
Slope Crashers
Status: Demo available; full release expected in Q3 2024; to be launched on Switch, Xbox, PC, and Mac
“The best game we played!”
Byteparrot’s arcade snowboard racer Slope Crashers will be somersaulting onto PC and consoles before the year is out. This one is all about unabashed retro fun; players perform stunts, dodge obstacles, snatch collectibles, and hamper other competitors in gameplay that supports four-player local co-op. For EveOnlineTutorials, it was WASD’s best of the best:
“The first game my teammate TheGreatestBanana12 and I played was Slope Crashers, and it was really good fun. It’s essentially Mario Kart on ice as you’re hurtling around as snowboarding animals crashing into giant presents. You get to hurl explosives, giant snowmen, ice cubes, and more at other players, all while doing insane tricks and grinding, which can lead to some cool boosting effects. It was the best game we played at WASD!”
Alien Hominid Invasion
Status: Released on November 1 2023 for PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series consoles
“I just sat on top of another alien shooting down a horde of agents and robots”
Alien Hominid Invasion is a run-and-gun game from The Behemoth that isn’t nearly as intimidating as the name suggests. If that name is familiar, it’s because it’s a reimagining of Alien Hominid, a Flash game previously released on Newgrounds. It places you in the shoes of an adorable alien invader with access to a wide variety of weaponry, mutations, and acrobatic manoeuvres. And who better to write a review about alien invaders than Area:
“I found Alien Hominid Invasion quite enjoyable. I’m grateful that I had a friend to play with because although it would still be a great solo game, I wouldn’t have had nearly as much fun as I did when we played together, I certainly found the ability to jump onto so many of the objects a very fun mechanic; my friend and I just sat on top of another alien shooting down a horde of agents and the robots accompanying them.
“One aspect I’d like to see improved is information on how to select the level, but I would still definitely recommend it to others and for sure get them to try it in multiplayer.”
LOK Digital
Status: Demo available; full release expected sometime in 2024; to be released on PC and Mac
“LOK Digital does something completely different.”
Adapted from a pen-and-paper puzzle book, LOK Digital is the latest innovative game from puzzle specialists Draknek & Friends. Its learn-as-you-play ‘world-changing words’ gameplay is easy to pick up but challenging to master. We’ll pass the reins to Jupiter_Hadley who shared a write-up:
“There are so many word-based puzzle games out there, and I’ve played a large number of them. LOK Digital, however, does something completely different. Unlike most games of the genre, you only need to spell one word: LOK.
“Players are given a single screen with a bunch of tiles on it. The tiles are either blank or contain one of the letters ‘L’, ‘O’, or ‘K’. The goal of each level is to ensure that all of the tiles turn black by spelling ‘LOK’. Once tiles have become black, they warp away, connecting the tiles on either side of them. It’s a sleek and fun puzzle game that will have you thinking differently. I really enjoyed how satisfying it was to figure out each level.”
Cricket Through the Ages
Status: Released on March 1 2024; available on PC, Switch, and iOS
“Lots of craziness and lots of laughter”
Cricket might not seem like an obvious subject for a video game, but when you put it in the right hands - in this case, Devolver Digital’s - it’s clearly a lot of fun. The interpretation we see here utilises single-button gameplay and ragdoll physics that will have you batting and beating throughout the annals of history. Ancient monarchs? Yep. Horse-mounted knights? You bet. Tyrannosauruses? Why not? Even the devs describe it as “physics-based buffoonery”. TheGreatestBanana12 had a blast:
“Cricket Through the Ages was one of the best games I played. The game was so funny, with each sport offering its own challenge. Some of them were competitive while others had you trying to coordinate with the other player - each of you can only use one key. It led to lots of craziness and lots of laughter.”
Bib Goes Home
Status: prototype
“One of the most creative items I saw”
When it comes to innovation, few ideas can rival Bib Goes Home, an interactive storytelling experience that combines the humble pop-up book with an adventure story. It does this by combining a controller with a projection-mapped hand-drawn pop-up book, allowing players to control Bib as he moves around the book in front of your eyes. While it’s not something you’ll be able to buy for yourself anytime soon, its creators Alastair Low, Matt Stark, and Jake Bretherton deserve a shoutout for this truly unique idea. Here’s Techfreakgaming who was lucky enough to check it out in person:
“One of the most creative items I saw was the popup book game Bib Goes Home, which utilised a unique setup of a mini computer, projector, and popup book. I’m really looking forward to seeing what LowTek comes up with in the future.”
Lumi: Starbound Adventure
Status: Release date TBA; coming to PC
“Spyro the Dragon platforming and puzzle vibes”
Lumi: Starbound Adventure was a big hit at WASD, and so it came as no surprise that we had multiple reviewers over at Just About WASD. Dreaming Giants’ platformer comes complete with cute characters, colourful worlds, sentient platform-controlling gauntlets, and puzzles aplenty. Our two reviewers had different takes on Lumi, so we’ll present both and let you be the judge.
First up, here’s MargotCandy’s take:
“The first game I sought out and played was Lumi: Starbound Adventure. It really gave me Spyro the Dragon platforming and puzzle vibes. I loved the colours too; lots of orange and purple hues, which made it very nice to look at. I struggled with the controls, although that might have been the pressure of being watched combined with playing on an Xbox controller.
“The game’s defining mechanic was meant to be the floating platforms, which you can manipulate and move around. However, another game with a lot more funding - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - has already done this, and maybe did it better. Hence, Lumi’s unique gameplay element is not unique anymore. Still, when it’s released, I’ll give it another look for sure.”
“I didn’t find Lumi until the second day and it went straight to the top of my list thanks to its mixture of action, platforming, and interesting puzzles. Not to mention that it’s set on a bright alien world with a fluffy catlike creature as the main character. I knew it had to be one of my top games after I realised that I’d been sitting there for a good 30 minutes with the dev watching me from behind. Any game that pulls me in like that will go straight on my wishlist and be completed on release.
“I had a quick chat with the dev before moving on, and he was really happy that I didn’t just give up when I couldn’t complete one of the puzzles, which I suspect a lot of people did. Eventually I managed it…”
Cult of the Lamb
Status: Released in August 2022 for consoles, PC, and Mac; Sins of the Flesh update released in Q1 2024
“A good game if you’re more of a casual player”
Devolver brought their marketing A-game to WASD for Cult of the Lamb, with the titular Lamb wandering around the expo in a giant suit. Devolver’s games are known for their cult followings, but not normally in the literal sense. This super-stylised roguelite, developed by Massive Monster combines the sinister with the adorable, and it’s been collecting 9/10 and 10/10 reviews since its release. However, as Gogi explains, it’s not for everyone:
“I tried playing Cult Of Lamb at WASD and bought the game the same evening! Now I’ve played for about 12 hours and this is what I think: first, I really enjoy the art style and the soundscape (they’re just amazing!); second, the game consists of two parts: rogue-like trips resembling The Binding of Isaac, and the base-building part, about which I’m less convinced.
“Despite the demo being focused on the rogue-like part, for me it felt a little bit shallow. I used to play games like The Binding of Isaac, Enter the Gungeon, and Undermine. Comparatively, Cult Of Lamb’s rogue-like gameplay has a lot less depth. It’s also too easy. I didn’t want to be mindlessly walking about, so I had to use the maximum difficulty level, which led to another problem: every time you die, you get a big decrease in your followers’ faith and you have to spend a lot of time in your base to get it back.
“You actually spend most of your time building the base and preaching to your followers. In my opinion, this process quickly gets repetitive; you have to do all the same stuff again and again or your followers starve. It is really tedious sometimes. So eventually I found it a bit annoying and uninstalled the game.
“In summary, it’s a good game if you’re more of a casual player who would rather enjoy spending time collecting berries from your farms and cleaning up poops on your base rather than fighting enemies. If you’re a hardcore player and prefer dynamic gameplay, Cult of the Lamb is probably not for you.
Audio: 10/10 Art: 10/10 Gameplay: 5/10”
Kriegsfront Tactics
Status: PC demo available now; full release TBA
“XCOM meets Armoured Core”
Kriegsfront Tactics is a squad-based tactical RPG with giant mechs, and is set in South-East Asia in an alternate version of the 1970s. It’s a genre-bending game, thanks to developer Toge Productions’ inspirations, which range from strategy games to roguelikes. Kings Court attended WASD for three days, and Kriegsfront Tactics stood out:
“Imagine XCOM meets Armoured Core. I spent the best part of 30 minutes using four mechs to snipe, cleave, and blow up my enemies - eight heavily armoured, well-equipped mechs on the opposing team. I ended up losing two mechs, with two survivors standing victorious if a little worse for wear. It’s safe to say that it left me wanting more.”
They came away with a few questions for the devs:
“What happens after the mission? How do we repair mechs? Do we lose our operatives too? And can we upgrade and customise our mechs?”
Toge has intentionally chosen a retro aesthetic, and Kings Court picked up on it. They’re intrigued to see what the game could become:
“The graphics gave me the feel of the early PlayStation 2 days. The game has good mechanics and cool weapons, as well as the usual features you’d find in the genre, such as movement, reloading, and covering behind obstacles. It’s a nice little gem of a game, and I’m glad I got to give it a go. I give it 3.5/5 crowns, and I want to see what it introduces after the demo phase.”
NanoApostle
Status: PC demo available; full release expected sometime in 2024
“Dystopian and mysterious”
Anime aesthetics, reaction-based combat, frantic multi-stage battles, and dark sci-fi are the hallmarks of PQube and 18Light Game Ltd’s boss-rush action game. Players take the role of nanomachine-augmented child Anita as she takes on a formidable range of cybernetic foes. taha got to play at WASD and absolutely loved it:
“NanoApostle was one of my favourite games at WASD 2024 and the one I’m looking forward to most. It’s a challenging but super-fun boss-rush hack-and-slash. The controls feel very responsive and intuitive, which is useful when the dodge mechanic is essential. The game starts out with simple but effective combo attacks, but shooting nanites and blocking attacks are just as rewarding, opening up crucial opportunities to get those hits in. Plus, you can install modules to enhance and customise combat with your own style of play.
“The colourful effects and 2D art combined with monochrome, mechanical backdrops really make its style pop. The electronic soundtrack and sound design combined with the futuristic laboratory setting makes the game feel dystopian and mysterious, like there’s something more to these fights than you know. Hopefully we get to discover what when it comes out!”
Bootleg Steamer
Status: Released on PC April 24 2024
“I bought it the minute I got home!”
To drink like a fish or sleep amongst them? Even from a distant glance at Bootleg Steamer, one thought sprung to mind: that’s the nautical prohibition-era roguelike we didn’t know we needed. Team Junkfish’s top-down game has players navigate treacherous waters, Coast Guard pursuits, mafioso dealings, and more as they attempt to get rich from the underground liquor trade. girlofgotham tested the waters:
“It ticked all of the boxes for me. Between the roguelike elements and the inventory management, it’s exactly what I enjoyed in similar games like Sunless Sea and Sunless Skies. The setting was very cool and the theming added to that. The demo had a couple of maps to try, which was great. It’s also super fun to make your little boat go ultra-fast on the currents. I got caught by the cops multiple times, so I might be a rubbish bootlegger, but I had a great time trying. I bought it the minute I got home!”
Wax Heads
Status: Demo available on PC; release date TBA
“One of the hidden gems!”
Wax Heads is a narrative sim in which you run a record store, except imagine you’re doing it in a late-nineties cartoon full of punk characters. Expect shenanigans stemming from eccentric customers, visiting bands, and slacking off with your colleagues. Each of your customers is after the perfect record, and it’s up to you to read their vibe and recommend a tune. Groovy. One of those waxing lyrically about Patattie Games’ upcoming release was DidiBash, who said:
“One of the hidden gems has to be Wax Heads. It’s a slice-of-life, cosy narrative game based on punk subcultures, and I cannot wait to play again!”
We’ll leave you with this video from Redzy, who didn’t enter the bounty but did share a great mini review series on the ten WASD indie games you don’t want to miss:
Some text has been amended for brevity and accuracy. You can find the original wording at the bounty post. Image credit: Devolver Digital
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