Demos to Keep an Eye On #4

Hello Friends! Demos are a great way to get the feel for a game before you have to consider laying down the cash for the full game. I like to play demos, myself. They provide a quick snapshot and give me, generally, a good idea of whether or not I want to make plans to get the full game. I hope you'll find a game here to keep an eye on for yourself.

1. PiAwk (In Development)

Source: PiAwk on Steam Greenlight

PiAwk is a cute, although unfinished, platformer game about a little bird created by HiWarp. You play as a little bird in a strange world. You are started off with no real directions or objectives, and you just wander on your own. Eventually you find yourself in trouble and must get your other captive birds to help you.

The thing I love most about this game, besides the adorable bird, is the style if the game. It’s very cute and minimalistic. The black lines over the white background is an attractive look, I think. It’s very well done. You can play this little prototype for yourself by downloading it from Itch.io for free *here* or from Steam *here*.

**update: the game is slated for release in Fall of 2017 so I am looking forward to it!

2. Slipping Soul (Prototype)

Source: Itch.io Page

Slipping Soul is a platforming puzzle game in creation by nelsonliangamedev where your goal is to reach the door. You do this by moving leavers to alter the landscape, dodging monster eyes, and possessing said monster eyes to allow movement. These eyes have a line of sight, and if you cross into the eye’s line of sight, then you must start over. However, you can possess the eyes and alter their line of sight for a short time.

This game involves moving quickly, and was an enjoyable platformer. I’m not skilled in platformers, particularly those where I have to use a keyboard. I would have loved for it to have full controller support—but while my Logitech controller let me move, I couldn’t jump. Alas, I had to use the keyboard.

Even so, the controls felt smooth and natural. I liked the graphics and the music also. If you enjoy platformers with more puzzle aspects, then this game will be for you. I look forward to the full version. You can download the prototype and play the game for free *here*.

3. Insight (Prototype)

Source: Screen Capture from Game

Insight is a unique puzzler game created by Havendaze. Insight surprised me as a game, and is all about perception and point of view. Your goal is to reach the giant fire of the Gods in order to steal it, and in order to do that, you must reveal the path. Around the area, there are buttons to press, and each button corresponds to a color. When you press each switch, certain walls will flood with that particular color, usually revealing a new path to take.

This game was a very unique experience for me. I appreciated the puzzle elements of the game, as well as the use of colors and “empty” space. The landscape appears differently depending on where and how you look at it, which is something that I find intriguing. The music is relaxing and overall the game provided a relaxing and enjoyable experience. I look forward to seeing an expanded project, but until then, I recommend you try the prototype for yourself which can be downloaded and played for free *here*.

4. Don’t Kill Her DEMO (In Development)

Source: Itch.io Page

Don’t Kill Her is a strange puzzle platformer created by wuthrer. You play as a, so far, unnamed character, traversing a strange and sometimes unsettling world in pursuit(?) of a woman. According to the Itch.io page, you are this woman’s murderer. Is she a ghost? Or are you trying to kill her now…? It’s a mystery, and I’m dying to solve it.

The visuals for this game are so unique, hand drawn, and give the appearance of one plaything through a sketchbook almost. The audio is also spot on, I feel. The story… well, much isn’t revealed at this time, but I kind of like it that way. The controls felt smooth and I was able to use a controller—which is a plus for me cause platforming on keyboard controls is not so good for me. In any case, this demo is available on Itch.io, and the game has also been greenlit on steam, so keep an eye out for that. You can download the demo from Itch.io *here* or from Steam *here*.

As always, be sure to leave your comments for the game creators on their Itch.io pages. Words of encouragement or helpful criticism are always welcome, so that the developers can continue to improve their skills and content. 

Happy Gaming, Friends!

Bell