Monaco. All those reviews aren't exaggerating, it really is one of the the best co-op games I've ever played. It's a four player, class-based, co-operative stealth-em-up which inevitably devolves into mad chaos. Everything about it is brilliant and you owe it to yourselves to play it.

Super fun game that didn't quite last long enough. I didn't replay it for the best endings or anything though, just played through it once. It reminded me of all the SNES-era platformers, and not just because of the 16-bit sprites. It has that same kind of spirit. Worth playing if you like that kind of thing.

 

For what it's worth I found To the Moon a bit dull and not terribly...affective? It is worth noting I did not finish it.

Cave Story is great. The beginning is plagued by a bit too much backtracking, but it gets better. If you do play it, I suggest going for the best ending. The secret level and boss kind of make the game.

 

Cave story is based on repeating the entire game thrice, if you want to play with every character at least once. Which is quite annoying. Playing it once is fun though.

 

I've been having a great deal of fun with the beta version of Gunpoint so far. Play as a spy for hire taking on various jobs for people as you slowly uncover the truth of a murder plot against your first client. Use a pair of pants that let you leap tall buildings in a single bound or fall from any height, punch guards in the face, or of course use the crosswire to remotely rewire any of the electronics in the building.

Do you want to have the light switch next to you turn off every light in the building while also disconnecting the other switches? Sure you can do that.

Do you want to tie the security door's opening to the activation of a metal detector on another floor so you can sneak in without a sound? Sure, you can do that.

Do you want to knock out or kill all the guards in the area by rewiring the security doors to swing back into their faces for shits and giggles? Yep.

You get my point by now, I'm not sure what the price is going to be when it comes out but you can check it out here.

 

Oh right, how did I forget about this game? I was in the CB for a long time and it's been out for a few months now.

http://www.pathofexile.com/

 

*cough cough*

 

Seconding the Blackwell series. Fantastic point-and-click supernatural mystery/adventure games. Music is great, design looks good, story is phenomenal. It's genuinely difficult in places, without ever being bullshit about it.

 

Game Dev Tycoon
Despite, or because of their (anti-)piracy joke (They released their own version of the cracked game as soon as it was released, a version that was, by design, unwinnable at later stages, due to the huge amounts of piracy) I have been recommended this by a friend, and had lots of fun playing this 8$ game at his place, and bought it afterwards.

Otherwise it's cheap, fun, has no DRM, and has no hidden payments in the game.

Not so sure about long term replayability, though.

 

It's fun at first, until you realize that there seems to be some pretty tight scripting under the hood (nearly impossible to get two hits in a row, guaranteed hit ~1984) and that your success or failure appears to rely almost entirely on matching the hidden spreadsheets. Each gametype has perfect slider settings and programmer skill ratios and any deviation from them will lose you points. There are Good Gametype/Genre Combos and Bad Combos, and if you have a bad combo you will lose points.

Late game, there are other factors that make things more interesting (hype, advertising, sequels, MMOs, fads, etcetera) but the base game is still pretty rigid. Although I might be being a bit too critical for an eight-buck game.

 

I've been watching Sips' playthrough of this on youtube, and couldn't help but wonder if there were perfect combinations. The game seems fun to play, but I wouldn't be able to stop myself from cheating (I tend to be a massive piece of shit when it comes to things like that.), this would pretty much defeat the entire purpose.

Looks like fun though.

 

First good Kickstarter game (I didn't like FTL)? Yep.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/237430/

A brief synopsis of gameplay:
1. Choose from a selection of mercenaries and give your leader some stats.
2. Embark to Hispaniola
3. Explore and battle

I like that it's so straight forward. The mercs you recruit aren't random either, they have designated events and stories, kind of like Jagged Alliance. You have to manage clashing personalities, dwindling rations and medical supplies against marauding Indians. So, it's something akin to Fire Emblem, Jagged Alliance, and Oregon Trail.

I've gotten a lot of indie strategy games off steam, so far I'd have to say this is the best one. Well, okay, Battle for Wesnoth is not only free, but pretty great, but this game isn't nearly as luck-based. Which means battles are a little less 'exciting' but a lot more consistent, so you won't be blaming your last failure on an erratic string of bad outcomes (though ranged attacks can miss and do a lot in the beginning, but that's the nature of muskets).

It has some decent tactics-oriented mechanics that keep the game more stimulating than something like Fire Emblem - if you come into melee range with a unit, that unit cannot walk away from you without taking damage or the use of a special ability.

 

Good to hear, I picked that up the other day but haven't had a chance to put it through it's paces yet.

 

For those who like ARPG´s like Diablo and Torchlight, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing is worth trying out.

 

The latest Humble Indie Bundle has a shitload of games, including Dear Esther and Hotline Miami, which I know you guys have shown some interest in.

That Tiny & Big game has an interesting gimmick, also. Looking forward to trying it out.

 

Recommending both Gunpoint and Expeditions: Conquistador. The former is a lot like Mark of the Ninja, except more about puzzles than reaction time. The latter is a very character-driven TBS/RPG where you lead a troupe of Spanish adventurers into the new world and decide how much of a massive douchebag you want to be to the locals.

Edit: Oh hey, E:C was already recommended here. Seconding the recommendation, then.

 

Hotline Miami is more fun than I had previously thought. Somewhat weird and rather gory, the one "boss fight" I had so far was Nintendo Hard (tm), and the mission I am currently failing at sucks, but it's a pretty nice game.

Thomas Was Alone is another one I like, although I haven't played it a lot yet. Nice puzzle platformer, although I don't know how long the concept can stay fresh/entertaining.

 

Whoever suggested Bastion (Cheddar, I think), you are a magnificent bastard. Best bang for my buck that I've had in a while. The narration was really a cool concept, and the gameplay was solid as well.

 

The guys over at penny-arcade.com have made two interesting games available on Steam, On the Rain Slick Precipice 3 and 4. Both are psx-era graphics but are fun RPGs and well worth their small price tag.

Dust: An Elysian Tail I also picked up for cheap and found that I got my money's worth. It's a side-scrolling action RPG with some decent game play and very pretty settings.

Last, this game isn't available yet but it's something in which I've become highly interested and moderately invested:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/disastercake/soul-saga-a-j-rpg-inspired-by-playstation-classics
Read his synopsis but just a few quick points: He plans to make a RPG similar to some oldschool J-RPGs like Suikoden, Breath of Fire, etc. etc. He's only in very early alpha but the kickstarter's beginning to reach its stretch goals and has seen a lot of success. He still needs to finish going through Steam's approval process but it seems as if he'll receive the number of votes to make it onto Steam on release. If you're one to jump in on a Beta and invest some time in a work in progress then I'd seriously consider donating.

EDIT: And I'd second Bastion. Again, a very pretty game and really succeeds in its goals. Gameplay isn't too bad in it either.

EDIT2: Lastly, has anyone played Rogue Legacy? I've read good reviews but haven't really found one that really spoke to me as far as buying. So I'd be interested to hear someone who doesn't sound like an advertisement.

 

Jos, there's a free demo on the website you can download and play. It's okay, i'm not writing home to mom (control response is slow is my biggest gripe) but it's fun for what is basically a souped-up platform game from a flash site like kongregate with an upgrade system and quirky "traits" on each "heir".