Best of Switch Indies – 06 Feb 2022

The last 7 days have seen another ~45 games released on the Nintendo Switch eShop. As usual, I’ve sorted the wheat from the chaff to find another 3 excellent indie games to add to your collections.

Kharon’s Crypt – Even Death May Die

Released: 02 February 2022

Price: AU$17.50 / US$14.95 / GB£10.95

Genre: Action / Adventure / Puzzle / Arcade

Developer: Hebi Lee

Publisher: Hebi Lee

You are Kharon, a being thought to be Death itself, on a mission to escape the crypt that you were sealed in by a deranged king wanting to avoid his demise.

Why this excites me

I’m a sucker for a good dungeon crawler, but Kharon’s Crypt is making me go full Dyson. It looks better than good; it looks sublime.

Not only is it presented in my beloved pixel art style, it’s also quite faithfully emulating a specific era and presented in a mock Game Boy Color surround!

Of course, graphics aren’t what makes a game worth playing, and while the non-linear (Metroidvania), puzzly mechanics aren’t unusual, the possession mechanic is. Having the ability to take control of your enemies’ bodies and abilities and utilising them however you see fit gives you a lot of freedom to play the game your way.

Millie and Molly

Released: 04 February 2022

Price: AU$10.00 / US$4.99 / GB£4.99

Genre: Puzzle / Strategy / Platformer / Other

Developer: Below The Tower

Publisher: Thalamus Digital

Two devoted sisters. One incredible retro adventure.

Why this excites me

Millie and Molly is not just retro-inspired, it was actually developed for the Commodore 64 — just a tardy ~30 years after the computer’s original release. Luckily for us, Thalamus Digital has ported it to Switch for a much wider audience to enjoy. 💪

Like lots of games of the time, Millie and Molly is a single-screen puzzle-platformer that will put your problem-solving skills to the test.

Guide the fearless, heroine pensioners through 100 levels, defeating the malicious monsters that stand in their way. Then when you’re done, use the in-built level editor to continue the geriatric adventure!

Webbed

Released: 02 February 2022

Price: AU$19.99 / US$19.99 / GB£16.99

Genre: Action / Adventure / Platformer

Developer: Sbug Games

Publisher: Sbug Games

Webbed is the story of a happy little spider on an adventure to save her boyfriend who’s been ’napped by a big mean bowerbird. And it’s even safe for arachnophobes!

Why this excites me

I thought the previous 2 games were good, but this one triggers my autonomous sensory meridian response. I mean makes my Spidey-Sense tingle!

I love traditional platformers, but Webbed is very different in a very good way. Playing as a spider opens the door to really unique, physics-based exploration and problem-solving.

The web-swinging is exceptionally fluid, but the fun doesn’t stop there. Being able to spin persistent webs to cross divides, interact with the environment or even create art is just wonderful. It also has skateboarding.

If spiders aren’t your thing, you can even opt to just be a blob, but you’ll miss out on the thematic ties and the fabulous animations.

Webbed is playful; it’s beautiful; it’s Australian; it’s just brilliant. So add it to your collection. Now!

It was a very retro, pixel-y and platform-y week. As well as the 3 games previewed, there were a couple of honourable mentions:

• Yeah Yeah Beebiss II was another true retro game with an interesting backstory, but this time made for the original NES; and
• Swords & Bones was inspired by ’80s and ’90s classics such as Ghosts ’n Goblins and currently has a 75% launch discount.

Anyway, I hope you’ve enjoyed the round-up, and remember that you can always find these and all my previous picks in my Best Of Switch indies list.

Read last week’s round-up