Eight Steam Greenlight games you should support
Don't let anyone tell you that there are a lack of RPGs on the PC. There are plenty out there - you just have to find them and support them. Take for example Steam Greenlight. It's a service from Valve where developers try and get their games on to their digital distribution platform by courting interest from the community. In order to do so, viewers decide to rate a game up or down based on the content the creators share with them. Those that meet a certain threshold of votes are then filtered by Valve to determine what games are appropriate enough to be on their service, and then they help the developers bring their titles to the online market.
The other day I decided to take some time and look through what games were attempting to make their way through the process after Ghostlight Games was able to successfully greenlight Agarest: Generations of War for Steam (so look for that to be coming soon). What I discovered was a good variety of games, each with their own interesting design decisions and strong talent that shows off just how impressive the indie community has been as of late. I present to you eight of those games that I felt are worth checking out and support.
Desolate Hope
Developer: Scott Games
Let's start with the game that blew me away when I first saw it. Desolate Hope is this weird, twisted hybrid of different types of genres, but the one that stood out most of me was of course the RPG battle system. This is where the main focus lies, because you will be able to increase your stats and skills in these battles to help you during the other areas of the game. What you will also quickly notice is the crazy, almost H.R. Giger-esque art style the game uses that wouldn't be out of place with games from the 1990's like Omikron or Total Distortion. Be careful - your eyes may just melt from just trying to keep up with what is going on following the screen. This is the one I am most excited to play!
Delver's Drop
Developer: pixelscopic
This is another game that really stood out when I first saw it - Delver's Drop. It's a dungeon crawler RPG that puts a lot of focus on physics-based action and intense, claustrophic scenarios. I really like the slick 2D style that this game employs. With half a dozen characters to choose from drop-in, drop-out cooperative play, it looks like a lot of fun for fans of games like Gauntlet.
Stardew Valley
Developer: ConcernedApe
One part RPG, one part farming simulator, Stardew Valley is what would happen if they added multiplayer to Harvest Moon. The story is about a small town trying to stop a corporation from opening its doors and destroying the town's economy. Featuring four player cooperative play and a large variety of progression and crafting choices, it's definitely a game worth the votes.
CRYSTAL KINGDOM
Developer: EpicBeyondStudios
Inspired by the classics of old but employing all the modern conventions that fans have expected from their games, Crystal Kingdom is towering with the sheer amount of content that it provides. Players are able to own their own homes, join guilds, discover plenty of color-coded loot, completely customizable their characters, and much more. It's a very ambitious project that is stil in its early stages, and according to the creators, the community needs to grow in order to help faciliatate the growth of the game.
Edge of Space
Developer: Reverb Publishing
Now this is a game that has some rather impressive sprite work. Edge of Space is a multiplayer 2D sandbox title that allows players to build, explore, craft, and manufacture the world around them. The game had already experienced a decent amount of success on their Kickstarter, receiving far more than what they were originally asking for, so it is clearly something that the community around Edge of Space wants to see become a fully-functioning reality. Maybe it's something you the reader may want to play as well.
Fantasy Grounds Virtual RPG Tabletop
Developer: Smiteworks
Now this is really cool. Taking all of the best role-playing books out there and providing a way for people to play them out visually through a game, Fantasy Grounds Virtual RPG Tabletop is just the thing that I am sure a lot of people of the modern era have been asking for (and those like me that still don't understand the rulesets). A lot of the Players can even create their own original experiences, which would be especially handy for people looking to make the game they made with their friends come to life in front of them, or for the budding developer who wants to test out the concepts of their game with real-life runthroughs. The game already supports dozens of popular rulesets so if you are currently into a certain tabletop RPG, chances are you'll find it in there.
Ravensword
Developer: Crescent Moon Games
After already experiencing a lot of success on other platforms, namely iOS, developer Crescent Moon Games is trying to bring Ravensword to Steam. The game features many of the elements you would want from a good Western RPG - a ton of equipment, a wide assortment of creatures to fight with, a strong emphasis on the combat, and just an all-around seemingly cohesive design. Think of it like a much more straightforward Elder Scrolls and that appears to be the idea here. People who own an iOS device may already know of the great game Aralon, so it would be very interesting to see what the developers would be able to do if they arrive and are successful on Steam.
Enamel
Developer: Ehnenu
Let it be known that ever since I did the Parasite Even marathon over New Year's, I have had this insatiable urge to find a good Survivor Horror RPG. Enamel may be taking a strong step to filling that void. What really stood out to me was the very interesting atmosphere that it employs - everything is desolate, and the monsters that lurk within are crude and disfigured. Also, I enjoy that it's a 2D action-RPG hybrid that focuses on gun combat instead of hack-n-slash mechanics. It may sound weird, but there honestly aren't that many of these types of games out there. The maps are also open for exploration, so it overall of reminds me a little of Fallout. I for one am interested in seeing this game grow.
So what do you think? Did any of the above games convince you to vote for them? Are there any not here that you think deserve approval?