Sam Harkin
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Writing For
Checkpoint GamingLatest Reviews
Co-op games have grown a lot. Back in the day, the genre felt like it was somewhat swallowed up by other styles of game such as the shooter. Despite this, co-op developers never stopped making new titles for two from all corners. The work of Hazelight studios, among a crowd...
Creating an indie game is, in a sense, a question of resources and smart sacrifices. Smaller budgets and scopes define and shape much of the indie sphere. There is only so much one can do with limited resources. Oftentimes, it leads to streamlining, cutting through luxuries and chaff to get...
RPGolf Legends
Genre mash-up games, the type of game that fuses together contrasting mechanics and ideas, are gaining traction in indie spaces. If I had to pick one, I’d say my favourite genre mash-up is the Sports RPG. I adore the Sports RPG. It’s a beacon of the balance these mash-ups should...
In pop culture, few figures in literature compare to the influence of Sherlock Holmes. No matter their moniker, mystery games are no stranger to the great detective. Frogwares has been leading the charge when it comes to Sherlock Holmes games; the 13th and the latest entrant, Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One,...
If you had asked me weeks ago, I doubted that I’d be presenting a review for JETT: The Far Shore without seeing the end credits. Although unfortunately, mere days before the game was released, my save data corrupted during an update and I lost all progress. With that said though,...
Sable
Of all the stories that games can tell, a lot of indie games tend to orbit around adolescence and coming of age. Popular titles, such as the recently released Life is Strange: True Colours, tell a coming of age story through narrative choices. It makes sense because so much of...
I don’t envy the developers of puzzle games. Surely there is no genre more fraught with unintentional pitfalls. There is a lot of skill that goes into finding the right balance of challenge, as well as providing a solid thread of logic to follow. Even then, a developer cannot guarantee...
Boomerang X is a title that is very simple and very focused in its approach. Coming to us from indie studio DANG! and publishing label Devovler Digital, this first-person “boomeranger” plays out like an arena shooter, albeit with a uniquely stylised weapon of choice. A huge amount of work and...
I don’t know if I’m just a bit of a hermit, but it’s rare that I actually sink my teeth into an exclusively multiplayer experience. Sure, some of it is just not wanting to deal with toxic people in chat. However, some of it comes down to the feeling that...
Indie games are a great place to innovate in interesting ways. The door is open to new gameplay models and ideas. The door is also open to creatives of all kinds to carve out their own place within the scene. With this ideology in mind, Of Bird and Cage sets...
When talking to Jordi de Paco from Deconstructeam, I was struck by how the studio as a whole has thought about game development in the lead up to the release of Essays on Empathy. In many ways, one should expect that all the openness and generosity the team has previously...
I’m not usually one for the “annual sequel” games. I’ve played a bit of FIFA here and there and the occasional Assassin’s Creed, but that’s pretty much it. I’m generally wary of games that return to store shelves too often. In fact, MLB The Show may be the first AAA...
