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submitted 4 days ago by falseprophet@fedia.io to c/Bside@fedia.io

Welcome

Hello everyone, welcome to another issue of the webzine B-side Gaming. It has been a month since the last one, and I have gathered once again lots of content to read. Doing these once a month is much more work than I thought (and the interest in these is a bit low for now), so I think I will be switching to irregular intervals between issues. Maybe even do small ones from time to time, like only news roundups. But for now, let us focus on this one. Since it's a lot of stuff, I will be linking again to my https://write.as/ so I can fit everything. Posting content in the comments that I tried initially last time did not work out well because of the character limit that comments have. Finally, I wanted to ask if there is any interest in having these in a downloadable format. At the moment, I have md files for each issue on my hard drive. There are many apps that can read md files, like the Moon Reader+ on Android. But I could also convert them into PDFs if that is preferred. I would have to check where I can host them, but I think I will find something. Maybe on Itch.io.

Enjoy reading.

News

Open Source News

News about open source games

Speed Dreams v. 2.4.1
Irrlamb v. 1.0.7
Tux release 2025-04-25

Tux release 2025-04-25

Speed Dreams v. 2.4.1

Read here

Indie Gaming News

General Indie game news. News about new games and games reviews that I have found online.

Bridge Constructor Studio

Feed the monster

Colorful afterlife

Part 1
Part 2

Homebrew News

New unofficial game releases for consoles

Blast Arena

Diveblob

Read here

Other News

Other news related to indie gaming news that did not fit with the above news sections

Wholesome direct

Read Here


Featured article: History of Adventure games

Enchanted Scepters

Monkey Island I

QFG IV

In this part we follow the rise of point and click adventure games and what came afterward.

Article


10 Indie point-and-click adventure games

10 interesting indie point and click adventure games

Kathy Rain

Locomotive

Heroine's Quest

Read Here


Free Game

A simple game I wrote in python.

Code


Blast from the past

Indie retro gaming

Castle of the winds

Indie game from the past


Indie Hardware Review

A look at the gamebuino meta

Gamebuino Meta

Hardware Gaming Review


Top 10

Top 10 based on the community upvotes

Noita

Animal Well

See it here


Corner of fun

Some humor

Lag

Enjoy


Previous Issues

A list with links to the previous issues

B-side webzine #1
Direct Link

The first experimental issue. Not much content included.

B-side webzine #2
Direct Link

The first real issue with lots of news and content to read.

B-side webzine #3 Direct Link

The third issue

END

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submitted 1 month ago by falseprophet@fedia.io to c/Bside@fedia.io

Update

I was not satisfied with how the half of the content was spread on multiple comments. I had hoped that a comment would give as much space as a post (30000 characters)unfortunately, this was not the case (only 5000 characters). That is why I move it into separate blog posts to write.as. I think it is much cleaner now to read. Another problem I am facing is that the "markdown" that I am using to format these posts is very inconsistent on different platforms. On mbin under the images, it displayed the titles of the images; these were missing both on lemmy and writefreely (the software that write.as uses). On writefreely I added them with title but mbin and lemmy do not support So I just added the title to each image. Now on lemmy it is displayed correctly and on mbin twice, but I guess that will have to do for now. I have not dared to check out piefed

Welcome

to the third issue of B-side gaming zine. It has been three weeks since the last one. One week longer than the time between the last two issues, and I am thinking that from the next one it will be once a month only. This way I have plenty of time to put everything together without getting too tired working on it. That being said, life happens, and I am just one person working on it, so I might not be able to release an issue each month, but I hope it will not happen often.
As for this issue, I have gathered a ton of news—an endless amount of news. So much news that the whole issue will not fit in a post, and I will have to cut it off and post the rest as a reply to this post. Also included is the second part, the history of adventure games, with early adventure games that included graphics from the Mystery House to the first king's quest.

Additionally, I recommend 10 video games that are open source. Of course, a free game in Python code is included; this time it is a mini escape room game. As for indie gaming hardware, I have added a review for the popular arduboy. The corner of fun is also returning with jokes, memes and a comic.
But that is not all. I have added some completely new stuff, first the blast from the past area with reviews on two older games from the 90s. Second, a top 10.
I wanted to include a top 10 for a while but was not sure how to make it work, which games should be included, and who would vote for the games. Then an idea struct me; it is actually simple, and I don't need to do much since the voting system for games already exits. The games that are posted in the community are voted on by users of the community; I just need to sort them by top, and voilà, I have a list with the top-voted games, perfect! Well, almost perfect. I still had to set some rules; only direct posts of games are counted; excluded are game reviews, lists of games, and NSFW games, and the games need to be already out, not demos or early access. Also, for simplicity, downvotes are ignored. Well, that is it. I hope I did not forget anything. Enjoy reading :)


Gaming News

First the news. Lots and lots of news.

--Open-source--

News about indie games that are also open source.

Exampe

Click here to read

--Indie games--

General indie games news

Nubby’s Number Factory

Gameplay
Gameplay

Gameplay
Gameplay

Victory
Victory

Work at the numbers factory consists of launching a sentient ball, Nubby, down rows of pegs, hoping to score enough to pass to the next level. Players only have six lives, and if all Nubbys are depleted before making quota, the sun explodes. When players meet or exceed the round goal, they earn restocks of the board based on how much they went over the necessary score. Restocks also earn lives and coins, the latter of which can be used to purchase items, which is where the real fun begins.

Read more

Blue Prince review

Gameplay
Gameplay

Clues
Clues

Camping, I hope no big bad wolf is around
Camping, I hope no big bad wolf is around

Blue Prince is one of the greatest video games I have ever played, but please: don’t read this review. I admit, in a landscape of constantly evolving Google algorithms, explicitly asking you to go away in the first line of an article might be seen as a trifle eccentric. But Blue Prince is best experienced with as little foreknowledge as possible. Believe me when I tell you, this is a game you need to experience the way its creator intended.

Read more

Cassette Beasts Launches Brand-New Sunshine Update

Cassette Beasts
Cassette Beasts

Gameplay
Gameplay

Battle!
Battle!

  • Discover the new Sunshine Update in Cassette Beasts with an exciting storyline and partner character Sunny.
  • Explore the mystery of New Wirral's Landkeepers and recruit Sunny to unlock her new questline.
  • Meet three new monsters: Pawper, Pawprince, and Minosteam, and enhance battles with fresh strategies. - Customize your gliding wings and soar through New Wirral with the premium Wings Pack DLC.

Read more

Game Over – A Musical RPG ?? Review

Your henchman looks like he could do with a sandwich
Your henchman looks like he could do with a sandwich

Rocking in the forest
Rocking in the forest

Game Over – A Musical RPG?? is one of the strangest, most creative, and unexpectedly thoughtful indie titles I’ve played in a while. It’s weird, witty, and wonderfully unpredictable, fusing traditional RPG storytelling with rhythm-based combat, moral dilemmas, and an offbeat tone that feels like a blend of Undertale, EarthBound, and a late-night jam session. But make no mistake, this is a game that won’t land for everyone. It’s a highly stylized experience that feels tailor-made for a niche audience, yet its unique approach is worth celebrating.

Read more

Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders Releases Baifushan Mountain Update

Screenshot
Screenshot

  • Discover Baifushan Mountain in Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders' latest update.
  • Explore four new trails with challenges, multiplayer, and leaderboards.
  • Support Megagon Industries with a new pack featuring skins and gear.
  • Enjoy skiing thrills with tricks, shortcuts, and breathtaking vistas.

Read more

‘R.E.P.O.’ Sees You Stealing Fragile Items & Fleeing Horrors

Gameplay
Gameplay

Gameplay
Gameplay

R.E.P.O. is a co-op experience where you are tasked with sneaking highly breakable trinkets out of a house without breaking them or dying.

Review

‘Big Hops’ Puts a Frog’s Tongue to Work With 3D Platforming

Gameplay
Gameplay

3d Platforming
3D Platforming

Clearly inspired by Mario Odyssey, Big Hops allows you to explore colorful and vibrant stages filled with interactable puzzles and characters that you can help. Primarily using your tongue, you can swing, complete puzzles, and interact with various objects – it’s a lot of fun.

Preview

Kingdomino Will Be Released As a Steam Game In 2025

Title Screen
Titlescreen

  • Enjoy authentic gameplay with original rules and artwork from the 2017 Game of the Year.
  • Compete in cross-platform multiplayer with online, AI, and friends' modes.
  • Expand creativity with customizable gameplay, immersive art, and active community.

Read more

Over the Hill Somehow Makes Driving Slowly Look Extremely Exciting

Gameplay
Gameplay

The terrain is its own challenge in Over the Hill.

The terrain is its own challenge in Over the Hill.

Rather than the thrill of racing, Over the Hill aims to capture the quieter joy of slow offroading. The game was announced earlier this year, but the recent indie game showcase, the Triple-i Initiative, gave us a much closer look at the game. Its new trailer shows off a stunning, free-roaming driving sim.

Read more

New Studio Onibi Unveils First Game Tomo: Endless Blue

Tomo
Tomo

  • Experience voxel-based anime RPG adventure in Tomo: Endless Blue's boundless ocean realm.
  • Dive into procedurally generated islands rich with unique cultures and mysteries.
  • Befriend Tomo creatures with elemental powers for combat and everyday tasks.
  • Enjoy multiplayer features with limitless players, both locally and online.

Read more

Starless Abyss Confirmed For Late April Launch Date

Starless Abyss
Starless Abyss

  • Starless Abyss launching in April on Steam from Konafa Games and No More Robots.
  • Play as a fleet commander against Eldritch gods in this sci-fi roguelike.
  • Collect and combine 160+ cards to battle through tentacle-y boss fights.
  • Embrace or fight insanity while using Ritual Cards to harness occult power.

Read more

Deedlee Doo! Carkour!

Gameplay
Gameplay

Gameplay
Gameplay

The two major features of the game are its art style and very "refined" soundscape. Everything in the game is made out of real-world clay and scanned into the game's world, the car itself, the paths, walls, trees, obstacles et cetera. "All of sounds and music are all mouth sounds," from explosion to car, drum, boots and cats, and guitars. 

Read more

MUSESTRUCK – Kickstarter Demo

a vibrant 2D platformer RPG following Journey and Quinn, two artistic friends thrust into the mysterious realm of Negative Space after investigating a fallen star.

Read more

Nomada Studio's graceful side-scrolling platformer Neva won the Best Artistic Achievement award

Gameplay
Gameplay

Nomada Studio's graceful side-scrolling platformer Neva won the Best Artistic Achievement award, seeing off Astro Bot, Black Myth Wukong, Still Wakes the Deep and Senua's Saga: Hellblade II. It was a well-deserved accolade for one of the most beautiful indie games we've seen.

Read more

Hark the Ghoul brings a retro '90s vibe with its first-person Souls-like dungeon crawler on Steam

Hack the Ghoul

  • Explore an underground Victorian world filled with terrifying monsters and curious characters.
  • Engage in freeform traversal and expressive combat within a lore-rich and melancholic setting.
  • Discover unique gear and solve problems creatively in interconnected zones below Clergerac.

Read more

Beloved Indie Game Among Us Is Getting A Full 3D Version, Releasing Soon

Find the imposter now in 3d
Find the imposter now in 3d

Gameplay
Gameplay

Amongus 3D!!!!
Amongus 3d!!!!

Among Us is getting a new look for 2025, bringing the 3-dimensional style of the VR version to non-VR players. The extremely popular indie darling was released in 2018 but rose to internet fame around 2020 and 2021, when the world was in need of online social entertainment. A Virtual Reality version arrived in 2022 for PC VR devices and the PlayStation VR, to general success.

Read more

Cozy Incremental Game Unboxathon Announced For Steam

Game art
Game Art

  • Join Unboxathon on Steam, a cozy incremental game about finding your lost childhood toy.
  • Open boxes to discover loot, from camo socks to magical artifacts, while seeking your beloved plushie.
  • Pop bubbles to earn mystery boxes and enjoy incremental upgrades for enhanced game features.
  • Sell loot for profit and use earnings to unlock exciting upgrades and enhance gameplay.

Read more

Best Served Cold Confirmed For Release This May

Best served Cold
Best served cold

  • Murder mystery game Best Served Cold by Rogueside launches on Steam this May.
  • Set in an alternate history Europe, solve mysteries at a speakeasy bar called The Nightcap.
  • Engage with 22 unique characters, uncover secrets, and tackle five thrilling cases.
  • Mix drinks and gather clues to save your business amidst the backdrop of wartime strife.

Read more

Satisfying Movement & Explosion In This Upcoming Unity-Powered Indie Platformer Wheelbot

Exploding Robots
Exploding Robots

Bots on wheels
Bots on wheels

Indie game developer BATTLE LAB had a robot-skateboard game prototype ten years ago, and recently, they've finally made it into a full game in this third attempt and released a trailer for it, showcasing polished and satisfying gameplay.

Read more

Puzzle Platformer Power Sink Receives Late-May Release Date

Power Sink
Power Sink

  • Navigate submerged ruins using logic-based circuitry puzzles.
  • Explore six diverse biomes in a rich, atmospheric setting.
  • Unravel the mystery of the station's collapse with fellow Tidekeepers' guidance.

Read more

Resident Evil collides with Subnautica in one of the most frightening games we’ve ever seen. Dark Mass

Dark Mass
Dark Mass

If you have a fear of the deep sea and horrific monsters then this new survivor horror could be your cup of tea or nightmare, depending on your perspective.

Read more

This 3D Isometric Action-Adventure Game Mixes Driving, Engaging Story & Horror Elements

Not Toy Story
Not Toy Story

Creepy Story
Creepy Story

Gameplay
Gameplay

In this 3D isometric action-adventure game that features driving mechanics, an engaging story, and horror elements, players control a toy car to set out on a journey to look for the missing owner, a young boy.

Read more

Marisa of Liartop Mountain Announced For September Release

Marisa of Liartop Mountain
Marisa of Liartop Mountain

Indie game developer UnknownX and publisher Alliance Arts have revealed their latest game, Marisa of Liartop Mountain, and confirmed a release date. This is an all-new adventure RPG in which all of your choices are made with the roll of the dice, and depending on what you get, the path the story will take will be determined.

Read more

--Homebrew--

Unofficial game releases for gaming consoles

example

Click here to read

--Other news--

Other gaming news

PG Connects Barcelona

Click here to read


Featured article: History of Adventure games Part II

Hobbit

Let's continue with the history of adventure games. After purely text-based adventure games in the early 80s, text adventure games with graphics were born.

[https://media.pocketgamer.biz/images/132753/86183/pgc-bcn25-pgbizarticlesimple-a-1200x_l1200.webp]

Click here to read


Blast from the past

Indie games are not a new thing, they have become more popular these days thanks to the internet but indie games have existed since the dawn of gaming. At blast from the past we take a looks some older titles.

Bananoid

Click here to read


Indie Gaming Hardware Review

Another indie hardware review I found online. This time for the popular Arduboy.

Arduboy

Click here to read


Free Game: Escape

Screenshot

Click here to read


10 Popular Open Source-games

Sample

Click here to read


TOP 10

Top 10 indie games of all time based on votes Bside gaming community.

Sample

Click here to read


Corner of fun

Sample

Click here to read

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submitted 5 hours ago by Agent_Karyo@lemmy.world to c/Bside@fedia.io
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submitted 21 hours ago by falseprophet@fedia.io to c/Bside@fedia.io

Pipistrello’s creative mechanics, charming world, and gorgeous Game Boy Advance stylings make it one of the biggest surprises of the year.

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submitted 1 day ago by falseprophet@fedia.io to c/Bside@fedia.io

The year is 1990. It’s been two years since the mysterious disappearance of Edward Crow and the abrupt closure of his theme park, Crow Country. But your arrival has broken the silence, Mara Forest. If you want answers, you’ll have to venture deep into the darkness of Crow Country to find them…

GOG
Itch.io
Playstation
Xbox
Nintendo

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submitted 2 days ago by falseprophet@fedia.io to c/Bside@fedia.io

Dead Cells is a roguelite, metroidvania inspired, action-platformer. You'll explore a sprawling, ever-changing castle... assuming you’re able to fight your way past its keepers in 2D souls-lite combat. No checkpoints. Kill, die, learn, repeat.

Epic
GOG
Xbox
Playstation
Play store
App store

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ChromaGun on Steam and other stores (store.steampowered.com)
submitted 1 day ago by falseprophet@fedia.io to c/Bside@fedia.io

Welcome to ChromaTec’s test lab! You’re here to test our state-of-the-art military-grade color-technology: The ChromaGun (patent pending)! Use it to solve our meticulously designed test chambers by painting the walls and droids. Remember how to mix colors from pre-school? Then you qualify!

Epic
Nintendo
Playstation VR
Xbox

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submitted 2 days ago by falseprophet@fedia.io to c/Bside@fedia.io

Welcome back to our weekly listicle of games that are coming out throughout the next seven days — a quick way to make sure you don't miss any title! We hope you find something to wishlist or buy.

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Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer on Steam (store.steampowered.com)
submitted 2 days ago by falseprophet@fedia.io to c/Bside@fedia.io

In this point-and-click urban thriller, down-and-out private eye Kathy Rain will embark on her most dangerous case yet — the pursuit of the notorious serial killer known as the Soothsayer. Find clues, gather evidence, connect the dots, and confront the murderer before the hunter becomes the hunted…

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submitted 3 days ago by falseprophet@fedia.io to c/Bside@fedia.io

If you’re not a fan of games that simulate menial work, this might all sound very boring to you. I, however, love a job simulator.
The routine is glorious, but so are the people.

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submitted 3 days ago by falseprophet@fedia.io to c/Bside@fedia.io

Do you want to really sink your teeth into a game but tired of the AAA formula? Try these indie games, each with more than 100 hours of content.

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submitted 3 days ago by falseprophet@fedia.io to c/Bside@fedia.io

A young girl and her loyal friend embark on a rescue mission through a colorful world full of cold machines and unfamiliar creatures. Planet of Lana is a cinematic puzzle adventure framed by an epic sci-fi saga that stretches across centuries and galaxies.

Epic
Xbox
Nintendo
Playstation

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submitted 4 days ago by Agent_Karyo@lemmy.world to c/Bside@fedia.io
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submitted 4 days ago by falseprophet@fedia.io to c/Bside@fedia.io

Dethrone the Zodiacs, revive the Golden Age and purge the Heretics that swarm the galaxy as Virgo, the queen of Purity, in this unforgiving timed actions turn-based JRPG.

GOG
Itch.io

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Cattle Crisis by Krystman (krystman.itch.io)
submitted 5 days ago by falseprophet@fedia.io to c/Bside@fedia.io

Save our cows!

Cattle Crisis is an arcade shoot 'em up game (Shmup). Pilot your fighter jet to defeat evil aliens and save our precious cows! Cattle Crisis is a short game and currently features one level.

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Tiny Tris PC (sites.google.com)
submitted 4 days ago by falseprophet@fedia.io to c/Bside@fedia.io

Tiny Tris PC (2019-2021) Daniel C (Dev)

clone of the classic puzzle game Tetris released under the GPLv3. Originally written for the ATtiny85 MCU and ARDUBOY, the code has been modified to compile and run on Linux and Windows using SDL1.2. If you want the original code for ATtiny85 or ARDUBOY visit: https://www.tinyjoypad.com/
Contents

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submitted 4 days ago by falseprophet@fedia.io to c/Bside@fedia.io

You wake up, alone, on a strange island full of puzzles that will challenge and surprise you.

Xbox
Playstation

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submitted 6 days ago by falseprophet@fedia.io to c/Bside@fedia.io

The Six One Indie Showcase has come and dropped off a number of incredible-looking games. Here are a few that caught my eye.

Leftovers ko

Kejora

cast n chill

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submitted 5 days ago by falseprophet@fedia.io to c/Bside@fedia.io

OutRun for the Game Boy Color

What we have here is a demo/prototype. You can play it right here on the page or download the ROM for an Emulator, a real Game Boy Color, or an Analogue Pocket.

Have fun!

PLEASE remember this is a ‘what if’ scenario. You’re playing a DEMO/PROTOTYPE of a Game Boy game.

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submitted 5 days ago by falseprophet@fedia.io to c/Bside@fedia.io

Evoland is a meta RPG that gives the player a fun, though brief, look at the history of adventure games. Taking heavy inspiration from classic adventure series like The Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy, you begin as a colorless sprite in a silent world, but as the game progresses, both you and the world around you evolve.

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submitted 6 days ago by falseprophet@fedia.io to c/Bside@fedia.io

Want to be a goblin? Want to kick people? Want a first-person game with a lot of platforming and violence? Welcome to 'GLUM'.

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submitted 6 days ago by falseprophet@fedia.io to c/Bside@fedia.io

Out of Sight is a beautifully made, immersive experience, with some really cool mechanics. With a playtime of 5-6 hours, it is a perfect game for a completionist.

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submitted 6 days ago by falseprophet@fedia.io to c/Bside@fedia.io

Plunge into the open-world survival simulation set in the extreme conditions of the uncharted Amazon jungle. Use real-life survival techniques to craft, hunt, fight, and gather resources, set a makeshift shelter, or raise a fortress. Survive alone or team up with your friends and challenge the jungle together.

Playstation

Xbox

Nintendo

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submitted 1 week ago by falseprophet@fedia.io to c/Bside@fedia.io

Download and play a hit game on Steam today following developer apology

Bioprototype

“Bioprototype, a roguelike and skill customising rhapsody. This is an auto-bomber with programming elements,” reads the description of the game on Steam.

“Customise your character skills with visual programming, utilise enemy organs to finish the mutation, and construct the ultimate prototype, one can survive in the endless wave of flesh.”

So, why is Bioprototype free and why have the developers apologised? Well, judging by a released statement, it doesn't appear to be the fault of the developers at Emprom Games.

“Bioprototype was developed by our team and published globally by the publisher company BD Games,” the statement reads. “In early 2024, the publisher broke Steam rules.”

“Since we're not the administrators of the publisher team, we're unable to know the details of the violation. As a result, their Steam account was permanently banned, and all games they published (including ours) were removed forever.”

“This violation had nothing to do with our team or Bioprototype, but Steam required all games to cooperate with the account to be removed,” it continued.

It should be stated that Bioprototype will only be available for free on Steam for two months. After 20 July 2025, Bioprototype will return to a price set by Emprom Games.

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Forged in Ice by Illusory World (illusoryworld.itch.io)
submitted 1 week ago by falseprophet@fedia.io to c/Bside@fedia.io

A dynamic adventure romance story set in a fantastical frozen world.

view more: next ›

B-side Gaming

0 readers
12 users here now

B-side gaming is a community focused on alternative gaming. Like FOSS games, indie games, hobby games, homebrew. Additionally ROM Hacks, mods and game assets are allowed.

Feel free to promote your own creations. NSFW content is allowed.


Other recommended Communities:

!citybuilders@sh.itjust.works
City building games.

!adventuregames@lemm.ee
Everything about Adventure games and interactive fiction.

Rules

  1. Be polite and don't harass people that post their games or creations. If you do not like a game, explain in a constructive way what you do like about it. Do not just reply, "This game is crap."
  2. Promoting your own games is allowed, but do not spam the community with the same game over and over again. New updates are always welcome;
  3. The main focus of this community are Foss games, Homebrew games, demakes and indie or one-person hobby games. Demos or tech demos are also welcome.
  4. NSFW games are welcome as long as they are clearly marked as such.
  5. Game mods and ROM hacks are allowed.
  6. Feel free to share you game assets, (like from opengameart.org or itch.io
  7. No Spam
  8. Don't be an asshole!

founded 2 months ago
MODERATORS