The Indie Mixtape
- April 22, 2015
- Detective
Get on SteamFrom laser-jousting deathmatches to bird-noir crime thrillers, The Indie Mixtape contains five of the most interesting and exciting games from the best indie talent out there.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Roguelight is a standout game in the collection, offering engaging gameplay with a unique light and dark mechanic.
- The Indie Mixtape features a diverse mix of indie games, showcasing various genres and styles that can appeal to different players.
- Test Chamber is well-designed with interesting puzzles, making it the most polished game in the collection.
- Many games in the collection suffer from poor controls and lack of customization options, making them frustrating to play.
- Several titles feel unfinished or like demos rather than complete games, leading to a lack of depth and replayability.
- The menu and overall user experience are sluggish and awkward, detracting from the enjoyment of switching between games.
- gameplay14 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
Gameplay experiences vary significantly across the titles, with some offering engaging mechanics like light and dark navigation or unique shooting and jousting elements, while others suffer from basic platforming and frustrating design flaws. Notably, "Test Chamber" and "Detective Chirpums" stand out for their complex mechanics and puzzle-solving elements, whereas many other games in the collection are criticized for being tedious and lacking depth. Overall, while some games provide fresh and enjoyable gameplay, others fall short, leading to a mixed reception.
“Choosing whether to draw an arrow to light the way or to brave the dark blindly, or whether to kill an enemy or dodge them to preserve the ammo is a constant worry, which keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging on every run.”
“I loved the pixelated visuals, and the gameplay is pretty unique as you constantly move forward while trying to either joust or shoot your enemies.”
“This is probably the closest of the bunch to an actual game worthy of a standalone release, since the puzzle mechanics are really interesting and the few levels that are here can be really tough brainteasers.”
“The games aren't much better; each one has its unique flaw that will make the game annoying to play and get very boring within the first minute of gameplay.”
“Gameplay is basically just standard platformer gameplay.”
“Not being able to see is one of the worst mechanics devs like to put in their roguelike games; the second worst is permanent upgrades that require grinding to unlock.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The graphics across the reviewed games showcase a variety of styles, with many praising the colorful pixel art and unique aesthetics. However, some players found certain visuals too dark or overwhelming, leading to gameplay challenges or discomfort. Overall, while the art styles are appreciated for their charm and creativity, opinions vary on their effectiveness in enhancing the gaming experience.
“I loved the pixelated visuals, and the gameplay is pretty unique as you constantly move forward while trying to either joust or shoot your enemies.”
“The visuals look great and the movement and combat is enjoyable.”
“Roguelight: really nice rogue-like game, which has a very interesting play with light, nice Game Boy-like graphics and many upgrades.”
“The visuals are pretty colorful, but with the excessive shake on, playing this is simply unbearable and headache-inducing.”
“I personally don't like the aesthetic.”
“The art style really isn’t my cup of tea, as such I didn’t spend a lot of time with this one.”
- story9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight a mixed reception for the stories across the games, with "Detective Chirpums" being noted as a standout for its intriguing narrative and engaging presentation, despite some technical issues. However, many players found other stories to be messy, forgettable, or lacking depth, with one reviewer specifically praising a puzzle game for its enjoyable story amidst a generally disappointing narrative landscape. Overall, while some games offer compelling storytelling, others fall short, leaving players dissatisfied.
“All of the games are decently interesting; the detective story was the big highlight.”
“It’s not an incompetently told detective story, but a bit limited in scope.”
“My personal favorite was the mini-noir-like point and click 'Detective Chirpums,' which had a smooth and spicy feel to it, with a story intriguing enough to warrant a playthrough.”
“The story is a complete mess; I played it last week and I have absolutely no memory of what it was about.”
“It really is that messy of a story; it also feels unfinished and has typos.”
“It’s not an incompetently told detective story, but it is a bit limited in scope.”
- music6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been widely criticized for being either absent or unengaging, leading players to mute it early on. Many reviewers noted a lack of sound effects and a barebones audio experience, which detracted from the overall enjoyment of the game. Overall, the audio aspect is seen as a significant weakness, failing to enhance the gameplay or atmosphere.
“I'll be honest, I didn't get much mileage out of this one, as I really don't care for point & click games, but beyond that, the game didn't have any music or sound effects while I played it, and the controls and menus felt extremely barebones.”
“Bit of a shame the music stops after a bit of time.”
“Every single game in the mixtape is lacking proper sounds, music, settings menus, and other various options.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the grinding mechanics in the game, particularly the need for extensive grinding to unlock permanent upgrades, which detracts from the overall experience.
“Not being able to see is one of the worst mechanics developers like to put in their roguelike games; the second worst is permanent upgrades that require grinding to unlock.”
“Unfortunately, this game has permanent upgrades that require grinding to unlock.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report significant stability issues, particularly when switching between games in the collection, as the application fails to reopen automatically and requires a lengthy relaunch process. This cumbersome experience is exacerbated by a buggy menu that adds to the frustration, leading to extended wait times before gameplay can resume.
“The little cherry on top is that these are byte-sized games, and you probably would be hopping from game to game. However, to do that, you need to close the game you're playing, re-launch the collection because it won't open by itself after closing one of its games, and then select the game in that buggy menu just to wait another 5 minutes for the game to actually open properly and let you play it.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to enjoy the experience without constant interruptions.”
“I encountered multiple bugs that caused the game to freeze, forcing me to restart my console several times.”
