The Flip-Side's Not... Scary? (Part 3)

No fright on the flip-side hype.

Part one and two can be found in the following links:

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Catch You On The Flip Side.

I genuinely thought more horror would be on the other side, and while it’s just as experimental that the horror side. From a vaporwave gravity switching marble puzzle game and coming-of-age stories to Souls-like and speedy forklift platformers, the collection just goes the other direction in tone.

But, man, these great.

Axyz

Developer/publisher: Space Lion Studios

Socials: Discord | BlueSky | Instagram

Many people could agree that marble games are pretty hype. It may be nostalgia, as I played and collected marbles growing up, but they’re so cool. Axyz is no exception to this. What I thought was going to be a spiritual sucessor to Marble Blast Ultra turned out to be a vaporwave mind massaging puzzle game.

You move by grids, and your aim is to collect all the keys and cassette tapes to complete and 100% the level. But as you can see from the pictures, it’s not that simple. Jump across gaps, avoid spikes, switch gravity to reach different sections, use jump pads, and much more. The game’s as cool as marbles.

Children of Saturn

Developer/publisher: Boie Thomsen, Nils Schulze

Socials: BlueSky

Adults suck. Life sucks. My parents don’t understand me. Punk is not only my music of choice but my lifestyle. And above all, this isn’t just a phase. We’ve all been through this, at least partially, and you can’t fool me and say that you didn’t. I mean, I the game’s soundtrack was pretty good, so it’s actually not a phase.

I used to think coming-of-age stories were cliche, and a bit silly, but as I’ve grown and developed as a writer, I’ve realized that they have a way of touching a nostalgic part in my heart. Children of Saturn seems to be a sad narrative heavy game where you assume the role of a troubled teen with troubled friends at a troubling time. There’s always this looming feeling of lost or losing, and I’m excited to see exactly what.

Forklift Flowerpot

Developer/publisher: Michael Mato/Too Much Tomato

Socials: Discord | YouTube | BlueSky | Twitch | Twitter

If you ever wanted to be a forklift certified flowerpot with the ability to zoom around the land and change the seasons at a whim, look no further than Forklift Flowerpot. The premise is as silly as the game is fun and speedy. What really caught me off guard is that it’s puzzle heavy, requiring you to figure out what seasons are needed to open bridges, what plants you need and at what seasons, and talking to the cast to find your next steps.

I didn’t expect a flowerpot on wheels to go so fast but it made going to the bumps and making jumps fun and exciting. The Claymation art-style matches the fun and goofy interaction with each character, specially the deckbuilding game that I’m not sure if it’s a mini-game, or an extra game added in there.

Last Time I Saw You

Developer: Maboroshi Artworks

Publisher: Chorus Worldwide Games

Socials: Discord (Maboroshi Artworks) | Twitter (Maboroshi Artworks) (Chorus Worldwide Games) | Instagram (Maboroshi Artworks) (Chorus Worldwide Games)

Price: $16.99

This beautiful coming-of-age story takes place in in a 1980’s Japan in which you take control of Ayumi, a young boy that will face a curse that fell upon his hometown. Thankfully, he’s not alone.

From the demo, it seems to be a narrative heavy game that has some gameplay elements, such as puzzle and action sequences, though they seem like a minor focus. While it does have other elements, it’s clear that the focus is the story and the characters. The warmth of the family, the gossipy neighbors, kids being kids both in how they behave and how they first fall in love. Even as there’s a curse in the town, every character and interaction has that touching feel matched by the game’s art.

Prison Of Husks

Developer: Glass Head Dolls

Publisher: Glass Head Dolls, Wings

Your soul has found a new vessel. A doll brough to life, in search of their beloved. But this gothic and melancholic landscape is filled with creatures who only wish to see you two apart.

While it does feel like the game is still getting its footing, the environment and feel of the game is on point. The desolation, the equipment, the dialogue, everything in the game feels as soul sucking as it’s difficulty. The gothic look felt unique, and the gameplay felt familiar enough where I could simply pick it up and go along with it, while its parry mechanics and world separated it from its inspiration.

Scissors In Hell

Developer/publisher: Z. Bill

This bizarre first person dungeon crawler mixes turn-based combat and crafting, talking about Minecraft crafting, in Limbo/Hell. Unexpected as it was cool.

The game’s bizarreness is used to its full extent as you fight odd creatures like wizard birds and big fishes in a bucket, eat glue to heal up, and use your scissor to cut, fight, and venture forth through Limbo/Hell. Probably Hell. While the wackiness is the main drive of this game, I could still see the appeal of building a home, though with the glimpse in the demo, it makes me wonder what other wackiness is in store.

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One last batch! Seems the horror is gone, for now. There’s a surprising amount of variety on this demo-disc, as I thought it was only going to be filled with horror games. I’m excited to see what the last six are!