Apple kicks its App Store Indie Games Week with seven titles

Indie titles are the creative lifeblood of the games industry. It’s where creativity pushes the boundaries of gameplay, and when the right ideas combine, it can explode it into a new genre or a trend-setting project. For years, Steam has been a place where indie games have thrived, but developers have also found a thriving market on the Apple App Store.

This week, the company is kicking off its Indie Games Week, highlighting sevenl titles on iOS and Mac devices. It’s headlined by “No Man’s Sky” and “Vampire Crawlers,” two games at the opposite ends of the spectrum. “No Man’s Sky” by Hello Games is a project that’s a decade old, and it has gotten better over time. After a launch where the title stumbled, the small studio spent years improving the game and has turned it into a success story.

Now, the sci-fi adventure is coming to Apple devices. “It’s the full game. It’s 10 years of updates,” said Sean Murray, managing director of Hello Games. He added, “It runs on the iPhone 11 and up and we tried to make it as accessible as possible.”

That means adapting the controls for the touchscreen though controller support is available. Murray said the team also adapted the user interface all the while making the title fit under the 5-gigabyte limit. One advantage that iPhone players will have is that managing the inventory is easier, and that in playtesting, the iPhone players were further ahead of the console ones because of that.

The open-ended space adventure lets you explore a procedurally generated universe, and planet-hop to find different biomes. It lets players build bases and fleets of ships. It’s a sci-fi survival game with a huge scope that’s built for long sessions, and for those who want a goal, there is a loose overarching story about finding the center of the universe.

“Vampire Crawlers,” which launched in April may look simple, but it can be just as deep as “No Man’s Sky.” The spinoff to the hugely successful “Vampire Survivors” indie title takes a different approach to the simple but addictive formula from the team at poncle and Nosebleed Interactive.

Instead of moving around and taking out swarmers of enemies, “Vampire Crawlers” takes players and throws them into simple dungeons, where they’ll have to defeat hordes of enemies. To defeat them, they’ll have to use cards they collect that represent attacks. Players have a small hand and each card has a cost. Players lay down cards until they run out or use up their money for a turn. They repeat the process for each enemy as they delve into the dungeon and grow stronger.

There’s plenty of strategy in how the order they play cards and the power-ups they pick along the way. With several crawlers and a boatload of cards, players will find a deep but addictive gameplay that’s perfect as a background game when Netflix is on the background or if they have to spend 15 minutes waiting in line.

Along with these two titles, players can find several other notable games including the following:
“Sifu” — Sloclap’s action title is difficult but rewarding as players take on the role of a martial artist who’s out for revenge. The interesting twist is that after each death, the protagonist grows older and weaker but also more powerful. It’s a game that rewards quick-twitch reactions and will be best played with a controller.

“Little Kitty, Big City” — This indie game from Double Dagger Studio puts players in the shoes of a feline who falls from its apartment and must navigate a Japanese city to find a way home. Players will meet crows and other creatures on the adventure as well as solve puzzles. Players will also experience life as a cat.

“Dome Keeper” — Bippinbits’ project puts players in the role of a miner on an alien planet who must constantly delve beneath the surface for materials to build a stronger dome that can resist attacks from the alien creatures of the planet. The monsters attack the dome, and players initially just have a laser, but as they mine deeper into the planet they can extract minerals that upgrade the protection.

“9 Kings” — Sad Socket’s title combines a bit of city building, tower defense and deck-building into a tight package. Players have to defend their kingdom against rivals by building out a base, which spawns troops. After each battle, they can figure out what to build in order to defeat the next army. The combat and base building comes in fast and furious, making it perfect for quick sessions or longer.

“Yes, Your Grace 2: Snowfall” — Brave at Night developed this kingdom management title that puts players in the place of a ruler who must make hard choices in the kingdom of Davern. Unlike “9 Kings,” it’s more grounded with players dealing with issues such as taxes, laws and petitions.