Between Steam sales, Humble Bundles, and whatever Twitch Prime is doing, my backlog has been filling up to the point where I either have to just resign myself to never actually playing a game or force myself to trudge through it all for the good stuff. Lucky for you, I’ve done the hard part for you! Here are five games that you need to dig out of your backlog.
Five Games That Might Be Buried in Your Backlog
Coin Crypt
Let’s start off with this little gem from Dumb and Fat Games. That’s… actually the name of the developer, and while I can’t remark on their physical appearance, Coin Crypt is a wonderful roguelike with some very clever mechanics. Traverse the island and battle enemies with magic coins. The catch is that you have to pick and choose what coins to use. Run out, and it’s game over.
The unlockable classes provide a lot of the fun, as they can completely change your playstyle. My personal favorite is the Demon, which inverts the price of all coins. While having a pile of coins goes from $200 to negative $200 certainly doesn’t sound good, the perk actually gives the detrimental Cursed coins value. Then I just spam all of the mighty offense coins that drop Cursed coins in your pouch, and suddenly I’m rich!
But perhaps you’d like to be more “hands-on” with your combat…
Jotun
Picture a game that is Shadow of the Colossus without the moral ambiguity and with awesome Viking powers. This is Jotun, the story of the Viking warrior Thora as she fights her way through five powerful elemental warriors to earn her place among the gods of Valhalla.
What most impressed me about this game was its exceptional attention to detail. Thunder Lotus Games made sure to use every bit of Viking mythology they could to make one of the most culturally infused games in recent years. Even the voice-over is Icelandic! The art style was also hand-drawn, so perhaps this game can keep you occupied until Cuphead pops up.
I should also mention that Jotun recently added a new Valhalla mode, making the already difficult bosses much more challenging with new moves and strategies. If you get stuck, try screaming, “Witness me,” at the top of your lungs. It worked for me!
Slayaway Camp
Halloween is almost here, so why not get into the mood with some murder puzzles? Slayaway Camp has a lovely amount of campy humor, and the puzzles can range from simple to nail-bitingly hard. If you get stuck, you can purchase hints and solutions with the in-game currency. Or you can get a beehive to murder hug people with!
2064: Read Only Memories
Nothing gets me going like a good cyberpunk game, and 2064: Read Only Memories scratches off almost all the things on my list. To set the scene for you, you play as a down-on-their-luck journalist who wakes up to a robot named Turing begging you to help find their creator. You’ll get dragged into a massive conspiracy (cause no cyberpunk world exists without them!) as the many denizens of Neo-San Francisco try to help, hurt, or hinder your path to the truth.
If you remember playing point-and-click adventure games, you might remember how there were sometimes “moon logic” puzzles thrown in. 2064 doesn’t have a single one, as it has multiple ways of solving each puzzle. If you get stuck, you could always throw a brick at something. The characters are also a delight to talk to, even if they just serve you some… interesting drinks.
Chroma Squad
Say it with me: GO, GO, POWER RANGERS! How did I not play this one sooner?! Chroma Squad takes all the cheese of Power Rangers, mixes it with XCOM-esque tactics, and throws in giant robot fights for good measure. The game also has multiple endings, each with unique battles of various difficulties.
The enemies are fantastically wacky, the soundtrack is downright gorgeous, and the gameplay feels great. I even found out that they added a “Director’s Cut” update recently that streamlines some of the clunkier aspects, so if you excuse me, I’ve got a universe to save!
Before I do that, I do want to ask a few questions. What game has been sitting in your backlog for the longest time? What other games should we mention next time? Let us know in the comments below, and stick around to The Game Fanatics!
