Dr. David’s Indie Roundup: Anomaly 2, Sanctum 2, Sound Shapes DLC, and more

This is a fun week for indie game fans, as we’ve got a couple of new releases, an international launch, and some potentially awesome projects to look forward to. If you need something to play right now, or if you just want to scope out some games that are currently in the works, you'll find a handful of recommendations on this edition of the Indie Roundup. So without further ado, let’s talk indie games!

2D platformer A.N.N.E. surpasses Kickstarter goal

Another Kickstarter goal has been reached, this time by developer Moise Breton, who’s currently working on a 2D platformer titled A.N.N.E. The upcoming project won’t just having running and jumping gameplay, however. A.N.N.E. draws inspiration from several classics including Contra, Super Metroid, and Gradius. While there’s plenty of platforming to engage in, the game also features shooter mechanics, and you can even get inside a ship and go all old school space shmup on some fools.

There are still a few days left for this campaign, so if you want to help A.N.N.E. reach some stretch goals (including Mac, Linux, PlayStation Network, and Wii U versions), check it out on Kickstarter.

Anomaly 2 has landed

If you played Anomaly: Warzone Earth (and hell, even if you didn’t), you should know that you can now play Anomaly 2 on the PC. The game is a direct follow-up to the original and delivers yet another take on the reverse tower defense gameplay that the series introduced back in 2011. Throw in a brand new campaign and a competitive multiplayer component, and Anomaly 2 has all the makings to be a stellar entry in the genre.

You can purchase 11 bit studios’ latest endeavor on Steam, which is currently offering the game for a discounted $13.49 price.

Road Not Taken is an intriguing roguelike puzzler

This week Developer Spry Fox teased Road Not Taken, a puzzle game with roguelike elements and some pretty awesome art. The trailer doesn’t reveal all that much, but that really just serves to add to the mystique of this upcoming title. The game is influenced by a number of sources including Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” and The Legend of Zelda. Designer Daniel Cook previously worked on Realm of the Mad God, while artist Brent “Meowza” Kobayashi was the art director for the severely underrated Glitch.

Road Not Taken touches on “life and loss,” and Spry Fox stated that “over dozens of play-throughs, a greater theme will be revealed to players.” The game sounds intriguing to say the least, so here’s hoping we get some more info sooner rather than later.

Sanctum 2 is now defending towers and blasting aliens in the face

Another interesting take on the tower defense formula sees a huge return this week. Sanctum 2, from developer Coffee Stain Studios, is out now, and it delivers a unique blend of tower defense and first-person shooter mechanics, allowing you to enter the fray and protect your core from alien attacks. This isn’t the same Sanctum you played two years ago, though. This time around the dev team has created a more complete experience featuring 16 stages, a gradual difficulty increase, more robust stat enhancements, and unlockables galore. Up to four players can team up to take down some alien scumbags.

You can buy Sanctum 2 on Steam for $14.99.

Sound Shapes gets new 80s and dubstep sound packs

New DLC is out now for the critically acclaimed and ridiculously awesome Sound Shapes. The latest add-ons come in the form of the 80s Sound Pack and Dubstep Sound Pack, each priced at 99 cents. Additionally, the Community Milkcrate is getting a free update on May 28, so if you want to check out some of the top-rated user-created picks, watch out for that.

Terraria now digging away at European soil

Good news for European and Australian PlayStation 3 owners: Terraria has arrived. The console version of the critically acclaimed sandbox action-adventure title has been available in North America for a couple of months now, and it’s great to finally see the game doing a bit of international digging, as well.

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