Dr. David’s Indie Roundup: Doki-Doki Universe, No Man’s Sky, Starbound, and more

It's time for another round of indie gaming news recaps. This time around, we're going to delve into the world of Steam Early Access with two new additions. We're also going to take a look at a recently announced game from this year's VGX that looks absolutely delish. Oh, and we've got a couple of new releases on the PlayStation Network, one of which is a returning GameZone favorite finally appearing on the Vita.

Let's talk indie games!

Doki-Doki Universe expresses its feels on the PlayStation Network

Doki-Doki Universe

Doki-Doki Universe is out now on Sony's download platform. Yay feels! Seriously, this game is all about feelings. Or rather, it's about instilling humanity and feelings into an aging robot. This is a squishy feel-good adventure with great art that's all about meeting new people and making a bunch of friends.

You can go with the Doki-Doki Universe Starter Pack, which is free and includes a messaging feature, tutorial, personality quizzes, and protagonist QT3's home planet. Meanwhile the full version boasts 18 planets filled with loads of characters and personalities to deal with. This version also features 15 additional personality quizzes, so you can discover exactly the type of evil human being you are. Just kidding! Maybe.

Doki-Doki Universe is available on the PlayStation Network for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and Vita. It's a Cross-Buy game, so if you pay the $14.99 price, you'll get it on all three platforms. Get the full scoop on the PlayStation Blog.

Dungeon of the Endless enters Steam Early Access

Dungeon of the Endless

A brand new roguelike has just landed on Steam as an Early Access release. Dungeon of the Endless from Amplitude Studios features the well-treaded and highly challenging gameplay we've come to love (and hate) in our roguelikes. In addition, it also mixes in tower defense mechanics for a wholly diverse experience, offering something new for longtime roguelike aficionados.

Dungeon of the Endless is priced at $12.99 on Steam. You can also snag the four-pack for $19.99.

Hello Games announces the beautiful and promising No Man's Sky

No Man's Sky

It's always exciting when a developer goes in a drastically different direction. That's certainly the case as far as No Man's Sky is concerned. In development by Hello Games, the studio largely associated with the Joe Danger games, this upcoming venture marks a completely new direction for the small four-person team.

Revealed at this year's VGX, No Man's Sky is a procedurally generated exploration game. The trailer showcased almost Star Fox-esque flying through lush, colorful worlds filled with beauty and wonder. According to Hello Games, players will be able to go anywhere they choose. See a planet off in the distance? Well, chances are you'll be able to head over there and see what's crackin'. It's an ambitious project, no doubt, and one that we can't wait to see more of.

Check out the trailer for No Man's Sky below.

Runner2 endlessly runs onto the Vita later this month

Runner2

As evidenced in GameZone's review by yours truly, Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien is a pretty awesome game. In fact, it's so awesome that it was worthy of no less than a 10/10 review. This is the kind of game that really stands out as utterly brilliant for its genre and as a game in general. That's why it's great to know that developer Gaijin Games will soon be releasing Runner2 on the Vita.

Due out on December 17, the follow-up to the original Bit-Trip Runner will be available via the PlayStation Network. Sadly, this isn't a Cross-Buy title, so if you already own it on the PlayStation 3 and want to take it on the go with you, you're going to have to shell out the cash for another copy. Honestly, though, it's hard for me to not recommend buying this game twice due to just how incredible it is.

For full details on Runner2 for the Vita, check out Gaijin Games' post on the PlayStation Blog.

Starbound goes into the depths of space and Steam Early Access

Starbound

The next entry of 2D explore-and-build games the likes of Terraria is upon us. In production by Chucklefish Games, Starbound is now playable on Steam Early Access and let's you take to the stars to craft your very own worlds and explore to your heart's content. Whether you've already sunk hours into the lovely pixilated world of Terraria or not, there's a lot of potential for a new standout action-adventure experience here.

You can purchase Starbound through Steam Early Access for $14.99. You can also pick up the four-pack for $44.99. In addition, if you dig the tunes of Starbound, the soundtrack is currently being sold on Steam for $4.99. Oh, and if you want a little more insight on the game, check out our in-depth preview here on GameZone.

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Want to talk about indie games, Kirby, or cheap pizza? Follow me on Twitter @dr_davidsanchez.