#indie

#indie

There's only so much you can do improve on chess, but you can at least make it a whole lot weirder. That simple fact led to the great Really Bad Chess in 2016, and now, a more recent spin on one of the most-played games in the world is available for free for a short time on the Epic Games Store for mobile. This time, it's an even bigger deviation from its origins, turning chess into a turn-based roguelike strategy game that's just as bizarre as it is captivating.

But Prescott, Arizona's Spafford walks the talk. The jam band, co-founded in 2009 by songwriter Brian Moss, has released six studio albums and at least a dozen live albums, all without the infrastructure of a record label. A popular fixture on the festival circuit, Spafford has played at many high-profile events, including Bonnaroo, and Peach Music Festival. The group's eclectic approach is built on improvisation and adapting covers to their own style.

It's just so nice when a game lets you play with your friends--when implemented well, co-op can make a good game great, or turn an awful game into something amusing. The not-so-good ones are plentiful, but we aren't here to talk about the many games that are only fun because you like spending time with your friends. No, this is about the PC co-op games that deliver enjoyable and entertaining experiences for you to dive into with your friends,

The Knightling wants to be a heart-warming indie game about an apprentice stepping out of his master's shadow while also being a throwback action-platformer where you bash monsters with a giant talking shield. It mostly succeeds thanks to its charm and platforming, even if its combat and pacing can't quite keep up. Our main character is the knightling to the legendary hero Sir Lionstone, who is famed for defeating a powerful Earthborne and claiming its magic sword and shield.

Kill the Brickman takes the basic premise of the arcade classic Breakout and adapts it to a Baltro-style deckbuilder roguelike where you shoot custom bullets to break bricks, win cash, collect upgrades, and extend your run. So far, so neat. But no small part of Kill the Brickman's staying power is its surreal presentation that puts Blendo Games-looking faces on all the violence.

It's spoken word Letterboxd reviews read over jazz.