Indies for the Weekend

Shrine Warden

Welcome to another edition of Indies for the Weekend! We have another awesome lineup of free games for you this week, and we’re kicking it off with a radical roguelike.

Shrine Warden is a short and sweet action roguelike that takes inspiration from games like The Binding of Isaac and Creature in the Well. It was created by a single developer, Emiel Boven, as a submission to the Godot Wild Jam.

The game will have you dashing around and through enemies to avoid taking damage while using a super cool disc throw/recall mechanic to slice through opponents. You use WASD to move and Y to throw/recall your disc, and I found that things can get a little overwhelming since your aim is dictated by the direction you’re facing, but it’s all part of the fun! Just don’t forget to use that dash move.

I ran through it a couple of times and only managed to last seven or so minutes, but the creator has a survival time of almost fourteen minutes! Can you survive as long as the guy who made Shrine Warden? Find out by clicking the link below to play the game for yourself.
Game Link

Swap

If you want something simpler but somehow even more stressful than Shrine Warden, then take a look at Swap.

Created by indie game hobbyist Samual Cook (who goes by llmaking on Itch.io and Twitter) as a submission for ScoreSpace Jam, Swap puts an interesting spin on the falling block puzzle game genre that was founded and popularized by Tetris.

The controls of the game are simple: you’ll use the arrow keys to move a horizontal selector around the game area that has space for two blocks, you switch blocks you have selected with the Z key, and you blow them up with the X key. The more blocks of the same color you have connected, the more points that get added to your score when you blast them!

That’s the core gameplay loop, but you can test your skills across a few different gameplay modes: Ranked, Endless, and Relax. I think the “Relax” mode might be a bit of a joke from the developer, because the constantly falling blocks at such a fast rate was anything but relaxing to me.

If you think you have what it takes to top the leaderboard, follow the link below to try your hand at Swap.
Game Link

Dewdrop

Last but not least, we have yet another Godot Wild Jam entry with Lighthouse Studios’ Dewdrop.

Dewdrop is a really neat platformer where you take on the role of a drop of water. You’ll use your mouse to click, set the trajectory, and release to hop from place to place. Things get interesting when levels introduce fans that blow you farther, heating vents that change you into steam that rises until it hits a surface, and other interesting gameplay twists.

I’m not sure if it’s the art style the developers went with or the general structure of the game, but I got strong Super Meat Boy vibes while playing Dewdrop. The ultra-precise platforming, instant reloads, and even the chuckle-inducing plop the droplet makes when you mess up took me back to enjoying Super Meat Boy back in 2010, and most people have to pay for that kind of nostalgia boost.

I had a great time with Dewdrop, and if you’re after some challenging platforming with plenty of cool mechanical twists, then check the game out at the link below.
Game Link