5th Place 

Dr. Lunatic Supreme w/ Cheese [by Hamumu]

Review Coming!

If there is any one really strange phenomenon in Independent gaming it has to be Hamumu.  Hamumu claims to bring you "Really Dumb Games."  However, the "dumb" humor in many of their games has made them classics in the Indie world. 

This year we got the most ambitious game ever made...by Hamumu.  Dr. Lunatic Supreme with Cheese promises to be the last game you'll ever have to buy.  Packing in over 1,200 levels, yes 1,200, it's a game that even the developer doesn't expect that anyone will ever complete.  There are also new levels being added to the Hamumu website all the time just in case you thought you were getting close.

While that would be an awful thing if the game wasn't fun, the game is great, and each of the over 80 themed worlds is interesting to play through.  Just make sure you have PLENTY of time when decide to play this one.

Score:  4.5

4th Place 

Dark Archon [by BCSoft]

Our Review

Dark Archon fits into the category of games that get better the more that you play them.  This is a game that gets a different reaction out of people who have only played the demo and someone who has played through an entire set of levels for any one of the four races.  Those who have played more, like the game a LOT more than those who have played less.

The basic concept is an expanded asteroids game, where you command a single ship in one of four different armies fighting for their lives.  Each race has its own storyline, which is actually interesting to read through.  However, the big draw to this game is the action sequences that occur starting about level 8 on each of the four races.  Each race has levels that are available for only that race, but all the races build up to larger battles.  In these larger battles, you end up being one of 20 or 30 ships fighting against often 2 or 3 times that many enemies.  Instead of controlling the army, you have to learn to fight with the rest of the group, or you will quickly and continually be absolutely destroyed.

Score:  3.75

3rd Place

Mage Bros. [by JJ Soft]

Our Review

JJSoft has become known for creating high quality Independent games, and this years offering was no different. 

Mage Bros. is a 2 player game where you take control of one of two Mages.  The mages start out being very equal in everything, but as the levels progress, you can change your wands and power-up those new wands.

With very kid-friendly graphics that are bright and well done effects, Mage Bros.  is similar in feel to the early Super Mario Bros games, with just a few less secrets in this one.  At an unbelievably low price of just $8, there is really no reason that everyone shouldn't have a copy of this game.  It did quite well in the Adventure category, which is stacked with some serious contenders for game of the year.

Score:  3.5

2ND Place

Notrium [by Ville Mönkkönen]

Our Review

Just because a game is freeware and made by a single person doesn't mean it isn't a great game.  Notrium by Ville Monkkonen is the perfect example of perfection in a freeware game. 

Notrium features a random generator and multiple winning paths that makes each game a new adventure in every way. The graphics are a little sub-par, though they don't take away from the game.

Overall this is a very well-done effort that will keep you coming back for at least a couple of days as you try to figure it out. From the crew here who played Notrium, it was amazing how enthusiastic there were about this game.  If you are looking for a game with a good bit of action, but plenty of thinking involved, give Notrium a run, you're likely to be surprised by how good this game really is!

Score:  2.0

1st Place

Starscape [by Moonpod]

Our Review

With beautiful graphics and thumb-blistering game play, Starscape quickly became a new standard for all Independent games when it was released in March of this year.  Starscape presents some of the most intense dogfights yet offered in a video game. 

The special affects and graphics are a big thing that helps take the game over the top.  It initially looks a lot like asteroids, but that is very deceiving.  Progressing through the game with your research department and engineers hard at work, you quickly power-up to amazing weapons that will have you blazing into battles where you loose track of yourself on the screen.

The adventure is a wonderful one, and the longer you play, the more addicted you'll get.  Starscape gives just a perfect improvement plan in the game that isn't too heavy in mindless gathering of minerals (which allows you to build new ships, weapons and equipment) instead making the gathering of items seem like a natural part of the game play as you attempt to advance the story through the different levels.

This game is highly recommended to all.  It is another case where the full version game offers so much more than the demo I believe that you should just skip the demo, as you may find yourself not really digging the demo, but LOVING the game. 

Starscape is one of the best Independent games of the year, and it is the Independent Adventure game of the year.

Score:  1.25