Starsector 0.6.1a out now

Buyers of the incredibly fun (albeit somewhat difficult to start with) Starsector will be happy to know that the latest update is available now.

The full patch notes include a number of welcome hotfix items, including stability fixes for computers running integrated graphics and some changes to Combat Readiness. Best of all, the developer says that another large update is coming a little faster than the last.

Starsector (formerly known as Starfarer -- the name had to be changed for legal reasons) is one of my favorite in-development games. You can purchase it for $9.99 now, or buy it when it's finished (it will cost more on completion, so buying it now will save you some money).

Just a short note regarding Starsector: it's one of my favorite games. I favorably compare it to Mount & Blade in space, a delicious blend of personal character development (skills, attributes, levels), ship development (weapons, modifications, systems) and fleet development (buy and customize frigates, carriers, and more). It's really a lot of fun even in Alpha.

Finally, I'd like to encourage interested gamers to check out the mod subforum for the game. There are dozens of high quality mods for more gameplay, additional factions, and additional ships.

IndieGameStand: Inverto (pay what you want)

You can read more about Inverto, or buy it from IGS for the next 96 hours at a pay-what-you-want price. Beating the average will get you some good stuff -- namely, a level editor.

Cross platform (Linux, Windows, OSX).


The game is a lot like Portal (not a bad thing) with some Prey trappings. If you like FPS puzzle games, this one is worth your time.

Deals on games that aren't on Steam

Steam is amazing. Having most of my games in one location makes upgrading computers somewhat painless (especially if you take advantage of Steam's backup feature), but not every game is on Steam. And not everyone wants to use Steam.

Enter Not On Steam, a shop for games that you can't find on Valve's servers. Humble Widget (Amazon Payments, Google Wallet, Paypal, credit card) serves as payment provider to several titles. To make things even more appealing, you can take advantage of the Not On Steam Sale until next Wednesday.

Some games don't have a set price point, so you can pay what you want.

Titles include:

• Tiny Barbarian $6.99 (down from $9.99)
• Dungeon of Elements $9.99 (down from $19.99)
• Longshot $2.49 (down from $4.99)
• Inescapable $4.99 (down from $9.99)
• Mousecraft (pay what you want)
• Race the Sun $5 (down from $10)

Looking through the rather vast pile of games there has reminded me just how great indie gaming is -- sure, we've got some voxel games (made popular by Infiniminer and Minecraft), some platformers, some puzzle games, and some RPGs as well as some openly-artsy offerings -- but there are a number of gems and curiousities that make it worth your time to check it out.

Reus is 50% off for two more days

Grab Reus for half-price during Steam's midweek madness sale.

About the Game

In Reus, you control powerful giants that help you shape the planet to your will. You can create mountains and oceans, forests and more. Enrich your planet with plants, minerals and animal life. There is only one thing on the planet that you do not control: mankind, with all their virtues and and all their vices. You can shape their world, but not their will. Provide for them and they may thrive. Give them too much, and their greed may gain the upper hand.

This is a game with an interesting presentation and a pretty cool soundtrack. Quite a lot of reviews pegged it as a good deal for the $10 price range.

Weekend Deal: The Binding of Isaac

Grab The Binding of Isaac this weekend for under a buck, direct from Steam!