Bud Masters
Bud Masters is an indie weed lifestyle deck building card game. The goal: smoke all your opponent’s buds out of their bud bowl while defending your bud bowl.
Play using your custom deck or a random deck in the One of Each game mode.
Play against a stoned yet surprisingly adept AI, or PvP via Online / LAN. Online play is via Steam or direct IP connection. No additional developer game accounts required.
Easy to pick up and play with all card and other unlocks earned through playing the game.
Read More: Best Abstract Casual Games.
Hexagroove: Tactical DJ
Hexagroove is probably the most interesting and exciting music game I’ve ever played. It’s a rhythm game made by people with a deep and obvious love of electronic music and the culture around it. It plays in a unique and intuitive way that makes it simple to make some kick ass music. Honestly, I never knew how much I needed something like this in my life.
Unlike other rhythm games which rely on quick reflexes and tapping along to the beat, most of Hexagroove’s gameplay centers around layering different instrumental loops. If you’re the kind of person who likes to play a game for the challenge, then it might not be for you. Most of the fun comes from putting together the different pieces and finding a solid groove, then adjusting it and playing with it on the fly. There’s room for a lot more experimentation and playfulness than in games that emphasize skill mastery, like Beatmania or Audiosurf. It offers some mini-games and an obligatory campaign, but you won’t find anything too taxing except on the highest difficulty. I’ve made my way through the whole game on each difficulty level, but most of my time is spent in free mode just jamming out. I’d hesitate to even call Hexagroove a game. It controls like a game, and it’s got levels, achievements and tricks to perform for style points, but it plays more like an instrument, something you can play to make cool music, without any of the hassle of having to learn to beatmatch or how to use an MPC.
– Real player with 19.8 hrs in game
Read More: Best Abstract Experimental Games.
Even with my short time in the game thus far I think it’s incredibly cool. I’ve not seen or played anything else like it. From the viewpoint of someone who doesn’t (yet) make music, it’s about the closest you can get to actually mixing and producing your own tracks while still also technically being a game.
It’s a lot of fun just to play around in, and I love that the game encourages that. More than once I’d be vibing with all the loops and samples in the practice mode, finding out my favorites and which ones work well together before remembering, oh yeah, I have a set to go play, maybe I should do that. It’s double cool that incorporating real life mixing and songwriting techniques and theory affect your performance and score. Also you can have a Psytrance rave deep in the forest.
– Real player with 4.3 hrs in game
SNKRX
What a fun game, really love it. It was the first auto-battler I played and I became a fan of the genre.
– Real player with 48.1 hrs in game
Read More: Best Abstract Replay Value Games.
snake game go brrr, this is the first game in a while that i played for 7 hours straight. i would say this game is insanely under priced but i’m not complaining, each time you beat the game you unlock new difficulties and can make your snake a unit longer. i love the many different classes and units you can pick, things such as aoe or projectile attacks, or other things like the merchant which gives you interest on money and other stat booster and abilities you can get from beating elite enemies. buy this game. now.
– Real player with 27.8 hrs in game
Pawnbarian
I often feel like roguelike deckbuilders use a wide breadth of cards in their game to distract from the fact the core gameplay loop just isn’t all that satisfying. So, enter Pawnbarian, a game that doesn’t let you change your cards at all between characters, all you can do is add one of a few different upgrades. Strips away all the noise and gives you satisfying, thoughtful gameplay from the moment you start a run to its finish.
What it delivers is an experience that reminds me of Into the Breach, but with movement/attacks that vary from hand to hand. Calculating out the perfect route through the board to get a few pick offs and avoid damage is incredibly satisfying. Each turn feels like a tight geometric puzzle. The different characters really do feel like different beasts entirely. The titular Pawnbarian gains a lot from getting past the enemies to the final rank, the Knight Templar gets more actions by using more knights, and the Shogun uses pieces inspired by Shogi, which are often a little weaker, but he backs them up with an AoE ability he can power up by killing enemies.
– Real player with 25.8 hrs in game
I was privileged to win a copy of this early via Esty’s Misfits giveaway on Twitch (@Esty8nine) - delighted, because I was salivating over this from the ads!
The game is very much as it appears: use your moves optimally, learn opponent moves, build your army, and try not to die of Blight. It’s one of those puzzle strategy games you could open, mess around with for a bit and close again. I’ve since found the 2019 free demo, and it’s true to that- though extra time & development has gone in to make user experience satisfying.
– Real player with 14.5 hrs in game