Itch.io has set up a really amazing bundle of games featuring loads of developers, all for an amazingly good cause. The Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality is a pay what you want bundle of over 1,000 games. All of the proceeds from this bundle (well over 5 million dollars at the time of writing this) are donated 50/50 to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the Community Bail Fund. There are a lot of lovely games within this bundle, so I wanted to share the ones we think you should start with!
The Wolf’s Bite
This adorable game inspired by the three little pigs has you trying to open your own restaurant. The three little pigs have a plan to stop you, so you must use the week of time you have to try to be the most successful or to sabotage them completely. Each day you can select a location, as long as the pigs aren’t there, and then pick one of two options within that location. These options can help you drum up local interest, gain more skills or start to mess with the pigs themselves. The Wolf’s Bite is a clever game that brings a lot of fun to this classic fairy tale.
You can find The Wolf’s Bite on Itch.io
Ghost Grap 3000
In Ghost Grab 3000 ghosts are flooding the screen, and the only way to beat them is to grapple, chain and zap them. Ghost Grab 3000′s gameplay often feels like standard arcade fare, however the choice of bonuses between levels — as well as the persisting unlocks and upgrades between runs — gives reasons to push forward and, ultimately, return. It’s incredibly uncommon for me to immediately dive back into a roguelike without looking back at the upgrade menus, but I did it a handful of times because I felt like I’d learned something new, or just gotten better, as my last life fell away.
You can find Ghost Grab 3000 on itch.io.
BOTOLO
This is a stunning multiplayer game where you need to fill negative space with beautiful patterns, all while being aware of your enemy. There is a ball that you need to hold on too, to slowly start claiming a space. Once you have claimed over halfway, you’ll just get the area. When you have the ball, your enemy can sort of connect onto you and bash you, but you can also move and try to get away — once the ball has been relinquished, you’ll need to chase back after it.
You can find Botolo on itch.io.
A Short Hike
A Short Hike is a brief, delightful game set on an island with bad cell phone reception. The experience is perhaps the closest I’ve come to feel like I’ve taken a vacation to a seaside forest, while actually sitting, sweltering in front of my PC. It’s that good, and it is indeed — as the title suggests — short, coming to an end in one to two hours. At that length almost any detail can count as a spoiler, so if you are at all interested in the game I encourage you to read no further and go play it for yourself. It’s a satisfying, well-designed treat with style and heart that charmed me like few other titles this year.
A Short Hike can be found on itch.io.
Memoir En Code: Reissue
Memoir En Code: Reissue is a game that always sticks in my head as something far more than a game. Defined as an autobiographical game album, this game has a bunch of short, experimental experiences all based around the life of the author who made it. There are aspects of struggle, looks into high points, spotlights on personal parts of the developer’s life. It’s a lovely presentation of someone’s life, which you can explore in it’s deepest moments. I always find it amazingly brave that people put so much of their story out into the world.
You can find Memoir En Code: Reissue on itch.io.
Pikuniku
Pikuniku sparks joy. The weirdly charming story works perfectly with its timeless aesthetic and absurd sense of humor. Whether playing the campaign or figuring out the puzzles with your close ones, it is a game worthy of going back to once every couple of years just to enjoy its simplicity. And to kick everyone and everything.
Pikuniku can be found on itch.io.
Catlateral Damage
It’s about as simple as a game can get. Either playing in desktop mode or using a VR headset, you play a little domestic cat in this first-person destructive cat simulator whos intent on destroying everything in the house, swatting wildly at TV’s, pictures, bookshelves and anything else you can find in a set amount of time. With its procedurally generated rooms, an array of power-ups and unlockable cats and collectables, it’s just simple destructive fun you can play at your own pace. It might not be the most complex game on this list, but it’s simplicity and the fact you get to play a cat make this a great little game that’s worth a look.
Catlateral Damage can be found on itch.io.
Go Camping In Wide Ocean Big Jacket
Personality is a big focus in Wide Ocean Big Jacket — each character has their own personality which is further highlighted when it comes to conversation. When a character is talking, the entire screen turns black with just an icon of their face and what they are saying under it. I found this to really help focus on the words and attitudes of the characters speaking, as that was literally all that was there to focus on. The words on the screen come in short sentences, so it’s not like a wall of text on a black screen — it’s a great way of delivering a story.
You can find Wide Ocean Big Jacket on itch.io.
This is a live post and we will be adding games to it as we play through the massive bundle, keeping to the best of the best within it.
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