10000000 is a mash up of match-3 puzzle gameplay and dungeon crawling. It doesn’t look like much, but it’s very addictive and it’s a perfect time killer for mobile devices. Your goal is to escape from a dungeon by scoring 10000000 points – however it all has to be done in one session. Each time you are defeated, you are sent back to your room. However, you can use the wood, gold, and stone gathered during each run to upgrade shops, unlock new features, and gain new abilities which will make it easier and easier to make it through the game. Although there isn’t much to do after gaining the 10000000, it’s still a fun and simple game that’s best suited for mobile devices.

Dungeon Hearts is a puzzle/RPG hybrid. Playing as a group of heroes, you set out to defeat an evil entity. Instead of traditional turn-based combat however, you attack by matching 3 tiles. By matching up colors, you create gems which you use to attack enemies. Different types of tiles come into play as you make your way through each battle. While the game is easy enough in the first few levels, it gets harder as more types of tiles are introduced, and the playing field gets increasingly hectic. There isn’t much in the way of replay value if you can finish the game, but the battles are randomly generated, and there are 4 different soundtracks to unlock. If you have an iPad, you’ll definitely want to play that version, as it’s touch-screen controls will be easier on your hands than a mouse. While Dungeon Hearts is a bit on the short side, at $3, the price is right.

This $20GOTW comes to us courtesy of Jeff Vogel’s Spiderweb Software. Founded in 1994, the company specializes in RPGs in which gameplay and story take precedence over graphics and sound. The company is also notable for prioritizing Mac development over Windows. Often times, the company develops its games for Macintosh before porting them to Windows. The company’s games are geared towards hardcore RPG fans, and while they lack the bells of whistles of games like Skryim and Dragon Age, their stories and gameplay give mainstream RPG franchises a run for their money. Case in point, Geneforge. While the first Geneforge game was released in 2001, you’d think the game came out in 1987. However, it’s unique gameplay, specifically the ability to summon creatures and create an army of your own, were ahead of its time.
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The Mount and Blade series is a different kind of medieval RPG. Note that I said medieval as opposed to fantasy, because unlike games like Skryim and Dragon Age, there aren’t any dragons, wizards, magic, or demons. It’s just you, your army, and thousands of miles of a land torn in strife. Turkish developer TaleWords has developed a true sandbox style game, as you are free to approach it anyway you wish without the experience being structured by a plot. You can gather an army, purchase land for business development, participate in large-scale combat, and even marry into royalty. Warband is the standalone expansion to the original Mount and Blade, meaning that you don’t have to own the original in order to enjoy everything Warband has to offer. Warband improves on the original game with numerous additions, the most significant of which being multiplayer.
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Romancing Saga 3 is the sixth game in the Saga series. While the Saga series is quite popular in Japan, only a handful of games in the series have made it over to the US. The three game boy games were re-christened Final Fantasy Legend, while the Super Nintendo games (including this one) weren’t released over here at all (of course, I have it on good authority that a translation exists somewhere on the internet) outside of a poorly-received Playstation 2 remake of Romancing Saga 1. It’s a shame too, because despite its differences to Square’s flagship RPG, Final Fantasy fans in the U.S would eat this up.
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Borderlands is a synthesis of first person shooting action and RPG-style level grinding and looting. Playing as one of four survivors in a post-apocalyptic landscape, you search for what is called “The Vault”. According to legend, the Vault contains vast amounts of treasure. Since no one has ever made it there, you’re going to trek through miles of desert, battling enemies, and collecting weapons. You’ll complete several quests and meet several NPCs. The guns are a huge part of the experience. You’ll collect certain guns, fall in love with them, using them every chance you get, only to discard them when you find something even cooler and you’re nowhere near a shop where you can sell it. Each of their four characters have their own upgradable abilities, and you can team up with another player for online co-op. The sequel is on its way, so now is a good time to check out the original. If you got a little extra, you can buy the complete edition which contains all the downloadable content released for the game.

Evilquest is yet another Xbox Live Indie title that deserves its time in the spotlight. Built in the vein of classic 8 and 16-bit Action-RPGS like Chrystalis and SoulBlazer, Evilquest brings back that retro action that you love. Of course, there is a twist; instead of playing the hero intent on saving the world, you play as the villain who wishes to destroy it. You play as a legendary dark knight who is thrown into prison after being betrayed by a subordinate. After escaping, you vow revenge, killing everyone in your way. Evilquest is easy to pick up and play, and of course you can build your character’s skill levels as you go along. For $1, Evilquest is an excellent throwback to the games of old, so check it out and support independent game developers.

So I’m gonna catch some serious heat for featuring a game which ‘hardcore gamers’ weren’t quite fond of, however, the important thing is that I enjoyed it, and if you give it a chance, you’ll enjoy it too. Dragon Age II is the successor the BioWare’s Dragon Age, a game that was a return to form to Bioware’s early fantasy epics such as Balder’s Gate. Dragon Age II takes the series in a slightly different direction from its precdecessor, and while it moves the saga along in unexpected ways, it turned off many of the series’ more hardcore fans.
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