Indie Spotlight - Part 29

Parking Garage Rally Circuit: European Tour

You could say that "Parking Garage Rally Circuit" is simply a racing game. But you could also say it's the moment when someone decided that car parks have been underestimated as tracks in racing for far too long. Instead of coastal roads there are concrete ramps instead of panoramic views, neon lights and arrows on the ground. And instead of realism, there are driving physics that are deliberately geared towards fun rather than credibility. It seems like a relic from a time when games weren't afraid to simply be games. And and this is exactly how it has quietly and secretly earned itself a place among the best arcade racers of its vintage.

What begins innocuously quickly develops a certain depth. Boosts can be combined, turns need to be learnt and if you don't understand the track not understand the track, you lose. The arcade approach is a little deceptive how much precision is actually required here. Online it gets serious when eight players try to survive the same tight bend at the same time. to survive the same tight bend. Spoiler: It rarely works for everyone.

This is exactly where the "European Tour" DLC comes in and delivers more of everything. New car parks across Europe, from Paris to Hamburg, all loosely based on loosely based on real locations and yet with enough scope for creative escalation. The result is a doubling of the game, which in this case means: even more concrete, even more bends, even more opportunities more opportunities to elegantly exit into the next car park wall. into the next car park wall. In the end, you realise: Behind all that concrete is one of the best arcade racers you can currently play.

Office Chair Curling

Sometimes you wonder how games are created. With "Office Chair Curling", the probably honest answer is: someone has been in the office too long. Does that sound familiar? The result is a game in which you do exactly what the title promises. Throw chairs. At a target. End of the announcement. And yet it all works incredibly well.

The real highlight of the game is the playdate itself. This little crank turns every throw into a question of feeling and timing. You turn, correct, silently curse yourself and try again. It is a form of control that is both direct and merciless. Mistakes cannot be explained away. The chair rolls exactly as you sent it. The game observes you with a stoic calm that seems almost cheeky.

The fact that the whole thing has also landed on Steam at the same time, with multiplayer, eight characters and even a broom for "fine-tuning" the playing area, makes things even more absurd. Competing against other people online and embarrassing each other with badly placed office chairs has its very own form of elegance. Even cross-platform duels can be played online. In the end, the realisation remains: great ideas sometimes just need roles and a bit of friction.

Super Meat Boy 3D

It starts as it often does in the indie sector: two people, a Flash game on the internet and the vague idea that platforming can be a bit unfair. "Super Meat Boy" was just that. A small project that was suddenly everywhere in 2010, sold millions of copies and earned itself the reputation of being one of the hardest, but also best platformers ever.

The principle was simple and brutal. Run, jump, die, restart immediately. No life meter, no mercy, just precise controls and levels that felt more like tests. "Super Meat Boy 3D" now tries to preserve this feeling and transfer it to a third dimension. With wall runs, dashes in the air and the familiar circular saws, the DNA remains untouched, even if the perspective suddenly offers more room for error.

Developed by Team Meat together with German studio Sluggerfly, it stays true to its lineage and continues to force you to earn every jump. It may not be quite the raw indie blitz of yesteryear, but it's still exactly the kind of game that makes you wonder why you're willingly doing this to yourself. And then go straight on to the next attempt.

Kiln

After "The Keeper", you could have expected a lot. Another quiet game, perhaps something even more minimalist. Instead, "Kiln" is a multiplayer title that puts you at the potter's wheel first. No joke. Before anyone fights here, you first get your hands dirty with clay.

You mould your own character, with everything that goes with it. Proportions, shapes, small details that look charming in the editor and have serious consequences in the game. Because these characters are not just decoration. They are the tools with which you then throw yourself into battle. And this is exactly where you realise how good or bad your idea really was.

In multiplayer, this quickly becomes the best entertainment. Everyone brings their own creations to the table, and rarely do two characters look even remotely useful. The interplay between idiosyncratic design and actual game mechanics creates moments that you can't plan for.

This is exactly the kind of idea that people play video games for. We'll see you again with friends in the next round and are genuinely excited to see what Double Fine will come up with next.

→ If you want to delve even deeper into the world of indie games: You can find more highlights in our "Level Up" section - and of course of course in the current issue.