Summer is (finally) heating up in Seattle, and so is our passionate community of indie game developers, which continues to crank out impressive new Windows Phone 8 titles. Here are seven of my newly-published favorites from the last few weeks. Fans of role-playing, quiz, and physics games should find this month’s crop especially fun to wade through.
Which one gets your vote for summer’s best? And make sure to tell me if I’ve blown it by leaving off any of your favorites.
Finally, don’t forget to browse the Store’s Next Big Thing app collection—now 28 titles strong—for these and other recent game picks.
Battleloot Adventure
Set in the land of Kameloot, this fun, funny, turn-based RPG has you defending your wealthy realm with a rag-tag crew of adventurers you bring together. Starting from the city of your choice, you’ll battle rival soldiers, magical forces, fantastic creatures and more through 60 quests, all with incredible weapons and equipment. Sound the trumpet! Charge! $0.99. Buy it
Flux Family Secrets: The Ripple Effect
What if you could go back in time and change the outcome of your own family history? That’s the tantalizing idea behind this adventurous hidden object game. When the mysterious Flux family contacts you with secrets to your past, it’s up to you to fix the errors in the timeline – visiting places like Benjamin Franklin’s study and the Wright Brothers’ workshop along the way—solving the puzzle so you can take your rightful place in the family’s legacy. Free. Download it
Bridge Physics
I often find that the simpler the concept, the more fun the game. Take Bridge Physics: Your job is to construct bridges across dangerous chasms and raging rivers. But that means there’s very little room for error, and a lot of high-tension fun. Draw on your engineering skills to avoid the ever-present laws of physics, or end up watching your beautiful creations collapse before your eyes. Free. Download it
Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden
The wonders of an underwater world—the haunting city of Eden—come alive in this entrancing game, where you dive and explore at great depths to find and rescue your missing fiancée. But be warned: what looks like an Art Deco utopia is brimming with dark secrets and supernatural forces. Hidden objects, games within games—it’s all here in the Abyss. Free. Download it
Crazy Machines Golden Gears
A Rube Goldberg machine is one that accomplishes a simple task (like threading a needle) with as much complication as possible. In other words, it’s something that’s a lot of fun to build and a lot of fun to see work. Here, you create your own Rube Goldberg-style contraptions, then set them in motion—complete with fire, explosions and true physics action. It’s a vast world of fun possibilities, limited only by your imagination! $2.99. Buy it
Rule the Kingdom
Take your love of role-playing games to new highs with this unprecedented blend of RPG action, arena fighting, city building, farming and storytelling. Your to-do list in this medieval kingdom is as follows: outfit your character, train your loyal band of warriors, conquer trolls, skeletons and other foes, then build homes and cities, plant crops and defend your newly formed domain. Sound like fun? It’s all in day’s work with Rule the Kingdom. Free. Download it
Movie Junkie
Think you know movies? You might have met your match. This engrossing game presents movie poster after movie poster, stripped of their titles, cast, and credits. Can you guess some of your favorites just from the imagery? You might be surprised at just how challenging it can be. Free. Download it