PAX East: Our Favorite Games

While gaming conventions are all about the big titles, PAX has always shown some serious love for the independent gaming industry. So while many PAX East attendees stood in long lines to try out Skate 3 or Red Dead Redemption, I decided to check out the smaller titles on display last weekend that make PAX such a unique experience.

Here’s what I found:

Shank

While the game’s title might be small, Shank packs a huge punch. This side scrolling 2-D action game wowed crowds with its gorgeous artwork and addicting gameplay. Players take on the role of Shank as he slashes and chainsaws his way through a world of assassins and giants on a quest for bloody revenge.

The game will be out sometime this summer for XBLA, PSN, and PC.

Frobots

I tried out this game based soley on the name, and it was definitely worth it. Frobot is about a robot with an afro who, after his five “super-fine” girlfriends are kidnapped, rescues them with an arsenal of energy blasts, missiles, and deathly disco balls.

Frobots is a combination of action, puzzle, and party and with dozens of maps to choose from and a ridiculously fun multiplayer mode this game will keep you and your friends busy for hours, but also might make you really mad at each other.

Frobots will be released for WiiWare, PC, and Mac sometime this year.

Turba

When this game first caught my eye, it felt like a combination of Lumines and Meteos, and this wasn’t a wrong assumption. Turba is a rhythm puzzle game where players can use their own digital libraries to play the game.

Using a board of four colors, players make combine blocks of similar colors. Combos made in time with the music will start a multiplier and score more points. What makes the game great is while Lumines had predetermined levels and songs, players of Turba can decide to use whatever music they want no matter what level they’re playing.

And the game seems to work well with any kind of music, from Animal Collective and Vampire Weekend to Kid Cudi and Dr. Dre. You can pick up Turba now for your PC.

AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! – A Reckless Disregard for Gravity

Yes, this is the game’s full title, and it’s completely fitting. AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! is a combination puzzle simulator action game where players assume the role of a base jumper with a death wish, jumping off of extreme heights and falling as close to buildings as they can without dying. Players receive “hugs” for close proximity to buildings and “kisses” by moving in between buildings, and hugs and kisses create combos to score more points.

If the player doesn’t smack into anything on the way down and deploys their parachute in time, they survive and move onto the next level. AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! was released last September for PC.

If any of these or the other indie games at PAX East caught your eye, we urge you to buy them. While the big titles might be tempting to blow your money on, these games are inexpensive and created by some really talented people.