Getting my hands on this trio of games was one of my favorite appointments at this year’s GDC. So, when publisher First Break Labs reached out for an off-hand preview, I was in. It only sweetened the plot when I was offered a chance to try out each title’s demo afterwards.
Y’all might already have heard of one game on this list, as I haven’t stopped gushing about ILA: A Frosty Glide since I first encountered it almost two years ago. The game has garnered some much-deserved attention recently, from appearing in a Wholesome Direct showcase to successfully funding a Kickstarter. And for full transparency, I absolutely contributed to that.
The game centers around a young broom-skater searching for Coco, her missing cat. Each level is open, though finite, and offers the player environmental puzzles solved only by using and upgrading skills with the game’s traversal system. The skatebroom is a buoyant mix between the witch’s traditional vehicle and a skateboard, which glides across the setting with ease. Balancing a sense of challenge and fluid movement, the gameplay makes ILA hard to put down.
Though I was less familiar with the publisher’s other two titles, I was happy to learn more. Baseless‘s visuals caught my eye from the get-go. It’s both minimalistic and explosive, with broad color blocks and flying projectiles. It turned out, it plays in a similarly bold way. In order to navigate the weightless expanse of space, I had to use my gun to blast my way toward my destination — while simultaneously blasting away enemies.
Particle Hearts brought me quickly back down to earth. The ethereal look of the game is married to meditative exploration, and its hazy narrative only begins to reveal itself while discovering collectables. It looks like this game’s path is heading somewhere that will pull a tear from my eyes.
All three — ILA: A frosty Glide, Baseless, and Particle Hearts — have demos open to the public during this week’s Steam Next Fest. The indie-filled preview event started today and only lasts until June 16, and there’s an onslaught of demos to get through before next Monday!
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