IndieGo #26: TombStar and Let’s Build a Zoo: Dinosaur Island

There are plenty of indie publishers with an indiscriminate output of releases. But Manchester-based No More Robots lives up to its anti-mechanical moniker. Since 2018, the label has been remarkably selective, habitually publishing about two titles a year. The majority of No More Robot’s releases have been critical and commercial successes, with titles like Descenders, Not Tonight, Hypnospace Outlaw and Heist Simulator demonstrating superiority across a variety of genres. Today, we venture into the roguelike wild west in TombStar and explore the addition of Jurassic-era creatures into Let’s Build a Zoo. These two efforts continue the publisher’s blemish-free curation.

TombStar, Marcus Grambau and Andy Sum, $14.99

Certainly, there is no shortage of twin-stick roguelikes on Steam. From Enter the Dungeon, Neon Chrome, to Nuclear Throne, Valve’s marketplace is packed with praiseworthy, projectile-filled action. But Marcus Grambau and Andy Sum’s (Crossy Road) TombStar displays distinction. Blending intense, bullet hell-style action, an abundance of different guns and skills, and meta-game progress that feels rewarding, the game is poised to delight players who crave a good challenge.

At the beginning of a run, players select from one of three characters. Jack Galloway resembles Toy Story’s Woody but with a cigar and a thousand-years stare. He’s outfitted with a standard six-shooter and five heart hearts. While A.J. Starchild begins with a bit less vigor, she equipped with a four-shot sniper rifle that’s ideal for taking down far-flung foes. Advance to level 10 and you’ll unlock Benson Gara. As a Lyroid, he’s remarkably resilient and also brings alien technology to battles, like his techno-blunderbuss. Each character also has a distinctive defensive ability and those i-frames will become indispensable as you advance across each milieu.

Mercifully, there aren’t restrictions on weapon types, and so Starchild can pick up and use laser blasters just like Benson. There are over 40 types of base weapons to be found, and pleasingly TombStar tracks every gun, enemy, as well as the game’s 30 different perks. Sure, plenty of roguelikes drip feed beneficial skills like increasing the drop rate of health, augmenting movement speed, or providing incremental damage when you don’t get hit. But here, perks can be upgraded with cards dropped by foes, adding additional incentive. Much of TombStar’s enjoyment stems from the variability and gratification of each run. There’s always some advantage that you’re grinding, saving, or hoping for. Beyond the cards to upgrade perks, there are keys for opening chests and money to spend at storefronts. Even killing enemies gradually recharges your slow-motion ability.

There’s also a gratifying feeling of unpredictability, especially when a stage has a warp gate instead of a boss battle. Occasionally, new enemies will spawn just when you think you’re defeated the last foes in a room. There are over 40 different types of creatures, who each have their own unique behaviors. Bouncing Bills tend to launch grenades from away, Mr. Big Top tosses his hat in a wide circular arc, while Barfington vomits toxic green liquid all over the playfield. Although predicting the patterns of a single type of opponents isn’t hard, TombStar grows exponentially tougher when a wide assortment of adversaries come gunning for you. Success involves prioritizing targets while boss showdowns compel you to identify their ‘tells’ and patterns.

There are two more things I really like about TombStar. Each run provides green crystals that can be used to purchase badges. Up to three of these can be assigned to a character, each providing an essential upgrade, like additional health. As such, incentive is pervasive. Then there’s the exploding barrels and gadgets on each stage which can also harm enemies. Few acts in gaming are as gratifying as luring a group of frenzied opponents into the path of an oncoming train.

Recommended for: Roguelike fanatics who like fast, frantic twin-stick action that provides plenty of reasons for replay.

Let’s Build a Zoo: Dinosaur Island (DLC), Springloaded, $9.99

2021’s Let’s Build a Zoo remains one of the best management simulations around. Part of its success is rooted in the game’s user interface. Spend an hour or so working your way through the interactive tutorial, and you’ll be on your way to building either the animal sanctuary or conniving revenue generator of your dreams.

Beyond the decisions associated with the construction of your wildlife park, Let’s Build a Zoo also tossed ethical dilemmas your way. When gifted a large dog, can you guiltlessly strap a fake mane on the mutt and tell people it’s a lion? Maybe you’ll ride that slippery moral slope all the way to the bottom and secretly add the meat of deceased animals to save on vending costs. Zoo made me wish every simulation offered an optional ethical component. It’s fun to role-play as a total scoundrel.

The recent release of the Dinosaur Island DLC generates long-assumed extinct reptiles into the main game. Once you have completed the base game’s tutorial, you’ll be able to select the mid-Atlantic Dino Island as a new venue. There, you’ll essentially begin a new game, after providing a name for your park. Soon, you’ll discover a wealth of new additions, from 7 new enclosures to more than 100 additional stores and decorations. Now, there’s a bit more visual diversity when you start building your zoo.

Those who sank hours into the base game might be fatigued after sheltering bunnies and donkeys. Now, there’s more than 50 different pixel-art dinos for you to acquire and exhibit. Once you procure a plot of (free!) land, expect a new, dino-centric resource tree to provide additional resources for park building. Your mortality will be purged as well, absolving the guilt of taking money from the mafia to help with their overabundance of ‘pig food’.

Instead of breeding animals and trading with other refuges, you’ll gather new dinos through paleontological digs. Just like some of your workers in Let’s Build a Zoo, scientists will need time and resources to complete their work. But don’t skimp on payroll. Underinvesting tends to find useless fossils that can’t regenerate one of the mighty reptiles. Your new Jurassic-era park also comes with its own CRISPR which is essential for both cloning and hybridizing your collection of creatures.

There are quite a few additions and bug fixes. Most notable is a new campaign alongside a fresh set of moral dilemmas. Now, it’s entirely possible to spike the advertisements with subliminal messages to intensify demand. Previously, guests wandered throughout the park instead of staying close to the enclosures. The game has been amended to include staff entryways which help keep guests from wandering ‘backstage’. Another notable change is a new font, making longer play sessions more tolerable. But it’s still a pain to change an enclose to a different type of habitat. Ideally, the game should also let players know what kind of enclosure in needed when a new dinosaur is discovered.

Despite these negligible setbacks, Dinosaur Island injects a lot of entertainment into the original game. Jennifer Doudna’s journalism is still delightfully written and there’s a whole slew of new ways to compromise your integrity. And that’s the real surprise about the DLC. We all knew exhibiting dinosaurs would be enjoyable. What we didn’t expect is our moral compass to be completely faulty. Thanks for the reminder, Springloaded.

Recommended for: Management sim enthusiasts who appreciate ethical as well as economic challenges.