It’s not often I see Android games add popular mobile features that greatly improve the user experience for larger screen devices. It’s even less often that I see indie devs do this! The features I’m referring to aren’t particularly dependent upon the game’s budget (aside from the labor hours needed to code them in), and Google Play’s Developer console provides documentation and tools to make it easier. Oftentimes though, it’s just laziness or a lack of prioritization that causes developers to skip over the things that truly make games enjoyable for those of us who want to play on something other than our phones.
Indie game developers Red Blue Games out of Durham, NC just launched their awesome procedurally generated roguelike RPG on Android yesterday, and because it features achievements, cloud saves, and even controller support, it makes for a great title to play on your Chromebook!
I first met the team at PAX West 2019 before the pandemic struck, and I was impressed, to say the least. Sparklite is a top-down Zelda-inspired game, but it does plenty to stand out from Nintendo’s classic. I’ll let you watch the trailer below and check out the feature list to keep the details clean and easy to digest. For mobile, and by natural extension, Chrome OS, they’ve revamped the interface and added many other tweaks and improvements to make it easier to enjoy on the go.
Sparklite is an action-adventure set in the whimsical and ever-changing land of Geodia. Battle foes in top-down action using an arsenal of gadgets, guns, and gear. Explore dangerous corners of the procedurally generated world, take down titans of the mining industry, and harness the power of Sparklite!
Explore the bright and colourful land of Geodia
• Harness the Sparklite to fight monsters and titans
• Befriend the locals and help build The Refuge
• Invent your arsenal to solves puzzles, defeat enemies and become stronger
• Save the environment from the greedy Baron
• Enjoy intricate pixel art aesthetic and an original soundtrack by composer Dale North (Wizard of Legend) inspired by retro classics
Red Blue Games
Published by Playdigious – the same company that brought games like Dead Cells, Northgard, Evoland, and Dungeon of the Endless to mobile, Sparklite has the same excellent quality, and once you buy it, you own it – there are zero in-app purchases! In a marketplace flooded with IAPs, it’s refreshing that this handful of titles are being offered without any strings attached.
If you want to try the game for free, you can actually play it up until the first boss before paying for the full thing, so I recommend doing this to see if it’s something you like (hint: you’ll love it!). On top of that, the launch party includes a 30% discount if you pick it up soon, costing you only five bucks!
Install the game below, connect up your favorite controller through the Bluetooth quick settings on your Chromebook, and harness the power of the Sparklite as the starborn child. If you’d like to support the team further, you can join their Discord community. Happy gaming!
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