Clustertruck is a first-person 3D platformer, and the latest game developed by Landfall Games, and published by tinybuild. It is a fast-paced and challenging platformer, with controls and high-speed pacing akin to a 3D Super Meat Boy, where you jump between moving trucks whose fated actions are wholly unpredictable, all without touching the floor or walls even once. And people say there are no new ideas.

The bread-and-butters of Clustertruck  

Clustertruck is a prime example of easy to learn but hard to master. The base mechanics are jumping, running, and not running when necessary. There are also a variety of purchasable abilities that will make the game easier, as well as deepen and drastically change up the gameplay, all available for purchase between levels using the points you earn for performing tricks and beating levels. These range from basic yet helpful additions such as a double jump and a brief slow-motion power, to ridiculous overhauls of the gameplay, including one that changes the gameplay to imitate the recently released Superhot, making it so time only moves when you do.

Super. Truck. Super. Truck.

But regardless of what abilities you may use, no matter how you play Clustertruck, you will need to fully learn it's basics in order to master the art of flying through the air and hopscotching across the sea of speeding trucks.

Clustertruck is a game that is purely about gameplay. There is no story of any kind, or any context as to why you are jumping between the seemingly never-ending supply of trucks, let alone how they got where they are. You're just given a basic tutorial at the start, then you're let loose into the fast-paced and nonsensical world of truck-jumping laid out for you, and expected to adapt under pressure as the game gradually becomes more difficult over time.

There are 9 worlds in the main campaign, all in vastly different locations with different obstacles, with 10 levels per world, totaling at 90 levels. The difficulty is real in Clustertruck, with precise jumps and split-second timing constantly being asked of the player, but as with any game, your mileage may vary. I for one found the game consistently challenging with a solid sense of progression, only getting truly frustrating in the last two worlds, and ended up beating the main campaign in about 5 hours. 

However short the game may be, it's packed with variety, and rarely ever repeats itself with level structure, theme, or any obstacles. Some worlds will have giant hammers knocking the trucks off of cliffs, while some have missiles or lasers coming from various places, and some even have tractor beams that push and pull the player. Sandy dunes, slopes, and icy surfaces will affect the trucks movement as well, so even the changing terrain will change up the platforming, even if the player can never touch it.

A common, yet still exciting, occurrence in Clustertruck.  

In addition to this, it's rather difficult to play the same level the same way more than once, due to the variables of the game's physics. Both the trucks and the player character operate on a physics system, which causes terrain to affect the trucks' movement, as well as making memorizing patterns next to impossible due to numerous variables. This forces the player to act quickly under pressure and get creative with their solutions. It also allows for the player to manipulate the trucks a small amount, depending on where they land on them, or where they stand on them. This keeps the game consistently fresh and surprising, alongside the new, and frequently added, obstacles in each level. 

Aesthetically speaking, the game is quite pleasant looking. The graphics aren't pushing boundaries by any means, but it all looks very distinct and smooth with solid colors and clean shadows, and just the right amount of motion blur during the fastest and most intense sections. The music is fitting as well, but while I would call it good music, I didn't find it very memorable. I simply wouldn't be able place most tracks with the worlds they belonged to. 

So, what's here in terms of additional content?

Clustertruck's content aside from the main campaign seems to have the intent of creating a well-supported community. The game features a level editor that allows players to create and share their own levels, as well as an online leaderboard for the best time on each level, and built in Twitch-integration for online streaming purposes. There is also a ghost racing mode, where the player can attempt to beat a developer ghost player to the end of a level. As well as achievements to unlock, including one for beating the game using no abilities for those seeking a true challenge.

What kind of game is this really, and who will enjoy it?

What you see is what you get with Clustertruck. If you go in expecting a slew of challenging and creative levels about jumping across trucks, that's exactly what you're going to get, but if you aren't the kind of person who cares to replay levels for a better score, you should look elsewhere. While Clustertruck is certainly a very fun and exhilarating game on the first play through, it is also clearly a game with replay-value and in mind; where any additional content will come from the player's own experimentation, or the community's user-made content.

Aside from this, there's little to complain about in Clustertruck, as what it brings to the table is done rather well. Just understand that it can be truly difficult at times, with the final level taking me over 30 minutes and many deaths to complete.

Conclusion 

At just $15, Clustertruck has just the right amount of content and creativity to join the ranks of other inexpensive indie hits, and the unique premise and teeth-clenchingly tense gameplay alone make it worth the purchase. If you're a fan of 3D platformers, and want to see a rare example of a first-person platformer done well, or just a really good platformer in general, then you owe it to yourself to play Clustertruck. It's fast, intense, and off it's trucking rocker.

You can watch the official gameplay trailer for Clustertruck down below:

Review copy provided by developer, Landfall Games.

ClusterTruck, an upcoming first-person 3D platformer being developed by Landfall Games, and published by tinyBuild, currently has a free alpha build available for download.

ClusterTruck is a storyless physics-based platformer based solely around jumping across moving trucks in order to get to the end of each level without touching the ground once. The movement and the behavior of the trucks is altered slightly based on where and how you land on them, which creates a system where pattern memorization in order to get to the end of a stage is not an option. This makes the game a fairly unique take on a challenging platformer.

The free alpha build of ClusterTruck can be downloaded from Alpha Beta Gamer, and the game can be wish-listed on Steam as of right now, with a planned release for PC, Mac, and Linux coming soon.  

You can watch a recent trailer for ClusterTruck right here:

Alex Nichiporchik, the CEO of developer tinyBuild, has recently published his findings from an investigation into global digital gaming marketplace G2A. The virtual resale store sold nearly $450K worth of tinyBuild's games, and the developer did not get any sort of cut for those profits. 

G2A allows players to sell keys to games that they don't want or already own -- usually keys that are retrieved from buying gaming bundles. The web store takes a small cut of the profits, but the rest goes to the individual seller. 

TinyBuild, who frequently put their games in bundles, were aware that G2A was reselling their games, but were unaware of the extent of the profits being made from those sales. Nearly half a million dollars is a lot of money to lose to a reseller.

Alex Nichiporchik was curious and started an investigation about the impact G2A was having on his business. His investigation led him to discover that G2A has sold over 26,000 keys for tinyBuild games Party Harder, SpeedRunners, and Punch Party. Those keys come up to $450K in lost sales. The math that tinyBuild did to get to this total can be seen in the picture below.

Alex didn’t stop his research there. He wondered about where these gaming keys were coming from and how can publishers get compensation for that. He then emailed the company about his concerns.

G2A responded with a statement saying that due to the keys coming from tinyBuild’s resale partners, no compensation will be given. They also stated that if he was interested in discovering the origin of the keys, it “requires tinyBuild to want to work with G2A.” The gaming marketplace even went on to say that tinyBuild’s distribution partners are scamming them and are simply selling the keys on their website. However Alex later confirmed that Humble Store, BundleStars, IndieGameStand, and IndieGala do not resell their keys.

The global gaming marketplace has issued a statement about tinyBuild’s findings:

“At G2A we believe in being innocent until proven guilty, meaning we believe that all of our 200k merchants are legit until proven otherwise. We support merchants and assume they operate within the law. Of course, unfair “players” appear in any business, which unfortunately includes our system. Nonetheless, G2A does not hold any liability for vulnerabilities in someone’s billing system. We are sorry that tinyBuild’s shop was attacked and that it impacted their negotiations with G2A. We hope to restore a good relationship, because our door is always open for cooperation.”

In other words, they won’t be doing much to solve the problem at hand.

Most people are suggesting that tinyBuild should revoke the stolen keys by disabling the copies attached to them. However, there isn’t a way to track the leaked keys -- and if tinyBuild were to disable an entire batch, it would leave fans upset. Those who had actually paid for their games would be deactivated and they wouldn’t be able to play anymore.

Hopefully another solution will present itself in the following weeks.

Some of the most iconic and classic gaming titles have been racing and platforming games. SpeedRunners takes the concepts from its predecessors and innovates on them to create a fresh and addictive new gaming experience. Fast paced multiplayer and community interaction make SpeedRunners an early hit for 2016.

Concept

Choose a character and race around the map while dodging traps and collecting powerups. This sounds easy until you add in three other characters trying to sabotage you, a grappling hook and a shrinking screen.

SpeedRunners makes a simple concept of racing around a 2D map addictive. Dozens of maps as well as map building tools keep the game from becoming repetitive. In addition no round plays the same as the one before.

SpeedRunners did a good job developing content while it was still in beta. The developer's effort is seen in all the game modes and tools that were available at release. This means that there is plenty of content already available to keep you distracted and entertained.

Gameplay

Gameplay is both fast paced and thought provoking. You can't just race around the screen and hope to stay in the lead. Every level has different mechanisms and traps to consider. A riskier path could save you time or give you super speed. Collect a dangerous power up or a needed speed boost? Knowing the maps will help you get ahead faster.

The grappling hook is a nice touch it adds something other games don't have. Learning to use it effectively will help you stay on screen during all the critical moments

 When the first character falls off the screen, the screen starts shrinking and a countdown begins. From here gameplay hits its high. There are no alliances once you start running out of space on screen! Everyone will be on their toes. Either panic or utilize the mayhem and sprint to victory.

Video/Audio

SpeedRunners soundtrack is upbeat and matches the superhero like action the game embodies. The 2D graphics work for this title. It's  easy to jump into and learn. Also easy for players to build their own courses on.

Conclusion

Since its announcement in 2013 we've been keeping an eye on this little indie project. It's come a long way and should be a memorable title. I can appreciate the time spent developing this title while in early access. I recommend this game to any one looking for something familiar but with some twists. 

Apparently, there's a psychopath in all of us

Party Hard, recently previewed at PAX East, is the latest in a trend of ultraviolent games. This one is themed around disbanding a loud, large party that your neighbors are having with knives and the surrounding environment. 

The multi-platform game promises stealth to kill your way through hoards of your partying neighbors. Party Hard is set for a PC release this summer, with mobile releases to follow.