It’s time for a new feature here on DDN. Some games out there are too small to warrant a full-blown review. That’s where I come in. Hit the break to see my thoughts on some great indie games on sale this week on Steam.

Super Laser Racer

Summary: Mario Kart meets Geometry Wars. Hilarity ensues.

Graphics: The whole vector graphics thing is getting a little worn these days, but it still manages to look pretty. Each of the abilities has a nice unique animation that lets you know exactly what’s coming for you. Otherwise, the game looks nice. 8/10

Sound: The soundtrack definitely fits, with all of the songs being some form of techno. I just wish there was more of them. Sound effects are pretty good too, but nothing really special. 7/10

Gameplay: As mentioned, Super Laser Racer plays much like Mario Kart. The racing is fun and simple, with a nice “Blow them up before they blow you up” mechanic thrown in. Some of the tracks are really nice, while the others outright suck. Some of the early cars control a little awkward, and getting hit by a power up makes you turn like mud for 3-4 seconds, which breaks the action up way too much. A lack of multiplayer is definitely this game’s Achilles’ Heel, as it would take the gameplay from decent to excellent. 6/10

Replayability: Plenty of tracks and leaderboards helps, but you’ll probably find this one gathering dust in your Steam library. It’s definitely fun for an hour or so, but after that it just loses its fun. 5/10

Verdict: 26/40. For $1.50, it’s worth a shot, but otherwise Super Laser Racer isn’t going to be winning any awards any time soon.

Flotilla

The summary: Strategic space battles set to slow piano music.

Graphics: Flotilla uses a unique and simplistic graphics style utilizing primary colors and straight lines. It’s somewhat like the vector graphics style, but with a great deal more style. 10/10

Sound: There’s just something about slow, relaxing piano music playing while you send your ships to bring justice to those who are without. This along with the use of some nifty audio tricks on the sound effect side of things gives a great feel to the game and makes things more interesting. 9/10

Gameplay: Here’s the best part of Flotilla, by far. The gameplay is kind of hard to describe. You instruct your ships to move a certain direction on a plane, then vertically, after which you either set an automatic orientation for your ship (which is important, as the back and bottom of your ship are vulnerable to enemy fire) and set a main target, then watch the missiles and lasers fly. The game is deceptively difficult, as things such as lasers that can carve through your ships like a hot knife can often throw wrenches in your plans. Couple this with a nifty little story mode where your actions can come back to bite you in the ass, and you have a winning combination. 10/10

Replayability: Though the campaign is relatively short, you can always grab a buddy and do some co-op or PvP action. With a randomized story mode and said multiplayer features, you’ll be sure to keep coming back to this little gem. 9/10

Verdict: 38/40. Flotilla is a diamond in a rough of pretentious indie games made by studios trying to make a quick buck. With a unique graphic style, exemplary gameplay, and an interesting soundtrack, Flotilla is definitely worth $10.

Galcon Fusion

Summary: A simple yet challenging space strategy game that feels like Risk, but faster.

Graphics: SImplistic yet informative, Galcon Fusion’s graphics can run on even the worst computers. This isn’t a bad thing, either; sometimes, simple is good. 9/10

Sound: While there isn’t much in the way of music, at least the menu music is nice. There’s not even much in the way of in-game sounds, but they do the job well. 7/10

Gameplay: “Like Risk, but faster” seems to be the only real way to describe Galcon Fusion’s gameplay. Though it gets hectic every once in a while, the strategy required to play and win is definitely something that doesn’t come naturally. If you enjoy strategy games, however, it’s definitely worth a grab. 9/10

Replayability: The real meat here is in the multiplayer features. While the 20-odd difficulty levels and eight game modes will keep you roped in for a long while against the computer, Galcon Fusion’s co-op and versus modes will keep you hungry for even more. 10/10

Verdict: 36/40. Galcon Fusion is an interesting and fun strategy game with simple-yet-effective graphics and “easy to learn, hard to master” gameplay. At $5 this week, it’s practically a steal.

Chains

Summary: It’s like Tetris meets Bubble Bobble with weird win conditions, all wrapped into a joint.

Graphics: With a graphical style that meets halfway between World of Goo and something that someone with a very bad psychedelic drug habit would draw, Chains is definitely pretty. 9/10

Sound: Trippy music and trippier sound effects manage to entertain the player, but not much more. There’s nothing really very special here. 7/10

Gameplay: As with many indie games, Chains manages to look beautiful and do… well, not much else. While the gameplay is interesting and the challenges posed by each stage are nice, as a puzzle game it really just doesn’t have that addictive feel that games like Tetris and Bubble Bobble bring with them. However, that’s not to say the gameplay is all bad. A rarely found sense of strategy has been injected into some of the levels, and the game tends to be at least entertaining for the first hour or so. 6/10

Replayability: After you’ve beaten each of the stages, that’s it. There’s no real leaderboard support, no achievements, nothing but what is there before you. Replaying the levels is kind of fun, but it just doesn’t stretch things out much. 4/10

Verdict: 26/40. Chains is a game that tries something new, does it well, and not much else. It is proof that innovation doesn’t necessarily make a game better than others. Don’t get me wrong; Chains is not a bad game. The problem is that Chains is not exemplary at anything in particular; it’s mediocre all around.

Well, there you have it! The Steam “Summer of Perils” sale ends on July 4th, so grab these games as soon as you can, or wait and see if they make the Daily Deals list.