Indie Royale debuts five-game 'Stuffing Bundle'

Gamasutra sister site IndieGames' co-created service Indie Royale introduces the five-game Stuffing Bundle, featuring the cardboard/clay point and click adventure The Dream Machine (Chapters 1-3); Telltale Games' adventure sequel with a Layton-esque puzzle twist, Puzzle Agent 2; the civilization building Children of the Nile: Enhanced Edition; reverse tower defense game Anomaly: Warzone Earth; and Metroidvania Adventure Apes and the Mayan Mystery. First up are chapters 1-3 in the point and click adventure from Cockroach, The Dream Machine - available for Windows on Steam, Desura and DRM-free. Set in both reality and an unforgettable dream-world, one of the most distinctive features of the game is that all of the cast and sets are hand-made from clay and cardboard. This labor of love offers typical adventure mechanics: interesting dialogue, item collection, and puzzles, along with atmospheric music and a compelling story-line. Ars Technica calls The Dream Machine a title "that's elevated by a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere and subtly ominous sound design." Also featured is Layton-esque puzzle adventure sequel from Telltale Games, Puzzle Agent 2, available for Windows and Mac on Steam, Desura and DRM-free (Puzzle Agent 1 was featured in the July Jubilee Bundle). Offering unique puzzle mechanics, Puzzle Agent 2 uncovers additional mysteries via new plot additions such as haunting visions of astronauts in the woods while wrapping up unresolved mysteries from Puzzle Agent 1. Gamezebo praises Puzzle Agent 2 calling it "a game that offers everything fans of the first could want in a sequel." Next in this bundle is city builder Children of the Nile: Enhanced Edition from Tilted Mill - available for Windows on Steam, Desura and DRM-free (alongside its OST). Instead of focusing on buildings, it offers an accurate simulation of life in ancient Egypt centered on the citizens. Players assume the role of an immortality-seeking Pharaoh who builds up prestige over thousands of years by exploring and building monuments using surplus bread (currency) received in the form of taxes. Games Radar says of Children of the Nile "seeing your population grow and prosper is certainly rewarding, engrossing and even a little educational." Also offered is 11 Bit Studios' post-apocalyptic game Anomaly: Warzone Earth, available for Windows, Mac and Linux on Steam, Desura and DRM-free, which has a unique twist on tower defense where players take the offensive. Rather than building towers to force units through a path, players create path for units to destroy towers. Destructoid praises, "[e]very element of the game has such a high level of polish that it turns Anomaly: Warzone Earth into a standard that anyone, whether it's a small indie team or a publisher-owned 100-man studio, should strive to match." Last up is the retro-inspired platform adventure from ScaryPotato, Adventure Apes and the Mayan Mystery - available for Windows on Desura and DRM-free (and its MIDI OST). Players journey through the jungle to stop Horatio Hawk from escaping the Mayan temple with a magical artifact. This game executes on platform exploration, offering challenging bosses, fun graphics and hours of gameplay. DIY Gamer says that Adventure Apes "is great fun and there (are) obviously plenty of things to explore and learn as you make your way around the Mayan temples on your knuckles." Finally, those who pay $8 USD or their currency equivalent during the Stuffing Bundle will get a chiptune album with soothing synthesizer melodies, jazz fusion and progressive rock sensibilities 'Tree of Knowledge' from yogurtbox - a $10 value on its own. This unique album, available as part of an Indie Royale partnership with seminal chiptune label Ubiktune, was developed as an homage to distinctly retro Japanese PC-98 game soundtracks. More information on the Stuffing Bundle, including real-time statistics and its current price, is available on its official website or via its Facebook and Twitter pages. Streamlicious, a 100-hour indie game stream for charity, will also air gameplay for all of these games on November 23rd. During this live stream, viewers can win one of ten donated Indie Royale Stuffing Bundle keys.