Author: by Staff

The Indie Royale game bundle site has debuted its first-ever Alpha Collection, with buyers being able to play and help fund to completion three in-development titles, including the vaunted Dwarf Fortress-esque PC, Mac and Linux title Towns. This now-available bundle was hand-picked to include three games with immediately fun, playable 'alpha' versions and current or imminent PC, Mac and Linux versions. Each of the developers has committed to providing updates regularly to all Indie Royale buyers until the title is complete. Leading off the the Alpha Bundle is SMP's Towns, a city building and management game mixed with an RPG that draws inspiration from titles spanning Dungeon Keeper, Dwarf Fortress and Majesty. Instead of playing the hero who delves deep into the dungeon, players oversee the town that houses and caters the hero's needs. Along the way, players can craft unique weapons, obtain randomized loot and build a settlement capable of holding back the forces that rise up from the active dungeon upon which the town sits. Towns is available on PC, Mac, and Linux. The second title being Alpha funded is developer Phr00t's 3079 -- an alleged lovechild of Minecraft and Fallout, with a block-like world, futuristic action, and role-playing elements played in a first-person perspective. 3079's randomly generated areas, buildings, items, quests and characters make it an entertaining open-world experience, with Alpha funding helping to power many new additions over the next few months. PC, Mac, and Linux funders can dive into the single player and online multiplayer action now. Finally, the Alpha Collection's sleeper title is Wyv and Keep: the Temple of the Lost Idol is a lusciously pixelated 2D co-op puzzle platformer from A Jolly Corpse. Dubbed as a more fiendish version of Blizzard's classic The Lost Vikings, players can control Wyv and Keep with one keyboard, and two players can play locally or online. Players use boxes and even their own bodies to traverse gaps, activate switches, collect treasures, and reach exits in dozens of levels. A Windows PC build is currently downloadable, and purchasers' contributions will help fund the Mac and Linux versions of the game. These are planned to become available for all Alpha Collection buyers in the next 3 to 6 months. The Alpha Collection launches with a recommended €/£/$10 for the titles (downloadable as standalone executables and also redeemable via Desura), but a fluctuating minimum that starts at $5 USD and moves up from there. Generous purchasers will bring the minimum bundle price lower over the seven days of the bundle. More information on the Alpha Collection, including time left to buy, is available at its official website or via its Facebook and Twitter pages.