Niche & Indie Game News
Niche & Indie Game News
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Discover the hidden gems of the gaming world with Niche & Indie Game News. Get the latest updates, reviews, and insights on unique and innovative games from independent developers. Explore the road less traveled in gaming!
All No Means Nothing endings and how to get them
All No Means Nothing endings and how to get them From feeling uncomfortable to absolutely horrified, the No Means Nothing endings will likely leave a sour taste in your mouth. Masters of disturbing indie horror, BOBER BROS are back, and this time we're getting a lesson on consent. Acting as a PSA on how not to treat a person, No Means Nothing is an anti-dating simulator where your choices actually matter. Much like the dev's previous work, The Hole , No Means Nothing is sure to stay with you for its content alone—and there's no reading between the lines this time around. With four endings to get, here's every outcome in No Means Nothing . Warning: No Means Nothing features imagery that may trigger you. There is nothing subtle about this game, so please take the trigger warning at the start seriously. Table of contents No Means Nothing ending guide Everything's F***ed Ending Worst Possible Ending Good Enough Ending Ideal Ending No Means Nothing ending guide The easiest way to get all endings is to complete your first playthrough, choosing what you think are the best choices in the moment, and clicking Continue in the main menu to return to Radek's apartment. This is guaranteed to give you two endings quickly. All roads lead to this event, where your shaped personality determines which dialogue prompts you can choose at the all-important climax. You can also skip the work simulator sections by repeatedly clicking on the bell at the warehouse window (where Redak throws you boxes) during each shift, as reaching $1000 isn't an ending requirement. At the time of writing, No Means Nothing incorrectly states that there are five endings, but it only features four. BOBER BROS confirms there isn't a fifth ending. You will unlock the Get All Endings achievement when the fourth is acquired. Everything's F***ed Ending Screenshot by Destructoid Not sure what it says about me that this is the first ending I got, but you need to choose every dialogue prompt that increases Anger. The goal is to reach Anger>7 so that during your confrontation with Redak, the dialogue option: "TOUCH ME AND I SWEAR I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU" is available. Then, survive the short QTE (quick-time event) to unlock this ending. Worst Possible Ending Screenshot by Destructoid Appropriately named and the hardest ending to allow yourself to get, this ending is achieved by letting Redak do what he wants. While all dialogue options inside his apartment clearly draw the line, Redak repeatedly chooses to cross over it. You don't need to meet a specific personality condition to go to the bathroom during Redak's confrontation, but be sure to pick "I gotta use the bathroom" when it appears. Once inside, you can either let Redak in by leaving the door unlocked or fail the chase event in the dreamlike maze at the end of No Means Nothing . Good Enough Ending Screenshot by Destructoid Similar to the Worst Possible Ending, you have to reach the bathroom in Redak's apartment at the end of No Means Nothing . Once inside, lock the door and wait until Redak leaves. Then, survive the chase event by finding any of the exit doors and mashing the interact button to escape. Ideal Ending Screenshot by Destructoid The goal in this ending is to build your Willpower. You need to do this from the very start of the game, just like building your Anger for the Everything's F***ed Ending. Pay attention to the Consequences menu when selecting a dialogue prompt and choose the one that increases Willpower. Here are the choices we picked: "Get up." "I'll help more, just...give me a little more time." "I meant what I said. Respect my boundaries, or I'm done." "NO. Respect my no, or I'm leaving." "One more threat, and we're done. Forever." Set a clear boundary. "Music sounded better five minutes ago..." "I said no. Drop it!" "Not my thing. Please stop!" "Hard no. DO NOT touch me!" "Bro, you're making the situation weird." "Radek, seriously, you're scaring me now. Back off!" "Sober the fuck up and let me leave. RIGHT. NOW!" You need Willpower>9 to unlock this ending. Make sure you choose the sober option at Radek's confrontation to activate the Ideal Ending. That concludes the very disturbing and real nightmare of No Means Nothing . The post All No Means Nothing endings and how to get them appeared first on Destructoid .
Indie Archives – DestructoidDec 12
Ferocious release countdown: Exact date and time
Ferocious release countdown: Exact date and time Survival FPS adventure Ferocious is finally going to launch on PC via Steam, and not long is left for it to go live. After several delays, we will finally be able to play the game in December 2025. This guide will help keep track of the upcoming launch, allowing you to jump in once Ferocious goes live globally. Ferocious release countdown Ferocious will be released exclusively for PC players on Dec. 4 . The release date was announced earlier by OMYOG and tinyBuild. The following countdown will expire once the game goes live. [hurrytimer id="1150216"] The countdown is based on the following timings. 9am ET 11am CT 12pm PT 5pm GMT 6pm CET 2am JST (Dec. 5) 3am AEST (Dec. 5) As of writing, you can wishlist Ferocious on Steam. There's no pre-order bonus or early access period. The game will be priced at $24.49, pending regional pricing as applicable. The countdown and timings mentioned above are based on the information available from SteamDB. Ferocious is a hardcore survival title where you'll wake up on an uncharted island. The island has its own share of threats, which include apex predators and ancient dinosaurs that have come back to life. However, the creatures aren't the only threats, as enemy mercenaries and mechas will aim to end your life. Your ultimate aim is to survive on the island against all odds. Discover hidden areas, master the terrain, and raise your chances of survival with limited resources. Exploration is key as it will allow you to gain access to secret areas with valuable loot that will help you survive. There are plenty of weapons available for you to craft and use, allowing you to fight how you want. It even involves a control device that will allow you to get the dinosaurs on your side. It will be interesting to see if Ferocious can excite fans in a month that doesn't have a plethora of major launches. The post Ferocious release countdown: Exact date and time appeared first on Destructoid .
Indie Archives – DestructoidDec 3
Demonschool Review — Extra Dead-it
Demonschool Review — Extra Dead-itDemonschool first caught my eye a few months ago, with a bit of promotional material popping up on Steam that immediately convinced me it was going to be my kind of game. After all, what’s not to love in the promise of a highly stylized, character-driven, school-life-style RPG about demon hunting? The premise was promising, […] The post Demonschool Review — Extra Dead-it appeared first on Try Hard Guides .
Game Reviews – Try Hard GuidesNov 18
Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault Early Access Review
Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault Early Access ReviewThere is an ever-growing genre of games set not in the perspective of the typical fantasy adventurer but from that of the person who runs the shops that sell heroes their magical weapons and ever-so-important gear. It’s not hard to see why. It’s an appealing twist on the store-simulation genre, taking all of the fun […] The post Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault Early Access Review appeared first on Try Hard Guides .
Game Reviews – Try Hard GuidesNov 17
Vivid World Review — Kawaii Demon Slaying
Vivid World Review — Kawaii Demon SlayingI don’t know what you call the visual aesthetic of this game—moe, kawaii, something like Hello Kitty meets the Grim Reaper—but I love it. Vivid World is a unique title that combines roguelike dungeon crawling, deckbuilding, and autobattlers into one surprisingly cohesive package with, as I said, a really good and really cute visual identity […] The post Vivid World Review — Kawaii Demon Slaying appeared first on Try Hard Guides .
Game Reviews – Try Hard GuidesNov 17
Sanatorium – A Mental Asylum Simulator Review — Ice Baths and Straightjackets
Sanatorium – A Mental Asylum Simulator Review — Ice Baths and StraightjacketsSanatorium – A Mental Asylum Simulator is a game with an incredibly interesting premise. Stepping into the shoes of a 1920s mental-health doctor (sort of), you’re challenged with the day-by-day process of diagnosing and treating new patients, managing dwindling hospital supplies, and using your knowledge of outdated medicine to climb the hospital ranks, all while […] The post Sanatorium – A Mental Asylum Simulator Review — Ice Baths and Straightjackets appeared first on Try Hard Guides .
Game Reviews – Try Hard GuidesNov 14
Dispatch Review — Heroic
Dispatch Review — HeroicIf you’re familiar with my broader publication of writing, you might have seen an opinion piece I wrote in which I stated my excitement for Dispatch. In this piece, I talked not only about the game’s star-studded cast but the incredible animation, how the game seemed to be thoughtfully designed around a true choose-your-own-adventure path, […] The post Dispatch Review — Heroic appeared first on Try Hard Guides .
Game Reviews – Try Hard GuidesNov 13
Winter Burrow Review — Little Mouse, Big Winter
Winter Burrow Review — Little Mouse, Big WinterThere are quite a few similarities and repeating themes in farming and crafting games, particularly those in the genre defined by trendsetters like Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley. Oftentimes, these games follow a familiar story: something has driven you, the player character, from the hustle and bustle of city life into the countryside. Usually, this […] The post Winter Burrow Review — Little Mouse, Big Winter appeared first on Try Hard Guides .
Game Reviews – Try Hard GuidesNov 12
Amanda the Adventurer lore: Full timeline and story, explained
Amanda the Adventurer lore: Full timeline and story, explained With the Amanda the Adventurer trilogy now complete, there's a lot to ponder over when it comes to Hameln's intentions, the Anomaly's purpose, and understanding what happened to the show's creator, Sam Colton. No longer are theories needed, for (almost) everything has been answered in the world of Amanda the Adventurer . But if you need a refresher or are looking for a rundown on what we've learned across this indie horror trilogy, here's the answers to the biggest questions in Amanda the Adventurer . Table of contents The entire Amanda the Adventurer story, summarized What is Hameln? What happened to Sam and Rebecca Colton? What is the Anomaly? Who is Wooly? What is Shepherd? Who is Chicken Scratch? Amanda the Adventurer timeline, summarized The entire Amanda the Adventurer story, summarized Image by MANGLEDmaw Games Riley Park inherits her aunt Kate's house and with it came recordings of the Amanda the Adventurer show that was cancelled years prior. Riley's involvement continues Kate's legacy to find and rescue star of the show, Rebecca Colton. The first game ends with Riley destroying the television and Kate's house being burnt down, but that was only the beginning. A masked figure, later confirmed to be Joanne Cook (friend of Kate), leads Riley to Kensdale Public Library. The goal shifts from understanding what's going on to the destruction of all Amanda the Adventurer tapes. Similar to Kate's goal, Joanne wants to figure out what happened to her brother who mysteriously disappeared, like other children in Kensdale. Image by MANGLEDmaw Games While the community grew concerned over the strange and otherworldly effects the show had on their kids, Hameln continued to push their safe narrative. The missing children were being lured into their arms by Amanda's words. Their goal? To build a bridge from the Darkness into our reality, using children as the guiding vessel. Hameln is long gone by the time Riley comes in, yet someone had a hand in Kate's mysterious accident. Joanne destroys a tape but angers Shepherd, Wooly's monstrous form. Riley retreats into the secret hatch behind Kate's office. Image by MANGLEDmaw Games The shocking thing is that the missing children weren't taken very far. Hidden directly underneath the Kensdale Library was a maximum-security facility for Hameln employees to experiment on the stolen children, implanting the entity in Rebecca which would fuse with her, later spawning the Colton Anomaly. Riley works at restoring Rebecca's memories by reminding Amanda of her childhood. Rebecca remembers her father and best friend, Maggie. Riley is then allowed to enter the chamber to free Rebecca after two decades of captivity. By breaking the last tape , both Rebecca and the Anomaly are whole again. What is Hameln? Image via Amanda the Adventurer Wiki Hameln is a façade. On the surface, Hameln appears as a Media Company, but their true intentions are far more nefarious than corporate greed. A cultist background, Hameln are a group called the Curtain. Obsessed with the Unseen, the Curtain wanted to "return to Darkness," bringing the Unseen into the Light. Hameln's name and logo is a direct reference to the Pied Piper, luring children away to punish their parents. But, the Curtain's true intentions was to harbor entities inside malleable children so that they may control said entities. Screenshot by Destructoid Only Amanda and Wooly have blatant links to the entities, where sigils (Kate called this "energy transfers") were used to both summon and entrap the Unseen, much like demonic possession. However, the child's mind had to be trapped too, where Rebecca was purposely experimented on and placed into an induced coma. Her body aged while her mind stayed childlike. All child subjects were tested on and placed inside the show, their bodies fed with their favorite food to ensure neither avatar or child died. The googly eyes that represent the show's mise en scène are the missing kids, breathing and reacting to Amanda's words. What happened to Sam and Rebecca Colton? Screenshot by Destructoid We finally got confirmation on what happened to Sam and Rebecca Colton. Sam breaks out of his prison disguised a kid's bedroom after hearing the authorization code to this room. He tries to take Rebecca with him, but his escape attempt backfired. The Anomaly broke through Rebecca's neuropsychic system (the connection between the mind and nervous system), appearing like a twisted form of the Amanda avatar from the show. Sam Colton is killed in the blast, where the Anomaly disappeared into the facility's infrastructure, wreaking havoc on any Hameln employee that upset Amanda. Screenshot by Destructoid The leading star of the show, Rebecca, was taken, experimented on, and tricked into harboring an entity to do Hameln's bidding. But her avatar, Amanda, wasn't controllable. The Anomaly attacked if Amanda perceived any action towards her as harmful, resulting in injuries and deaths in Hameln's facility. Hameln then swapped the plan to destroying the tapes, so to sever the link between Rebecca and the Anomaly. What is the Anomaly? Screenshot by Destructoid The Anomaly is an unnamed entity, perhaps one of the mentioned names in the games: Bael, Paimon, Baalam, Belial, Mara, or Iblis. The Anomaly existed exclusively in Rebecca's mind, having being placed there in a summoning ritual when she was only seven years old. It wasn't until Sam tried to save his daughter that the Anomaly managed to escape from Rebecca's mind, taking a physical form in the real world. We assume this is what Hameln wanted, but the connection between host and parasite was far too strong. Hameln didn't predict that the Anomaly would react as if it was Rebecca. Who is Wooly? Screenshot by Destructoid Wooly is a Hameln employee called Marcus Moutman. Hired onto the Pneumatransference Department, Marcus signed his death wish incredibly early on in his career. Rather than being manipulated at a young age like Rebecca, Marcus actively chose to hand over his mind, body, and soul to Hameln. It seems like Marcus didn't fully know what he was signing up to or that he wasn't an active member of the Curtain. Rather, Marcus came across as a man that wanted to do big things and be remembered for it. While many thought (and rightly so) that Wooly was a wolf in sheep's clothing, the man behind the avatar was more of a placid people-pleaser. But much like Rebecca, Marcus would soon forget who he was and fall victim to the more aggressive, short-tempered side of the Shepherd. Marcus eventually let the Shepherd fully take over as he probably realized he wasted his years, got left behind, and is just as trapped as Rebecca. He destroys his avatar, and in turn, himself. What is Shepherd? Screenshot by Destructoid Shepherd was an experiment conducted by Hameln scientists to create a more controllable setting inside Amanda the Adventurer. The goal was to destroy all tapes that featured the Amanda avatar so that the Anomaly no longer acted as if itself and Rebecca were one and the same. I believe Shepherd was single-handedly the reason behind Kate's car crash. What I can't work out is how Kate's final words recorded on cassette ended up inside the TV show and why there's a secret hatch to Hameln's facility behind her office. Unless this was all an attempt to get Riley and Joanne here so that Shepherd could destroy the remaining tapes? Who is Chicken Scratch? Screenshot by Destructoid Chicken Scratch is the name given to the Opossum character in Amanda the Adventurer. Neither Amanda or Wooly recognize him, hinting that his appearance is unexpected. The Opossum is Jordan Cook, Joanne's missing younger brother. We learnt about Joanne in the first game, who sent a letter to Kate, looking for help with finding Jordan. The strongest evidence that Jordan is Chicken Scratch is in Amanda the Adventurer 2 's secret cutscene for the true ending. This short scene shows that the Opossum recognizes Joanne's voice on the walkie-talkie and calls out to her. I assume the reason he can't talk well is so Jordan cannot reach out to Joanne as she was trying to find him. Hameln knew about Kate's investigations and took out anyone who got close to the truth. A question that remains is why Jordan has the animated character of the Opossum, where other children present as mere googly eyes, unable to talk or move. The monitors near the pod room in Hameln's facility indicate that staff were observing the integrity of a subject. If they were able to adjust these like video game modifiers, it could explain why Jordan cannot talk and only appears on a handful of tapes. Screenshot by Destructoid Both Wooly and Amanda had monster versions of their avatar, demonstrated by the recurring sigils on pods and inside the Chapel. Jordan's pod was in the same room as the other subjects, so how did he have a physical avatar in the show? Screenshot by Destructoid We theorize the only reason Chicken Scratch (AKA Opossum/Jordan Cook) had an avatar while the other kids appeared as eyes fixed onto inanimate objects was because they weren't as obedient as Jordan. Hameln likely reduced their avatars to eyes only. Surely Amanda the Adventurer would have had other characters when the show was most popular, meaning other children should have had avatars. We know children like Lauren and Jordan were subjects and that Hameln could terminate the life support whenever they wanted, as Shepherd's attack in the pod room sucked the life out of Chicken Scratch and all eyes (including on all future tapes) became empty. Amanda the Adventurer timeline, summarized Screenshot by Destructoid 1999 - Sam Colton creates the live-action show of Amanda the Adventurer, starring his adopted daughter, Rebecca as Amanda. It's a hit in Kensdale, with Sam appearing on local news and at Kensdale Public Library to promote it. 2000 - Hameln buys the rights to Amanda the Adventurer and turns it into an animated programme. 2001 - Sam Colton goes missing. 2001-2002 - Jordan Cook goes missing. 4th November, 2002 - Karla Aldeli goes missing. 8th March, 2002 - Rebecca signs a contract with Hameln without a guardian present, resulting in her losing autonomy. Mid 2002 - Rebecca is infected with the Anomaly at age seven, courtesy of the Meatman/Butcher (Hameln surgeon). 4th April, 2003 - Colton Anomaly incident . Sam Colton escapes his room in the Hameln maximum-security facility in an attempt to rescue Rebecca. Because the avatar of Amanda already existed and Rebecca was likely already in a comatose state, Sam's interference caused a surge of energy, manifesting the physical form of the Anomaly (Amanda's monster). Sam dies from the impact. Mid 2003 - Hameln goes bankrupt, a result of the increasing concerns from the community over the missing children. A representative does damage control, claiming the adverse reactions from the show are in a select few of children and asks parents to return any recordings of Amanda the Adventurer (so that they can destroy them). 12th June, 2003 - Lauren Matthews goes missing. 2003 - Kate starts her investigation into Hameln. Joanne Cook reaches out about her missing brother, Jordan. Kate, Caroline, and David start Occult Research Meetings to discuss their findings. 10th October, 2003 - Shepherd is created with Marcus Moutman as the experiment subject. Wooly is added to Amanda the Adventurer. 2013 - Unnamed protagonist (presumably David) breaks into Hameln facility and is shot. 2017 - Kate, Caroline, and Peter's supposed final Occult Research Meeting. Kate heavily implied on her car crash audio recording that Caroline and Peter were killed too. February 2023 - Kate leaves a goodbye letter for Riley. 2023 - Riley inherits Kate's house and finds an Amanda the Adventurer tape in the attic. She follows Joanne Cook to Kensdale Public Library and discovers Hameln's underground facility behind Kate's office. Joanne is killed by Shepherd. Riley restores Rebecca's memories and opens her pod where she frees herself from the Anomaly by breaking the last tape. Based on the timeline, Rebecca should be approximately 27 years old in Amanda the Adventurer 3 . The post Amanda the Adventurer lore: Full timeline and story, explained appeared first on Destructoid .
Indie Archives – DestructoidNov 12
All Amanda the Adventurer 3 secret tapes and where to find them
All Amanda the Adventurer 3 secret tapes and where to find them Being a part of Amanda the Adventurer 's world means you're already used to hunting down its secret tapes. Just like Amanda's scavenger hunt, we're back searching for the final secret tapes to help make sense of what exactly happened to Rebecca Colton. The final piece to solving the grand Amanda the Adventurer puzzle is to find those four colorful secret tapes. Dotted across the two chapters, the secret tapes help provide answers in the ongoing mystery that centers around the nefarious Hameln. But now we're at the end of the line and with Rebecca's rescue in sight, here's where to find all secret tapes in Amanda the Adventurer 3 . Table of contents Amanda the Adventurer 3: Secret tape locations First tape Second tape Third tape Fourth tape Amanda the Adventurer 3: Secret tape locations There are four secret tapes in Amanda the Adventurer 3 . The game kindly keeps track of your progress in the main menu, but doesn't tell you how many you need to get the true ending. You can refer to the credits and count the redacted sections to tell you how many tapes are left to find. First tape Screenshot by Destructoid This tape is the same one we saw the unnamed protagonist in the prologue place in a folder box. But the box is no longer in the pod room. Now directly next to the television when Riley enters the facility, you must restore Rebecca's memory of the amusement park to get the code 75820. Input this five digit code into Blabbo Bot. The audio log left by Hameln employee Cara reveals the folder box code is 4307 . Use it to get the first tape and learn what happened to Sam Colton. Second tape Screenshot by Destructoid The next tape is obtained inside the pod room. You have to match the subjects' favorite food by referring to the Workstation Memo on the corkboard outside of Sam Colton's room. Assign the food from inside the fridge to the correct pod based on the last two digits listed on the right-hand side of said pod. It should go as follows: Chocolate cake - 01 (Error pod) Ham and cheese sandwich - 02 (Power line) Sashimi - 03 (Sun/Circle) Hamburger - 04 (House) Mint Chocolate Chip Icecream - 05 (Flower) Milk - 06 (Cloud) Pizza - 07 (Tree) Salad - 08 (Bin) Return to the fridge to get this secret tape and watch the news broadcast on how Amanda the Adventurer got cancelled. Third tape Screenshot by Destructoid Find Marcus Moutman's Access Card on the bench next to Blabbo Bot when you're inside the Chapel. Input his ID number 61318 into Blabbo. The clearest hint that this is Wooly is the emphasis placed on the word "bad" (like a sheep baaing) as Blabbo offers a clue towards getting the next tape. Insert the When I'm Grown Up tape and answer " MARCUS " when Amanda asks " What do you want to be if you grow up? " The secret tape then spawns on the bench. We finally have the real name and face of the mysterious Wooly. Fourth tape Screenshot by Destructoid The final tape is obtained inside the Chapel, where you must find and place the four candles on the matching podiums that's surrounding the television set and monitors. First, complete When I'm Grown Up tape by clicking on the mirrors in the hallway when they show the correct reflection of Maggie. The mirrors shatter at the end of the tape if completed correctly, rewarding you with the code: 4739 . This unlocks the Chapel, where you get the remaining candles you need to unlock the fourth and final tape. The final piece of lore is the Hameln press conference, where a representative does damage control over the adverse side effects Amanda the Adventurer has had on children and asks parents to hand over any tapes of the show (to destroy them). The post All Amanda the Adventurer 3 secret tapes and where to find them appeared first on Destructoid .
Indie Archives – DestructoidNov 10