Entry: Assault Android Cactus

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In the realm of video games that are a number of avenues for how we measure value, especially in the festival circuit.

While Assault Android Cactus doesn't do much to elevate games from a specific/overt political or cultural statement, the game as a whole feels like it expresses the values of the team. Everything, from the graphics to the controls reinforce an adherence to giving players a core experience that still deviates from the brutal, unwavering nature of Sega arcades of the past by creating a game that can be enjoyed by everyone. It encourages players of all types to play together, which is important.

There are no easy to pin down negatives as every aspect of the game works to elevate the other parts.

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A solid game on all fronts. Built for multiplayer, but just as engrossing for single-player. All the balance and polish you'd expect of a game that has quite a bit of development and community support behind it, without losing the unique spirit that sets it apart from its contemporaries.

I am a little concerned about its "release year," concerning it's an early access game and has found its way into the hands of players for some time now. I seem to recall playing this at a game salon at GDC way back in 2013, and it was already a polished multiplayer experience even then. Ideally, IndieCade is a venue where we get to see games which can't be seen anywhere else, so I wonder if this isn't already enjoying all the exposure and accolades it might be seeking here. That being said, there's no denying what a solid piece of work this is and what an immediate draw it offers in a festival environment.

If the above wasn't clear, I'm definitely recommending this game as an IndieCade finalist. I do want to add though, that my personal favorite aspect of this game is definitely the character designs. Not only did you deftly navigate the often treacherous waters between 'appealing' and 'pandering' to deliver a cast that's visually distinct and inviting, you do so in a particularly memorable way. Although I'm sure the timing is accidental, the girls remind me of the predominantly feminine racers from Wreck-It Ralph, with all the cutesy SD proportions and rough-and-tumble personalities found therein. Truly a game which won me over early through its character roster and one I wouldn't mind at all getting to play some more of at festival.
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A very good and very well polished game. Deeply consensual though. And don't get me wrong, consensual is good, I loved the heroines, they're smart and fun, the game is well written but what news does it bring to the table ?

I've been through most of it and can't seem to find anything other to say than?�It's fun, well done and well polished but so?�"normal" I guess ?

So yes, yours is a good game and it deserves every dollar it'll make and I wish for it to make you a lot. But this game is not a good fit for indiecade: no complexity, no innovation, just a twin stick shooter like every other twin stick shooter, just more polished.
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This is a good game that I think could be a great game with a bit more work.  Here are my thoughts:
- The art is great and I love that all four main characters were women.  The visuals in general were very polished and made the whole game feel highly professional.
- The difficulty needs a fair amount of additional balance.  We played with four players and were able to play through without dying until the first boss, where we died about twenty times in a row before giving up.  One of the other jurors later played it on his own and reported that he had been able to easily beat that boss on his own, as well as a number of other bosses.  There shouldn't be such a huge discrepancy between 1 player and 4 players.
- The game is *incredibly* frenetic.  I know that, in part, this is what you're going for, but I would tune it back just a bit.  While it's intuitive enough that we were able to jump right in, it was impossible for us to do anything besides focus entirely on our characters.  We didn't realize there was a HUD for a few levels, and never figured out how the battery worked.  (We assumed it must go down when a player dies, and I didn't realize it was time-based until I went back again and read your description).  I never really felt like I got a hand on my 2nd weapon because I was in panic mode for nearly the whole level.  I would love a little bit more breathing room, especially in the earlier levels.