August has, in my opinion, been the best month for Nindies since the Switch was released. And our reviews this month reflect that: a handful of 8s have been accompanied by a 9.5 review and four 9s. Our new crew has bonded beyond belief and we have launched our redesigned scoring system; this includes clearly outlined definitions for our scores as well as a new heart graphic! September is approaching, but let’s look back on August at the Nexus.

We have been trying out so many new things! August saw the launch of the Ask The Nexus series, a brilliant new way for readers to get to know us. We also started publishing weekly summaries of Nindie news. This month, we’ve been trying to expand our site and incorporate more ways of discussing and reporting on Nindies. 41 articles, reviews, and opinion pieces were published as of writing this article. That number breaks our previous record from July. We have also been pushing more content on our YouTube and Twitter – the Nexus continues to expand!

Once again, we asked some of our staff about gaming in August. But, first, it is time for the monthly awards!

NINDIE NEXUS MONTHLY AWARDS!

GAME OF THE MONTH: DEAD CELLS

Although we had a strong month, one game stands above the rest as the August king of Nindies! That game is Dead Cells. A self-titled roguevania, Dead Cells finally arrived on the Switch and, to no one’s surprise, it scored 9.5/10! Nearly every member of the team has Dead Cells in their library and for good reason. If you want to check out the review to learn more, here it is.

SKIP OF THE MONTH: PIXEL ACTION HEROES

Pixel Action Heroes left our writers wanting more. There was missed potential, for sure. Although it does not quite beat out Farm Expert 2018 as our lowest scoring game ever, with a score of 3.5/10 it is close enough! There’s poor gameplay and bad controls galore! Check out our review to learn more about this one.

PICK OF THE MONTH: SALT AND SANCTUARY

Does a 2D Dark Souls sound good? This game might be for you! As Step said in his review, “With hardcore difficulty, and a dark and lonely world to explore, Salt and Sanctuary does not hide its inspiration.” Scoring a 9/10, Salt and Sanctuary is another superb addition to the Nintendo Switch eShop and was a great way to start the month for many people on the team. Salt and Sanctuary is on my wishlist and, once my backlog is slowly reduced, it will find a home on my Switch.

Staff Thoughts

Of course, we are all about Nindies and gaming. But what has our team been up to this August? What games have they played, loved, or possibly hated? It is time to reflect on August with the Nindie Nexus team!

Derick

Nindie Nexus has kept me busy over August! I’ve reviewed and played The Inner World and its sequel, Megaton Rainfall, Tetra’s Escape, Detective Gallo, and Victor Vran thanks to the site. While I enjoyed each of them, my favorite indie I played this month was Banner Saga 3. I’ve long awaited the final chapter of the trilogy, and it was a satisfying end to the story.

Banner Saga 3? I know I will be playing that as soon as the trilogy launches physically! Next up we have Zeno, who has been playing our very own Game of the Month!

Zeno

This August, I’ve mainly been playing Dead Cells. I just keep coming back for more and have already sunk over fifty hours into it. Although I’m kind of done with the game now, I’m convinced I’ll soon start it up again just because it’s so much fun to do a few runs.

Other than Dead Cells, I’ve been playing Inversus Deluxe, and Toki Tori. Inversus Deluxe is a fun arcade shooter that offers local co-op as well as a 1v1 and 2v2 multiplayer experience. I had a blast playing this with a friend. We especially enjoyed the tough but fair arcade co-op challenges. And, although I’m only on the second world of Toki Tori, it has offered a pretty fun but puzzling experience so far. It’s got simple puzzles explaining the basics as well as more challenging puzzles that can get rather tough.

5o hours in Dead Cells? Those are rookie numbers, boy! Better get them up by the next time we check in on you. Time for a word from Samy? Sure thing.

Samy

August brought me 2064: Read Only Memories, which is a game I’ve been excited about for months. It exceeded expectations! The cyberpunk aesthetic, inclusive characters, and charming voice acting all won over my heart! In addition to that delightful game, I’ve been having a lot of fun playing Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes. It’s been really great at parties!

Why did you stop? Didn’t you learn? Someone is gonna explode! Quick! Somebody help me! Perhaps Zach can assist!

Zach

August was another powerhouse month for Nindies. The summer months typically have a drought of AAA games, and it’s great to see indies fill this gap. From Dead Cells to Manual Samuel, there is something for everyone to enjoy. There is so much I want to play, but I’ve been unable to put down Prison Architect. It’s becoming a problem. Send help.

Now that is a prison I would like to see! Who next? Ah yes, off to Australia we go. Take it away Renate!

Renate

August has gone faster than I might have anticipated. Unfortunately, I haven’t had nearly enough time to sit down and play as much as I would have liked. My pick of the month would have to have been Shio – I’m ten hours in, but the game provides a fair bit of replay value if you like beating your personal bests and discovering in-game secrets. And, although not a Nindie, I’ve been getting back into Splatoon after a long hiatus. Long live Team Fork!

Last but not least, what have I been playing? You probably already know but I will gush anyway!

Tom

This month was going pretty well when I picked up a nice physical copy of Dead Cells! It is obviously an amazing game and I am enjoying my time with it. However, the game that I have enjoyed the most has to be Bad North! A surprise shadow drop during the Nindie highlights last week, Bad North has absorbed 90% of my gaming time since it was released. It’s an amazingly fun and punishing RTS. Go check out my review for more details!

As I said at the start, August has been an incredible month for Nindies, and there is plenty more to come! I hope this little catch up with the site and team has allowed you to get to grips with anything you missed in August. Make sure you check out both Game of the Month and Pick of the Month for two awesome Nindie games!

This brings us to the end of our Nindie Nexus August roundup. Of course, this is for you, the fans! So, if you want any changes to the format to be sure to let us know via Twitter! Also, be sure to come join our Discord. If you feel like supporting us, check out our Patreon and Ko-fi. We appreciate all of your support!