This is Niche Early Access. In this column, we regularly showcase various promising games that are currently in some form of early access or development, and haven’t reached full release. Please let us know if there’s a game you want us to showcase!
We’ve entered another week, so here’s another batch of recent Early Access releases to highlight. This week is a bit more varied, so hopeful everyone can find something that catches their eye.
Here’s this week’s batch of 5 Early Access highlights:
Super Chicken Catchers
Developer: White Smoke Games
Platforms: Windows PC
Price: $17.99 (Price will increase)
First this week is Super Chicken Catchers, a rather unique looking 2v2 multiplayer game. Each team has a rider and a mount that have complimentary abilities and must work together to catch a chicken and bring it to a goal.
The rider can jump and glide, while the mount can perform quick charge attacks and activate certain power-ups in the environment. The characters lose their special abilities while holding the chicken, but can regain their powers when the rider jumps on his mount. Super Chicken Catchers supports both online and splitscreen multiplayer.
Super Chicken Catchers is set to get a full release around Q4 this year.
uFactory
Developer: Lucid Silence Games
Platforms: Windows PC
Price: $9.99 (Price may increase)
uFactory is a factory management game about creating the most efficient production lines. Your factory has limited space, so get the most out of it with smart placement and automated contraptions like mechanical arms and conveyer belts.
uFactory is still in a fairly early state, and won’t be leaving Early Access until sometime next year.
Bossgard
Developer: Sand Sailor Studio
Platforms: Windows PC
Price: $12.99 (Price will increase)
Bossgard is an asymmetrical 5v1 multiplayer game focused on giant boss fights. Five players control a party of Viking warriors with their own unique set of weapons and abilities, while the sixth player is the massive boss they are fighting against.
The game currently features 10 Vikings, 5 bosses, and 10 maps to choose from. Vikings and bosses can also be customized with various items, and more will be added as development continues. The game features both online and local multiplayer.
Bossgard is set to get a full release in around a year.
Embark
Developer: Overly Complicated Games
Platforms: Windows PC
Price: $24.99
Embark is a complicated colony management sim that is inspired by Dwarf Fortress. Build up a massive colony by gathering resources, hunting and taming animals, building aqueducts, farming the land, and more.
Each colonist has a simulated web of relationships with their fellow workers that can affect their performance. The world is also populated by other factions that you can build trading partnerships with, or raid to take their resources by force.
Embark is an extremely ambitious game by a small team, so expect it to be in Early Access for quite some time.
Sigma Theory: Global Cold War
Developers: Mi-Clos Studio, Goblinz Studio
Platforms: Windows PC, Mac, Linux
Price: $17.99 (Price will increase)
Finally, we come to Sigma Theory: Global Cold War, a strategy game where you manage an intelligence agency during a new Cold War. The world’s superpowers are competing over a new scientific breakthrough, and its up to you to ensure that your country stays ahead of the others through sabotage, assassination, kidnapping, data theft, and diplomacy.
Recruit operatives and send them on missions across the globe that fall into their area of expertise.
Sigma Theory: Global Cold War is expected to remain in Early Access for around three to six months.
Which of these games are you interested in, and what recent Early Access releases did we miss? Tell us in the comments below!
