PAX East 2022

PAX East 2022: 10 of our favorites from this year’s show

Some of the coolest upcoming games we saw at the show

Recommended Videos

PAX East 2022 was a strange one. It was my first time attending the show since the pandemic shuttered in-person conventions. And it was nice, getting to see old friends, new faces, and plenty of interesting indie games in Boston again.

Throughout my four days, I wandered the show floor, checking out plenty of games along the way. And to be clear, I didn’t see everything. Despite best efforts and a slimmer-than-usual year, there was still plenty on the floor I never got a chance to check out.

But among the list of what I did see, a few in particular stood out. So without further ado, here are some games worth keeping an eye on from PAX East 2022.

Lucid

Take a little bit of every platformer you’ve dug in the past, mix it together, and you’re somewhere in the ballpark ofĀ Lucid. It’s got a littleĀ CelesteĀ andĀ Metroid, plus some time-trial speedrunning influence, and aĀ Hyper Light Drifter-adjacent style.

But comparisons don’t really do justice to seeing it in motion. It ties this all together into a game that, even in a behind-closed-screens hands-off demo, looked tight and fast. This small indie project was one of my favorites of the weekend, and though I only saw a little slice, I’m incredibly interested in seeing what developer Eric Manahan has in store for the future.

Find it on Steam here.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge

What more do I need to say?Ā TMNT: Shredder’s RevengeĀ turned out exactly as I’d hoped it would. It’s energetic, upbeat, easy to pick up and a blast to master.

It’s full of charm, the way you’d want a Saturday morning brawler to play. The turtles, Splinter, and April all feel unique and worth swapping around the roster to check out. I’m glad this retro brawler is shaping up so well.

Find it on Steam here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avX_SrXRyTk

Cursed to Golf

Someone in the comments section of my preview asked why so many indies are tackling golf in particular. It’s been a few days since, and I feel like Cursed to GolfĀ provides the answer.

Golf itself is a malleable sport. You have clubs, a ball, and a hole you have to whack the ball into. Everything in-between is completely up to the designer; the course can take whatever twists and turns it wants.Ā Cursed to GolfĀ does just that, turning a grand ol’ game of golf into a platforming, puzzle-solving, route-planning roguelike full of challenge and fun characters. It’s a clever reinterpretation in the vein of Golf StoryĀ andĀ What the Golf, and worth keeping an eye on.

Find it on Steam, with a demo, here.

Signalis

The demo I tried out at PAX East 2022 was actually the same one I played last year, so I don’t have much new to report on theĀ SignalisĀ front.

That is also an incredibly good thing, as I was more than happy to play that excellent demo again and still be just as excited for the full game. This lo-fi, sci-fi survival horror with classicĀ Resident EvilĀ vibes is high on my watchlist. If you like horror of the technologic, extraterrestrial variety, don’t letĀ SignalisĀ slip by.

Find it on Steam here.

Cult of the Lamb

This was one of the big surprises for me. Not because I wasn’t aware ofĀ Cult of the Lamb; I’d seen it pop up in showcases and trailers. But I did not think I was the target demographic for this one.

Behind the admittedly fun contrast of cute and grim, beyond the roguelite action, there’s a base-building management side that captured my attention. Building a cult means building, after all. And I’m very eager to build my own adorable animal following whenĀ Cult of the LambĀ finally drops.

Find it on Steam here.

Lego Bricktales

Few games have captured my childhood likeĀ Lego Bricktales, a game about physics and Lego bricks in equal measure. It’s a fun adventure through a dioramic world that lets you problem-solve with batches of plastic bricks.

Snap them together, then send across the robot and see if it holds. It’s a surprisingly simple concept that works very, very well in the world of Lego. Keep an eye onĀ BricktalesĀ if you want more hands-on building in your virtual Lego experiences.

Find it on Steam here.

Rusted Moss

I managed to catch a spot on theĀ Rusted MossĀ set-up in the PAX Rising area between appointments, which was a surprise in and of itself. It garnered quite the crowd there, and after playing some, it’s easy to see why.

Rusted MossĀ has elements of bullet hell,Ā Metroid,Ā Contra, and evenĀ Bionic Commando. It looks great, feels great to play, and swinging across gaps with my barrel blazing down on enemies felt incredible. It ticks an incredible number of boxes and, even in a short demo, made a long-lasting impression.

Find it on Steam, with a demo, here.

Potionomics

The wayĀ PotionomicsĀ mixes multiple genres I really enjoy together into one cohesive brew is pretty astounding. Sell potions to meet people, date those people, get their cards, and haggle better at the store. Build decks, seek rarer ingredients, and meet the needs of a town full of adventurers and mysteries.

Throw in a dash of quite excellent character design and animation, andĀ Potionomics seems to be coming together quite well. I’m excited to mix, socialize, and sell later on this year.

Find it on Steam here.

Demon Throttle

The pitch forĀ Demon ThrottleĀ is pretty different from your usual game. It’s a physical-only game, for the Nintendo Switch. And while I’m cautious on the approach, I do admit, it’s a pretty fun game to play.

Demon ThrottleĀ is a pretty tough top-down shooter for two (or one person with character switching). It’s got some RPG elements in the mix, and a lot of fun jokes. The pair of heroes seek revenge against a demon: the vampiress because it took her chalices, and the gunslinger because it slept with his wife. It’s funny, very retro, and very fun. My one worry is more folks won’t be able to play it, as it’s currently sold out on the site. Hopefully manufacturing doesn’t get in the way of a good time withĀ Demon Throttle.

Update:Ā Developer Doinksoft has reached out to clarify that pre-orders are currently capped to let the manufacturer know how much to make in the initial run. The game will start shipping in “July or August,” and during that time, sales are expected to re-open. Their intention, Doinksoft says, is to ensureĀ Demon ThrottleĀ is “continuously available” to buy after launch.

WrestleQuest

Wrestling and RPGs turn out to be an incredible mix inĀ WrestleQuest. At first glance, it’s easy to get taken in by the pixel art and turn-based battles where several fighters are duking it out in the ring.

Show up for that, but stay for the surprisingly good storytelling and tackling of darker subject matter. The narrative in this isn’t pulling punches, and it’s got a star-studded lineup of wrestling legends to boot.

Find it on Steam here.

And one last note, special PAX East 2022 shoutouts to Match Point, a four-player competitiveĀ Pong-alike that’s already out and was extremely fun to play; andĀ Tough Love Arena, a free-to-play browser-based fighting game. They’re both already released, but very much worth your time.

This article has been updated to clarify Doinksoft’s manufacturing plans for Demon Throttle.


Destructoid is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission.Ā Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Eric Van Allen
Eric Van Allen
Senior Editor
Senior Editor - While Eric's been writing about games since 2014, he's been playing them for a lot longer. Usually found grinding RPG battles, digging into an indie gem, or hanging out around the Limsa Aethryte.