September’s PortMaster drops include a deluge of games across a variety of genres. The month’s offerings included titles from independent developers, open-source projects, and fan-made creations, and we’re here to recap for anyone who missed it. Games noted with an asterisk are recommended by yours truly.
Ready-to-Run
These ones are the easiest to get going: just download from PortMaster and play. This list of freeware, demos, and open-source projects is ready to play on dozens of devices.
- Run Maverick, Run! – A charming and straightforward runner about a dog named Maverick whose two passions are running and eating.
- *Rockbox* – Not a game, but a legendary open-source firmware replacement for digital audio players that gives you complete control over your device and music. Here it functions more like a standalone media player, but all features are supported! It can even play Doom.
- *Snowman Stack* – A relaxing and accessible puzzle game where your goal is to switch stacked pieces to correctly build a snowman.
- YourOnlyMoveIsHustle Demo – Get a sneak peek at this unique turn-based fighting simulator. It’s a game of stylish combat where you can slow down time to fine-tune every move for maximum impact.
- Zniw Adventure – Dive into a Saturday Morning Cartoon-esque, hand-drawn point-and-click adventure set in a world of dinosaurs. You play as Zniw, a small yellow dino on a big quest to find the perfect gift for her mother’s hatchday.
- *BomberPibe* – A clever 2D platformer with a unique and explosive traversal mechanic: you use your own detachable, exploding head to perform a double jump.
- Carpet Gallery – An atmospheric endless walker that offers a meditative experience, letting you stroll through procedurally generated scenery and objects with no specific goal in mind.
- Holy Shit – A quirky puzzle platformer with a fun sense of humor, where you must navigate complex mazes by rolling and utilizing dung balls.
- Into the Deep Web – A short strategy game that blends the mechanics of dice rolls, auto-battlers, and deckbuilding into a surprisingly cohesive experience.
- Maccha’s World – Embark on an adventure platformer with a darkly comedic premise: enter a dangerous cave filled with money and monsters to earn enough cash for a new liver.
- Recursive Run – A fast-paced and clever platformer where each level adds a new rule or twist that builds upon the mechanics of the level that came before it.
- *Unciv* – A fully-featured, open-source remake of the classic strategy game Civilization V, celebrated for its lightweight design and faithful gameplay.
- Verminian Trap – Your space pod has crash-landed on a hostile world in this arcade survival game. Your only goal is to hold out for as long as you can against a relentless infestation of giant insects.
- Wrestle Jump 2 – A game of simple, physics-based fun where the first to smash their opponent’s head to the ground scores.
- Cute Fame: Halloween Bash – A visual novel set during a spooky Halloween party. Navigate conversations and make choices carefully, as one wrong move could lead to a deadly end.
- *Pinball Crush* – A cozy, GBA-inspired pinball game that adds a unique twist to the formula with a charming dating-sim-style progression system.
- Warzone 2100 – Command the forces of “The Project” in this classic open-source 3D real-time strategy game, where you fight to rebuild the world after a devastating nuclear apocalypse.
Free (Additional Files Required)
These titles are also free, but require one extra step, such as providing a specific BIOS, a freeware data file from another website (like itch.io), or a legally-owned ROM. Where possible, a link to the files is provided.
- Super Mario 64 Co-op DX – A remarkable fan project that brings the legendary N64 platformer to handhelds with added multiplayer and mod support.
- *NEHONOBASA* – Brace yourself for a challenging Japanese-style bullet hell shooter, packed with intense action across four stages and a final boss encounter.
- Attack of the PETSCII Robots (OpenMSX) – A top-down action-puzzler with a distinct retro aesthetic, where you must strategically destroy all the robots in each level.
- Snail World – A miniature shoot ’em up where you pilot a surprisingly well-armed snail. Shoot enemies, collect money, and purchase upgrades to survive.
- Castlevania Tales of Night Moon – A fan-made game created in the spirit of the classic series, allowing players to step into the role of Soma.
- *AlllCALL* – A mini shoot ’em up with a clear goal: defeat eight large, numbered enemies in order to summon and vanquish the final boss.
- Fatebreak – A casual and fantasy-inspired card game that mixes strategy and chance, making for a combat system that’s easy to learn but offers surprising depth.
- TUKIYONO – Another high-difficulty bullet hell shooter for those who truly want to test their reflexes, featuring four stages and a formidable last boss.
- ImageStriker2 – A feature-rich vertical shoot ’em up that includes a 7-stage Arcade Mode and a 3-minute score attack “Caravan” mode.
- NEZUMIDASH – A fast-paced arcade platformer where you control a mouse, dashing to collect coins and clear all 20 challenging stages.
Paid Games
These ports bring fantastic commercial games to your handheld, but require you to provide the data files from a copy you own on a platform like Steam or GOG.
- *Blazing Beaks* – A vibrant and challenging roguelite where armed birds blast their way through dungeons filled with mutants and monsters.
- Skeleton Punchers – A polished 2D pixel art action game where you join the fight as the Skeleton Punchers and help defeat the invading Zerpian army.
- Cattails – Become a Cat! – A deep and charming animal simulation RPG. Hunt for food, fight cats from other colonies, and explore a vast wilderness as you live the life of a feral cat.
- Cursed Castilla (Maldita Castilla EX) – An expertly crafted arcade action platformer filled with creatures and mythology from medieval Spain. A true love letter to classics like Ghouls ‘n Ghosts.
- Foreign Frugglers – An arcade-style 2D shoot ’em up where you and up to seven other survivors must protect the planet from waves of space invaders.
- The Treehouse Man – Embark on a grand odyssey in this unique RPG that combines methodical, turn-based combat with the freedom of real-time exploration.
- Aestheta – A deep roguelike experience where skilled warriors battle their way through challenges to claim a single, powerful wish from the Star of Aestheta.
- BLOWFLY2:OVERLIMIT – A superhero-style platformer with a focus on exploration and collection, sending you on a mission to find and rescue pink creatures called POOBABYs.
- Devil Spire – A hardcore, first-person dungeon crawler with pseudo-3D visuals and roguelite mechanics, designed to provide a serious challenge.
- *Flynn: Son of Crimson* – A beautifully animated action-adventure platformer. Help Flynn and his mythical companion Dex stand up against the evil Scourge before it consumes their homeland.
Going forward we’ll provide these recaps bi-weekly, but for now let us know what you’re playing from the list in the comments below, and chat with us in our Discord!
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