Announced way back in 2017, UFO 50 couldn't have been a more perfect pitch for me - a massive collection of NES-style games made by a dream team of indie developers. Now, seven years later, it's finally ready to launch and I can't wait.
As announced during today's Day of the Devs stream, UFO 50 is set to hit Steam on September 18, 2024. It's essentially a collection of titles from a fictional '80s developer, with everything unlocked from the start so you can explore the library at your leisure.
The developer and publisher credit for UFO 50 is Mossmouth, the pseudonym-slash-studio-name of Derek Yu, the indie dev best known for the incredible roguelike platformer Spelunky. On this project, Yu is also working with other respected indie devs like Jon Perry, Eirik Suhrke, Paul Hubans, Tyriq Plummer, and Ojiro Fumoto.
That's the perfect team to take on a project of this scope. As the name implies, this is a collection of 50 games, and the Steam page proudly declares that "these are NOT minigames or microgames," but rather full experiences similar in scope to the NES classics that inspired them. There are arcade racing games, roguelike platformers, and even a full-on classic JRPG experience. Half the collection features local multiplayer in one form or another, including everything from traditional co-op experiences to a goofball golf-based party game.
There's plenty more on the Summer Game Fest schedule for 2024, but if UFO 50 is up your alley, you might want to check some more upcoming indie games.