Another fine example of open source in action with a commercial indie game here, as the dungeon building sim KeeperRL continues being upgraded.

Most recently with KeeperRL Alpha 31, which adds a new Warlord game mode. This new mode allows you to take a "retired" keeper (after you win) and some minions on another adventure through other retired dungeons. Sounds pretty amusing, and gives KeeperRL a fun mode for short-bursts.

They've also now hooked up scripting for procedural map generation, which several maps are now already using. This new system is moddable, faster to work with and since all of the algorithms used to generate the maps are included in the scripting - they said that there's a "huge potential for modders to customize their own maps".

More new content is included like:

• New unlockable Adoxie adventurer (already known by some from the bonus mod).
• Reworked Demon Den level.
• Reworked all castles in the game.
• Reworked the top and the lava z-levels using new the map generation system.
• Two new hidden z-level locations.
• Four new hidden top-level locations.
• Reworked blacksmith house.
• Angels have wings.

Still in Early Access, which amusingly the developer said it would be there for "maybe a year" and that was back in 2015. Good games take time though, and KeeperRL certainly doesn't disappoint even now.

You can buy it from Humble Store , itch.io and Steam . With the source code under the GPL on GitHub . There's also a free "demo" which is an ASCII text version on itch.

More classics continuing to live on?! Yes please, thanks to the power of open source and dedicated fans The Elder Scrolls: Arena has a modern game engine that continues maturing. You can download the original free for the data files, thanks to Bethesda releasing it free some time ago so it makes it quite easy to get going with OpenTESArena.

The main developer has announced a new release with OpenTESArena 0.12.0 and it comes with some big new features nicely hooked up including:

• Wandering citizens in cities and wilderness. They idle if the player's weapon is sheathed
• Puddle reflections
• Voice in cinematics (only available in CD version)
• City entrance jingle
• Music library system supporting custom MIDI filenames in data/audio/MusicDefinitions.txt
• Entity animation system redesign
• Texture manager improvements and initial work on texture instance manager for runtime-generated textures
• Fonts use less memory and are less dependent on SDL2
• Added previously-unused OverSnow music to snow weather playlist
• Fixed final boss display name (was "TODO")

Check out their release video too:

Watch video on YouTube.com

While it's another great attempt at game preservation, it's worth noting this particular project is still quite early on overall. You can find the current status on the Wiki , which shows it's still missing a lot of actual gameplay elements currently.

You can find it and all the instructions up on GitHub .

Diablo is something of a classic and it lives on thanks to the public domain game engine DevilutionX. Originally itself based on Devilution , a reconstruction of the source code used for the original Diablo.

DevilutionX continues taking it a step or two further, ensuring it works smoothly on modern operating systems with new and enhanced features to improve it. The legality around it is a little murky but so far Blizzard don't seem to be bothered. You still need to buy it, as it doesn't include any of the media/data files. You can buy a copy of the classic for that over on the DRM-free store GOG.com .

Curiously, DevilutionX had multiple new releases put out on the same day with 1.0.2+1.0.3 and then a bigger 1.1.0 release. Some of the main new features include:

• Proper widescreen (and other aspects) support
• Select difficulty in single player (remembered in the save game)
• Adjustable game speed in-game
• V-sync can now be disabled in the ini
• Better line drawing function used for the automap
• Support for loading custom Hell level maps
• Make all objects and monsters available to custom maps
• Added support for joining a game via hostname instead of IP

They also solved numerous bugs, some of which were present in the original game.

See more on the GitHub page .

With all the issues surrounding Lab Zero Games and the owner Mike Zaimont, after most of the team left and the rest were let go - 505 Games have given a statement.

Their statement concerns Indivisible, since Lab Zero are basically no more the publisher was forced to clarify what will happen to it. In short: it's finished. In the statement on Steam they confirmed that "apart from content that is already in submission, there will unfortunately be no more production on the game". This means the planned Guest Characters and Backer-created characters will no longer be coming.

In a further post on their own website which has an FAQ, it confirmed that Indivisible will continue to be sold and will not be removed from stores. This extra post also mentions that the IP holder for "at least one of the guest characters has backed out and we expect more will follow" - so it seems even if they wanted to do them, they can't.

Such a huge shame, I thought Indivisible was genuinely great and it was one of my highlights from 2019.

You can pick up Indivisible from Humble Store , GOG and Steam if you wish.

Skellboy Refractured is the upcoming action-RPG from UmaikiGames, originally released just as Skellboy for the Nintendo Switch - it's getting a desktop release soon.

You play as Skippy, the square, flexible skeleton in this sweet action-RPG, to keep a heartbroken court magician from destroying the world with his army of monsters and undead. As you play through you get to swap body parts with those of slain enemies and friends to become the hero of Cubold Kingdom. It's genuinely charming and it has such a great visual style that we've been excited over this for some time.

So what's actually going to be different for the Linux, macOS and Windows version with Skellboy Refractured compared with the Switch version released earlier this year? Quite a lot actually including:

• Co-Op multiplayer.
• Randomized Dungeon.
• New Game+ featuring new enemies, Items and Bosses.
• 20+ Body Parts with unique effects.
• Lots and lots of gameplay improvements.

You can see their original trailer below to get an idea of what it's like:

Watch video on YouTube.com

With the Steam Game Festival: Autumn Edition going on, the team at UmaikiGames recently updated the demo with Linux support too! The demo should be available until the event ends on Tuesday, October 13.

If you wish to try it out head over to the Skellboy Refractured Steam page .

Lazy Bear Games and tinyBuild have announced a brand new expansion for Graveyard Keeper is on the way with Game Of Crone, after a long while of no updates.

With the last DLC released almost a year ago and not many updates since, it looked like they had moved on from this anti-Stardew experience with you looking after graves instead of a farm. In the Game Of Crone expansion you'll be looking after a bunch of escaped prisoners develop from a camp to a fortified settlement.

No trailer yet but they did share some shots:

Feature Highlight:

• 6-12 hours of extra gameplay.
• Build your own refugee camp and bring it to prosperity.
• Brand new bag mechanics!
• Get access to new dishes, gravestones, fences, and to teleportation scrolls.
• Deal with a vampire terrorizing a peaceful Village.
• Unravel the secret of the mysterious death of your predecessor.
• Find out even more terrible secrets of your old and new friends.
• Become an ally of Comrade Donkey and take part in the Revolution!

The release of Graveyard Keeper - Game Of Crone is set for October 27.

You can buy Graveyard Keeper on Humble Store , GOG and Steam .

After announcing back in late August that Last Epoch would not be leaving Early Access in 2020, the team at Eleventh Hour Games have been working non-stop on more big upgrades to this action-RPG.

With another update out now, the patch notes are once again something you need a coffee to go over with. There's lots big and small, with something a lot of players will be happy about being the new customizable Loot Filters. This is a genuinely slick feature, letting players decide how they want to see their loot drops and it's all stored as text files so you can share your tweaks with others - brilliant! Lots more came with it like a complete visual overhaul to the second chapter of the story, multiple performance optimizations, new skills, new unique items and lots more .

Get a look into what's new in their latest video:

Watch video on YouTube.com

The new loot filtering system works exactly as expected. Setup whatever rules you want to see or not see item types, letting you cleanly focus on a very specific character build if you want to. Absolutely love it.

Last Epoch has so far been a very satisfying action-RPG. It hasn't a certain feel to it not matched by many other similar games, and firmly reminds me of a simpler time in my earlier gaming years playing through Diablo 2 until the sun went down so I'm not even remotely fussed about them taking more time to push it out of Early Access. They can take all the time they need.

You can buy Last Epoch on Steam .

Acting as a prequel to Camp Sunshine, Fossil Games have announced the 8-bit blood-soaked Horror RPG Sunshine Manor.

You play as Ada, dared to spend the night in the haunted Sunshine Manor where Ada encounters ghosts, demons, blood-soaked horror and more. Unlike the previous game, Fossil Games will be supporting Linux directly this time and they've just released a free version with Sunshine Manor Prologue so you can try it right now to get a feel for it.

The game takes inspiration from movies such as From Beyond, Friday the 13th, and The Nightmare on Elm Street, while mixing gameplay mechanics from games such as the beloved – and long-running - The Legend of Zelda, Resident Evil and Silent Hill series. Check out their Kickstarter trailer below:

Watch video on YouTube.com

What it will feature:

• A brand new engine written just for Sunshine Manor.
• Discover and explore the ever-changing haunted Sunshine Manor.
• Transport yourself to the Demon Realm and banish Demons!
• Beautiful hand-drawn 8-bit graphics.
• A deadly game of Cat & Mouse where the Demon can be anywhere.
• An 80s Soundtrack written just for Sunshine Manor.
• Harness Ada's Psychic Powers.
• A fantastic story-driven narrative.
• Free the trapped Ghosts and enter the Demon Realm
• Lots of scares, spooky scenes and nods to famous franchises.
• Devious puzzles to tax your brain box.

The kickstarter has a goal of £20,000 and of that they've already managed to gather £7,643 in around a day so it looks like it's quite popular. It does sound like a lot of fun, with an unusual protagonist who certainly isn't a damsel in distress with their psychic powers that can be used to fight off demons.

You can help fund it on Kickstarter , follow the game on Steam and try the free Prologue right now.

Space, sci-fi and farming - what more could you want? One Lonely Outpost is like Stardew Valley for fans who want something a little bit more out there.

The Kickstarter campaign which is now over ended on $123,195 pledged so there's clearly a lot of interest and that was way more than their $80,000 initial goal. Linux support is confirmed, and is listed very clearly for it too.

Here's it's not just about the farming. There's plenty of that though, set on a barren alien world that you need to bring back to life and as you do a community will grow around it. Exploration is a big part of it too, it's not Earth after all and despite the planet being devoid of life there is oxygen and running water…from who? It will be interesting to find out.

Watch video on YouTube.com

It's not all farming and strange ruins though, as the developer explained:

You begin with loneliness as your antagonist, but as the colony grows, other challenges will arise. Help a poor alien who was conducting a biological survey, but is now marooned on a lifeless planet. Discover ancient, high tech ruins and unravel the secrets of the planet. Face idiot bureaucrats who want to micro-manage your colony and emerge victorious as a recognized independent planet-state in the Galactic Union of Planets!

The real question is: how will you do it? Will you go the natural way and keep everything "organic" or, since it's set in the far off future, will you go down the route of genetically modified super-plants? I'm all about the mad space farming science, bring it on. Just don't go expecting it any time soon, we're looking at 2022 for the release.

As it's now been funded, it's listed on our growing and dedicated Crowdfunding Page . Getting closer to tracking 400 projects.