Indie Bin: Runbow, Bomber Crew, Slime-San: Superslime Edition

From the embers of the Push Square Podcast rises Indie Bin – a feature that draws attention to some of the smaller games in PlayStation's busy release schedule. Once the Indie Bin is full, we'll put it out for collection in these consolidated articles featuring several pint-sized reviews. The metric here is simple: games we don't like stay Indie Bin and games we do like get taken Outdie Bin. Without further ado, let's crack on.

Bomber Crew (PS4)

Bomber Crew’s one of those games that probably deserves a full-length review, but we’re still suffering with an E3 2018 hangover, so a paragraph is the best you’re going to get. This is a dogfighting game where you micro-manage the crew inside your bomber; engineers fan flames while gunners rain bloody murder on enemy planes. The missions are fairly rote, so the skill comes from effectively and efficiently managing your team; drag them out of position and the figurative excrement will quickly come into contact with your plane’s propeller blade. It’s absolutely brilliant when you’re breezing through missions, and bloody awful when you’re not. A bit like life, then. SB

Verdict: Outdie Bin

Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?! (PS4)

Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?! thinks it’s so chuffin’ funny. There’s a spud called Laura Craft and she’s got Jersey Royals tucked up her tank top and it’s so hilarious that we’re still laughing about it 12 seconds later. This game’s kind of a clicker like AdVenture Capitalist, except it’s a bit more complicated than that. For some reason the taters are tasked with making weapons and you then sell them at nearby villages for a profit. The title’s primary colours and flat shading belie an experience that will mash with your head, as it introduces a mess of mechanics more overbearing than Lichfield market’s jacket potato man. It's moreish like Pringles, though. SB

Verdict: Outdie Bin

Ice Cream Surfer (PS4, PS Vita)

An evil broccoli is irate that nippers prefer noshing on Neapolitan, so has assembled an army of angry greens to destroy the flav—wait, what the flying fudge sundae is this? In essence, Ice Cream Surfer is a side-scrolling shooter where you spend approximately one level offing aubergines before you start getting attacked by custard creams in bikini bottoms. We thought the vegetables hated sugary snacks, but here we are battling a giant birthday cake. You know what, the pixel art isn’t actually all that bad, but we much preferred the last time we saw a leggy lady sit on a giant Twister ice lolly. SB

Verdict: Indie Bin

Race Arcade (PS4)

A bit like Micro Machines without the Cheerio pocked kitchen counters, Race Arcade is as bland as its name suggests. This perfectly competent top-down arcade racer sees you navigating tens of short-form courses, unlocking coins which can be spent on new cars. There’s split-screen multiplayer and a time-trial mode, but the most interesting thing is that you can eventually drive a UFO. Like, no one’s going to play long enough to earn the 200,000 coins required to snag it, but ‘grats to the developer for putting it in there. Out of this world, etc. SB

Verdict: Indie Bin

Runbow (PS4)

Runbow has been kicking around since 2015, being ported to various systems, now including PlayStation 4. This party game centres around the hook that the background constantly changes colour, and any obstacles or platforms that match simply drop out of existence. It features a variety of modes from simple races to King of the Hill brawls, and they all offer frantic, fun multiplayer, whether online or offline. As you might expect from a game that's been iterated upon over the last few years, it's a pretty well realised party game, and is well worth a look if you like this brand of madcap multiplayer. ST

Verdict: Outdie Bin

Slime-San: Superslime Edition (PS4)

This quirky platformer starring a ball of slime is cut from the same cloth as games like Super Meat Boy or N++. In other words, it's tough, twitchy, and requires precision. This type of platformer isn't to everyone's tastes, but instant restarts, short levels, and a wealth of content mean this is seriously compelling stuff. It's all presented with a zany sense of humour and chunky pixel art, with cosmetic items, alternative gameplay styles and more to unlock as you progress. It might be a little too in-your-face for some, but with tight controls and plenty to see and do, Slime-San is a fine addition to PS4's plethora of platformers. ST

Verdict: Outdie Bin

Tour de France 2018 (PS4)

You don’t need us to tell you whether you’ll like Tour de France 2018 or not – there’s a good chance you’ll already know. If you’ve always aspired to wearing the yellow jersey, then now’s your opportunity to do so – albeit without the searing calf pain. A management campaign mode complements the core riding, while mini-game challenges add longevity to a title that knows its target audience well. The production values can, as you’d expect, be creaky across the board – but fans should get a kick out of conquering the peloton. SB

Verdict: Outdie Bin

Words: Sammy Barker, Stephen Tailby