Welcome to the first spot of Attract Mode on this blog -
and Happy New Years!
In Attract Mode I’ll highlight old, new and upcoming, lesser known (hopefully) indie games that I’ve come across. Notably I have not played them (most I plan to or in some cases have dabbled in the demo for); it's a collection of games that have caught my eye and look interesting to me!

Screenshot of the game featuring both the main character and their living fortress Burggeist walking around one of the game's environments.

Image via Burggeist Webpage: Free to Use Materials

Burggeist

Tasked with weighty goal of building a tower to the heavens to save your loved one, Burggeist has a strong reliance of giving you the advantage the higher up you go. While making use of the terrain’s ebbs and flows, as well as your own wandering fort – the Burggeist, both action and strategy has a reliance on verticality.
Attraction: The overall vibe of it is a tonal DrakeNier x Ico/Shadow of the Colossus marriage, while also being an odd hybrid of mechanics through the way action and strategical play manifests that makes it feel compelling to me.

A vibrant cover artwork for the game featuring close ups of the small cast of characters including Carter himself.

Image via Real Web Legends Presskit

Real Web Legends: Carter's Quest

Early Access

The quickest read on this would be Zelda mixed with Devil May Cry but Carter’s Quest is more than the sum of its apparent parts. Famer boy Carter gets embroiled in a magical journey where multiple factions are vying for the creation of The Perfect Homunculus. Dangerously stylish, highly ambitious in many avenues, chockers full of side-(mini)games and beefy with style, Carter’s Quest immediately shows its appeal in spades.
Attraction: Aside from the obvious inspirations being appealing, the cutscene work is all made by one person and they are an absolute treat. Seriously shooting for the starts with the energy on display in them and making it.

A screenshot of the game showing a conversation between the main character and an npc. The main character is typing to converse

Image via Elation for the Wonderbox 6000 Steam Page

Elation for the Wonderbox 6000

Demo

Fastidiously banned from the forum you frequent, for proclaiming too often the game you recall from your youth that no one else has played, Elation for the Wonderbox 6000 opens up with a clear goal for our oddball we are inhabiting in this world, one who is on the hunt for this elusive title they seek. Wander around the house of our resident and chat with the fine friend who lives in the wall and puts up with you – the demo for Elation is staggeringly brief and chooses to end itself by tremendously proclaiming its title.
Attraction:I am a huge fan of claymation in general but I especially love to see it in video games. From the UI encroaching the screen when you talking to NPCs via claymation keyboard, to the mixed media feel of its crunchy 3D and static-generating sky, to the pixelated clay freaks is fantastic.