Gaming mashups add a great new dimension to our favorite titles

The leading edge innovators in the gaming markets, typically small indie studios in places like Australia and Sweden, are constantly pushing the envelope to deliver new gaming experiences. Sometimes this involves emerging technology like extended reality and blockchain, but it can equally be a matter of looking at what is already popular and approaching it from a new angle. 

This is the mindset that has brought about a gaming trend that is a huge amount of fun and attracting the attention of gamers across the globe. Genre mashups are a great way of shaking things up and seeing our favorite games, characters and scenarios from a different perspective. Taking inspiration from other games is nothing new, and happens across all creative industries from music to TV shows. But grabbing two genres and mixing them together is a new construct, and one that looks like it is here to stay.

If you’ve not tried any mash-up games yet, here are a handful that represent a cross section of genres mixed with a cross section of other genres. No matter where your gaming tastes lie, there’s sure to be something that will capture your imagination.

Neon White – the platform / puzzle / first person shooter

Let’s jump in at the deep end with what the Australians would affectionately call “a complete mongrel of a game.” As well as the three genres we’ve mentioned above, there are also elements of action/adventure and speed runner just to add in to the mix. 

It’s the first, but we hope not the last, collaborative effort from a group of independent developers collectively known as Angel Matrix. The game has received a lot of love and some excellent reviews since launching almost two years ago. The different aspects mean there is a compelling combination of fast and furious action mixed up with puzzle aspects that need a little time and strategic thinking. 

Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt – the innovative casino combo 

We mentioned the Australian market earlier. iGaming is a particularly important gaming niche Down Under, and Gonzo’s Quest is one of those casino slot games – or online pokies as they are known in Australia – that everyone has heard of. Evolution Gaming is a company that is always coming up with new casino game ideas. The company launched Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt as a game that would leverage the existing popularity of the pokie game and combine it with the live casino experience.

The result is a little like being pulled into a virtual TV game show. The objective is to select squares on a board and find hidden treasure or other goodies like respin bonuses. If you’ve previously enjoyed the Gonzo’s Quest pokie, then this virtual adventure, which you can also play in VR, will be right up your street.

Eternights – where dating meets dungeon crawling

In the movie Speed, Jack told Annie that “relationships based on intense experiences never work” – then proceeded to ignore his own warning. Gamers can approach Eternights with a similar attitude. Developed by Studio Sai, the game is described as a mix of dating and action, where players “try to make the most out of life during the apocalypse.”

Eternights was unveiled at Sony’s State of Play last summer and is scheduled for general release in the coming weeks. It’s definitely one for fans of action who are old romantics at heart. 

Wildfrost – roguelike deckbuilder slated for release any day

Roguelike and deckbuilder are two subgenres that are much beloved by what some might call the serious gamers – in other words, the game geeks among us. Blending the two is a compelling proposition, as both reward attention to detail and learning the nuances of the game. 

We’ve already seen this principle in action with Slay the Spire, which has been around for almost five years now, but the upcoming release that has everyone talking is Wildfrost. Created by the people at Deadpan Games, the game is set in a frozen landscape and your task is to recruit companions on your journey to the Sun Temple, where you will ultimately set about restoring warmth to the land. 

The game features endless replayability with new challenges every day. So even if you defeat the odds and emerge victorious today, tomorrow is another day! When the game launches, it will be available for Switch via the Nintendo eShop, or on Steam if you want to play it on your PC.