We got the chance to put a few questions to Mark Vatsel, project lead on upcoming indie RTS, The Manipulators, which places you at the preparatory steps of an alien invasion. Your goal is to take over a small suburb using stealth and mind control while avoiding detection and being discovered by the local humans who will use an evidence system and smart AI to try to expose your efforts. California in the 90’s is the setting for this open world and the concept art and early screenshots look delightful. Starting with your alien Queen you must grow your empire by exploiting social networks and picking your targets well because as the AI becomes more suspicious of you they will defend themselves appropriately.
Check out the article on our site for the Q and A.
These aren’t nostalgia grabs or gimmick-laden throwbacks. They each bring something genuinely fresh to the table, mechanics that feel baked into the exploration and combat, not just tacked on.
Play as Dik, a nimble acrobat exploring the depths of Hell to rescue his brother from the Devil’s hands. With no weapons to rely on, success hinges on mastery of physics-driven movement, and quick adaptation to deadly obstacles.
GDC 2025 has revealed the finalists for the 27th annual Independent Games Festival (IGF).
