Video games seem to become more and more formulaic as the years go on, with ceaseless sequels or re-skins of the same game.

Innovation is what we need. And though it may not make sense economically as formulaic games sell better, we still need the “Stanley Parable’s” and “Braid’s.” We need to uphold the medium as a respectable art form, and so I present some fine games being developed in this form:

A Hat in Time – Rather than innovative, “A Hat in Time” instead goes for a mix of nostalgia with stylistic flair. In the stride of classic 3-D collect-a-thon platformer’s, like “Banjo-&-Kazooie” and “Super Mario Sunshine,” the developers at Gears for Breakfast heard the pleas of gamers nostalgic for a good ole platformer and have gone above and beyond. While it calls to classic game mechanics, “A Hat in Time” still has a unique identity, reminiscent of 19^th century England with some Swedish folklore sprinkled in. They even hired Grant Kirkhope, the composer for “Banjo-&-Kazooie,” to compose five special scores for the game. The Kickstarter for the game ended a little under a year ago, so it won’t be out anytime soon. But the alpha/beta is available with pre-orders, and most certainly worth every cent.

Reincarnation: The Root of All Evil – Point-&-Click adventure games seem to be having a resurgence with Double Fine’s independently funded “Broken Age,” and for good reason too. Point-&-Click’s were immensely popular in the early days of gaming, and as the gamers who played them grow into game developers themselves, it only seems natural they would create that which they grew up with. “Reincarnation: The Root of All Evil” is the first full-length entry into the “Reincarnation” series by The B-Group Productions, and has been in production a good two years. The game will follow the antics of a demon named Vile as he returns evil reincarnated souls to where they belong: in hell. The project has been having a problem with coders dropping off lately, but an early build is already available for all Kickstarter backers, so it shouldn’t be too long before the games release now.

Mighty Number 9 – Mega Man is quite possibly one of the most recognizable characters in gaming history, with a long line of awesome games and other mediums such as a wonderful comic and some great anime’s. Yet, Capcom seems to have practically given up on the blue bomber, constantly canceling games and doing next to nothing for his 25^th anniversary. Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune certainly had enough of this and decided to start anew with an independently Kickstarter funded project called “Mighty Number 9.” The game is set in the same stride as the “Mega Man” games, centering on a humanoid robot fighting for justice on a 2-D plane. It’s the new HD “Mega Man” that everyone wanted and deserved, and it is only a year or so away from completion.