It’s that time of the month again – so let’s check out the current, free, Game of the Month for the Evercade!

First things first, however.

What is the Game of the Month feature on the Evercade?

The Game of the Month feature was initially launched on the Evercade VS, the full size, multiplayer, TV-based variant of the Evercade. Each month, a new game from the Indie Heroes 2 Collection was made available to download for the Evercade VS – absolutely free of charge.

Though downloading a new Game of the Month would erase the previous game – and your saves with it – there was no reason why you couldn’t simply skip an update and new game if you wanted to keep your currently downloaded game and its progress.

The original Evercade handheld didn’t have Wi-Fi functionality, so the feature was locked to the Evercade VS; however, the Evercade EXP has no such problem – so the Game of the Month feature can now be made available on both home console and handheld.

Following the launch of Indie Heroes 2, the feature was put on a brief hiatus – until now!

What is Orebody: Binder’s Tale, the seventh Evercade Game of the Month for 2023?

Part of a series of games from writer, professor and game designer John Vanderhoef, Binder’s Tale takes place in Vanderhoef’s Orebody universe.

Vanderhoef’s writing background is immediately apparent in Binder’s Tale, thanks to the text-heavy, but compelling intro that sets the scene for the game.

This carries on throughout the game with a more involved story than many NES games can or do deliver, at least in-game.

Despite the thoughtfulness of its storyline – which has shades of Astro Boy, a manga/anime which influenced the Mega Man series – Binder’s Tale is a run and gun platformer, so the Mega Man comparisons don’t stop at the story.

Binder himself is a pretty versatile protagonist, able to shoot upwards and drop through platforms; giving this old school tribute a bit more of a modern design philosophy.

Adding to the Mega Man feel are new abilities, unlocked after defeating bosses, making Binder even more versatile and agile as the game progresses.

Binder’s Tale is well worth checking out, so let’s take a look at how you can get your hands on it if you have your Evercade (that is, if you have the EXP or VS) ready and waiting!

How do I download the Evercade Game of the Month?

On your console – either Evercade Vs or Evercade EXP – go to the Settings menu, then select the System option.

Then choose Check for Updates; this should trigger the system update which will contain your Game of the Month (as well as other firmware updates or fixes too).

Note that if you’re attempting this on an Evercade EXP, you’ll need to have at least 50% battery or have the console plugged in and charging.

Do also note that your system may shut down and restart automatically, sometimes multiple times, during this process.

Have faith and patience – and just wait for it to go through these steps without interrupting the process as it does this.

Where will I find my Evercade Game of the Month?

On the Evercade EXP, you’ll find your Game of the Month in the EXP menu, selected on the left hand side of the screen.

The VS is slightly different, though it’s in essentially the same place – the icon is a star, rather than the EXP option on the handheld.

In any case, if you have an Evercade VS, an Evercade EXP – or both – what are you waiting for? Go and download the Evercade Game of the Month right now. You can thank me later!

You can purchase the first Indie Heroes Collection from Amazon here – and Indie Heroes Collection 2 here.