Indie games are an increasingly important part of the video game industry. Although they’ve always been around, it’s only in the past decade or so that the concept of “indie development” has finally made its way into the mainstream. At a time like this, Independent By Design: Art & Stories of Game Creation feels the most necessary. This upcoming coffee table book by Stace Harmon and John Robertson. They’re not the indie developers, though, they’ll just be the means by which indies with intriguing stories get them written up and shared in book format.
So what can readers expect from Independent By Design? It will tell the stories of more than 20 different independent developers. As of the campaign’s launch, 17 developers have been officially named as participating. This ranges from 11 bit Studios (This War of Mine) to Roll7 (OlliOlli). Although there are all sorts of games represented here, it does feel a bit odd that the focus is so heavy on more modern indie games. Perhaps that’s the best way to draw in an audience, but I know my personal tastes would love to see a more historical overview of the world of indie games and developers. In any case, there’s definitely an audience for this!
How much is needed to produce a high-quality hardback book? The duo is asking for a funding goal of approximately $30,941 (converted from Pounds). So far Independent By Design already raised a good chunk of that goal, meaning we shouldn’t have to wait long to see stretch goals appear.
Track the progress of the Independent By Design Kickstarter in our Campaign Calendar.
