When I first began playing The Long Dark, the idea of “organic narrative” kept popping into my head. I touched on it in an article about Wintermute, the game’s actual story mode. In that piece, I contested that the need to survive (and the inherent…
There’s been a trend in indie games, starting with Shovel Knight, of 2D action games featuring short, cute, knightly protagonists. Unless you already happen to be in love with that aesthetic (like I am) you’re probably a bit skeptical of games that fit that mold. Let…
System Shock Remastered is going on hiatus, according to a report from Polygon. The remaster of the classic PC futurist RPG by industry icon Warren Spector had a successful Kickstarter campaign in July 2016, raising over $1.3 million from 21,000 backers. The project seemed to…
With a focus on art and music, Queen Bee Games last week announced Spinch, a side-scrolling platformer with colorfully psychedelic elements. Spinch itself is a hyper-agile organism players control while trying to find its missing offspring. In a dangerous side-scrolling world, that’s often easier said…
Perhaps the coolest part of Impact Gameworks’ roguelike dungeon-crawler, Tangledeep, is the flexibility of the game’s jobs and abilities. Certainly, it is the highlight of the game for Lead Developer Andrew Aversa, who told us in an interview, “if there’s one thing I’m truly proud of…
As I’ve discussed extensively in the past, Kickstarter has always been reluctant to perform any sort of quality control standards. It didn’t matter so much in the site’s heyday, but as more and more creators and backers leave, the slew of poor campaigns threatens to…
Topstitch Games is a relatively new studio, but looking at their first game, Treadnauts, you’d have a hard time telling. In this interview, we look at how Topstitch has worked towards the idea of “fun”. The Road to Indie Cliqist: In the Treadnauts presskit, the description says that…
On the surface, life in My Time at Portia seems downright idyllic. Then you discover that most of humanity was wiped out hundreds of years ago during an apocalyptic event. Suddenly, you notice the cracks appearing the town’s cheerful facade. The people of Portia have…
Polymorph Games is looking to bring the city-builder genre to medieval times with Foundation, a gridless simulator focusing on organic city development. Featuring resource management, city building, and monument building, players start as the lord of a region untouched by man. In this position, players…
After a successful Kickstarter campaign, developer Aurum Dust is almost ready to unveil their new turn-based RPG, Ash of Gods. The project combines tactical combat set against classically inspired animation to tell a story of epic proportions. After spending time with the preview build, it’s…
It’s no secret: I think Floor Kids is pretty cool. As a game, an experiment, and a piece of media, it perfectly exemplifies what video games are capable of. For the Floor Kids crew, self-expression, artistry, and fun intertwine perfectly. With something like Floor Kids that builds so much…
Earlier this month, a small crowd of people assembled at Seattle’s Living Computers Museum to show off and play indie games. Organized by Seattle Indies, Show and Tell is a regular event where people put their games out on display. Whether it’s a proof-of-concept or…
It may seem hard to believe now, but it’s been nearly seven years since the first release of Hatoful Boyfriend in Japan, six here in the US. I’m sure we all remember the pigeon dating sim/visual novel, which became a cult legend before it was…
Impact Gameworks‘ Tangledeep is the digital manifestation of a dream that has existed within the head of programmer Andrew Aversa for years. It’s also a clinical example of both how to run a Kickstarter campaign and how to manage the perils of Early Access. We…
From the best-selling author of The Natural: How to Effortlessly Attract the Women You Want, comes a dating sim designed for idiots. Richard La Ruina’s FMV seduction simulator, Super Seducer is coming to Steam and PS4 on March 6th. Naturally, a game that “teaches” men…
For some of us, video games are little more than a distraction. For others, they represent something so much more. From game developers, to journalists, YouTubers and streamers, and professional eSports players, gaming has evolved into a real profession. It can even be an obsession….