Kotaku
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indie games
Xbox Live Community Games Renamed
Buried in the official announcement of XNA Game Studio 3.1 is news that, come late July, Xbox Live Community Games would be getting a much-needed name change. More »
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By Mike FaheyComment by onomeister: Too little too late... I don't think just a name change will now increase the piss poor sales of their... 22 Responses | Other threads
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Bay Area Game Jam
You Could Have Won $2,500 If You Were Better Than These Guys
The good thing about the second annual Bay Area Game Jam's make-a-game-in-4824-hours contest is you get free games the day after the contest ends. More »
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By AJ GlasserComment by okenny :) ...building bridges (to hide under): Sounds like the WildTangent guys but still... anything not from Microsoft, Sun, or Adobe that asks to install on my... 4 Responses | Other threads
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indie games
Where When I Need It
IndieGames' freeware pick, Where, is exactly what I need to come down from the towering rage brought on by a traffic-y, wet Monday. More »
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By AJ GlasserComment by Logan Chanthaseng: Use 3D glasses for the best viewing experience. 3 Responses | Other threads
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indie games
Indie Games Get a Mainstream Closeup
In its "All New" issue, discussing the cutting edge of trends in American culture, New York Magazine lauds four indie titles for "ushering in a golden age of smart, beautiful, and really weird games." More »
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By Owen GoodComment by Obama takes time to read kotaku's comments...: Braid not good enough for you EH! well FUCK you too! 15 Responses | Other threads
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indie games
A Case for Indie Development on Mac and Linux
MacOS and Linux's install base is dwarfed by Windows, so in terms of which platform to develop for, that ends the argument right there. Right? Wrong, says Wolfire Games' Jeff Rosen. More »
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By Owen GoodComment by yoshinatsu: Yeah, I actually think he's right. I'm a Mac user, and people think that the Mac community doesn't really support... 24 Responses | Other threads
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innovations
Mixing Music in a Video Game for the Blind
Video, of course, takes its root from the Latin word for "see." So a "video game" for those who have lost their sight might look like a paradox, but it doesn't sound like one. More »
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By Owen GoodComment by ReconToaster.: I think I'd just jump off a building if I became blind... seriously. 7 Responses | Other threads
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lists
The Top 5 Indie Games of '08
Gamasutra's been rounding up the top titles of the year in a variety of categories; up recently were the top five 'indie' games (plus ten honorable mentions).
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Comment by reality.exe -console: .... Oh god, where do I start. This is abysmal. First, all of the games are free - So they should... 10 Responses | Other threads
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hot flashes
Weird Artistic Timewaster: The Majesty of Colors
The Majesty of Colors is weird, lovely little game by Gregory Weir that's been making the rounds as of late. There are five different endings, and your (in)action throughout determines the outcome.
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Comment by dizzywulf: I couldn't stretch my tentacle far enough to get the kid to the helicopter. I thought I could drop... 5 Responses | Other threads
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plain sight
Plain Sight Beta Signups Begin - Robots, Swords, And Explosions
London-based independent developer Beatnik Games announces beta signups for their first game, Plain Sight, which features bouncing robots killing each other with swords. What more do you want? More »
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By Mike FaheyComment by ThursdayNext: this looks nuts. assuming it's for PC only? 3 Responses | Other threads
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journalism
Considering the BusinessWeek Arcade
We mentioned the somewhat odd BusinessWeek Arcade back when it launched; now Ian Bogost has taken up the whys and wherefores over at the Journalism & Games Project blog. More »
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Comment by Sensai-N: I feel the need to voice a humble criticism: while I do enjoy some of the information Ian Bogost has... more » | Other threads
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free
Rounding Up (Free) Indie Gems
If you've got some time this afternoon, the Escapist has a nice answer to holiday excess — several pages of free indie gems you probably haven't heard of. More »
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Comment by grimdeath9740: Hmm, its upsetting when people mistake "indie" as being free games, or worst yet only flash games! Probably the biggest... 2 Responses | Other threads
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competition
Entries Announced for IGF '09
A couple of Kotakuites have written to underline what I'd already noticed — the lists of the 2009 Independent Games Festival entrants are finally up. More »
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Comment by shan6: "you are a female mime artist in Paris, who must earn as much as possible, by miming your way through... 5 Responses | Other threads
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hot flashes
Sunday Timewaster: Robo-Evolution
From SKT comes a bizarrely addictive little game called Robo-Evolution. It's very short, but there's a certain je ne sais quoi about evolving a panko-breaded shrimp (or an egg, or lips) into a scuttling little robot. There are various powerups you need to collect so you can leap over the walls and complete the game; some powerups simply give you stats, while others will also add to your appearance. More » -
hot flashes
Artistic Saturday Timewaster: Estamos Pensando
Kotakuite Daniel Novais sent me an email this past week, asking me to take a look at his "little short artsy game" called Estamos Pensando (Portuguese for 'We Are Thinking'). Inspired in part by Jason Rohrer's Passage, Estamos Pensando is a sweet, sad, and polished little game. Daniel said that he's now trying to work on something a little happier, since one comment on Rohrer's Gravitation noted that these 'artsy' games are usually depressing. There are Portuguese and English versions of the game, and gameplay is quite simple. The game has apparently gotten some nice initial reviews since its submission to the Brazilian symposium SBGames 2008 festival, and it's worth a little bit of your time. More »
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Comment by Demonioum: Estamos pensando aint portuguese? its Spanish..even though they are kinda similar. 5 Responses | Other threads
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hot flashes
Sunday Timewaster: Meat Boy
Edmund McMillen (of Aether, Gish, and the game that shall not be named) is back with Meat Boy, a challenging little game that involves the titular blob of meat trying to rescue Bandaid Girl in a variety of levels. It took me a while to actually look at the game, since the designer woke me up a few nights in a row via IM asking me to take a look at it — I hold a grudge when it comes to my sleep being interrupted — but I've spent some time with it and it's worth a looksee if you're in the mood for a challenge on a Sunday afternoon. Controls are simple, the game is difficult, but you can skip two levels per group — so if you really get stuck, don't despair. More »
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Comment by Krondonian: I love the concept and graphics, but after being spoiled by the likes of Kyntt Stories, I couldn't stand the... 3 Responses | Other threads
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world of goo
The Best World of Goo "Review" Yet
I stumbled across this "review" of World of Goo courtesy the boys at Rock, Paper, Shotgun and nearly ruined my laptop while reading, as I spewed my morning cup of coffee all over the screen. Andrew Doull, IT manager and occasional GameSetWatch columnist, wrote an homage to the game in the form of EA CEO John Riccitiello fan fiction. Yes, fan fiction. Which includes ninjas, an evil plot against our own Brian Crecente, and much raving about those damn 'little guys' who keep managing to pull out big hits: More »
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Comment by SigmaHyperion: FWIW, World of Goo is one of the better games I've played in a long time, and I play just... 5 Responses | Other threads
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the maw
The Maw Devours PAX 10 Audience Choice Award
The results of the inauguaral PAX 10 indie games showcase are in and the audience has spoken. 10 games won spots on display at the 2008 Penny Arcade Expo, where convention goers were asked to cast secret ballots selecting their favorite of the lot, and Twisted Pixel's XBLA action platformer The Maw came out on top. More »
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By Mike FaheyComment by Karlott: Had to be really good to beat Audiosurf, so it probably rocks. more » | Other threads
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hot flashes
Saturday Timewaster: Aether
We're having a slow weekend here at Kotaku: Owen is off, and I'm holed up in bed trying to stave off the flu; Aether made a nice respite from my headache and general feelings of 'blah.' It's a weird little game — a little abstract and fuzzy around the edges, you control a little guy and his pet who can fly through the air with the greatest of ease, using said pet's tongue as a grappling hook/trapeze .... I actually quite enjoyed zipping through space from planet to planet, trying to solve puzzles and bring the color back to unhappy people (the core of an unhappy planet seen above). It's not the most intuitive game ever — it did take me some time to figure out how to successfully get off the ground and into the atmosphere - and I broke out the mouse because the trackpad wasn't cutting it. Still, it's pretty and soothing (and short) — good for a bit of time on a Saturday afternoon. More »
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Comment by Timooo: awsd to move? AWSD TO MOVE? Don't they ever, EVER, stop to think about us poor AZERTY users? EVER? 3 Responses | Other threads
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culture
Creating an Elitist Gaming Review Culture
Talk of how we review games has been swirling about for quite some time now. Many people have commented on the lack of audience/reviewer gap, as we see in book, food, and movie reviews — but have also commented that the gap is becoming more obvious as casual players start making up a larger part of the gaming audience as a whole. Kieron Gillen has a great piece up on why we need an 'elitist' reviewing culture for the good of gaming. Drawing from music examples of year end charts, he points to rarified tastes as being good for exposing even a hardcore audience to more 'under the radar' titles: More »
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Comment by dirtybacon: Keiron is AWESOME. A nice bloke, and wrote a fantastic comic known as Phonogram. GO! BUY! NOW! ... And, though I... more » | Other threads
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hot flashes
Artistic Sunday Timewaster: Honorarium
Ian Bogost sent along this link to his latest little title, this one called Honorarium: "An autobiographical art game. Assemble lectures to present. If you do well enough, you can unlock invitations to travel and speak." I've spent a bit of time with it — I guess I can sympathize with aspects of the game, since I'm the poster child for 'inability to balance life and work — wait, work IS my life.' Just as interesting, however, is his discussion of the way he created the game through Sims Carnival. EA invited Ian to create a game using the tools available through the site. And, as he points out: More »
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Comment by L_K_M: @Bokusatsu_Tenshi: Shit Game and You Have to Burn the Rope were awesome. This... isn't. more » | Other threads
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indie games
'Going Rogue': Leaving the Mainstream Behind
The Escapist has an interesting article up on mainstream industry types who went indie — it delves into the reasoning behind a move, as well as the challenges and the positive aspects of moving from big studios to independent development. People making the transition have had to unlearn 'mainstream' habits or pick up new skills (like learning the tools of the PR trade) — and even with the plethora of portals and distribution options, the 'independent' distribution channels are still fraught with pitfalls, from distribution limitations to piracy: More »
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Comment by enammy: "They should look at the bright side of pirating, if they're so small, and some new radical game pops up... more » | Other threads
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timewasters
Saturday Timewaster: Now Boarding
While the weekend timewasters at Kotaku are generally free, and Now Boarding — an indie time management/sorting game that has a nice, slightly retro aesthetic — isn't, the demo is lengthy and engaging enough to waste an hour or two on a lazy Saturday. The point of the game is to manage your airport empire and keep the poor slouches stuck at the terminal or on the plane reasonably happy, or at least not hopping mad. The $20 ($15 right now) price tag for the full version seems a little steep, but the demo portion has already gobbled up time this morning that I should've been dedicating to plowing through another couple of thousand pages on Japanese colonialism. Frankly, sorting flights is a hell of a lot more fun — and this is a nice, reasonably polished little game that is fun to play. More »
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Comment by rowsdower: played the demo for a few hours, then bought it, great game, with a nice bit of difficulty. @Schabrak: yeah, you... more » | Other threads
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By Owen GoodComment by reecord2: Okay call me insane but this looks AWESOME 1 Responses | Other threads
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By Owen GoodComment by MarathonMax: @ Everyone disagreeing with X site's review and, worse, X site's commentors -- get over yourselves. The internet is... more » | Other threads
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indiecade
Indiecade 2008: Winterbottom! Gravitation! And More!
During my practically nonexistent downtime, I wandered down to check out the offerings at the E3 installation of Indiecade 2008. Indiecade is, as the name implies, a celebration of a variety of indie games ranging from 'art games' to more mainstream-type titles. We've covered at least two of the games here on Kotaku — Jason Rohrer's Gravitation and The Odd Gentlemen's The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom (begun as an MFA thesis at the University of Southern California). I had a chance to check out some of the games, talk to the people behind Indiecade, and watch the goings on — which included a surprising amount of hubbub and talent scouts from several companies lurking around. And there was more than just games: art prints were featured from various games (I even spied a screen from Blueberry Garden), plus videos of ARGs and installation games. My impressions and some pictures after the jump. More »
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Comment by acmoxon: You forgot about DarkGame, also shown with the IndieCade games. I think this was one of the most interesting,... more » | Other threads
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free to play
365 Days of Free Games
Bored this summer? GamesRadar has an appallingly expansive (10 pages!) listing of a wide, wide variety of games available for free, with just about every genre under the sun represented (including the classic 'Victorian slap-fighting game'). Many have videos and most have screenshots, so you can just scroll down and see what catches your eye. Organized into thematic groupings ('King of Pain,' 'Polychromatic,' 'Suburban Drama'), there's plenty of options to please any palette and more than enough games to keep just about anyone busy for a long, long time. More » -
clips
Graduate School and Gaming: The Making of Winterbottom
While at E3, I wandered down to check out the Indiecade offerings (I meant to post my impressions earlier, but they'll be up tomorrow — better late than never). I'd posted earlier about the postmortem of The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom and was happy to get some hands-on time with the game, plus the chance to chat with Matt Korba (lead designer) and Paul Bellezza (producer) about the game and life inside USC's Interactive Media program. More »
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Comment by korbster: @Stitched One of the classes we took at USC was a "producer" centered course focused on the entire production process taught... more » | Other threads
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pandemic 2
Saturday Timewaster: Pandemic 2
Ever wanted to decimate the world's population or see if you could develop a super-bug that would leave the globe in utter pandemonium? If the answer is yes, browser-based Pandemic 2 is your game; even if the answer is 'uh, no,' it's an interesting way to while away some time. Watch as your customized disease of choice is let loose on the world, then use your 'evolution points' to mutate the perfect delivery method for a global pandemic — the goal is to have a trail of devastation (and bodies) left in your wake. There are two different modes, 'realistic' and 'relaxed,' so if you're not sure you're ready for a realistic onslaught, you can try your hand with the easier mode. More » -
xbox 360
XBLA's Delisting Policy? Developers' Perspective
GamerBytes, the new blog in the Game Developer/Gamasutra/GameSetWatch line up, chatted with some developers to get their opinions on the XBLA delisting issue. The little three parter is a nice look at a couple of view points. Unsurprisingly, opinions are mixed — some are staunchly opposed, while some (like the cofounder of Merscom, Buku Sudoku developer) think it's a fabulous idea: More »
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Comment by gencid: I am pro this policy as long as "low sales" aren't the determining factor. Microsoft is using various attributes to... more » | Other threads
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social networking
Industry Vet Turns To Social Networks With Caffeinated Games
Another game industry vet has set his eye into social networking to support indie development. Greg Chudecke, who was lead tools designer at Zipper Interactive (SOCOM) and worked on Atari's Backyard Skateboarding and Black Label Games' Fellowship of the Ring title announced he's struck out on his own, founding an indie game company and social network. More »
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Comment by dunetiger reads kotaku, seems pleased: For some reason (and yes, I'm totally not addressing the article), the corporate title reminds me a hell of a... more » | Other threads
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timewasters
Saturday Timewaster: Putty Puzzle
I don't have time to waste this weekend, sadly, but if you do, there's a challenging little puzzler called Putty Puzzler, found over on the interestingly named 'Coke and Code.' It's putty. It's a puzzle. It's kinda hard. I spent a little bit of time with it and was pleasantly challenged — I'll come back for more after I've got a little time to waste. More »
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Comment by ninjafetus: @Purple Dave: Okay, good to know that there really is just 18 levels (for now), and I didn't miss something. more » | Other threads
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timewasters
Pleasant Saturday Timewaster: Meet In
I really love the too cute for words Grow games — nothing complicated, but cute and fun to play. There's a new game from the same creator — while not a grow game, it's a cute and quick little puzzle. And if you haven't experienced such classics as Grow Island, there's even more to go and click. More »
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Comment by SOyuncastor: can anyone help me on grow island?!! the max ammount of icons I got were 6 3 from the left and... more » | Other threads
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state of the field
The State of Indie Gaming
Juan Gril has an interesting look up at the current state of indie games, both on the PC and on this current crop of consoles — what's currently cooking, and potential and pitfalls for the future. And where is the hotbed of radical innovation?: More »
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Comment by dreamshade: "For every innovative Wii game in the market, there are dozens of innovative Flash games." Which is blessing and curse. ... more » | Other threads
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i hate math
"Braid: More Fun Than Calculus!"
Some of us here at Kotaku Tower are a little divided on Braid: I had a discussion with another editor who declared that the story ruined it for him, since it "reads like a prepubecent boy wrote it." Ouch! As I referenced in a recent essay, I enjoyed Braid a lot, though I felt the story was trying a little hard in spots (which I suspect is why the aforementioned critic wasn't a fan). But despite my sometimes strident opinions on Jonathan Blow, the game's creator, and my apparent propensity for managing to irk the man with practically every post I make about Braid, I liked the setup of the game and was always looking forward to discovering what new mechanics a level would bring. Chris Dahlen has a different take on the Braid game mechanics: maybe they make you think too hard? Kinda like calculus: More »
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Comment by AntiZERØ: Nothings better than Calculus! Case and Point: While learning about Derivatives, I leaned over to my friend and whispered,... more » | Other threads
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couture can be good
Do We Need Boutique Developers?
Michael Abbott has another little thought provoking post over at the Brainy Gamer on whether or not we need 'boutique' developers — just like the heavies of the film industry have divisions that deal in 'boutique' titles: More »
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Comment by thomasav: @JohnnytheFuture: Didn't Aubrey draw like giant penises? I'm pretty sure he did. Also, I'm glad someone else noticed this. more » | Other threads
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who needs color
What Game Design Needs: More ... Monotony?
... So Margaret Robertson argues, at least when it comes to graphics — why did everyone abandon monochrome for color? Wouldn't a little variety be nice?: More »
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Comment by Bonus_Eruptus: I actually turned the color off on my TV this weekend to finish Bioshock. Holy crap, did it add to... more » | Other threads
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indie games
Interview With Kian Bashiri (You Have To Burn The Rope)
We posted about the satirical You Have To Burn The Rope a few weeks ago; it's come up again in my reading this week, since I noticed the guys at Hardcasual used it as a launching point to grouse about the state of game journalism, then apologized after some other people like the guys at Rock, Paper, Shotgun offered a response. In any case, with all the talk about satire! And game journalism! And the meaning of the game!, it was nice to read the IndieGames interview with the creator, 21 year old Kian Bashiri, and his explanation of the game that is entirely unfettered with pretentiousness: More »
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Comment by Jacktherip: I played it on the weekend and I didn't really get it, now I see what he's trying to do.... more » | Other threads
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indie games
Interview With Blueberry Garden's Erik Svedäng
A few weeks back, we mentioned a a funky little indie-in-production called Blueberry Garden; now the nice people at the Swedish Game Awards have let us know they've put up a short and sweet interview with Erik Svedäng about the game. There's not a ton of new information, but I'm getting a slightly better feel for what Blueberry Garden may be all about, and also growing more intrigued: More »
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Comment by amadeus3000: Seems to ride on the currently LocoRoco/Patapon style wave. Mind you, I haven't got a problem with that. Bring it... more » | Other threads
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competitions
The Video Game Name Generator Competition
The Video Game Name Generator is always good for some fun, but what's even better is the game design competition run by the Independent Gaming Source: entrants had three weeks to come up with a game based on a generated title. The contest garnered 48 playable entries, including such scintillating titles as "Time Shark II: Medieval Shark Strike Force," "Shameful Pachinko Romance," "Post-Apocalyptic Unicorn Uprising," "Emo Harvest on The Oregon Trail" and my favorite, "Super Mario vs. Programming in China." More »
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Comment by Vio: This Generator is such an inspiration - just imagine... First-Person Booty Simulator (thank god it's not "manlove") Hip-Hop Bimbo Exhibition (mission pack... more » | Other threads
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freeware
BusinessWeek...Arcade?
BusinessWeek are very serious. So seeing they've just opened the "BusinessWeek Arcade" - which is a catalogue/portal for "some of the Web's best free, independently produced games" - on their site is a bit of a shock. Not as big a shock as seeing the calibre of games they've got on there, though. No shitty, cheap flash games here: the idle professional will instead be enjoying top-shelf titles like Crayon Physics, Toribash, Tumiki Fighters and - yes - Off-Road Velociraptor Safari. More »
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Comment by Bokusatsu_Tenshi: I've been following the Independent/Indie game scene for some time now... and I must say the stuff that's coming out... more » | Other threads
indie games
Denver, 3:25 AM
Mon Jul 6
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