IndieSider - indie video game developers interviews

Demakes Decoded at PAX East 2024 Mar 28, 2024 1:02:14 This past Sunday, for the first time since before the pandemic, I had the opportunity to share a panel with attendees of PAX East! Demakes Decoded: From HD to 8-Bit In an age of HD remasters, demakes buck the trend by reimagining a modern game for a more primitive console. Ever wanted to play Silent Hill 2 on the NES, Disco Elysium on Game Boy, or Portal on N64? Now you can! But how much of a

The Return of Couch Play at PAX East 2019 Apr 10, 2019 1:02:23 The tenth annual PAX East was held last month, and I was honored to host two panels of brilliant speakers. One, “The Art of Craft: Inspiring Game Creations”, can be seen and heard on the Polygamer podcast. The other was “The Return of Couch Play”, looking at offline multiplayer as an alternative to online games such as Fortnite, PUBG, and Tetris 99. Steam, PS+, and Xbox

IndieSider #61: CRYPTARK by Alientrap Jul 5, 2017 25:37 CRYPTARK is a 2D sci-fi roguelike twin-stick shooter in which players pilot mechs charged with salvaging alien technology from derelict spaceships. Technological defenses remain active on these procedurally generated abandoned hulks, and players must shut them down and shoot the core if they hope to escape with enough artifacts to sell and fund their continuing expeditions. CRYPTARK is available f

IndieSider #60: Old Man's Journey by Broken Rules Jun 21, 2017 29:57 Old Man’s Journey is a 90-minute puzzle through the hero’s memories. After receiving a letter, he sets out on a journey across rolling landscapes that the player can reshape, allowing the old man to leap from foreground to background, making his way across obstacles. At the end of each level, he reminiscences about his past, unraveling a tale of love, hope, and regret. Old Man’s

IndieSider #59: Kona by Parabole Apr 19, 2017 29:37 Kona from Parabole is a first-person exploration game set in the cold northern reaches of Canada in the 1970s. A private investigator has been hired to investigate some petty crimes but soon stumbles into a larger mystery hidden in the supernatural cold. What secrets lie within in this chilly interactive tale? In this week’s IndieSider, I speak with Jean-François Fiset, community manager fo

IndieSider #58: Future Unfolding by Spaces of Play Apr 5, 2017 34:20 Future Unfolding is a top-down exploration game set in a pastoral world. Without direction or tutorial and with very little written text, the game invites players to go whichever direction they wish as they discover secrets in the woods, make friends and foes of the fauna, and solve puzzles. A rustic palette, rich mythology, and soothing soundtrack complete the ensemble. In this week’s Indi

IndieSider #57: Open Sorcery by Abigail Corfman Mar 22, 2017 46:46 Open Sorcery is a cyberpunk hypertext adventure. You play as BEL/S, a fire elemental who has been bound by C++ code to serve as a firewall. Your job is to scan the local environment and detect any other elementals or poltergeists who could be interfering with your creators or neighbors. As you identify their material and motive, you will learn more about the world around you and gain sentience — p

IndieSider #56: Circles by Jeroen Wimmers Mar 8, 2017 23:41 Circles is an abstract puzzle game for Mac and PC that uses only mouse control. Each level consists of circles that behave in different ways but all of which must be avoided to reach the level’s end. As the game uses no written or spoken language and offers no tutorial, it is up to the player to decipher each level’s mechanics to manipulate and navigate the shapes. In this podcast, I

IndieSider #55: Warlock's Tower by Whippering Feb 22, 2017 37:28 Warlock’s Tower is a 2D puzzle game with a retro Game Boy aesthetic. Tim the mailman must scale the wizard’s tower, but each step he takes costs him a hit point. Players must carefully plot their course through each room to overcome such obstacles as zombies, slimes, barriers, conveyor belts, and more. Warlock’s Tower is developed by Midipixel, a Brazilian studio consisting of Yg

IndieSider #54: Induction by Bryan Gale Feb 8, 2017 26:50 Induction is a time-bending puzzle game from Bryan Gale. A veteran of such AAA studios as Electronic Arts, Gale’s first indie game employs temporal mechanics to create time loops. The only way to pull levers and cross bridges is if a player can be in two places at once — as long as they don’t cause temporal anomalies. The geometric art style is complemented by a soundtrack from Tim Shi

IndieSider #53: Owlboy with Jonathan Geer Dec 21, 2016 35:00 Owlboy is a 2D adventure-platformer — a Metroidvania — developed by D-Pad Studio and recently released for Windows. Otus, the main character, is the titular hero with the power of flight, but without the power of speech. Can he and his friends come together to save his besieged floating hometown? And can an indie game that’s been in development for nine years achieve success? This week, I s

IndieSider #52: Beholder by Warm Lamp Games Nov 2, 2016 42:28 Beholder puts you in charge of an apartment building in a totalitarian state. As a public servant, you are tasked to spy on your tenants and report any suspicious activities or ideological subversions to the authorities… whatever the consequences. Will you do what’s best for your family? Or will you risk your life to save others? Beholder is developed by Warm Lamp Games and published b

IndieSider #51: Pankapu by Too Kind Studio Oct 5, 2016 24:35 Pankapu is a family-friendly episodic platformer. The land of Omnia is being invaded by Nightmares, so Iketomi, the god of dreams, creates Pankapu, an avatar charged with bringing hope back to the realm. Only by discovering the three Aegis — Bravery, Ardor, and Faith — will Pankapu master the abilities needed to access all of the land and save his friends. Pankapu is the first game to be featured

IndieSider #50: Four Sided Fantasy by Ludo Land Sep 21, 2016 33:25 Four Sided Fantasy is a puzzle-platformer for Steam and PlayStation 4. As with most platformers, the screen scrolls side-to-side and up-and-down — but with the push of a button, players can toggle the scrolling and make the screen wrap, where one side connects to the opposite side. Using this power, players can navigate puzzles and access new areas through the game’s many seasons. In this i

IndieSider #49: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain by Tin Man Games Sep 7, 2016 35:52 The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is a visual gamebook — a cross between choose your own adventure and tactical RPG. As your adventure in this classic dungeon crawler, you’ll be presented with paths and choices. The character you choose determines your narrative as you encounter orcs, goblins, dwarves, dragons, and more. In this interview, I speak with Tin Man Games creative director Neil Ren

IndieSider #48: Lifeless Planet by Stage 2 Studios Aug 17, 2016 38:19 Lifeless Planet is a narrative puzzle-platformer for Steam, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. A astronaut has been sent to what’s supposed to be a verdant, unpopulated world — but his arrival reveals a barren wasteland populated by Cold War-era Russians. How did they get here, and what happened to the lush planet NASA had detected? In this episode, I speak with David Board of developer Stage 2 S

IndieSider: Stage of Development by Russ Pitts Aug 15, 2016 26:01 Stage of Development is a video documentary series featuring the human stories of Chicago’s indie game developers. Produced by Russ Pitts of Flying Saucer Media, Stage of Development goes behind the scenes with Bit Bash, Young Horses (Octodad: Dadliest Catch), William Chyr (Manifold Garden), Culture Shock Games (We Are Chicago), and The Men Who Wear Many Hats (Organ Trail: Director’s C

IndieSider #47: Chime Sharp by Ste Curran Aug 3, 2016 27:24 Chime Sharp is a 2016 sequel to the 2010 puzzle game Chime. In this puzzle game, players rotate and place pentomino blocks onto an open grid, trying to form perfect quadrangles (squares and rectangles). As the the timer counts down, a beatline moves across the level, clearing completed quads and triggering musical tones that complement the techno soundtrack. I spoke with designer Ste Curran about

IndieSider #46: Perchang by Perchang Jul 6, 2016 35:09 Perchang is an iOS puzzle game that’s been described as a cross between Lemmings, Marble Madness, and Lunar Lander. Manipulate moving parts in each level’s Rube Goldberg machine to get the marbles into their goals. Color-coded flippers, fans, magnets, and more are at your disposal — but all the red parts are activated together, as are all the blue parts. Group the parts by assigning th

IndieSider #45: Lumo by Triple Eh? Jun 15, 2016 41:28 Lumo is an isometric puzzle-platformer in the style of Solstice, Equinox, or Head Over Heels. With modern design sensibilities, a fantastic design aesthetic, uncomplicated controls, a quirky sense of humor, and plenty of secrets and allusions, Lumo is a fun and original revival of a genre that’s lain fallow for nearly a decade. It’s the debut game from Triple Eh?, founded by Gareth Noy

IndieSider #44: Life Goes On: Done to Death by Infinite Monkeys Entertainment Jun 1, 2016 40:42 Life Goes On: Done to Death is a 2D puzzle-platformer for Steam and PlayStation 4. Each level holds a chalice protected by traps, spikes, switches, levers, and relays. Crossing these obstacles will require the ultimate sacrifice — but your death will not be in vain: each character’s corpse remains behind, serving as a foothold or trigger for the next hero. This interview with Erik Johnson o

IndieSider #43: Kathy Rain by Clifftop Games May 18, 2016 23:10 Kathy Rain is a point-and-click adventure game developed by Clifftop Games and published by Raw Fury Games for Steam, Humble & GOG on May 5, 2016. After decades away, college sophomore and social outcast Kathy Rain returns to her hometown to solve the mystery surrounding her grandfather’s mysterious death. Her investigation will uncover a conspiracy that stretches back decades and involv

IndieSider #42: Epistory by Fishing Cactus May 4, 2016 22:07 Epistory: Typing Chronicles is a narrative adventure through an origami world plagued by an insectile infestation. Help the protagonist and her three-tailed fox defeat their foes by typing increasingly complex words. As the world is purged of this corruption, new areas literally unfold before your eyes, as a voiceover narration unveils the story. This interview with Fishing Cactus’ game des

IndieSider #41: Gravity Goose by Duck Duck Games Apr 6, 2016 22:56 Gravity Goose is a 2D puzzle platformer available for free for Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android. The defining mechanic is the player’s ability to manipulate gravity, which manifests itself by making gravity stronger or weaker, rotating the entire level, and more. Use these tools to guide your avian avatar through a deadly maze of pits and traps! In this interview, Eddie Rossiter of Duc

IndieSider #40: The Flame in the Flood by The Molasses Flood Mar 16, 2016 35:51 The Flame in the Flood is the debut game from The Molasses Flood, an indie studio composed of six alumni of Irrational Games. This procedurally generated survival game sends a young woman and her dog down a river, scrounging for resources they can craft into tools and supplies they need to stay alive. Death can come from drowning, snakebites, exhaustion, being mauled by a bear, starvation, and mor

IndieSider #39: Plangman by Ehren von Lehe Mar 2, 2016 29:54 Plangman is a game that combines Hangman with a puzzle-platformer: avoid enemies and jump over pits to reach the letters you need to solve each level’s puzzle! Judicious use of bombs, jetpacks, and other accessories will help you get past impossible obstacles and enemies. The monochromatic aesthetic and synthesized soundtrack pay homage to the Apple II, the first computer of Plangman develop

IndieSider #38: Ellipsis by Salmi Games Feb 11, 2016 32:37 Ellipsis for iOS is a top-down action game in the style of Geometry Wars and Crystal Quest. Collect all the nuclei from a level while avoiding obstacles and enemies intent on your destruction! The bright neon colors, intuitive interface, and complete lack of text or HUD makes for an intense, concentrated gameplay experience. Ellipsis is the first game from Salmi Games, represented in this week&#8

IndieSider #37: Momoka by Felwig Games Feb 3, 2016 24:13 Momoka is a 2.5D adventure platformer for iOS and tvOS. Imagine the exploration of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening or Cave Story, combined with the mechanics of Super Mario Galaxy. That’s Momoka, a non-linear, open-world action game set across a series of planetoids and outer space. In this week’s podcast, I chat with Benjamin Withers and Duncan Steele, who compose the ent

IndieSider #36: Lumino City by State of Play Games Jan 20, 2016 25:24 Lumino City is a point-and-click adventure game released for Steam in 2014 and iOS/tvOS in 2015. It features a charming story, intricate puzzles, and an accessible interface — but its most subtle feature is also its most astonishing: the entire world of Lumino City was hand-crafted as a physical set. In this interview, Luke Whittaker of State of Play Games discusses why they chose this route over

IndieSider #35: Girls Like Robots by Popcannibal Dec 2, 2015 29:10 Girls Like Robots was one of Popcannibal’s first games when it was released in 2012. Metacritic ranked it the 13th best iOS game of that year, ensuring the game’s long life. Now it sees its first console release with a Wii U version, giving a new audience of gamers the opportunity to participate in this seating arrangement simulator. Place girls next to robots on the playing grid, but

IndieSider #34: Dangerous Dave with Dren McDonald Nov 18, 2015 27:49 Before he created Wolfenstein 3D, DOOM, and Quake, John Romero released Dangerous Dave, a series of platformers for the Apple II and MS-DOS computers. One game in that series, Dangerous Dave in the Deserted Pirate’s Hideout, is now available for iOS, featuring both the original version and a remastered edition. The updated version includes an original soundtrack by Dren McDonald, a prolific

IndieSider #33: Emily Is Away by Kyle Seeley Nov 4, 2015 25:19 Emily Is Away is a narrative game framed as a series of AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) conversations. The main character and Emily are high school friends whose relationship evolves as they go their separate ways in college but stay in touch online. As you guide these online interactions, the decisions you make will determine where you go to school, who your friends are, and who Emily is to you, all

IndieSider #32: Mushroom 11 by Untame Games Oct 21, 2015 28:57 Mushroom 11 is a post-apocalyptic platform-puzzler. In a world without humans, a rogue mushroom must navigate dangerous obstacles and organisms. Players guide the fungus by “erasing” it, shifting its center of gravity, and splitting it in half. In this interview, co-designers Itay Keren and Julia Keren-Detar of Untame Games talk about why they chose a dark, futuristic setting for the

IndieSider #31: Super Happy Fun Block by Ethan Benanav Oct 7, 2015 31:02 Super Happy Fun Block is a 2D puzzle-platformer for iOS. Ball’s monochromatic world is being invaded by colorful blocks — but he can make them disappear with a swipe to the left or right. Control the blocks to solve puzzles, rescue stars, and restore the world. In this interview, Molten Tomato developer Ethan Benanav discusses what he learned working at Zynga that he brought to his in

IndieSider #30: Master Spy by TURBOGUN Sep 16, 2015 35:10 Master Spy is a cinematic stealth platformer and developer TURBOGUN’s debut title. As Master Spy, you use your stealth suit and super jump to infiltrate 2D mazes and evade traps that include motion sensors, pressure plates, and tigers. The pixel art, retro soundtrack, and dramatic cutscenes are reminiscent of Ninja Gaiden, Golgo 13, and Impossible Mission. Master Spy is available for $9.99 f

IndieSider #29: PAC-MAN 256 by 3 Sprockets Sep 2, 2015 41:09 PAC-MAN 256 is a free-to-play mobile game for iOS and Android from Hipster Whale, creator of Crossy Road, and 3 Sprockets, creator of Fight the Dragon. Guide Pac-Man through an endless maze while a glitch screen creeps up from the bottom of the maze, threatening to send you to the great bit bucket in the sky. Eat dots to unlock power-ups, collect coins to upgrade the power-ups and spend money to p

IndieSider #28: Gathering Sky by A Stranger Gravity Aug 19, 2015 43:39 In Gathering Sky, players guide a flock of birds through the air. Hawks and storms abound, but the game is primarily one of tranquility — there are no scores, objectives, or deaths. The terrain above and below changes across the five levels in synchronicity with a string orchestral soundtrack by Dren McDonald and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, complementing the peaceful experience. I

IndieSider #27: High Strangeness with Ben Shostak Aug 5, 2015 30:10 High Strangeness is a top-down action-adventure game in the style of Secret of Mana. With the ability to switch between 8-bit and 16-bit graphics, players explore two versions of a mysterious world on their quest to save both from a mysterious threat. A chiptune soundtrack completes the retro feel of this collaboration from Barnyard Intelligence Games, Crystal Labs, and Midnight City. In this int

IndieSider #26: Leadlight Gamma by Wade Clarke Jul 15, 2015 34:45 Leadlight Gamma is a text adventure, or work of interactive fiction. Inspired by such media as Silent Hill and Black Swan, Leadlight Gamma is a survival horror game in which you play as Belinda, a teenage girl who awakens to find herself in a dark parallel of her own high school. Spiders and zombies abound, and her former classmates want her dead. Can you guide her through the puzzles and comba

IndieSider #25: Adventures of Pip by Tic Toc Games Jul 1, 2015 36:05 Adventures of Pip is an adventure-platformer starring Pip, a single pixel in a 32-bit world. By defeating enemies and absorbing their pixels, Pip can evolve into greater forms, bringing him closer in line with the 32-bit enemies he encounters. Developed by Tic Toc Games, Adventures of Pip features a soundtrack by Jake “virt” Kaufman and is available for Windows and Mac via Steam and

IndieSider #24: Puzzledrome by Asinine Games Jun 17, 2015 26:33 Puzzledrome is a puzzle game that challenges you to create perfectly symmetrical palindromes out of shape- and color-based tiles. Arrange 101 different levels so they’re reflected both vertically and horizontally! This game was released for iOS on May 28, 2015, and is coming this summer to Android, Windows Phone, Mac, and PC. Puzzledrome is primarily the work of one man, Brian Dutton, who t

IndieSider #23: Catlateral Damage by Chris Chung Jun 3, 2015 24:47 Catlateral Damage is a first-person cat simulator in which players exercise a cat’s most prized skill: knocking stuff onto the floor. Procedurally generated houses, log cabins, grocery stores, and museums give you the opportunity to break dishes, televisions, fruit stands, dinosaur skeletons, and more. In this interview with developer Chris Chung, we discuss the game’s origin in the 7

IndieSider #22: Luna's Wandering Stars by Serenity Forge May 20, 2015 33:15 Luna’s Wandering Stars is a physics-based planetary puzzler from developer Serenity Forge. Players are challenged to manipulate trajectories, gravity wells, orbital thrusters, and more to collect golden asteroids while avoiding collisions with our solar system’s nine eight planets. This game is available for PC and Mac via Steam. In this interview, Serenity Forge founder Zhenghua Yang

IndieSider #21: Dyscourse by Owlchemy Labs Apr 15, 2015 29:53 Dyscourse is a choose-your-own-adventure game that puts you in control of Rita, the leader of a group of plane crash survivors on a desert island. At every turn, you must choose: who will stay in the group and who must go? Will you look for food, water, or shelter? Do you await rescue, or make your own? Each choice branches the story, determining who will live and die. In this interview, develope

IndieSider #20: Sunless Sea by Failbetter Games Apr 1, 2015 36:05 Sunless Sea by Failbetter Games is the sequel to Fallen London, a browser-based text adventure. In Sunless Sea, you captain a steamship in the subterranean realm of the Underzee, charting unknown waters and exploring distant ports. Bring back news and goods from new lands to London and be rewarded handsomely — by which you can stave off hunger, cannibalism, mutiny, and eldritch waters lurking in

IndieSider #19: Shelter 2 by Might and Delight Mar 18, 2015 19:39 Shelter 2 is a survival game in which you play as a wild lynx, feeding and caring for your cubs as they grow in the wilderness into adulthood. Hunt prey without falling prey to wolves or the elements. In this interview, Might and Delight CEO Anders Westin discusses how the game establishes an emotional connection between the players and the cubs, addresses the divide between journalistic reviews a

IndieSider: BostonFIG with Fiona Cherbak Mar 4, 2015 24:47 The Boston Festival of Indie Games, or BostonFIG, is an annual celebration of the Northeast’s indie gaming scene. Developers from Boston and beyond come to showcase their latest games and works-in-progress, be they for computers, consoles, mobile, or cardboard. Guest speakers from Robin Hunicke and Leigh Alexander to Brian O’Halloran and Jason Scott have headlined the festival, w

IndieSider #18: To Be or Not To Be by Tin Man Games Feb 18, 2015 35:26 To Be or Not To Be is a choose-your-own-path book by Ryan North, adapted from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and further adapted to interactive fiction by Tin Man Games, developer of numerous gamebooks. Choose to play as Hamlet, his father the king, or Ophelia. Make choices never before available to the Prince of Denmark. You may avenge your father’s murder — explore outer space —&#

IndieSider #17: Fight the Dragon with Seon Rozenblum Feb 4, 2015 41:17 Fight the Dragon is a hack ‘n slash RPG for Steam from Melbourne-based developer 3 Sprockets. Its titular red dragon has a million hit points and takes persistent damage, allowing players to slowly whittle away at him as they level up. But more significant, Fight the Dragon features a complete Adventure Construction Kit (ACK), encouraging user-generated content. Already hundreds of custom

IndieSider #16: Cubot by Nicolas Pierre-Loti-Viaud Jan 21, 2015 12:06 Cubot is a puzzle game with a calming, minimalist aesthetic and a difficulty level that quickly ramps up. Released originally for Android, then for iOS, and finally for Mac, PC, and Linux via Steam, it has earned consistently positive reviews across all platforms. Cubot is the work of one developer, Nicolas Pierre-Loti-Viaud. In this interview, he describes how he chose the presentation style,

IndieSider #15: Never Alone with Grant Roberts Jan 7, 2015 25:41 Never Alone is a puzzle-platformer for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows. It is a collaboration between E-Line Media and Upper One Games to adapt the culture and oral history of the Iñupiaq community. Up to two players play as a young girl named Nuna and an arctic fox to overcome numerous arctic obstacles while exploring the stories of Robert Cleveland and unlocking videos that share this peopl

IndieSider: 2014 Indie Games of the Year Dec 31, 2014 1:27:18 Happy New Year’s Eve! So many indie games were released in 2014, no one person could’ve played them all. So for this audio-only special episode of IndieSider, I’ve recruited Matt Conn of GaymerX, Sabriel Mastin of Indie Haven, and Emma Clarkson of BostonFIG to a roundtable discussion where we share our picks for Indie Game of the Year in three categories: mobile, desktop, and con

IndieSider #14: Framed by Loveshack Entertainment Dec 17, 2014 26:08 Framed is an interactive graphic novel from Loveshack Entertainment. Rearrange the panels of this noir-style comic book to change the order in which the action occurs. Will the spy run headlong into the police — or will he slip down a hallway, evading detection? You the player decide with panels you can drag-and-drop, rotate, and reuse. In this interview, Framed designer and composer Adrian Moore

IndieSider #13: This War of Mine by 11 bit studios Dec 3, 2014 31:03 In traditional war games, players assume the role of a soldier, fighting the bad guys and saving the day. But in reality, not everyone affected by war is a soldier. In This War of Mine, 11 bit studios simulates the experience of being a civilian in a war-torn country. By day, you make decisions about how to manage your meager resources to take care of your team; at night, you send your best runn

IndieSider #12: A Bird Story by Freebird Games Nov 19, 2014 24:36 A Bird Story is a one-hour interactive narrative from Freebird Games, available from Steam for PC, Mac, and Linux. With no spoken dialogue, no written text, and little gameplay, A Bird Story instead focuses on storytelling and soundtrack, bridging the gap between To the Moon and its sequel. In this interview, Kan Gao of Freebird Games discusses how he tells a story without words, why he chose thi

IndieSider #11: Qbqbqb by Rezoner Nov 5, 2014 18:00 Qbqbqb is a two-dimensional puzzle game that takes the traditional match-three mechanic and puts a spin on it — literally! Blocks are dropped onto a planetoid that players rotate left and right. Each planet is a different size and features its own synthesized techno soundtrack, to which the falling blocks contribute their tones. Qbqbqb includes both co-op and versus modes (local play only) and a c

IndieSider #10: Shadowgate by Zojoi Oct 29, 2014 43:25 Shadowgate, the classic point-and-click adventure, returns in this modern reimagining from Zojoi. Explore Castle Shadowgate from a point-and-click adventure, mastering weapons and spells with which to solve puzzles and defeat wyverns. Originally released in 1987 for the Macintosh and most famously for the 8-bit Nintendo in 1989, a successful Kickstarter campaign has brought this modern Shadowgat

IndieSider #9: Spirits of Spring by Minority Media Oct 15, 2014 26:06 When I want an example of a video game that deals with a powerful subject in a creative and meaningful way, I point to Papo & Yo, which served as a metaphor for growing up with an alcoholic father. Now that game’s developer, Minority Media, has released their next game: Spirits of Spring, a game that deals with bullying. You play as Chiwatin and his friends Rabbit and Bear as they try

IndieSider #8: Super Win the Game by Minor Key Games Oct 1, 2014 31:13 Super Win the Game is the commercial sequel to the 2012 freeware game You Have to Win the Game. Featuring gameplay and aesthetic homages to Zelda II, Startropics, Metroid, and more, the game features platforming exploration without combat — no head-stomping, no fireballs, no weapons, but plenty of other power-ups, like snorkels and double-jump boots. An optional CRT emulation mode will curve your

IndieSider #7: Rex Rocket by Castle Pixel Sep 17, 2014 19:20 Rex Rocket is a 2D Metroidvania with 8-bit graphics and a wry sense of humor. Set entirely on a spaceship infested with shapeshifting green goo, the game features more than 110 rooms, branching paths, and multiple power-ups. It’s currently available on Steam for PC, with Mac, mobile, and Ouya versions coming soon. In this week’s IndieSider, I explore the first few levels while chatt

IndieSider #6: Max Gentlemen by The Men Who Wear Many Hats Sep 3, 2014 23:05 Max Gentlemen is an “arcade-style extreme manners simulator about stacking hats, inspired by a spam email&quot. Play as Victorian-era lords and ladies as they flex their muscles and collect hats. Move your cursor up and down the growing tower of hats and jump to avoid collision with birds, darts, and other obstacles. Max Gentlemen is a product of The Men Who Wear Many Hats, the indie te

IndieSider #5: The Counting Kingdom by Little Worlds Interactive Aug 20, 2014 22:41 The Counting Kingdom, released on August 5 on Steam for PC and Mac (and coming soon to iOS), is a math tower defense game. As monsters advance on your castle, you group them by their numerical values and then cast the corresponding spell to banish the fiends. Later levels introduce higher values, monsters with unique abilities, and potions that let you adjust their values and positions. As neithe

IndieSider #4: Road Not Taken by Spry Fox Aug 6, 2014 24:14 Road Not Taken by Spry Fox is a turn-based roguelike puzzler for PC, Mac, Sony PlayStation 4, and Vita. As a freelance ranger, you are charged with rescuing children from a dark winter woods. Rearrange the contents of each room to group like items, opening the path deeper into the forest. Or combine different items to craft new equipment necessary to keep your ranger alive. Road Not Taken star

IndieSider #3: The Nightmare Cooperative by Lucky Frame Jul 30, 2014 26:28 The Nightmare Cooperative is a roguelike — a turn-based dungeon crawler featuring procedurally generated levels and permadeath. But here’s the catch: your party, composed of fighters, priests, miners, and astral walkers, must move collectively. When one goes north, they all go north; when one attacks, so do they all. Can you keep your party members alive through all four worlds? Having gro

IndieSider #2: Breakers Yard by Dan Dujnic of Protophant Jul 16, 2014 21:19 Welcome to IndieSider, where I pair a Let’s Play of an indie game with an interview with the game’s developer. New episodes of IndieSider air every other Wednesday and can be found in video format on YouTube or as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Pandora, Amazon Music, Overcast, Spotify, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, RadioPublic, or the Internet Archive. This w

IndieSider #1: Gone by Logan Harrington Jul 2, 2014 18:49 Welcome to IndieSider, where I pair a Let’s Play of an indie game with an interview with the game’s developer. New episodes of IndieSider air every other Wednesday and can be found in video format YouTube or as an audio podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Pandora, Amazon Music, Overcast, Spotify, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, RadioPublic, or the Internet Archive. In today&

IndieSider - indie video game developers interviews

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