Adam-Spragg
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The Joystiq Indie Pitch: Hidden in Plain Sight
Indie developers are the starving artists of the video-game world, often brilliant and innovative, but also misunderstood, underfunded and more prone to writing free-form poetry on their LiveJournals. We at Joystiq believe no one deserves to starve, and many indie developers are entitled to a fridge full of tasty, fulfilling media coverage, right here. This week, Adam Spragg attempts to revive local multiplayer with an XBLIG game about looking like you're not playing a game at all, Hidden in Plain Sight. What's your game called and what's it about? The game is called Hidden in Plain Sight. It's a set of multiplayer game modes that share a common theme: trying to accomplish goals without drawing attention to yourself. In each game mode, players control characters in the midst of a large group of NPCs. Players are given a task, but also the means to eliminate each other from the game. So the goal is to try to blend in with the NPCs, but still do what you're supposed to do without getting killed. For example, one of the simplest game modes is called "Death Race." Players and NPCs are racing to be the first to cross a finish line. The naïve approach would be to simply run quickly to the finish line. However, each player has a gun with one bullet, and can eliminate one person from the race. So players want to win the race, but run the risk of being eliminated if they look like they're trying to win. (Of course, you could try a double-bluff by running way out in front, because no one would be that obvious, right?) Other game modes create similar tension by putting players in a conflicted position of wanting to accomplish a goal, but risking elimination by doing so.
