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'Semblance' makes history on the Nintendo Switch on July 24th
Semblance, the squashy platformer from independent studio Nyamakop, will hit the Nintendo Switch, PC and Mac on July 24th, 2018 -- a date that will go down in video game history. Semblance is the first South African-developed game to ever make its way to a Nintendo platform, and it comes from a small studio run by designer Ben Myres and programmer Cukia "Sugar" Kimani. In Semblance, players bounce a purple blob named Squish around 2D, side-scrolling levels, shaping the terrain to create platforms and solve spatial puzzles. Since players actually form the game as they go, Semblance is the world's first true platformer, according to Myres.
The unique stress of running a successful indie studio
It's a big year for Capybara Games. Below is actually coming out, five years after its announcement and three years after its original promised release date, but that's only the half of it. "I'm just starting to come to the realization of what's left in 2018," Capy co-founder Nathan Vella says. "We're only halfway through and I'm like, 'Aww, I've gotta fit everything into the last half?'" Capy is working on two other games while it prepares Below for launch, which is a beast of a project unto itself. The team plans on announcing the new games around August. "I believe pretty strongly in waiting for the right time," Vella says. "As proven by a game that's, like, three years late."
'Semblance' is proof of Nintendo's new indie hustle
I found Semblance on the second floor of the Fuego Lounge, squeezed into a booth beside a dance floor and a small stage. It was early afternoon, and waitstaff were restocking the long, rectangular bar in the center of the room as game developers, press and PR handlers flitted from station to station. A cloth tent on the balcony offered psychedelic VR meditation; a geodesic dome on the roof showcased swirling galaxies. And all along the walls inside, indie games waited to be played. Semblance stood out among the row of screens for its energetic, purple-tinged visuals. It's a platformer starring an adorable bouncing blob named Squish, and it's heading to PC, Mac and Nintendo Switch this year. Its conceit is innovative and also glaringly obvious: It's a platformer where players actually create platforms as they go. Squish is able to distort the world, building tall ledges or deep indentations in the ground in order to solve a series of tricky spatial puzzles. Everything about the game is at once super cute and filled with mystery, from the squashy, haunting sound effects to the cartoonish yet deep background animations.
How closing a Hooters will hurt indie games at E3
The Devolver Digital parking lot has been the best part of E3 for half a decade, even though it's technically not associated with E3 at all. A big white balloon marks the spot across the street from the Los Angeles Convention Center where a handful of bullet-like Airstream trailers huddle around tents offering free beer and hot sausages wrapped in tortillas. A giant screen sits under the shade, pixels flashing as a group of people play the latest local multiplayer game under Devolver's publishing label. Some years, an arcade controller with neon dildos as joysticks sits on a low table in front of the screen, waiting for someone to load up Genital Jousting. High-profile indie developers float in and out of the parking lot, showing off their games in the trailers and indulging in the festivities.
A chat with 'Super Meat Boy Forever' creator Tommy Refenes
Tommy Refenes' life is about to change dramatically. He's turning 37 in a few days and his first child, a boy, is expected to arrive just a few weeks later. On top of this perfect storm of personal anxiety, he's preparing to launch his second major video game, Super Meat Boy Forever, later this year on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
'Tunic' is more than just a 'Zelda' clone with a cute fox
Tunic looks like a game that's taken a lot of inspiration from SNES era Zelda titles — and when Xbox's E3 2018 showcase is an awful lot of games with guns, zombies or unexplained apocalyptic surroundings, it was a welcome panacea. Meet the tiny fox embarking on an adorable, mysterious adventure.
Hands-on with 'Unravel Two,' a co-op game with double the adorable
Unravel Two is the follow-up to 2016's Unravel, the first indie game published under EA's Originals brand -- and it is just as adorable and emotionally powerful as the original. Unravel Two stars Yarny, the same anthropomorphized ball of red yarn that carried players through the first game, and it adds a second, blue Yarny, instantly upping the cute factor 100 percent.
'Thomas Was Alone' developer launches another sci-fi text game
Here we go again. In August of last year, developer Mike Bithell, responsible for popular games Thomas Was Alone and Volume, did something rather unique. He released a small, $5 narrative game called Subsurface Circular -- first on PC and Mac and then on iPad. It was apparently successful, as Bithell just announced its sequel: Quarantine Circular, which has similar mechanics but a entirely new cast and story.
ESRB ratings changes could hurt indie games in the PSN Store
It sounds like the ESRB could make it harder for indie game developers to sell their games. Recently, the Entertainment Software Ratings Board announced that it will be eliminating free, short-form ratings for digital games according to Gamasutra. While there aren't any laws mandating a rating, if a game isn't rated by the ESRB (or PEGI internationally) good luck purchasing it at a brick and mortar store, or on a console's digital marketplace.
‘Spartan Fist’ is a first-person brawler with blocky cartoon violence
The world of good first-person indie games is a small one, and beat-em-ups are similarly scarce. Spartan Fist, then may be the brightly-colored first-person puncher you've been waiting for. Glass Bottom Games' third major game stars detective Emma Jones, the protagonist from the company's first two titles (Jones on Fire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof), as the current owner of the titular fists.
'Firewatch' is the latest indie game headed to Nintendo Switch
The folks at Campo Santo are bringing Firewatch to the Nintendo Switch. The developers have been busy stripping the game "down to the studs" to improve performance. Specifically, optimizing load times for textures and geometry. "We know what a good Switch game feels like, and want to make sure Firewatch feels like that too," Campo Santo writes. What's more, those updates will eventually make their way to the Mac, PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions.
It's time to talk about mental illness in indie development
This is normal. Heart pounding, hands shaking, head packed with static. The absolute inability to process what anyone is saying, let alone respond to it. Sitting alone at home -- lights off because you've been inside all day and the sun set hours ago, but your legs have been glued to the chair for just as long -- computer screen glowing. Wanting to be outside but unable to deal with the idea of people, conversation, smiling, pretending. Feeling worthless. This is normal.
10 years later, 'SpyParty' hits Steam Early Access on April 12th
Chris Hecker, the creator of SpyParty, is smiling and gesturing wildly over the open lid of a laptop showcasing the game's six new upgraded maps. After 10 years of development, SpyParty is finally going to land on Steam Early Access on April 12th, and Hecker is barely containing a cacophony of emotions -- not all of them bad. "That's fucking crazy and I'm terrified, like literally, abject terrified, and my anxiety level is through the fucking roof," he says. "But I'm excited too, and we'll see. There's a whole bunch of things I'm concerned about with that and excited about that. Like the fact that I have the best online competitive gaming community ever."
How the 38 Studios scandal shaped 'Life is Strange: Before the Storm'
Passion doesn't equate success. It's a hard lesson to learn in any industry -- no matter how dedicated your team is, regardless of how invested they are financially or emotionally, the entire business could burst into flames at any moment. Factors beyond anyone's control can shift the course of a project in an instant, or kill it on the spot. Few people know this reality better than the developers at 38 Studios. Founded in 2006 by former professional baseball player Curt Schilling, 38 Studios recruited top talent including fantasy author RA Salvatore and Spawn creator Todd McFarlane, with the goal of building MMORPGs -- huge, online games with dense ever-evolving worlds.
MoviePass adds Landmark Theatres to its subscription service
MoviePass, the popular cinema subscription service, just added another large theater company to its roster. While some movie theater groups, like Cinemark, have begun to offer their own (far less generous) take on the idea, others are jumping onboard. MoviePass announced its partnership with Landmark Theaters, known for its indie films and noticeably absent from the service. The agreement integrates MoviePass into Landmark Theatres' ticketing system, adding e-ticketing, advanced screening reservations and in-app seat selection to the movie-going experience.
Hands-on with coming-of-age puzzle game 'Where Cards Fall'
Where Cards Fall looks like a dream. Literally, I've had dreams that feel like this game -- the world is segmented into blocky platforms covered in grass, asphalt and clouds, as if a rudimentary algorithm was asked to create cities and forests, and it spat out gorgeous geometric interpretations of the real world. The game's art style highlights this dreamlike quality, covering all those cubes and slopes in soft, hand-drawn colors and dramatic shadows while ambient music hums in the background. Playing Where Cards Fall feels exactly like it looks -- ethereal yet grounded in reality, shockingly complicated and soothing at the same time.
Hands-on with the sci-fi game that falls apart as you play
You're never going to play Clunker Junker in your living room or on your desktop PC, no matter how many GPUs it has. Hardware is the issue here, but it's not a matter of processing power -- Clunker Junker requires two LED-adorned arm cranks, plus four crates with glowing lights and doors that come crashing down when they're unlatched during gameplay. The game itself, to be fair, runs on a laptop, but that's about as traditional as this thing gets.
'Children of Morta' and the power of modern pixel art
Children of Morta made me incredibly happy, scared, sad and fiercely determined, all within the span of 10 minutes and using only pixel art -- plus a few modern bells and whistles. It comes from Dead Mage and publisher 11 Bit Studios, and it's an isometric hack-and-slash game starring the Bergsons, a family of fierce fighters on a mission to save their home mountain from an evil corruption. Each family member has a special skill, and for my playthrough at GDC, I chose to battle as the youngest daughter, a fire mage.
'Hyper Light Drifter' is another indie game coming to Switch
Nintendo wasn't done with the indie game announcements after its #Nindies live stream earlier today. At an event and on social media it revealed three more ports coming to the Switch soon: Hyper Light Drifter, Nidhogg 2 and Crashlands. All three are GameMaker Studio titles, so it's not surprising they're coming to Nintendo's convertible console now that the development tool has Switch support built-in. Hyper Light Drifter is confirmed due this summer in the eShop -- after missing out on a hoped-for Wii U release -- while the other two are scheduled to arrive later this year. Abylight Studios is in charge of the port and said it's working with GameMaker creator Yoyo Games since this title "pushed the technical envelope." If you'd like an early peek, the original developer tweeted a brief, blurry clip of the game running on Switch.
Nintendo Switch's 2018 indie roster is looking strong
A year ago, Nintendo followed the launch of the Switch with a bold proclamation: The console would get a new indie game every week. This signaled a new era and approach to welcome third-party games, which previous Nintendo systems had failed to court well. Today, it seems like indie titles are lining up to jump on the Switch -- and the company announced a dozen new and remastered games will be headed to the console this year.
