Matt Hammill and Jamie Tucker on Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
Feb 28.13 / Android, Linux Downloadable, Mac Downloadable, PC Downloadable, Screenshots, Trailers, developer spotlight, interview / by omejia
Nothing says romance like fighting off hoards of galactic bad guys, while trying to ward off certain doom in the deep vacuum of space. That’s the idea behind Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime from Toronto-based developer, Asteroid Base.
For a game about constantly fighting off certain space-related death, the game features a bright neon color palette that creates a whimsical atmosphere and captures imaginations – so much so that Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime has been named a nominee in the upcoming Independent Games Festival for Excellence in Visual Art.
Senscape’s Agustín Cordes on Asylum
Feb 27.13 / Linux Downloadable, Mac Downloadable, PC Downloadable, Screenshots, Trailers, developer spotlight, iOS, iPad, interview / by omejia
Horror games in the past few years have focused less on action and more on psychology. It’s become less about what we see and more about what’s haunting our minds. It’s become more about perception and looming fear.
Senscape looks to continue this trend with their upcoming point-and-click horror adventure, Asylum. To learn more about it, I talked to Senscape director, Agustín Cordes.
David Scamehorn and Alexander Baard on Super Space _____
Feb 27.13 / PC Downloadable, Screenshots, Trailers, developer spotlight, interview / by omejia
An Asteroids-style arcade game is hardly a new concept, but what happens when too many cooks enter the kitchen? Super Space _____ is a game that puts two to four players in control of a single vessel in an Geometry Wars-like setting.
The formula has proven to be so engaging that it is among the nominees for the 2013 Independent Games Festival’s Excellence In Design award. To learn more about the game, I talked to the game’s two designers, David Scamehorn and Alexander Baard.
Discord Games’ James Petruzzi on Chasm
Feb 26.13 / Linux Downloadable, Mac Downloadable, PC Downloadable, Screenshots, Trailers / by omejia
Discord Games has undergone some growing pains since we last spoke with them. Take Arms showed potential as a 2D multiplayer shooter, but ultimately flailed in the limbo of Xbox LIVE Indie Games — though it was reinvigorated slightly as a free offline shooter.
Undaunted, the crew has moved their focus towards desktop gaming with their next title, Chasm. To learn more, I spoke to Discord’s James Petruzzi.
Roxlou Games’ Joe Houston on Unwritten
Feb 11.13 / PC Downloadable, Screenshots, Trailers, developer spotlight, interview / by omejia
Dishonored was one of the most acclaimed mainstream releases of 2012. That’s why it was so surprising to hear that one of the design team’s members decided to branch away and venture into the world of indie gaming.
That’s the path that Joe Houston has taken, creating Roxlou Games and starting work on his debut title, a turn-based strategy game called Unwritten.
Mousechief’s Keith Nemitz on 7 Grand Steps
Feb 01.13 / Linux Downloadable, Mac Downloadable, PC Downloadable, Screenshots, Trailers, developer spotlight, interview / by omejia
The Musée Mécanique is an interactive museum located in San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf. Literally translating to “mechanical museum,” it holds one of the world’s largest collections of antique penny arcade machines.
Mechanical music boxes and coin-operated dioramas seems like an unlikely inspiration for a video game, but the folks at Mousechief have adapted the style of the Musée Mécanique and turned it into their upcoming PC release, 7 Grand Steps.
Stage 2 Studios’ David Board on Lifeless Planet
Feb 01.13 / Mac Downloadable, PC Downloadable, Screenshots, Trailers, developer spotlight, interview / by omejia
An empty planet in outer space appears to be nothing more than a barren wasteland. There are no signs of life to be found anywhere. But as time slowly passes and more of the terrain is explored, the planet doesn’t feel so empty. Signs of life start to show up — signs of human life. This is part of the setup for Lifeless Planet, an upcoming third-person action/adventure game from Stage 2 Studios.
With 2013 looking to be the year it arrives, I reached out to the game’s lead designer, David Board, to learn some more details.
Review: Hundreds by Semi Secret Software
Feb 01.13 / Review, Screenshots, Trailers, iOS, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch / by omejia
Semi Secret Software is a talented group of indie developers, who have previously released heralded titles like Canabalt. Hundreds is not just Semi Secret’s latest title, but it also represents a collaborative effort with Greg Wohlwend of Puzzlejuice and Solipskier fame.
The result of this team-up is a truly fiendish iOS puzzle game that’s far from by-the-numbers.
Visiontrick Media’s Henrik Flink on Pavilion
Jan 31.13 / Linux Downloadable, Mac Downloadable, PC Downloadable, Screenshots, Trailers, developer spotlight, iOS, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, interview / by omejia
Visiontrick Media recently unveiled a mysterious game called Pavilion. The independent development team is describing it as a “fourth person exploratory experience about guidance, influence, and subliminal control.”
PAVILION FIRST TEASER 2012 from Visiontrick Media on Vimeo.
Beyond that, details about the game are scarce. To attempt to shed some more light about what Pavilion is, I talked to Visiontrick Media’s Henrik Flink.
Sunstone’s Simon Strange on Kaiju Combat
Jan 31.13 / PC Downloadable, Screenshots, Trailers, developer spotlight, interview / by omejia
Godzilla hasn’t had an illustrious video game history, with several subpar adaptations hitting 8-bit and 16-bit consoles. It wasn’t until the previous generation of consoles when Pipeworks came along and released a trio of fun giant-sized brawlers — Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla: Save the Earth, and Godzilla: Unleashed.
Simon Strange, owner of Sunstone Games and a former member of the Godzilla trilogy’s development team, is now moving forward to creating a new generation of monster games with Kaiju Combat.
