Founded in Italy in 2010, Tiny Colossus is a small development studio comprising mainly of game designer/graphic artist Ciro Continisio and musician/sound designer Francesco D’Andrea. The duo have collaborated on the Flash title, Ticketless, and are currently working on their first downloadable game, UFHO2.

Continisio and D’Andrea believe in games as the greatest form of interactive entertainment, which is why their creations are based first and foremost on enjoyable gameplay. One of their first titles was a competitive strategy/puzzle game called UFHO, in which players would collect randomly-placed gems atop a hexagonal playing field. The browser-based game is no longer active, but Tiny Colossus are looking to revive and expand on the concept with UFHO2.

I reached out to Ciro Continisio to ask about UFHO2. In addition to the game itself, Continisio talks about some of the guest cameos they have lined up for the game and how an average game of UFHO2 might play out. Continisio also talks about the studio’s Kickstarter campaign and how interested parties can help fund the ongoing development of UFHO2.

Indie Games Channel: Take a moment to introduce yourselves. Tell us about Tiny Colossus.

Ciro Continisio: Tiny Colossus is a small, very small team, made up of me as the designer/graphic artist/programmer and Francesco D’Andrea as the composer/music guy. We don’t have an office, as we are in different countries at the moment, so we work remotely. We have created only a few games until now, most of them for game jams or similar competitions. UFHO2 will be our first fairly ‘big’ project.

Francesco D’Andrea: Apart from being the music guy at Tiny Colossus, I’m a music composer and sound designer for videogames, cinema and advertising, actually working as a freelance in my studio in France for UFHO and for many other games. I joined Ciro in this adventure a long time ago, when he was designing a game for iPhone called “Fly Clyde!” which never saw the light, unfortunately. (We’re going to make it one day!) Then Ciro asked me to compose the soundtrack and sound design to UFHO2, even before the game was in the process of being developed.

Indie Games Channel: UFHO2 is a strategy game and it’s presented like a huge board game. How did you come up with this idea?

Ciro Continisio: The main idea of UFHO was produced towards the end of 2007, when I was working at Visual Creative Studio, a web agency owned by Alessandro Risuleo in Rome. Together with Alessandro, we wanted to make a game and he came up with an idea for an adventure game. Imagine a game world divided into parts where these “blocks” can move, so that when the player exits an area, he doesn’t know where he will end. We quickly understood that this would lead to an enormous dynamic story/world that was beyond our possibilities (and beyond many of the studios’ possibilities, actually), so I suggested to take this mechanic and use it on his own for a puzzle-kind of game. So I distilled the idea into what UFHO is now, making it a turn-based navigational puzzle game. After some playtesting, we added the powerups to make everything more interesting, and here we are!

Indie Games Channel: In UFHO2’s first trailer, you playfully refer to it as “The sequel to the Best Puzzle Game No One Played.” What made you decide to re-visit UFHO?

Ciro Continisio: In 2008, we launched the first UFHO online, and it was only a human-vs-human game. We didn’t have the strength to create a campaign and attract players, so it was difficult to find an opponent online and the lobby was always deserted.

The few people that stuck to the game were in love with it, though, and we saw potential. We love the game idea and we want to bring it to as many people as possible, because we think they’ll love it too. This is why I picked up the game as it was and made it bigger, created a world and a story for it, added characters, more powerups, and more game modes. Francesco is taking care of scoring the music, and he’s doing an awesome job of giving UFHO’s world a distinct sound.

Indie Games Channel: Describe a typical game of UFHO2 between two humans. How long would each session last and what types of twists should those players expect to run into over the course of their game?

Ciro Continisio: UFHO is very much like chess — the game board may assume typical configurations that players could recognize and learn to use at their advantage. For this reason, a typical game would start with some ‘openings’, with the players struggling towards the first Gem which always appears in the middle. As the game progresses, the game board will mix up and become more difficult to read, and consequently predict the opponent’s moves.

When one of the players recognizes a situation, he may try to prevent the opponent from performing the best moves for him in his next turn. Learning this playbook of situations is part of the game and it’s what makes UFHO2 a very long-lasting game when you want to achieve a master level.

In this mix, the powerups add a little bit of randomness that will help break some stalemate situations, even though they seldom make the whole game unbalanced, so competitive players can be safe about the game’s fairness. Powerups are an extra level of complication and become powerful tools for expert players. In fact, they won’t be present in some early story mode levels and players will be able to exclude them when playing multiplayer, if they wish so.

Indie Games Channel: UFHO definitely resonated with some of your fellow game developers, because UFHO2 has lined up a number of guest stars. So far, you’ve revealed Commander Video (the BIT.TRIP series), the Critters (Super Crate Box), Tetrobot (Blocks That Matter), and The Brain (Cortex Command). What made you decide to bring these guests aboard?

Ciro Continisio: It all started when we sent some pixel art for a contest made by Gaijin Games. They wanted pixel art for their game BIT.TRIP Runner, and we provided pixelated UFHO characters. One of them was chosen and is in the game!

After that, I asked Alex Neuse if he was ok with us including Commander Video, and he was totally ok! So I started asking the devs I know for their characters, and they were all very supportive and kind, and they shared their characters with very little fuss.

We now have a very wide selection of characters from other games and I’m very happy, because these games are some of the best indie games for me and surely games that inspire me every day. There’s still a couple of characters we have to reveal, though.

Indie Games Channel: You’re aiming to release UFHO2 on PC, Mac, iPad, and Android. Is that still the plan and will online cross-platform play be possible?

Ciro Continisio: While the release on multiple platforms is a key feature, cross-platform play requires a lot of effort and will probably be released as an update. We are definitely going to do it, though, because it will be awesome to play with two iPads/iPhones in the same room, and to be able to play with so many platforms will expand the game community so that you will always find a match when you want one.

Indie Games Channel: Development for UFHO2 is moving along, but you’ve recently reached out to the gaming community for assistance. Take a moment to talk about UFHO2’s Kickstarter campaign. What kind of response have you received from fans and how close are you to reaching your goal?

Ciro Continisio: UFHO2’s campaign has gone well at the beginning, with people loving the rewards and giving it strong support. The campaign has been shared countless times on the social networks and we also got some press coverage on websites. The people who tried the alpha demo or who played the first UFHO have been in love with it, and spread the word whenever they can.

At the time of writing though, we’re still at 40% of the campaign goal with 10 days to go. The goal is a bit far and we need a big increase in pledges to make it. My guess is that UFHO2 is a deep game that needs a bit of time to fully understand its value, or maybe some time hands-on with the game. For this reason, many people fail to see UFHO2’s strong points just from the video or KS page, and even if they like the graphics or the rewards, they don’t donate. My hope is that players that like games where you put your strategic qualities to good use will take a closer look at the mechanics. I’m sure if they do they will be totally captivated by UFHO2.

Indie Games Channel: With UFHO2 so early in development, are there any features that you’re looking to add between now and the game’s final release?

Ciro Continisio: We want to put a lot of effort into the AI, because when you play against the computer you will want some worthy opponent. It has to be scalable, and adapt to the different play styles of the various characters. We’re also thinking of making it ‘intelligent’, so that it grows by learning from the player itself. If you get stronger, she gets stronger and learns your tricks. This is a very advanced feature and, even if very fascinating, I’m not sure yet that we will be able to put it into the game. But don’t give up yet!

Additionally, the current version of UFHO2 is local play only, so a major feature we want to work on is online multiplayer. Together with that, as said before, we want to put out online cross-platform play as soon as possible, so that people can play on any device with their friends.

Another thing I’m looking forward to is the full soundtrack. Francesco is very passionate about creating a world that feels fresh, and I’m so eager to get my hands, actually my ears on it!

Indie Games Channel: Is there a target release window for UFHO2?

Ciro Continisio: We hope to have UFHO2 finished by this summer, hopefully July or August. We plan to release it for Mac and PC, together with tablet devices (iPad and Android tablets).
We’d like to release a version for iPhone/iPod touch/Android phones later, since it needs some work on adapting the game for the smaller screen. This one would come probably in September.

Indie Games Channel: Thank you, Tiny Colossus, for talking to us about UFHO2!

Those interested in helping contribute to UFHO2’s development can check out Tiny Colossus’ Kickstarter page. Look for UFHO2 to arrive this summer. Indie Games Channel will continue to follow the progress of Tiny Colossus and their upcoming releases.

It’s a 2D puzzle-platformer that centers around an inventor named Ed who finds himself needing to escape his own lab when some of his creations go haywire. He’ll have to use “gateway guns” to fight his way out. One such gun is reminiscent of the tool found in Valve’s Portal series, but there appear to be some unique variations at play in Gateways as well.

At first glance, Gateways might just seem like it’s taking the the concept of Valve’s portal gun, and then moving it into a 2D platformer. Upon closer inspection, however, there’s a lot more going on than meets the eye. In addition to being able to make the traditional “A to B”-style of gateways, Ed gains access to a number of other devices that spice things up. For example, one of the gateway guns allows the player to create a large and a small portal. Entering the small portal and emerging from the large one will cause Ed to double in size, but taking the reverse route will shrink him.

There’s also a gravity gateway gun that allows the player to step through and walk on the walls and ceilings, and even a time-manipulating gateway gun that allows Ed to traverse the map and go back in time, where he might encounter past versions of himself.

Other power-ups and tools–like a torch or a laser-deflecting mirror–also get added to the mix. As you can tell in the debut trailer below, these gameplay conceits have the potential to create some mind-melting scenarios.

Reposted with permission from Shacknews.

It’s a reflex-based maze game meant to serve as an abstract representation of the titular cat’s night on the town. It’s quick, challenging, and looks great, too.

The controls are simple. Each of the game’s eighteen levels tasks players with navigating to their respective exits. Once the level begins, the cat–represented by a tiny rectangle–starts moving to the right, automatically. By holding either the up or down arrow keys, the player can alter the cat’s course.

Things start out fairly easy, but the mazes get more and more intricate, eventually requiring some pretty quick reactions. Running into a wall or obstacle restarts the level afresh, and there’s really no down-time or waiting around to speak of. If you get stuck, the game also gives you the option to skip a level after a number of failed attempts.

The Cat That Got The Milk has some interesting level design and did a great job keeping me engaged, but my favorite part is undoubtedly the striking visuals, which are reminiscent of artists like Wassily Kandinsky and Mark Rothko. Fans of abstract art are in for a treat.

You can download The Cat That Got The Milk for PC or Mac for free from the game’s official website, along with a free copy of the soundtrack.

Reposted with permission from Shacknews.

However, today’s newly launched assortment of indie games has a twist: the games will not only run on Windows, Mac, and Linux–but on Android as well! The pay-what-you-want bundle includes cross-platform versions of Anomaly: Warzone Earth, Osmos, and EDGE.

And if you pay more than the average price of $4.17, you’ll also get World of Goo as well.

Unfortunately, downloading the Android games will take a bit of effort. Whereas the PC/Mac versions of the games can be unlocked via Steam keys, the Android versions will require you to play around with your phone/tablet’s settings.

First, you’ll have to make sure your Android device is set to accept applications from “unknown sources.” Then, you’ll have to manually download each .apk file by navigating to your download page. It may not be the most seamless experience, but this video should help walk you through the process:

This Android-flavored edition of the Humble Bundle will be available until February 14th.

Reposted with permission from Shacknews.

Even more curiously, it’s a fan remake released with approval from the original Dark Reign: The Future of War’s publisher, Activision.

“We have worked out a deal with Activision to remake the game,” developer Magnetar Games explained in a post on Microsoft’s private Creator Club forums, snapped by Armless Octopus. “The art assets are fully authorized. The legal issues has been reviewed by Activision’s lawyer. Dark Reign Redux is a remake game QA’ed by Activision.”

Dark Reign: Redux is available from the Xbox Live Marketplace now for 400 Microsoft Points ($5). You can also play a demo on PC through your browser with the Silverlight plugin, and a mobile version is planned too.

It’s not the first time Activision has let fans play with its unused properties. The monolithic publisher also authorised, after a few hiccups, the fan-made King’s Quest sequel The Silver Lining, though that was never sold for money.

Reposted with permission from Shacknews.

With highly-respected titles like VVVVVV, At a Distance, and Don’t Look Back already under his belt, Cavanagh’s name is already synonymous with great indie games. His latest release, a free, Flash, browser-based multiplayer game called ChatChat is distinctly unique, on top of being quite adorable.

ChatChat’s only instructions to the player are “be a cat.” Players quickly name their randomly-generated feline avatar and then run around the world doing epic quests to save the world all sorts of cute cat-tivities.

As with much of Cavanagh’s work, ChatChat is much better experienced than described. A lot of this is because much of the game’s charm comes from discovering its various systems and possible actions to take. Some might interpret the game’s humorous construction, delivery, and subject matter as a subtly backhanded commentary on the current state of mainstream MMOs, but for me, ChatChat’s brilliance is in its simplicity. It basically boils down some of the traditional pillars of an MMO into their core essences, and then wraps them in a framework that most folks can immediately understand.

ChatChat is deeper than one might expect, but don’t expect multiple hours of entertainment. In fairness, however, that doesn’t really seem to be the point. What the game does do quite well is get the player attached to their avatar, and then poses the question, “What would I do if I were a cat?” There’s no combat to speak of, and the game instead allows players to find and explore their inner kitties. It’s social, it’s strange, and you should probably check it out.

Cavanagh also indicates tentative plans to add a few extra things to ChatChat with the help of fellow developer Hayden Scott-Baron who made the game’s crude but charming graphics. “There are a few small things I’d like to add to ChatChat, if @docky is up for doing more artwork. Will have a go tomorrow at CB2 ,” Cavanagh tweeted earlier today.

You can play ChatChat for free on Kongregate.

That’s not something I would have have imagined myself ever saying about a game centered on broom-wielding janitors.

The object of Dustforce is to clear dirt, leaves, and grime from each stage. It doesn’t sound appealing on the surface, but the janitors all carry a freakish sense of agility. They can run up walls and along ceilings, leap across walls, perform a brief air-dash, and use special moves to clear the screen of dirt. These are the types of moves that I’m dying to perform as a ninja or a samurai, but Dustforce let me perform them as a janitor. One particular move I loved was the cleaner’s special move that clears the entire screen of dirt, making the area shinier than Mr. Clean’s bald head.

Dustforce carries an off-the-wall premise and it’s loads of fun to play with thanks to its inspired level design. Even the earliest stages contain spike pits and collapsible dust walls that will test out any player’s platforming skill, with later levels amping up the difficulty level significantly. Among the hardest levels for me were those that required multiple wall jumps, made harder still by the fact that one errant jump would send me into a nearby spike pit.

The most brutal aspect of this game, however, is in its grading system. Perfection counts heavily in this game, with secret levels remaining locked until I could fluidly clear certain levels of dirt the first time through. There are some levels that I still haven’t been able to access thanks to this parameter and with the demanding grading scale, I don’t think I’ll be able to anytime soon.

There’s one big issue with Dustforce’s demand for custodial perfection and that’s the game’s controls. Dustforce is playable with the default keyboard controls, but they’re incredibly difficult to navigate and racking up a perfect run is nearly impossible. I had a lot of trouble with the wall-jumping mechanic and many of my combos were broken as a result. The individual controls can all be mapped out to a controller, which makes this game much easier. I did have a few incidents where my analog stick didn’t respond to trying to run up a ceiling, but overall, a controller is highly recommended over the keyboard.

Fans of parkour and acrobatics will get a kick out of Hitbox Team’s Dustforce. The characters’ moves are cool to look at and fun to pull off. Be forewarned, however, that the difficulty level of this game is incredibly high. Those that get easily frustrated may want to steer clear. Gamers looking for a legitimate challenge and some new leaderboards to frequent, though, will feel right at home with Dustforce.

Reposted with permission from Shacknews.

Pineapple Smash Crew sends your four-person squad off to loot randomly-generated derelict spaceships, first cleansing them of any robotic defenses, aliens, monsters, or other ‘orrible things which might hinder your delicate salvage operation. Naturally, this involves big guns and heaps of explosives. I got to play an early version for a bit last year, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The price is still being finalised. While you sit in suspense waiting for that to happen, here, check out the new trailer:

Reposted with permission from Shacknews.

Be Good tells the story of Donald Martin, from his birth all the way to the twilight of his life.

Using point-and-click mechanics, players move Donald across a number of screens to interact with the various people around him. Donald can react to whatever they say with either a smile or a frown, with each decision changing his life in different ways. The changes are evident throughout the various stages of Donald’s life and are interesting to watch unfold.

There’s a nostalgic air to Be Good and it mostly comes from its visual presentation. The game utilizes the classic Claymation art style that was used most prominently in the late 20th century. Using an older style of animation is a nice way of adding to the idea of the game as a fond look back at the past. It also adds an element of humor, as the smiles and frowns are both funny to see.

Be Good is both enjoyable and brief. It can be slightly bittersweet to watch the same ending unfold, but that’s part of the game’s poetic element. No matter what decisions we make in life, it all ends the same way. The game about all the small, seemingly inconsequential choices we make in between life and death.

Those looking to try out Be Good can download the game for free from its website. Be Good received an honorable mention in the 2012 Independent Games Festival Student Competition.

Cold Beam Games is continuing to roll out Beat Hazard Ultra across a number of platforms. The next stop for the Beat Hazard train is iOS. Before that game releases, however, iPad and iPhone owners are getting a taste of what to expect with the BH Music Visualizer.

The BH Music Visualizer adds Beat Hazard visuals to your music and to internet radio stations.The description notes that it works with iTunes tracks, however I’ve observed that it also works with MP3 tracks from other online music stores, such as Amazon and Napster. The app is available for free and contains a small ad bar at the bottom of the screen. Music lovers (or ad haters) can remove the ads for a one-time 99-cent charge.

The Beat Hazard graphic style is on full display here and it’s a great new way to play through my music library. However, I did run into a bit of a problem with my iPod’s Auto-Lock feature. Once the iPod locks up, the music and app both come to a screeching halt. Indie Games Channel has reached out to Cold Beam Games to inquire about a possible fix, but in the meantime, make sure to disable the Auto-Lock feature on your iOS device before using this app.

Those looking for actual gameplay to accompany their iTunes library won’t have long to wait, as Cold Beam Games will have Beat Hazard Ultra ready “soon” for all iOS devices. In the meantime, Beat Hazard Ultra is currently available on Steam and PlayStation Network.

Update: Cold Beam Games has responded, noting that they’re aware of the Auto-Lock issue and that a fix is in the works.