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8. Hell is Other People

It has an awesome name. It is an awesome concept. Hell is Other People is an 'asynchronously multiplayer' according to creator George Buckenham. The path that each player takes is recorded and future players are then pitted against their recordings.

This means that no two games are the same. It also means you are technically playing against humans - albeit humans who aren't actually aiming at you. It's a beautiful idea which starts off pretty easy and soon develops into a full-on war. Try taking on 15 ghosts at the same time. Chaos.

"Hell is other people was born, pretty much, out of frustration. I had just left uni, and me and a friend were in talks to start making games together, and things looked like they were falling through (they fell through), and it annoyed me I hadn't made a game. It was ridiculous. It annoyed me to be a consumer, but not a producer. And I was staying at my friends house, and I took a shower and the idea came to me, and I thought 'right! that's a good idea, and it's perfectly doable' and then I spent about a month of unsociable hours until it was done. Which was a bit rude, as I was still staying in my friends flat. I am traditionally a person who is rubbish at the end of projects - I love launching in and exploring ideas and learning how stuff works, but the polishing and the making everything fit just so doesn't fit me quite as much.

But with hell is other people I started to get annoyed that it wasn't finished, so I had the energy to push at the end. And then of course, even though it was free (it's free! go play! yes you! now!) it takes just as much energy to promote it, to get people visiting. But just as developing rewards you as you see the game get slowly more fun under your hands, promoting rewards you as you check your Analytics graph each day. And when it peaks up! Oh boy! And that's aside from the joys of reader email, which is always sweet. Making things for the internet: a fun way to spend your time. Be advised, o internet reader." - George (more)

Name: Hell is Other People
Developer: George Buckenham
Platform: Browser

[ PLAY IN NEW BROWSER WINDOW ]