A special Kotaku feature, in which Brian Ashcraft attempts to find out how life is treating IGF winners and finalists. Big questions such as distribution deals and future plans are asked; we discover what the developers of Crayon Physics Deluxe, Synaesthete, Fez, Iron Dukes and World of Goo have in the works.

A couple of excerpts from said article:

"The first commercial game I worked on was an urban Sims game at EA, and we learned that putting 3D versions of the Black Eyed Peas into a game might not necessarily increase the funk," says World of Goo creator Kyle Gabler. "On the other hand, it has recently been discovered that putting dinosaurs into a game will increase the funk every time."

"I was a little surprised that actually winning an award didn't help us much on the business end of things," says Carmel. "But overall, the IGF really helped us get the word out. In my opinion there's nothing else out there that is doing as much good for the indie game scene as the IGF."

Kotaku Feature: You Just Won IGF! That Means?

Articles on some of the best indie games available on the net today, courtesy of bit-tech.net, GameTunnel and Thank You For Playing. (source: GameSetWatch)

bit-tech.net - Indie and Experimental Games Round-up
Game Tunnel - What's New in Indie (March Edition)
The Indie Gaming Primer

Nifflas interviewed by Thank You For Playing, Jay Barnson (of Rampant Games) talks to RPGWatch; Kim Swift and Erik Wolpaw interviewed by Brandon Sheffield for a Gamasutra article.

Interview with Nifflas - Creator of Knytt Stories
RPGWatch - Frayed Knights Interview
Gamasutra - Valve's Wolpaw, Swift Talk Portal

Lab 14 is a freeware platformer with puzzle elements, in which players have to figure out the correct method of revealing and reaching the exit with the help of cryptic clues written on the white walls.

Use the cursor keys to move, and press the up arrow key to jump. The game isn't as clever as the author seems to suggest though. Twenty stages only.

Name: Lab 14
Developer: CaseySoft
Category: Platformer
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB
Walkthrough: Available
Direct download link: Click here

Mekuri Master is a new flash game by Nigoro in which players have to lift schoolgirls' skirts by moving the mouse cursor in an upwards motion repeatedly. Grades will be awarded based on the placement of your cursor, and the Mekuri meter shown at the top left of the screen will rise accordingly.

The game has five normal stages and two bonus levels. (instructional video in the extended)

Name: Mekuri Master
Developer: Nigoro
Category: Action
Type: Browser

Dire Haven is a platformer created by Radnom over the period of one weekend, in which players get to control naked people as they attempt to escape from an unidentified location filled with deadly traps and obstacles.

Use the cursor keys to move. Press the Z or up arrow key to jump. The game has a proper ending.

Name: Dire Haven
Developer: Radnom
Category: Platformer
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB
Direct download link: Click here (mirror)

Demonstration of a stage created using Blast Works' Level Editor. Blast Works (Wii port of Kenta Cho's Tumiki Fighters) will be released on May 1st of 2008. Unlockable goodies include rRootage, Gunroar, Torus Trooper and the original Tumiki Fighters.

Thomas Grip and Jens Nilsson interviewed about their latest release, Penumbra: Black Plague.

Penumbra Black Plague - Developer Interview

Note: Trial version updated with 2x and 3x video modes.

A demo for Joakim Sandberg's much-awaited 2D action game is now available for download from the official site. This pre-release version contains stage one in it's entirety, and a third of the second level. (trailer in the extended)

Name: Noitu Love 2
Developer: Joakim Sandberg
Category: Action
Type: Demo
Size: 10MB
Direct download link: Click here

Nano is a simple arcade shooter which took Adam Saltsman less than seven days to make, featuring a screen size of ninety pixels in both width and height. Use the cursor keys to move, and tap the Z key rapidly to shoot.

The game comes with an online high score table.

Name: Nano
Developer: Adam Atomic
Category: Shooter
Type: Browser

Trials 2 Second Edition is essentially a 2D arcade game with 3D graphics and simulated physics implemented. Like Elasto Mania, players use the cursor keys to handle a bike, with the objective of reaching the end of the course within the shortest time possible.

Press the backspace key to restart immediately when you've flipped over or injured your rider. Replays of other players completing each course can be watched by clicking on the small icon next to their names when the high score table is displayed.

Achievements such as having every single bone in the biker's body broken while attempting to reach the last checkpoint are included as well. The demo has three tutorial areas and six complete courses with varying challenges. Full version contains forty levels in total.

Name: Trials 2 Second Edition
Developer: RedLynx
Category: Action
Type: Demo
Size: 120MB

Rect Winder ASCII is a very simple, yet surprisingly challenging track shooter by D.K. of Alpha Secret Base. Limited to only four discrete positions, place blocks to reflect the enemy fire coming from the letters.

Name: Rect Winder ASCII
Developer: Alpha Secret Base
Category: Shooter
Type: Freeware
Size: 1.2MB
Direct download link: Click here

Helen Walters sums up BusinessWeek Arcade quite nicely: "...the growing world of free, creative, independent games is having a radical -- and growing -- impact on the booming games industry at large. This space is a hotbed of creativity and ingenuity, and we wanted to provide access so that you could take a look and judge for yourselves.

Given that we're writing about developments that are taking place within the online space -- and BusinessWeek.com is also online -- it seemed logical to provide this opportunity to interact with some of the games about which we were writing. I think it's a beautiful addition to a thoughtful package of serious articles."

BusinessWeek Arcade
Business Innovation and Design: The Power of Play

Introversion has confirmed that both Darwinia and Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest will be arriving on the Xbox Live Arcade service this Autumn 2008. The new package (containing both games) will simply be called Darwinia+, and the developers have promised to release Multiwinia as a separate title on the PC as well.

Darwinia+ confirmed for Xbox Live Arcade (Introversion)
Darwinia+ confirmed for Xbox Live this Fall (Joystiq)

Samurai Railroad Mansion is an action game developed by Lurk using Mark Overmars' Game Maker engine, and has more than a passing resemblance to Nintendo's light gun classic Hogan's Alley. A simple tutorial shown before the start of each level explains the type of enemies a player will encounter, though the advice on offer can be rather vague at times.

Hold the left or right cursor key before pressing the attack button to swing your blade in either directions. Your samurai's face will appear above the section in which he will strike at when the Z key is held. Press the F4 function key to switch between full screen and windowed mode.

Honor is lost when you hit a maiden or an opponent who has submitted to you, but can be restored by one rank for every ten thousand points you acquire. Timing is a crucial element in this game, as certain enemies can only be attacked after a few seconds, while others have to be sliced at the moment they appear on screen. There are only eight stages to play in total. (gameplay video in the extended)

Name: Samurai Railroad Mansion
Developer: Lurk
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 30MB
Direct download link: Click here (rapidshare link)

A demo for Brain-Damaged Toon Underworld is now available for download, although this preview only contains a small part of the full game which will be released at a later date.

Name: Brain-Damaged Toon Underworld
Developer: cactus (Lo-Fi Minds)
Category: Platformer
Type: Demo
Size: 2MB
Direct download link: Click here

Twin Hobo Rocket is a new collaborative effort by Edmund McMillen and Florian Himsl, the development team responsible for Coil and Tri-achnid. In it, players have to collect coins attached to balloons high up in the dark sky with only the missiles attached to their backs serving as propulsion equipments.

Daring souls can attempt to guide both bums at the same time using the W, A, S, D and cursor keys. Hover closely to a UFO, and one of your characters will pester the alien for spare change. Collision with an asteroid or the alien craft will cause damage to your rockets.

Name: Twin Hobo Rocket
Developer: Edmund McMillen, Florian Himsl
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB
Direct download link: Click here

Orbital Booty Interceptor: Baltirow's VGNG competition entry updated to version 1.01. (earlier mention)

ZAP: New multiplayer arena shooter released by InstantAction.

Interviews

Penny Arcade Adventures: Joel deYoung and Ron Gilbert interviewed.

Masq: Javier Maldonado interviewed by Chris Evans.

ROM CHECK FAIL is a new action game from the developer of Fishie Fishie and Polychromatic Funk Monkey. Players have to clear the screen of all enemies to complete each level, but the task is made a little more difficult by the random switching of gameplay rules where ideas are recycled and remastered as an odd mix of arcade or console classics from the past.

Use the arrow keys to move. The space key acts as an action button. Press the left alt and enter key to switch between full screen and windowed mode. The game has twenty stages in total. (more screenshots in the extended)

Name: ROM CHECK FAIL
Developer: Farbs
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB
Direct download link: Click here

Paul Robertson has released his new animated film, Kings of Power 4 Billion %, as a 320 MB .avi video file for download. (trailer shown above, Pirate Baby's Cabana Battle Street Fight 2006)

Video: Kings of Power 4 Billion %

Tetroid 2012 is basically a Tetris remake packaged with twenty songs, contributing over a hundred megabytes to the download size. The game itself is decent enough but comes with an epilepsy warning for liberal use of flashing images. Hold the S and down arrow key to drop a piece instantly. When the circular indicator on the right is full, players can press the S key to activate the Breakout mode.

Name: Tetroid 2012
Developer: Carsten Waechter
Category: Puzzle
Type: Freeware
Size: 100MB
Direct download link: Click here

Harold Thijssen's remake of Scramble essentially plays the same as Konami's horizontal shooter classic, though the author has included a couple of new surprises to go with the gamepad support and an option to continue when all ships are lost.

Tap the left control key to shoot, and press the alt key to drop a bomb. Destroy fuel tanks to increase your own supply. There are twelve stages in total, and the current loop is shown by the indicator located at the bottom right of the screen.

Name: Scramble
Developer: Harold Thijssen
Category: Shooter
Type: Freeware
Size: 1MB
Direct download link: Click here

Orbital Booty Interceptor is an arcade game in which players have to capture female earthlings using grapplers to increase the ship's fuel resources. Grapplers are automatically disabled when your astrogen supply is empty, inevitably resulting in a disastrous crash and an abrupt end to your mission.

Your ship receives a vertical boost whenever a grappler collides with the ground. Press the F4 function key to switch between windowed and full screen mode at any time. Note that grapplers retract a lot slower when your ship is moving rapidly to the left or right.

Name: Orbital Booty Interceptor
Developer: Baltirow
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB
Direct download link: Click here

Snowblind Aces is a short interactive fiction adventure game from the developer of Poizoned Mind and Gun Mute, set in an alternate history where fighter planes still rule the skies. This particular effort stands out because of the author's determination to exclude all forms of puzzles from his current and future projects. A hint system is still available, but the importance of this feature is limited to simple prompts leading to outright suggestions in order to move the story along.

Name: Snowblind Aces
Developer: Pacian
Category: IF
Type: Freeware
Size: 1MB
Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux
Direct download link: Click here

Kevin Pereira talks to Dylan Fitterer about Audiosurf and Ferraris. (RPS interview)

Flashbang Studios' Off-Road Velociraptor Safari reviewed by the 1UP crew. (note: there's a bit of swearing in this video)

From Gamasutra: As part of an in-depth Gamasutra interview published today, outspoken N+ creators Raigan Burns and Mare Sheppard have questioned the state of Xbox Live Arcade, suggesting quality issues and publisher-guided games are overwhelming its innovation.

The duo, which worked with Slick Entertainment's Nick Waanders to publish ninja action game N+ for XBLA release last month, had sharp words for the games released on the Xbox 360 digital download service, with Burns explaining:

"I think the thing with Live Arcade, though, is that I remember the last year and the year before. Two years ago was when we were first talking with Microsoft about doing it, it was really exciting, because Live Arcade had just came out, and they were like, "Oh, it's new. It's not going to be like retail. There's not going to be all this crap. There's going to be all these small, great, fun things."

I guess it's because they have a lot of power that no one has pointed out that that's the primary reason. Those decisions that are ruining Live Arcade... it's like, who greenlit Word Puzzle? Who green-lit that hoverboard game that's just shit?

The full interview with the trio is available today on Gamasutra, including lots more detail into the making of N+ for Xbox Live Arcade and their thoughts on the state of the digital download market.

N+ Creators Speak Out On XBLA Quality Issues

The Graveyard is a short interactive experience by Tale of Tales, in which you assume control over an elderly person with only two choices to make. There is only one linear path to explore, and game instructions are clearly provided with a press of the escape key.

Name: The Graveyard
Developer: Tale of Tales
Category: Adventure
Type: Demo
Platform: PC, Mac
Size: 20MB

FLaiL is a new platformer by Matt Thorson of Helix Games Inc., author of An Untitled Story and the Jumper series. The game consists of eighty stages in total, and new zones can only be unlocked when the player has acquired a certain number of points from previous areas.

The first zone works as a basic tutorial for most of your character's skills. In addition to standard jumping abilities, players can also teleport in any of the eight directions by holding down the mapped fly button.

This release includes an automatic save feature, level editor and a configuration utility for keyboard control mapping. (preview, FAQ, GMC forum posting)

Name: FLaiL
Developer: Matt Thorson
Category: Platformer
Type: Freeware
Size: 10MB
Direct download link: Click here

Note: If you love children, or might have an adverse reaction to violence, then don't download this game.

My First Skydiving Academy is a new physics-based toddler skydiving game by Paul Greasley, made using MMF for TIGSource's VGNG competition. This build features three replayable themed levels where your baby is thrown down into a canyon from a passing plane without a parachute and it is up to you to avoid obstacles as the toddler gains momentum and begins to ignite from the sheer speed.

The goal is to reach the end of the course within the alloted time and with at least one bone remaining in your suicide jumper's body. Paul has promised to cure cancer, as well as add more levels and features if he gets enough love mail at greasley_paul (a) hotmail.com.

Name: My First Skydiving Academy
Developer: Paul Greasley
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 10MB

Go Cat is a bite-sized puzzler recommendation by dessgeega, developed by Moochos and comes with an english manual in the zip file. The aim of the game is to collect all rice balls in quick turns, all the while avoiding contact with any adjacent areas occupied by birds on every third move you make.

Press the space key to initiate the action or restart a session. Left click to move around the screen, or select the same space occupied by your cat to pass on one of your three moves. Trees block your path, and you cannot end your turn on an area with a pool. (source: The Gamer's Quarter)

Name: Go Cat
Developer: Moochos
Category: Puzzle
Type: Freeware
Size: 1MB
Direct download link: Click here

Super Energy Apocalypse is a real-time strategy game with an emphasis on resource management. Zombies prowl the dark in search of waste to feed on, and it's up to the player to clean these up before the sun sets or risk having tougher enemies to defend against.

A day and night cycle is always in effect; players have to acquire resources such as energy and metal to fuel their defensive options against the zombie hordes. When dark falls, properly placed turrets, floodlights and tesla coils protect your buildings from being turned into rubbles that contribute to the amount of waste on screen.

Factories churn out garbage trucks and engineers for cleanup jobs, while farms generate food for the worker population in the area. The highest possible output is only achieved when all the basic needs have been serviced. A lab can also be built for research and upgrade purposes.

Name: Super Energy Apocalypse
Developer: Lars A. Doucet
Category: Strategy
Type: Browser, Freeware
Size: 10MB
Direct download link: Click here (right click to save)

The Last Canopy is a new vertical shooter by the Malaysian development team Easy Only! Games, playable using either the mouse or keyboard. Much like Kairos' Varia, players can absorb enemy attacks by holding down the X key for a few seconds, although the ability gained expires rather quickly and has to be replenished regularly for firepower upgrades.

The game consists of four levels in total, accompanied by a boss encounter at the end of each.

Name: The Last Canopy
Developer: Easy Only! Games
Category: Shooter
Type: Browser

All twenty-one finalists submitted for Jay is Games' 5th Casual Gameplay Design Competition are now available to play.

Jay is Games: CGDC5 Finalists

Two new interviews: Daniel Remar of Castle of Elite fame and Chad Taylor and Reed Gonsalves of Empyreal Nocturne fame.

Big apologies to the developers for taking so long to publish these two interviews. Everything that could get in the way, did.

Questionaut is a new point and click adventure by the developers of Machinarium and the Samorost series. True to it's name, players can expect to be quizzed on matters such as physics, mathematics and even general knowledge. The game consists of eight short stages in total. (BBC link)

Name: Questionaut
Developer: Amanita Design
Category: Adventure
Type: Browser

New information about two of cactus' projects in development were recently posted on Cactus Software and Lo-Fi Minds.

Brain-Dead Toon Underworld, or BDTUW! for short, is a slick and stylish platformer set in the bad neighborhoods of the cartoon universe. You're Twink, a harmless little creature who wakes up and finds himself in bad company. Only able to communicate through cute sounds and gibberish, you'll realize that it's a hard task to get yourself back to where you belong.

In Secret Agent Hotel you wake up to find yourself in a strange situation. A mysterious voice is claiming that you are an undercover agent, and is giving you information about your objective through a plug in your ear. It says that the hotel you are staying at isn't really a hotel, but the head quarters and training facility of a huge terrorist organization that is about to unleash fear and terror all over the world. Your first task is to get to room 257, the door that will take you to the deepest inner of the enemy. But what you find behind the door is course upon course of twisted obstacles. As you progress, you start to notice that the enemy seems to be aware of your every move, and the story that the voice in your ear is telling you is getting harder to believe by the second.

Also: the art of play. A symposium on games as art, taking place at CMU in Pittsburgh (March 31st - April 1st). Speakers include Phil Fish, Jason Rohrer, Randy Smith, Heather Kelley and Cindy Poremba.

Jonathan Blow and David Hellman interviewed by the 1UP crew.

Perfectionism is the first of many games to be published together with Jason Rohrer's monthly column for The Escapist (titled "Game Design Sketchbook"). This new project was created using Game Maker, and will only work on PCs with the Windows operating system installed.

The rules are simple enough. Click on two rows or columns to swap yellow blocks. Points are scored by placing the blocks inside hollow squares. Only rows can be swapped with rows, and likewise with columns. Browse levels by clicking on the green arrows located at the bottom of the screen. A penalty of one point is incurred whenever the player is flipping through any of the twenty-six stages in the game.

Name: Perfectionism
Developer: Jason Rohrer
Category: Puzzle
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB

(source: Braid News)

Clean Asia interview (video link)

From 1UP: More interviews with the developers of Fez, Crayon Physics, Noitu Love 2, Audio Surf and Fret Nice in the extended.

[IndieGames.com parent Think Services also manages Dr. Dobb's Journal, the seminal programming website/magazine - founded in 1975! - which provides plenty of hardcore coding info. It's just launched the Dobbs Challenge game competition, which is fairly pertinent to indies - full info below!]

Think Services is pleased to announce the launch of the first ever Dobbs Challenge, a special game competition brought to you in association with the world-renowned Dr. Dobb's Journal for software developers, and Microsoft.

To participate, firstly download the specially created 'Dr. Dobb's Challenge' games for either Windows and Windows Mobile. Then you can win from a prize pool of $10,000 by modifying the games using a trial version of Visual Studio 2008.

The games star the first-ever personification of Dr. Dobbs, alongside the characters from Microsoft's 'Defy All Challenges' machinima videos, as you battle to collect Visual Studio icons and complete the levels. Full source code and art for the games are freely provided for programmers to 'mod' the results and win prizes. Here's all you need to know to participate.

Some notes for indie developers interested in participating. Firstly, the Windows version of the game (which is fun to play even if you don't know how to mod it, actually) was created by the folks at Grubby Games, the makers of IGF finalist Professor Fizzwizzle. The whole thing is really well commented in code, and there are also tutorials on the site.

The Grubby folks designed the fun SD-style cartoonization of Dr. Dobbs and Microsoft's 'Defy All Challenges' machinima characters - who are featured in this video, in case you wondered who they are. The game itself lets you pick from the main characters and has somewhat of a 'time attack' feeling to it - you can also use the mouse to grab icons from far away.

In addition, there's a different Windows Mobile version of the game designed by the folks from indie PocketPC developer B3Team, and there's actually a conventional Windows executable version of that game in the Windows Mobile download package, if you want to check it out. It has slightly different, more 'oldschool' gameplay and specially designed pixel art of the main characters from Adam Saltsman.

As for deadlines and other info, there's a $1,000 'First Month Challenge' that closes on April 14th, and the other $9,000 of prizes have a June 13th deadline - including Best Windows Game ($4,000), Best Windows Mobile Game ($2,000), Best One Button Game ($1,000), Best Game Starring Dr Dobbs And The Defy All Challenges Crew ($1,000, and Best Total Conversion ($1,000) - for making something that's completely different in genre/style from the original Dr. Dobbs Challenge, but still keeps 'collect Visual Studio icons' as the mechanic and starts from the same codebase.

Finally, we know independent game developers care about what they can do with games after they've made them. So we are intending to allow games that use the source code to be released elsewhere by the creator - if they desire - after the competition is finished. This will probably be by licensing the underlying code itself under a BSD license at that point, though you would obviously need to remove any Microsoft/Dobbs character assets if wanting to release it elsewhere - watch this space.

The Hangover is a new art game experience which should feel very familiar to those who have been in similar situations. The trippy ride is a short one, and comes with a seizure warning.

Name: The Hangover
Developer: Jan Willem Nijman
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB
Direct download link: Click here

Open Doors is a puzzler created by Ozzie Mercado. The objective of the game is to shift a white square towards the exit marked X in each of the twenty-five levels.

Use the arrow keys to slide the square around, and press the R key to reset a room at any time. Doors can only swing open or close in one direction, and progress in the game is saved automatically. Completing all stages unlocks a bonus mode.

Name: Open Doors
Developer: Ozzie Mercado
Category: Puzzle
Type: Browser

There's a new port of Kenta Cho's Noiz2sa for the iPod Touch and iPhone. Fancy that.

Apple iPhone School: NOIZ2SA v1.0
Noiz2sa for Ipod Touch, Iphone web site

Something came up in the local papers today, so I scanned the entire article for your reading pleasure.

Guardian is a vertical shooter developed using the Game Maker engine, in which five levels are promised but at times a small bug will cause gameplay to stop at the third. Hold the C key to shoot, press the Z key to activate your shields, and tap the X key to use any special attacks acquired from collecting power-ups.

The game isn't without flaws, but delivers just enough action to distract most players from its shortcomings.

Name: Guardian
Developer: Graffito Games
Category: Shooter
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB

Armed Seven is the new mech-based horizontal shooter by Astro Port, the development team previously known as DHC. The trial version features two playable levels with obligatory boss battles at the end of each. Hold the Z key to shoot, and press either the X or C key to use your special weapon.

Name: Armed Seven
Developer: Astro Port
Category: Shooter
Type: Demo
Size: 20MB
Direct download link: Click here

A hundred indie games (revealed weekly, over the period of one month) ranging from freeware, shareware, imports, mods and even abandonware to waste more time on.

Caltrops: The Top 100 Indie Games

Switching Gears is a 3D platformer made in the style of the Ratchet and Clank series, in which you step into the metal boots of a delivery robot on a mission to save his city with the help of a few droid buddies.

The game consists of one short level, and was recently picked by InstantAction as one of their upcoming products for GarageGames' new web gaming platform. Use the W, A, S and D keys to move, tap the space key to jump, and hold the left mouse button to shoot. Both mouse buttons are also used to interact with levers or direct helper droids.

Broken droids can be regenerated at cloning stations, provided that you have their discs in possession when attempting to revive them. Only one disc can be carried at any time, but you will need all three near the end of the first stage to complete the game. An uninstaller is not included.

Name: Switching Gears
Developer: Affectworks
Category: Action, Platformer
Type: Demo
Size: 30MB
Direct download link: Click here (right-click to save)

From the Braid journal: Jason Rohrer (Passage, Gravitation) will be presenting a speech at NYU on April 11th 2008. The event is taking place on the 9th floor of Tisch Hall, in the lobby. The talk is titled 'art games' and 'game mechanics as metaphor'. Videos will be posted shortly after the seminar.

"In his lecture "The Game Design of Art," Jason Rohrer will present his observations from the front lines of the "games as art" debate. The fundamental question for Rohrer is not "Can games be art?", but instead, "How can we make art with our games?" Through comparison with film and critical analysis of several example artgames, the talk will explore one possible creative route: using game mechanics as metaphor." (source: Gaming Seminar)

Jason Rohrer: games as art

Brass Hats is a wargame inspired by classics like Nectaris and Advance Wars, with a focus on perfect play balance. Players command units like infantry, snipers, tanks, zeppelins and naval craft with combined arms tactics. Online multiplayer is included, along with a full map editor. Brass Hats is available for both PC and Mac.

Name: Brass Hats
Developer: Square Earth Games
Category: Strategy
Type: Demo
Size: 10MB
Platform: PC, Mac
Direct download link: Click here

Previews

DigiPen Games Gallery 2007: A preview for the latest batch of DigiPen student games is up, though actual downloads will only be available sometime in April 2008.

Sandbox of God 2: Mr. Chubigans had posted a release schedule for 2008 in his new development journal.

Machinarium: New artwork added to the official web site.

Remakes

Hunters Moon: The remake of Thalamus' shoot 'em up on the C64 is now available for download. (development thread)

ChopRaider: A Flash remake of Raid on Bungeling Bay, originally posted in the Retro Remakes forums.

Freescape: A video demonstration for the Freescape engine remake uploaded.

Hector'39 is a doujin game made by Ichigo-Citron, featuring an unofficial appearance by Hatsune Miku from Yamaha's singing synthesizer series. This vertical shooter has basic enemy sprites, and consists of only two playable stages in the trial version.

Hold the Z key to shoot, press the X key to activate your special attack, and use the C key to reduce your movement speed. The F3 function key can be pressed at any time to pause the game. (more screenshots and gameplay video in the extended)

Name: Hector39
Developer: Ichigo-Citron
Category: Shooter
Type: Demo
Size: 5MB
Direct download link: Click here

Gun Mute is a new intereactive fiction adventure game by Pacian, also the developer of the philosophical Poizoned Mind released just a few months back. Step into the shoes of Mute Lawton, a lone cowboy who must stop an execution set to occur at noon by shooting his way past dangerous cyborgs and mutants in a post-apocalyptic western setting.

The game has been made extremely accessible in several ways. Travel paths are limited to forward and backward motions. Your aim in each screen is to defeat the rogue or outlaw impeding your progress, and a helpful hint feature is included to ensure that players are able to solve all puzzles using subtle suggestions or outright solutions.

Name: Gun Mute
Developer: C.E.J. Pacian
Category: Adventure, I.F.
Type: Freeware
Size: 1MB
Direct download link: Click here

.t3 file, playable on Mac using Spatterlight, or Linux using Gargoyle

A couple of new interviews with N+'s development team. (Legend of Zelda remade as N+ levels shown above)

Interview: Metanet and N+, part 1
Interview: Metanet and N+, part 2
bonus: Q-Games' Dylan Cuthbert interview

Atomhex is an arena shooter that has a complicated scoring system and numerous control options for the player to experiment with. Dual analog control is recommended, though a mouse and keyboard combination works just as well.

The game is basically centered around coloured hexes and white atoms. Destroy the shields surrounding a single coloured hex, then collect them for points. Energized shields are formed whenever a white atom joins a hex, and these can only be destroyed if your shots match their color. Change your shot color by collecting single unshielded hexes.

Your ship will be pulled into the subatomic world when a hex is allowed to join six atoms. Split all six atoms by shooting at them, then destroy all spinning quarks to leave this bonus round. (source: the2bears)

Name: Atomhex
Developer: Mark Incitti
Category: Shooter
Type: Demo
Size: 5MB
Price: USD $5.00 - 20.00
Demo download link: Click here

Download Grid Wars

The track used in Erik Svedäng's Blueberry Garden trailer (Et Apres) is available as a 20 MB free download from daduk's Jamendo page.

daduk: Et Apres album download

There's a new Goo build to download. This is basically the same version shown at GDC last month.

Goo download page
PillowFort Games
IndieGames.com: Goo

This particular GameDev.Net forum thread is rather interesting, as the poster is advertising to fill two programmer positions for a 2D action-puzzle game called Skymning. Note the team structure (Primary design is being handled by Nicklas Nygren) and previous work by team sections (Nicklas Nygren, Director/Lead Artist - Knytt Stories, Knytt, Within A Deep Forest).

Apparently the game has been in production for over six months, and will be released on the PC, Wii and "possibly" Xbox 360 when completed.

GameDev.Net thread
support forum posting
Nifflas' web site
Night Game preview

Shift 2 is a platformer with puzzle elements based on the idea of shifting dimensions. Use the cursor keys to move your character, and press the space key to jump. The left shift key can be used to switch positions.

The game is rather short, but achievements and medals have been included in this sequel to extend replay value by a small measure.

Name: Shift 2
Developer: Antony Lavelle
Category: Platform
Type: Browser

Play Shift 1

A new preview of the upcoming Line Rider remake for the PC, Wii and DS. Due out in spring 2008.

1UP Preview: Line Rider
Line Rider sledding gameplay
Line Rider gameplay trailer

Hush is a collaborative team effort headed by Jamie Antonisse, one of the designers for The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom. The game is intended for mature audiences, and it's recommended to play Hush with headphones if you have any. Both PC and Mac versions are available for download. (source: Christian Nutt, Gamasutra)

Name: Hush
Developer: Jamie Antonisse
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 70MB
Direct download link: Click here

Made for TIGSource's VGNG competition. Trailer coming soon.

Boxhead: The Zombie Wars is the fifth survival game in Sean Cooper's popular top-down shooter series. Use the cursor keys for character movement, press the space key to shoot and alternate between the Z and X key to switch weapons. Number keys can also be used to select a weapon. Press the P key to pause at any time. Pistol ammunition is infinite, and exploding barrels do not hurt the player. (Trailer in the extended)

Name: Boxhead: The Zombie Wars
Developer: Sean Cooper, Daniel Cook
Category: Action
Type: Browser

View instructions

What's an Eegra? Dunno! But the guys who run the site seem to be doing a great job of reviewing odd indie games lately, which is always cool.

My favorite article: Short Review - A Piece of Toast. There's another one linked from the side bar which is a better read but I can't post about it here, sorry!

Double Dragon Forever is a remake loosely based on the first two games from the series, in which two brothers and a third character embarks on a quest to save the maiden from a gang of hoodlums and underaged schoolgirls. Once again, the story is negligible but when it comes to action the game delivers in spades.

The beta version has nine stages, though some are still in development and will only be improved upon before the full game is released. Players can change key mapping or game settings by using the two configuration files included in the download. (gameplay video in the extended)

Name: Double Dragon Forever
Developer: Dean Swain, Cleber de Mattos Casali
Category: Action
Type: Freeware
Size: 20MB (no Vista version yet)

The lone developer of The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai (new XNA release) interviewed by the X-Play crew. Running time: two minutes.

All Access: XNA (James Silva interview)
GDC 2008: James Silva - A Life

slakinov's Nanotube is pretty much InstantAction's Cyclomite inversed outwards, in which players have to rotate the wheel to catch small colored germs. You're only allowed a certain number of mistakes in each level, but the game can be resumed from any stage previously attempted.

Use the left or right cursor keys to match colors. Forty-two levels are included, though most players might not find the gameplay enticing enough to hold their interest for that long.

Name: Nanotube
Developer: slakinov
Category: Action
Type: Browser

GarageGames' InstantAction web site is now open to the public to register and play, though only four games are available at the moment. Multiplayer 3D games like Marble Blast Online, Think Tanks and Screw Jumper runs quite well from the browser, but the best games (e.g. Fallen Empire Legions, Caravel Games' Frog and Mice, Metal Drift, Ace of Aces and Rev) couldn't come fast enough as the ones which can be played right now are rather lacklustre if it wasn't for team play features.

Note: Some people have commented that InstantAction screws up Firefox after the plug-in installation, but it works fine for me. Proceed only with caution.

InstantAction beta web site
InstantAction announcement
Preview: GarageGames' InstantAction
GDC 2013 Will Be Mostly Web Games - Josh Williams, GarageGames
Interview: Caravel Games

From Gamasutra: A very interesting read compiled by Peter Rakos, in which he explains how to begin experimenting with Microsoft Excel for game development purposes. As previously mentioned by the2bears, there is also a vertical shooter project released by Shadow Slash which runs entirely from an Excel spreadsheet macro. Security settings may have to be set to medium in order to get this application working. (under Tools, Macro, Security)

Controls for DEX-EV are: Z for shoot, hold X to move your ship at a slower pace or to activate the special attack, and press C for bombs. The game also sports three different power-ups for the purposes of upgrading your weapons or to generate a protective shield around your ship. (direct download link)

Gamasutra - Feature: Microsoft Excel As A 'Revolutionary Game Engine'
the2bears.com: DEX-EV

New high resolution trailer for Erik Svedäng's upcoming Blueberry Garden posted. The game will be released in summer 2008. (Flipside of the Divine)

- Blueberry Garden trailer
- gameplay footage

Paul Robertson has announced that his new animated film, Kings of Power 4 Billion % will either be posted on his site or sold as a DVD starting next week (perhaps both). Pirate Baby's Cabana Battle Street Fight 2006 is still available to download and watch while we wait for the sequel's eventual release.

Some actual gameplay clips from Braid, posted on GameVideos.com. More videos in the extended.

Randy Balma, Municipal Abortionist: Pictured above... art.

Game Maker: YoYo Games may soon remove the download game option altogether from their web site.

Interviews

IGF 2008: GameDev.net interviews another set of finalists in the second of their two special articles. (part one)

Hanako Games: The developer of Cute Knight and Fatal Hearts interviewed by Gamezebo.

Previews

Braid: David reveals more preliminary designs and screenshots from the upcoming XBLA platformer release. Also, Gamer Hate on Braid.

Saturated Dreamers: Preview video of RPGCreations' exploration game posted.

Spaceboy X: Introductory sequence to Bagfull of Wrong's new project uploaded. (web site)

Good news for Dylan Fitterer and gang as Valve has just released a press statement indicating that Audiosurf did very well on Steam this month. So well in fact, that the game sold more copies than anything else on their catalogue for the month of February.

From Gamasutra:

Steam creators Valve have announced that the IGF Award winning music/puzzle game Audiosurf was the top selling game on the digital download service in February, topping Orange Box, Counter-Strike and hundreds more.

"Seven Minutes is a puzzling platform game that can be challenging at times. You haven't beaten the game unless you have seen the credits. The game has an interesting plot that makes you think. What would you do with your last seven minutes?

The game also contains some flashy imagenary so epileptics should be warned."

Name: Seven Minutes
Developer: Virtanen
Category: Platformer
Type: Freeware
Size: 2MB
Direct download link: Click here

Karoshi, a mix between a puzzle and a platformer game, is all about getting yourself killed. Each new level (of which there are 25 in total) presents a new challenge, and often the solutions are different from what you think. There's some humor, some weirdness, and an interesting boss fight at the end.

Most stages are solved quickly once you figure them out, and the game takes about half an hour to finish. You jump with Z and if you've found a gun you can shoot with X.

"Inspiration, amongst other things, has been I Wanna Be The Guy as well as Psychosomnium by cactus", says the creator.

Name: Karoshi
Developer: Jesse Venbrux
Category: Platformer
Type: Freeware
Size: 5MB
Direct download link: Click here

From RPS: "While at GDC ‘08 I met up with Mark Morris and Chris Delay from Introversion. We talked about their forthcoming games, Multiwinia, Subversion, the state of the industry, and their aspirations towards being indie publishers." - Jim Rossignol

Read all about the last of the 'bedroom coders' here

An interview with Jakub Dvorský of Amanita Design, the development team responsible for Samorost 1 and 2.

Hi Jakub, can you tell us a bit about yourself and also introduce the development team working on Amanita Design's upcoming 2D point-and-click adventure epic, Machinarium?

My name is Jakub Dvorský, I'm from Czech Republic (that small country in the middle of Europe well-known for its beer), 29 years old and I'm a game designer and visual artist. I started doing games in 1993 and in 2003 I established Amanita Design and started to work on Flash games with my former schoolmate Vaclav Blin who is mostly an animator. At the moment we are also collaborating with programmer David Oliva, musician Tomas "Floex" Dvorak, sound maker Tomas "Pif" Dvorak and painters Jakub Pozar and Adolf Lachman.

Can you tell us what Machinarium is all about?

Machinarium is a strange rusty metallic place populated only by robots. The story is about a little robot who has been unjustly thrown out to the scrap yard behind the city. In the game he returns to the town where he meets the bad guys from Black Cap Brotherhood - they are just preparing a bomb attack on the central tower where the town ruler has residence in. Of course our hero must stop them and also rescue his friend robot-girl.

New trailer for Joakim's Noitu Love 2 is now available from the official web site.

konjak.org web site
new Noitu Love 2 trailer (right click to save)

More videos in the extended. (source: Doug Allen)

Blockarelli is tonypa's version of SameGame and Collapse, but with minor differences. Players remove tiles from the screen by selecting a group of adjoined tiles. The game is conducted in a series of stages, each with increasing difficulty.

An online high score table is included.

Name: Blockarelli
Developer: tonypa
Category: Puzzle
Type: Browser

1UP Network Previews: Fez
GameSpot's GDC '08: Fez Hands-On

Here are a couple of Cave Story covers in MP3 format (right click to save). Short clip from a live performance in the extended.

Cave Story - Main Theme
Cave Story - Jam
Cave Story - Grasstown
Cave Story - Moonsong

From Jonathan Blow: "Gravitation is another art game. It’s good. It’s also easier for new players to 'get' than Passage, which hopefully will help more people realize how interesting these games are.

It’s great that Jason is managing to create such good games in such a short time period. It makes me wonder if I’ve been going the wrong way working 3 years on Braid."

Use the cursor keys to move, and press the space key to jump. Similar to Jason's previous release, very little instructions are provided and it's up to the player to figure out gameplay mechanics from discovery through trial and error.

The F key can be used to switch between full screen and windowed mode. Press the Q key to quit at any time. The creator's statement can be found on the same download page.

Name: Gravitation
Developer: Jason Rohrer
Category: Art
Type: Freeware
Size: 1MB

Interviews with makers of PixelJunk and flOw (30 minutes running time). GDC 2008 Best Downloadable Game award presentation video in the extended.

From Gamasutra: Organizers of the Penny Arcade Expo have announced "The PAX 10," a new independent games showcase to be featured at the August 29-31st Expo, put together with the help of DigiPen Institute of Technology.

Interested parties can submit their game for consideration by May 7th. A panel of 50 judges will select the ten best submissions for inclusion, and will award the winners with four exhibitor badges and a PAX floor kiosk to demonstrate the game.

PAX Attendees will also get the chance to vote on all of the PAX 10 exhibited games, with the winner receiving an "Audience Choice Award" following this year's event.

As part of the announcement, PAX organizers have also announced that Sony Online, Microsoft, THQ, Blizzard, Namco, NCSoft, Foundation 9 and more than two dozen other developers and publishers have already signed up for this year's Expo.

Organizers also note that ticket sales should outpace last year's 37,000 attendees. Said Penny Arcade's Robert Khoo, "We're selling tickets over twice as fast as we did in 2007, which of course is terrifying. At this point, attendees expect a great show. That's something we know how to do."

Penny Arcade Expo To Feature PAX10 Indie Showcase
PAX10 submission form (source: GameSetWatch)

Mighty Jill Off is dessgeega's tribute to the fantastic Bomb Jack series, created with collaborative efforts from James Harvey and Andrew Toups. Players jump with the Z key, and can cancel this action at any time by pressing the same button again for a smaller leap. Tap the Z key rapidly to reduce the speed of descent while in mid-air.

The game can be finished in roughly ten or twenty minutes with the first try.

Name: Mighty Jill Off
Developer: dessgeega
Category: Platformer
Type: Freeware
Size: 10MB
Direct download link: Click here