#indie game appreciation

[alpaca-clouds]

I freaking love Indie Games

Let me talk about something positive today. I wanna talk about Indie games. Because I freaking love Indie Games.

I... was for a long time not much of a "gamer". I mean, I had my Pokémon games and Digimon and I played quite a bit of Resident Evil for a variation of reasons. Also I did play Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts. But... I was not that much of a gamer. I had these few Japanese franchises and other than that I just did not do much in terms of gaming.

When I then started university and got my first desktop PC back then - one powerful enough to handle games - I got Bioshock and from there really got into games. So, I played it all. The big franchises. You know it. Dragon Age, Bioshock (which I can basically play with my eyes closed), Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed, Far Cry and so on and so forth. You know those games. But...

Well, a couple of years ago, I noticed that I stopped looking forward to those new releases. And I think it started really with Cyberpunk. Because Cyberpunk 2077 was a game I was so freaking hyped for and I wanted to get it on release. But then... all the news about the crunch came out, I felt less and less like it. And then the game was all buggy af. And... yeah, I never got it.

But I also kinda fell out of love with the entire AAA game industry. So many of the games are created through crunch. So many of them are filled with endless tidium to stretch out the runtime. And every bit of diversity that is in there still very much feels like it is there for those diversity points - not out of actual conviction.

I did not game much for a long while... Until I started playing the Supergiant games, after getting them in a Steam sale. And let me tell you: I fucking loved Transistor. That was such an interesting Cyberpunk game. I enjoyed the heck out of it.

So, obviously I played all the Supergiant stuff. And yeah, sure, I had played a couple of other Indie games before (Undertale and Oxenfree come to mind), but I never had looked into Indie games before. And then I did and hell yeah.

Not all Indie game studios treat their developers good. No. But chances are higher that they do, compared to the big studios.

More than that: There is just more variation of indie games out there. Genres that in mainstream seem basically dead (including my beloved Metroidvania) are still alive and well within the indie sphere.

And diversity in Indie Games is actually true diversity. Often enough done by own voices. There are not only games that feature marginalized groups, but also those, that actually center around those experiences.

Also, most Indie Games actually respect my time. Other than AAA titles, that fill their world with endless nothing, Indie titles are often way more consciece. Something I can play through within 10-20 hours - but if I like can replay again and again.

And don't get me started with accessibility. Like, fuck. One should think that it should be possible for the big studios to make their games just a little bit more accessible, right? Yeah. Somehow still not happening.

So... Yeah. Sure, I am still gonna play my Digimon and Pokémon games. But for the most part I am sitting in my Indie corner and am quite happy here.

Especially because... well... It also seems more sustainable, right?

[chadchadsonthesnail]

Indie Game Devs, I love you. (With some small exceptions. I know of ONE dev who made spaghetti string code and would harass players for making suggestions.)

But Indie Game Devs who are NOT like that-

And don't get me started on Indie Animators! Y'all are so talented!

I would die for Indie creators.

Indie animations and Indie games are the future of media, now that almost every big company has gone to being focused solely on profit.

You keep your industries alive!

Thank you so much!

[gilbertgoosey]

shoutout to the games that begin like this:

[dinchenix]

Hey Tumblr, the layoff wave has reached me as well… So, from now on I am looking for a new project to join. Any pointers to who may be looking for a Pixel Artist are greatly appreciated!💙 My portfolio can be found here (in the progress of updating): artstation.com/dinchenix

Additionally, I am also looking for Social Media positions for indie game projects - again - any pointers welcome!

I am based in Germany, and comfortable in English or German-speaking teams. DMs and mail are open for further information!

[slasheru]

HEY I'M USING TUMBLR BLAZE FOR ITS INTENDED PURPOSE AND TELLING YOU ABOUT MY HORNY HORROR-COMEDY DATING SIM THAT I MADE.

(also on itchio ooh ahhh with a free demo, just scroll all the way down OOH AHH https://suiteddevil.itch.io/slasheru-act1alpha)

[ishtea]

listen. if the main source of buffs/power in your game is eating food, logically, the strongest characters should also be the fattest

Capcom, dearest, beloved, maker of Monster Hunter a series which i have held dear from a tender age…

Hunters eat meals, nay Feasts, before hunts, they gorge themselves. Food is power. therefore, my G Rank 999 Mag Spike Huntress should be using those Magnet powers to lift her fat ass off the ground to PUMMEL monsters, she should be like a wrecking ball bro, she eats like 20 bento boxes a day, the earth should tremble beneath her as she butchers Zeniths.

please Capcom… let the Hunters be fat, to feed and not grow is to be in purgatory, free the belly

TL;DR: put fat people in your games you COWARDS

[art-appreciation-dog]

Happy Indie Animation Day everyone!!

Celebrate today by checking out a random ongoing Indie Animation project... by chance

Take your pick:

🚀🔧🔫 😾🍾🚗 🤡🍔🧟‍♂️ 👹🩸🛝

. 🎪🎩🔪 🤖🍞👦 🥁👻👩‍🎤 .

🧠😵‍💫😈 🧛🏻‍♀️🎶🧛🏻‍♂️ 🔥💀💜 🏰⚔️🐈‍⬛️

. 🎃🍬🔪 🟡⚔️🟣 👻🔪🧑🏻‍🦰 .

🤖🔫🤖 🤠🐲🕸 🐺🌑🕯 🔫🐐🤠

. 👩🏻‍🦰🧡😺 🏫🏺🏛 🚀⭐️🌌 .

🏃‍♀️🚬🤠 🟨🟦💾 👻🏫🔦 🩸😿🐙

Bonus points: Which projects can you recognize just from emojis alone?

[psychhound]

[ID: a banner for a game. it is light tan with a crumpled paper texture, and reads "with breath & sword" in large blue font, and "a solo-journaling game that helps you fight anxiety as you fight monster" below it in smaller font. there is lineart of gauntlets lying over a sword with some flowers at the bottom. end ID]

You find yourself tied to the monsters. The scratchy feeling in your chest. The way your hands tremble. The sweat that dots your upper lip when your senses are telling you a monster is close, again, now, and it’s your job to fight it. To stand up for your ideals and stand up to the threat. Whether you tame it, or this is truly a monster that needs to be slain, only time will tell.

 You know you will succeed. You always have before. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be a challenge.

 Grab your gear. Put on your boots. You know how to find it. You know what to do.

 First, you just need to steady yourself.

[ID: a page spread from the game. it shows "step four" on one side, which goes over the five aspects of the game's oracle. on the other side it shows the first oracle component, where something you can taste determines what your heroic core is. the page is minimally designed, with a blue border and text on a white background, tan accents, and one image of a dragon. end ID]

With Breath & Sword is a solo-journaling TTRPG to help players combat anxiety. 

In the game, you play as a monster-fighter, who is being summoned once again due to the presence of a new monster. Each time a monster appears, you struggle with the emotional effects of the magic: effects that look a lot like anxiety. You must steady yourself before you go off to fight: in the game and in real life.

Over the course of WB&S, players will participate in grounding methods and breathing techniques to calm themselves from an anxiety attack. These methods also serve as the game's oracle in order to determine how the story goes. 

What You'll Need:

A safe space to play 

A method of writing or recording

[ID: a page spread from the game. it is the section called "the science" and goes over the psychology behind the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique, the 4-7-8 breathing method, and destroying journaling. it has a few lines about narrative and play therapy, and that the creator of the game used these methods in his social work with neurodivergent teens and adults. end ID]

check out the game on itch now!!

[flightrising]

It's Appreciate a Dragon Day

And every day is Appreciate a Dragon Day on Flight Rising!

Which dragon is your favorite? How do you gene them? Do you style them? How do you style them? Apparel, skins, accents? Do they have a matching familiar?

edit: Title and hashtags updated based on your feedback, thank you!

[teocrsh]

HELLO!!! i'm super excited to announce my first shot at making a game is now available on itch io! "the front yard" is a super short vn-esque rpg maker game that follows fergal byrne and eoin kairys, two new yorkers who moved to the union stockyards of chicago for work. it is playable here! please check it out if you can!

[hotlinecharlie]

CHANNEL15

[boringkate]

I released an upgraded port of one of my decade old Wii homebrew games on steam today and that means that you have to give me $5! Those are the rules!

It's a top down 2d zombie shooter with a bunch of modes, local multiplayer, and 20 steam achievements for you to collect!

[wentian]

hey friends! a good friend of mine helped to develop an indie roguelike deck-building game inspired by slavic folklore. it's in early access but it would be awesome if you wishlist it on steam to help them a bit 💜

[mokadevs]

'Magnetism Rally', a game about taking care of your owner.

Rei's going on a date. In your experience, this tends to be pretty disastrous, so you need to do your job as her dog to prevent her from screwing up too badly.

Made by Sev and I in 48 hours for the GMTK Jam!

[tiaravermelha]

* ˚ ✦Cara Chaos — an indie interactive game εїз

Hello!!! I can't believe I'm actually doing this, but finally, my first game is in the works. I've been waiting to be able to do it, and I'm so happy to be accomplishing this (⁠◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕⁠✿⁠)

* ˚ ✦WHAT IS IT ABOUT

You play as Doe, a researcher who studies gods and wishes. ᕙ⁠ ⁠(⁠°⁠ ⁠~⁠ ⁠°⁠ ⁠~⁠) (very simple summary, it's not a coincidence!)

Join in an adventure with funky characters to learn more about your past, and your true reason to be in this world!

It is made with Twine! It has illustrations! And goodlooking characters...?!

...yes! You can befriend them, or more!

Also, you should be able to play on browser. No need for downloading B-)

* ˚ ✦UMM...SPECIFICS !

Y'know, the game is more of a personal oc project than anything. I really like otome games, so expect to see some kinda of romance (not forced! You can choose whether to romance a character or not!).

the game uses she/her pronouns, but you can headcanon the MC as anything, even as a sheep if you want! ⊂⁠(⁠◉⁠‿⁠◉⁠)⁠つ

It's character-driven, there's a great emphasis on them (of course...)

Anyway, feel free to ask anything! I'm not so sure if there's something else I should say, but... I think this is enough warnings! (⁠◔⁠‿⁠◔⁠)

* ˚ ✦DEVELOPMENT

The game will release on itch.io, with 1 (one) chapter as a prologue. I'll be updating in patches, with new writings and illustrations :).

Because it's made by only one person, that being, me, I'll be on my own pace (Also to ensure that the quality is perfect! Drawing is hard, man). I will post drafts and miscellaneous stuff for the game, to assure that I'm not dead or giving up the production (⁠｡⁠•̀⁠ᴗ⁠-⁠)⁠✧.

Aside from that, I hope the game can be enjoyable for all, when It releases somewhere yet this year (we'll see about that ⊙⁠.⁠☉).

Stay safe!

[hypertextdog]

hi @hypertextdog followers and friends. it's that time again

the process of elimination (tpoe) <- play here

this is my interactive ergodic web fiction project, the process of elimination !!! ��↴↴

it features six endings, a robust original soundtrack (by myself), and a number of visual artworks, including the banners visible above and the tpoe ost's album cover, by @notwerewolf. other information (including many content warnings) can be found on my homepage.

if that piques your interest at all, feel free 2 join the discord here!!

more info on it below ↴↴↴

tpoe is an exploration of isolation, control, surveillance, and early 2020's-era internet culture. you play as harry arsigne, a 14-year-old cat artist living ~alone with his overbearing father, scott, in a decommissioned lighthouse in the shoreline town of conder, connecticut.

making choices through personality test responses, you'll balance your two hobbies: exchanging personal histories with and seeking questionable guidance from the set of five eccentric criminals scott keeps in his d.i.y. prison cell in the lighthouse basement, and using his surveillance software to monitor the online activity of one wren wayer*, a rather pretentious local high school sophomore and twice attempted gamedev with whom you have an at times overwhelming obsession.

* that says "wren wayer" sorry dark mode users

it is a whole queer ordeal with honest deconstructions of modern online teenager-hood, including fandom and forum drama, gay parasocial love, e-childlabor, and destructive codependent ldr's. it's also a crime drama about a father whose overprotective affection manifests itself as a sort of religious zeal pertaining to disease, water purity, and fucked up architecture.

it is really good and i worked hard on it dudeee. play ittt join the serverrr thanks for reading👍👍