First Impressions: SCP - Containment Breach (PC)

I am not sure where I first heard about SCP - Containment Breach, although it might have been through some mention on the Frictional Games blog or from the Precursor Games' forums, I am not 100% sure.  Wherever I heard about this game, I am thankful that I have.  In short, "SCP is a survival horror [free to play] game based on the works of the SCP Foundation", which really does not tell you much as to what the game is about.  The SCP Foundation can be summed up by their mission statement, which also puts you in the frame of mind for the game:

Secure: The Foundation secures anomalies with the goal of preventing them from falling into the hands of civilian or rival agencies, through extensive observation and surveillance and by acting to intercept such anomalies at the earliest opportunity.

Contain: The Foundation contains anomalies with the goal of preventing their influence or effects from spreading, by either relocating, concealing, or dismantling such anomalies or by suppressing or preventing public dissemination of knowledge thereof. 

Protect: The Foundation protects humanity from the effects of such anomalies as well as the anomalies themselves until such time that they are either fully understood or new theories of science can be devised based on their properties and behavior. The Foundation may also neutralize or destroy anomalies as an option of last resort, if they are determined to be too dangerous to be contained.

One downside is that the game is not available through Steam and does not seem to like to run through the Steam browser.  Each time I have tried loading/running the game through Steam, the game crashes after I finish with the setup window and says that there is a "Memory Access Violation."  There is a work around in the ReadMe file, but again, running through Steam does not seem to work, so playing is done the old fashioned way by double clicking on the application icon; so much work.

Part of what drew me into the game was that during the loading screen, I was introduced to one of the entities/artifacts located within the SCP Foundations compound, specifically SCP-012.

Just a picture and a couple of sentences containing bits of lore about an object.  It reminded me a lot of  H.P. Lovecraft and Arthur Machen, albeit a bit darker with a modern flair.  I like there is the hint of deeper and more in depth lore than is being presented to the player

SCP is played in first person with WASD for controls, Tab for the inventory menu, and spacebar for blinking.  Yes, blinking.  Blinking apparently is a key function of how things operate and how some events are triggered in the game.  There is even a blink meter that will force you to blink when the meter runs down.  Or, again, you can blink by pressing the spacebar.  This is how I was apparently killed (and nearly browned my shorts) during my first play/die-through.  I blinked and the entity that was across the room, hovering over two mutilated corpses a second ago, was now standing in front of me and promptly did the same to my fleshy form.  You can also find objects to pick up and combine items to create new concoctions, but I will have to figure out how to not die the next time I go in.

So I played, maybe five minutes of the game before I was killed.  At first I thought this was supposed to happen, then I realized that dying is what happens, just like any game, when you do not do something that you were supposed to have done.  I take it as just part of the process of learning the game and mechanics.  It feels like this game is designed to be played over and over knowing that you could be killed at any moment because of the way a creature reacts to the player.  There is the feeling of constantly learning to not die the next time through.

I am also having the problem that when I try and take an/the elevator up one floor, I am assuming to the next area, the game crashes.  I have tried closing down all other programs and even tried running around the room with the elevator doors to see if the game will not crash for some reason, but every time, the game crashes during the loading screen on my way up to the next floor.  I will have to figure out what to do next or what is going on to proceed it would seem.

I know that I have just barely scratched the gooey surface of what this game is and what is contained within its locked vaults, but I rarely feel this excited about a game having played not even 10 minutes.  And because the game seems to be updated and patched every so often with content created by community members, the game could hypothetically go on indefinitely, unless there is an endgame in mind (such as escaping the facility), but that could simply be modded too. 



~JWfW/JDub/Jaconian
There's No Escape, That's What They Say

First Impressions: Knytt

I decided to give Knytt a look.  Knytt is a freeware, open-world platforming game by a Swedish developer named Nifflas, creator of another atmospheric game: Night Sky.  Knytt is the first in a series, which I have just now cracked open.  

It was fun!  It was relaxing.  It was ambient.  Knytt is like an open world Super Meat Boy, but less refined.   Knytt is like Proteus, is like Starseed Pilgrim.  It also made Giant Bomb's 2009 list of 365 games to play before you die. 

I don't know how I got turned on to Knytt.  I think it was when I was researching 'Starseed Pilgrim.'  Some reviewer or another made a comparison to Knytt, and I think it was apt (even if I can't find the original article).  Knytt is similarly mysterious in its goals and intentions, and similarly relaxing in its aesthetic.  There's a gentleness to Knytt.

The gameplay in Knytt isn't actually mysterious.  That is to say, there is a tutorial.  There is a simple goal: 'collect these items.'  There's a story 'you were kidnapped by an alien, whose ship then crashed.'  But despite these things, there is a sense of wonder and uncertainty granted by the world you are navigating.  This is created by a really nice aesthetic visual and audio design, and also assisted by the ease with which you navigate the world.  By pure screen-count, this game is easily the largest 2d platformer I've ever played.  Screens fly by in a matter of seconds, obstacles are mostly easy to get around.  Different environments unfold before you as you progress.  

While the game is almost easy to the point of being boring, I didn't find it boring.  I found it soothing.  It was nice to see all the different environments, and amazing how many different variations there were.  The sounds and music were nice, varied, and unobtrusive. 

I talk alot about simplicity and minimalism in game design.  Knytt is a shining example of this.  I didn't get to the end, and eventually it may become boring, or worse: frustrating -- but that first hour was nothing but joyful.  

Definitely worth a look- don't forget:  it's free!

-D

Misc Mid Month March Update

I don't have much to say today, so I thought I'd include some silly and neat fan art that I lifted from J.Bruneau's Tumblr.  He is very prolific and it's always easy to find something really interesting or beautiful at that Tumblr.  In fact, the image I chose wasn't the most eye-catching I saw today, but it has a certain sweetness that I really enjoy.  

I'm not playing anything but Zelda Classic right now.  Sorting through some of my older posts, I don't have anything that's ready, but in reviewing some of my older ideas, I did get a glimpse at the limitations of Zelda Classic.  Primarily, the Zelda engine doesn't allow for a few things, namely:  multi-player, heavy dialogue, extended screens and more.

However, there is a scripting language that allows people to bend and break the rules of Zelda Classic.  Quest Designers have built 2d sidescrollers, Megaman themes, Metroid, a bullet hell shooting level?  So, there's definitely room for growth with Zelda Classic.  On the other hand, I am fine with the limitations of the Zelda engine, and I'd like to plan for those limitations and recognize that every one of the game ideas I've had for the last twenty years doesn't necessarily have to work in ZC (Zelda Classic).  

Oh, did I ever mention that Zelda Classic is free?  That's pretty important.  I suppose it has to be free, for copyright infringement reasons.  I think it would go pretty deep too, because even if you replaced every image with a non-Zelda image, you would still be using the Zelda engine. 

Still... how about a Zelda MMO, maybe?   Nah.

Steam just pitched to me a new MMO called Pixel Piracy.  It actually looks pretty neat!  I'm really surprised I hadn't heard of a Pirate themed MMO up to this point, but watching the video, the themes of cannon battles, plundering and island hopping are compelling.  It doesn't hurt that it's in a retro-style.  I'm afraid this game falls into the category of 'a neat looking game that I might never play,'  (so many games end up there) but I hope to hear good things about it soon.  

I'll leave you with a picture.

-D

First Impressions: Zelda Classic

Picture lifted from 'It's Dangerous to Go Alone' kickstarter - look it up!

Zelda Classic is a game editor for the Legend of Zelda.  Yes, just like I always wanted.  I had heard of it, and unsuccessfully tried to make it work, wrote it off as bunk.  I just revisited it, this time with success, and I am thrilled to report that this is for real.  Just like I always wanted.

I had occasion to return to this game when a stumbled onto a posting at The Indie Game Source extolling the virtues of Zelda Classic.  This post pretty well expresses much of the enthusiasm I feel at the prospect of fan-made Zelda games in the NES and SNES style.  The links in the above article are all broken, but you can find them again by searching the Zelda Classic archives.  

But actually, I didn't particularly care for the two games I tried from the above article.  One thing I've noticed about some of these quest designs is that they tend to come big and kind of overblown.  In making my own quests, I want to start small, concentrate on making a fun game, and not an epic journey.  

There is a thriving community of Zelda Classic fans, players and designers over at purezc.net.  I've just signed up for the forums, and so far have been well received in the community.  I was looking for a Classic style game (I'm not really interested in the 16-bit style right now) and I was pointed to a forum contributer who goes by Moosh.  I tried out his game "Tale of St. Christoph" and so far I really like it! 

There's so much potential in Zelda Classic, I'm very excited.  The way I see it is that The Legend Of Zelda was such a great game, that it can be remixed time and again, and still be fun.  I'm so glad there is a tool available for the common person to do this.  

So far, I've made a small map, which was fun and simple to do and easy to get carried away with.  Now I'm working on dungeons, and getting the caves to go to the dungeons- and I got stuck there.  I'm following a guide, but it's still tough.  But when I've learned a few basic tricks, I'll turn out a couple quests.  

Essential Links:  (hehe, links)  

Zelda Classic

The official website.  Download the programs here - The editor is called ZQuest and the player is called Zelda-w  (this is important, because if you make the same mistake I did, you'll try to play the games with the editor.  No.  It's for editing)

Zelda Classic User Guide

Zelda Classic isn't particularly intuitive; a guide is definitely necessary.

PureZC.net

Search the Quest Database at PureZC.net to find a quest to play.  I recommend choosing 'mini quests' using the genre menu on the right side.  
This... could...be... awesome!

-D

Frog Fractions

Frog Fractions
http://twinbeard.com/frog-fractions

I would like to invite you to play frog fractions, a surprisingly deep game about fractions.  This is a free flash game, played in browser with the mouse and keyboard.  Now, I know I've recommended flash games to you before, but I typically include several in a post.  Frog Fractions is a game of quality, which I hold highly enough to warrant its own post.  It's a pretty special game.  So go give it a shot, I think you'll be pleased.

Oh, there's a bit of a learning curve, but stick with it, and don't be afraid to explore.

-D

Free Indie Titles I have played recently

Chatchat

Flash Game.  I feel bad giving away anything about these games, sometimes.  But I'll tell you that Chatchat is an online multiplayer game, where you play as a cat.  If that appeals to you at all, I suggest you go play.

Here is a review of chatchat that I think encapsulates the play experience nicely.

Game Title

I originally found this game through an article at Indie Games Magazine.  This one you will have to download.  It is available for Mac and PC.  I guess that this is a Zelda-like.  It's pretty cool, and pretty darn lo-fi.  I don't play a lot of these low-fi games, so I'm having fun with it.  The teleporter item is awesome.  I like it when games drop you in and give you very little direction.  As long as they're not too hard to figure out.
It took me three plays and about an hour of play time to complete.  The second time through I got stuck, but I learned most of what I needed to know in the first to plays, and managed to finish on the third time.  One piece of advice I can give before embarking on this game is to conserve your bombs, you don't want to get stuck with no bombs when you really need one.

if you like this game, there is also sequel.

Lesbian spider queens of mars

A Free Flash Game.  This game plays like an 80's arcade game.  The only controls are up,down,left,right.  The pace increases frantically, and there are small details that change between levels, even though the overall level designs are similar.  Great cinema graphics too.

*beware of loud advertisements*

Verge

Verge is a free flash game I originally played on the Winnitron SJ at the cooperative gaming co-op, around this time last year.  It's a nice looking platformer, with very basic controls, and an interesting atmosphere.  There is a world on the reverse side of the normal world, where everything is upside down, and the way you get to it is you die.  Later there are also pools you can enter which are gates to the reverse world.  This mechanic and some switches and blocks build the puzzles.  There is also a really nice, haunting piano melody for the bgm.  Check it out if you like 2d platformers in a 16-bit style with an edgy atmosphere.  


-D


P.S. if you're going to play any of these sorts of free games using a gamepad, you will want to download Joy To Key.

Full Review: Evoland

Evoland began life as a flash game,  and winner of the Ludum Dare 24.  The theme of the contest was evolution, and I can see why this game won, it is very clever and well executed, especially for being created in a mere 40 hours!   The flash game is now called Evoland Classic, and the downloadable PC/Steam game has taken the title Evoland.  I strongly recommend playing the original (free) flash game before playing the downloadable.  It takes about five to ten minutes to play through, and is a charming bit of fun. 

• Play Evoland Classic

The current Evoland takes the original game and expands it.  The graphical development moves into full 3d, with turn based battles and other RPG tropes.  The result is about 2 hours of light-hearted fun and nostalgia, with a few different gameplay and graphical modes.  The concept is strikingly similar to one of my own ideas, but there are differences, which I will get into at another time.  

Evoland *itself* has evolved.  Whoa. Meta. 

I was initially expecting a more robust gaming experience, and I reacted poorly after playing about 45 minutes.  But having beaten the game once, and adjusted my expectations accordingly, I think that Evoland is a decent game.  Even though the nostalgia is directed at older players who played games in the late 90s, I think of it as a great game for children. 

This game lends itself to being played over and over again, and the action is simple enough that it might be easily understood by one not used to this style of game.  In addition, the bright colors and superdeformed character design may appeal to children.  Not to mention, the various references to jRPG and Action/Adventure game tropes may lay a nice foundation for the real deal.  

As a fan of retro games, I wish the designers had spent more time in the 8-bit and 16-bit, two dimensional realm.  The bulk of the gameplay takes place after the transition to 3d, and it also seems to drag a bit at that part.  Particularly when the random encounter rate seems to be just too high, and the experienced gained in those battles, rather pointless.  

Evoland is a game that bit off more than it could chew. While it has many different gameplay modes, it doesn't do any of them particularly well. On my initial play, I expected to see mechanical changes progressing with the graphics, but it didn't work that way.  There is very little mechanical depth.  This works for the game in the sense that it keeps it very light.  On the other hand, I had higher expectations.  

Ultimately, this game plays like a demo for a much better game, or perhaps an Animal Crossing mini-game. If you want to play an indie Zelda clone, I recommend Anodyne.  And if you want to play a jRPG parody, I recommend Breath of Death 7 or Cthulu Saves the World.  I can't recommend purchasing Evoland for anything more than $5.  But really, with price tags that low, why not buy all of them?  


-D


Evoland Summary

The Good:
Fun, light-hearted atmosphere.  Funny.  Fantastic graphics, excellent monster design.  Really clever concept.  Multiple Gameplay Modes, emulating The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy VI/VII and Diablo/Gauntlet Legends.  

The Bad:
Lack of Gameplay depth.  'Evolution' Theme is flimsy - graphics upgrade in a linear way, but gameplay mechanics seem random.  Frustrating difficulty at times, especially in the Diablo Section.  Different gameplay modes don't affect one another much.  The overworld encounter rate is way too high.  No camera control.  

September Update - 2013

My last day at work was August 16th.  I immediately went on a multi-day bike ride with my sister, who was in town.  And then, keeping with the family theme, visited with my family over the next couple days.  Finally, the last week of August, I got some time to really enjoy my unemployment.  

I've been blogging my thoughts like a maniac, so you can expect to see an increase in my posting frequency.  I haven't actually spent any time playing video games, which might go to support my theory that I like talking about games more than I like playing them.  I don't mind this much.  It's mostly a timing thing - games take a long time.  Hours and hours, and, despite my unemployment, I find myself to be pretty darn busy.  I'm not bored, that's for sure.  To be fair to games, I haven't really been watching TV, Movies or reading all that much, either.

I also want to point out that I didn't partition very much space to my Windows HD, so I am unable to have many of my steam games installed, especially the big ones (Portal II, Portal).  Which is a bummer, because I love those games.  The obvious solution is to reformat and re-partition my hard drive, which I am avoiding because it takes forever.  But, I may have discovered a workaround for the above problem.  I have installed steam on my janky old apple laptop!  I have a good 60 free gigs on the thing, and a bunch of my steam games work for Mac!  I was pretty thrilled to see this.  Working games include:  VVVVVV, Portal, Braid, Bit.Trip.Runner, Limbo.  Pretty cool, huh?

Of course, now I have a new adventure: seeing what games will actually play on this crappy old thing, and, beyond that, how long they'll play before the computer overheats.  Seriously, this laptop gets so hot, it burns my leg! So it is no longer, functionally, a 'lap' top.  Anyway, further adventures in Steam, hooray!  Next stop:  steam for linux (if I can ever get that to work). 

I did stop by Kongregate to play some flash games, as indicated in my previous post.  Flash games are mostly short-run, so they work better with my current lifestyle.  I've also been on a blogging tear since settling into my unemployment.  I've produced maybe six draft posts this week.  Of course, it remains to be seen if they will see the light of day.  These random, multi-topic posts are the easiest. I like doing them, it's nice to just sort of 'check in' without having to make some sort of point.

The way I begin postings usually goes in one of three ways:  1) I come up with a topic and write a few paragraphs, 2) I come up with a topic and write a few sentences, 3) I come up with a topic and write a few pages.  Then I sit back and let the post ruminate for a couple of days before returning to it.  The first approach is the most reliable- often times the post is nearly fully formed when I finish the initial writing.  The second will sometimes develop into a post, if it's an idea I am inspired by.  The third approach rarely turns into anything coherent.  Sometimes I will chop up a multi-page rant-fest and turn it into a couple different postings, but just as often, the draft sits in perpetuity, never to be finished.  It's not writers block in these cases, it's editors block.

Alright, on to the climbing gym, the bike kitchen, the thrift store, the yoga studio, the laundromat and Hamburger Patties, which is closing on September 2nd  :(


-D

A Nother round of flash games

So, after playing 'I wish I were the moon'  on Kongregate, I got linked to a couple of other interesting games.  One of which I had played a couple years ago, and thought was pretty cool.  That was back before this blog, and really, just when I was getting back into games.  I hadn't really heard of indie games yet, most of my gaming was done over at my friend Zor The Red's house, where we would pair up to play games like Pixel Junk Monsters or God of War II.

Somewhere, during that time, I got into flash games.  I noticed that some of these games had a definite 'artistic' bent, which worked well for the short-form of flash games.  I played some very interesting games on Kongregate, including Looming, The Majesty of Colors, I can Hold my Breath Forever.  When I started using Steam a lot more, and purchasing the Humble Bundles,  I left Kongregate behind.

Well, I'm glad I went back to Kongregate, because now I found a game called 'hero story' by Terry Cavanagh, of VVVVVV and Hexagon fame.   This game is short - very short, but does not disappoint.  In fact, this game addresses a gaming convention that I've been wanting to see challenged for a long time. There's really something to be said for these short-run games and the ability to do one small thing effectively.  I still nurture ambitions of making games of my own, and I find these Flash games inspiring to that goal.

I should also mention that all the games on Kongregate are Free.  I've linked below to some of my favorites; I haven't posted any descriptions, but recommend you have a look at them.  Each of these games presents a strong atmosphere, despite being short-run and simple.

-D  

by Terry Cavenaugh

Heroes Adventure
http://www.kongregate.com/games/TerryCavanagh_B/heros-adventure

Hexagon
http://www.kongregate.com/games/TerryCavanagh_B/hexagon

by Gregory Weir

The Majesty of Colors
http://www.kongregate.com/games/GregoryWeir/the-majesty-of-colors

Looming
http://www.kongregate.com/games/GregoryWeir/looming

by Racter

I can hold my breath forever
http://www.kongregate.com/games/racter/i-can-hold-my-breath-forever

by Daniel Ben

Today I die

http://www.ludomancy.com/games/today.php?lang=en

I wish I were the Moon
http://www.kongregate.com/games/danielben/i-wish-i-were-the-moon

Storyteller
http://www.kongregate.com/games/danielben/storyteller

Miscellaneous Links

I've been collecting links for a while now, and they're piling up.  I'm going to run through a few of them, so that you, dear reader, may benefit from the delights they contain.

Featured Game: Jumpman

http://runhello.com/
This is a site of a creative fellow with lots of projects.  The most immediately interesting being jumpman (a free game for download, see the video above).  It is my intention to go back and check out his other projects.  

Game-creator resources:
http://www.pixelprospector.com/the-big-list-of-game-making-tools/
The big list of game making tools.  self explanatory.  One of the best things this page has is links to examples of games made with each featured game making tool.  Some I've played or heard of before, and others look cool.


http://youcanmakevideogames.com/
Another self-explanatory link along the same theme.


http://www.diygamer.com/
DIY gamer.  Great website, I may have linked to it before, but it bears repeating.  This stuff is truly DIY, from stuff that you or I could put out, to other things that take serious work and talent.  I guess I'm mostly trying to convince myself to hunker down and make a game.  I guess.  

Free Flash Games:
http://www.lorenbednar.com/Excitement/
Excitement.  Neat Atari arcade style game.  very simple, nice graphics.  The controls are pretty loose.  With some tightening, this could be a really addictive game.  plays in-browser.

http://var.i.brainworth.net/main.html?level=introduction_to_actions_moveforward
Var and the Vikings. A game where the whole purpose is to program character AI.  Start with teaching them to move forward.  Then to jump, then to do both.  If this sounds interesting, give the demo a look.  Plays like a puzzle game.  plays in-browser.

http://thotep-7dfps.s3.amazonaws.com/index.htm
Modern shooter.  A wild west shooting game that has entirely keyboard inputs.  This game is a rush-job, but it is worth a taste.  Plays in-browser.

Gaming Editorials:
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/130063/game_design_essentials_20_.php?page=1
Article listing the top 20 hard video games.  Lots of old games here, you might see some favorites.  The purpose of the article is to examine game design choices through the difficulty of these games.  


http://www.brainygamer.com/the_brainy_gamer/2012/09/index.html
The brainy gamer is my new favorite video game journalist.  Here he uses a bread metaphor to talk about the idea of the 'mother dough' as applied for video games.  Example:  Donkey Kong laid the groundwork for basically the whole platforming genre.  Wolfenstein 3d - the FPS.  But what did these games take from even earlier games? 


http://indiegames.com/2012/12/top_10_indie_games_of_2012_2.html
Indie games weblog does top 10 indie games of 2012.  A bunch of them are paid games, but I should take a look at the free ones.

http://zeboyd.com/2013/01/31/a-better-classification-system-for-rpgs/
Guys at zeboyd games discuss genre classification for RPGs.  I like this subject.  Some of the comments are good too.

http://www.indiegamemag.com
Indie Games Magazine.  This is a nice little site.  I actually discovered it when I was searching through the Google Play Store on my phone, looking for indie game information.  This is the only publication that came up.  So, while there is a website, I primarily browse Indie Games Magazine on my phone.  I enjoy being able to disappear into the world of game journalism while away from home.  Which reminds me...

Rambling, why doesn't this guy shut up?
Surely by now, you've heard that Valve is releasing a home console called the Piston, or Steam Box.  Which is all fine and dandy, even downright neat.  I encourage others to get into the console world, shake up those console wars a bit.  Ouya is another neat new console-thing that is happening. (both are designed as tiny cubes- huh.    Anyhow, I realized the other day that what I really want is to be able to play my steam games while on the go.  Away from my home PC.  

I don't even own a TV, so console systems all come with the price of a TV attached to them.  I may get one some time, but for the time being, my PC serves as my all-in-one machine.  Except when I'm on the go.  Then my crappy Android phone or my outdated Nintendo DS have to suffice.  I would like a powerful portable gaming PC.  Is this possible?  No, I don't want a laptop, I want something to compete against the 3DS and PSP.   Hell, I would buy one of those systems if you told me I could access my steam library on it.  I've heard nothing to this effect, but then again, I am generally out of touch.  Moving on. 

Oh, wait, I'm done?  Yep, all done.  Enjoy the links :)

-D

Humble Bundle for Android 5

As of this writing, there are 5 days left on the Humble Bundle for Android 5. Typically, I just ignore the Android Humble Bundles because I don't have a high-powered smart phone.  However, this one caught my eye for a couple of different reasons.  One is that Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP has been added to the list.  I like that game, though I play it on my PC through steam, and not on a tablet or phone.  However, if I had the appropriate machinery, I am sure I would want a copy of that game for Android, if for no other reason than it is pretty and the music is good.  Which brings me to my other point of interest:  my cell phone won't last forever, so at some point I probably will be upgrading.  At such time, I imagine high powered phones that can play many of these games will be available for used or for cheap, just like my current phone was.  I've actually really been wanting to talk about cellphone games, because I do spend a bit of time with them, and I am regularly searching for new games.

For me, the most important test for any cell-phone game is the toilet test.  That is the first place I usually try out a new game I've downloaded.  If the game holds my attention during a round of #2, then I will keep it, and probably play while I'm riding the train or waiting in line.  For me, cell phone games are as casual as they come.  That said, I have really torn through Angry Birds- by far my favorite smart phone game.

Other games I've been working on is Battleship (in Space), Math Workout, Wiki Trivia, Free Rice and a Puzzle Bobble clone.  I also enjoy the Word of the Day function on my Miriam-Webster dictionary app, but at this point I'm slipping out of the game zone.

Math Workout is kind of like a free demo version of Brain Age for the Nintendo DS.  It isn't as clever, it's more buggy, and there aren't as many options.  But it does have a fun graph of all of your scores in each mode!  I like making the graph go.  Basically this game is a series of timed math problems, for those of us that find that enjoyable.  

Battleship (in Space) is fun, but there are issues.  For some reason they interpret the rules that you can't place your ships directly adjacent to each other.  Lame.  And I didn't think that battleship was like pool, where you get a free turn after a successful hit.  And of course, the classic 'cheating AI' rules apply.  For example, the computer will be blowing up the aircraft carrier, starting in the middle, in a steady sequence, about to miss the final shot and give you one more chance.  Suddenly, the computer has a burst of inspiration and decides to backtrack and start blowing up the opposite direction, destroying the carrier with no chance for me to strike back before its gone.  It happens often successfully, and never happens in error.   Cheating.

Free Rice is a trivia game that is not formatted to fit my screen.  Which sucks.  I love the online version. I am particularly fond of the Geography "Countries of the World" series, even if it does have a tendency to repeat itself.

WikiTrivia's formatting is better than Free Rice.  But it has the poor design choice of having a "Select" button next to a "Next Question" button.  Each answer has a radio button to its left.  So what I end up doing is selecting the answer I like by highlighting the radio button, then clicking "Next Question."  The result is the question is skipped, my answer is not logged, and I don't get to find out if I'm right.  There is no 'back' button.  D'oh!

Bubble Shot (Puzzle Bobble Clone) is cool.  But I've never really gotten into it.  Idunno, my aim using the touch screen seems off.  It's a shame my cell phone doesn't have a stylus.  That would solve some of it.

What I've really been looking for is a good online chess app.  I wish gameknot just had its own app, but  there's nothing in the google play store by that name.  I've just downloaded "Chess Friends" but haven't played it yet.  Here's hoping.

All of the above games are free from the Google Play store.  Many or most of them have pay versions, but I just ignore those.  I am a cheapskate.  Another thing that may be noteworthy is that I play all of these games with the sound off.  I am usually playing in public, and I don't really like headphones for gaming except in special circumstances (Dear Esther, Proteus).


-D

P.S. Super Hexagon is also included in the Humble Android Bundle 5.

Creativity of Indie Games: Big list of Games

1. Owlboy - http://www.owlboygame.com/  - unfinished - pc - free demo
2. Fez - http://fezgame.com/ - is xbox live exclusive
3. Botanicula - http://botanicula.net/ - windows, mac, linux - 10$ - free online demo - adorable*
4. Gunpoint - http://www.gunpointgame.com/  - windows, maybe more later.  unfinished
5. Proteus - http://www.visitproteus.com/  - atari looking game - $10 - steam, mac and windows
6. Coin - http://www.create-games.com/newspage.asp?id=3624 windows, free
7. Scrumbleship - http://www.scrumbleship.com/ unfinished, kickstarter - demo - windows, mac, linux
8. Spelunky - http://spelunkyworld.com/  free on Windows, version 2.0 on xbox live
9. Limbo - http://limbogame.org/  windows, steam, xbox, mac - reviewed
10. Bastion - http://supergiantgames.com/?page_id=242 - xbox, windows, steam, chrome, mac, linux, ipad
11. Castle Crashers - http://www.castlecrashers.com/ - xbox, psn, steam.  Brawler, 4 players, fun.
12. Journey - http://thatgamecompany.com/games/journey/ ps3 exclusive.  Great game.  
13. The Iconoclasts - http://www.konjak.org/index.php?folder=4&file=30 - unfinished. free alpha download. windows. 
14. Don't Blow It! http://dinomage.com/dontblowit/  unfinished.  dinomage is a great name.
15. Amelia vs. The Marathon - http://www.troubleimpact.com/ - unfinished - intended for iOS, Android, Nook, Kindle Fire
16. Lost Marbles - http://binarytakeover.com/lostmarblesredux.html - unreleased, can vote for steam release with steam greenlight
17. Terraria - http://www.terraria.org/ - steam - 2d minecraft
18. Negative Nimbus - http://www.negativenimbus.com - android, iOS
19. Zombox - http://www.zombox.net/ - unreleased - ios and hopefully steam and android
20. Braid - http://braid-game.com/ - xbox360, windows, steam, [impulse, gamers gate]
21. Superbrothers: Sword and Sorcery EP - http://www.swordandsworcery.com/ - android, iOS, windows, steam - reviewed
22. Mark of the Ninja - http://www.markoftheninja.com/ - xbox, steam
23. Super Meat Boy - http://supermeatboy.com/ - xbox, steam, windows, mac, linux
24. Rawbots - http://www.rawbots.net/page/rawbots - windows, mac os, looks interesting
25. The Splatters - http://spikysnail.com/ - xbox, coming soon to Mac, Windows, Linux
26. Legend of Grimlock - http://www.grimrock.net/ - Windows, steam
27. Bit Trip Runner - http://bittripgame.com/bittrip-runner.html - Mac, Windows, steam, Wii
28. SpellTower - http://www.spelltower.com/ - Mac, iOS
29. Bit Pilot - http://www.bitpilotgame.com/ - iOS, coming soon for Mac
30. Pid - http://www.pidgame.com/ - xbox, playstation, steam, Mac, Windows [gog, rain dg, gamer sgate]
31. Reset - http://reset-game.net/ - unfinished, Windows
32. Minecraft - https://minecraft.net/ - Android, iOS, Xbox, Java
33. The Binding of Isaac - http://store.steampowered.com/app/113200/ - Steam, Windows, Mac, Linux, Playstation
34. World of Goo - http://www.worldofgoo.com/ - Steam, Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, Wii
35. Osmos - http://www.hemispheregames.com/osmos/ - Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS
36. Tiny Wings - http://www.andreasilliger.com/ - iOS
37. God of Blades - http://whitewhalegames.com/godofblades.html - iOS
38. Prison Architect - http://www.introversion.co.uk/prisonarchitect/ - Windows, Mac OS, Linux
39. Dear Esther - http://dear-esther.com/ - Steam, Windows, Mac
40. Corpse Garden - http://www.freeindiegam.es/2012/06/corpse-garden-fei/ - Windows, Mac
41. Amnesia: The Dark Descent - http://www.amnesiagame.com/#main - Steam, Windows, Mac, Linux
42. The Moonlighters - http://raddragongames.wordpress.com/the-moonlighters/ - Unfinished
43. Dungeons of Dredmor - http://www.gaslampgames.com/ - Steam, Windows, Mac, Linux
44. Faster Than Light - http://www.ftlgame.com/ - Windows, Mac, Linux
45. Today I Die - http://www.ludomancy.com/games/today.php?lang=en - flash game, played in browser - poetic
46. The Snowfield - http://gambit.mit.edu/loadgame/snowfield.php - Windows, Mac
47. Symon - http://gambit.mit.edu/loadgame/summer2010/symon_play.php - Windows
48. I Wish I Were The Moon - http://www.ludomancy.com/blog/2008/09/03/i-wish-i-were-the-moon/ - flash game, played in browser
49. Passage - http://hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/passage/ - Windows, Mac, iOS
50. The Dream Machine - http://www.thedreammachine.se/ - Steam, Windows, Mac
51. Ico - http://www.icothegame.com/ - Playstation 2

I took this list from the information section on this youtube video: The Creativity of Indie Games from the pbs youtube channel.  I hope they don't get mad at my for lifting the list, and I hope I'm citing it appropriately.  

I've made notes on each game, mostly the operating system(s) the game is available for, and occasionally price and miscellaneous comments.  I've marked when a game is available on steam, though technically that is not an operating system.  There has been talk of a steam console: Piston.  

I write a little bit about the accompanying video in my previous post. 

Weekend Link Dump

Indies guide to game making

http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/11/03/the-indies-guide-to-game-making/

This is a great, informative and compact article that reviews six different game making programs.  The writer dedicates one page to each, and the review comes in the form of an interview with a person who has completed and released a game using that system.  Examples are:  Cannabalt, To the Moon, AAAaaAAaa, Spelunky and more.  Written by Tom Francis, currently developing a game called Gunpoint.
Wow, I have to say that there is WAY more going on in the world of gaming than I can ever hope to contain!

Some kind of art   

http://jpbruneau.tumblr.com/

This is the tumblr maintained by my friend John.  Like many of us, I tend to just consume and talk about games, but John studies, works with, curates and organizes games and events.  He doesn't seem to sleep all that much, though.  Anyway, he turns me on to a lot of good stuff.

Extra Credits  

http://www.penny-arcade.com/patv/show/extra-credits

This is my favorite video game related series of videos.  I love these guys; for me, they really sparked a new interest in the craft of video game design.  Something I have always been interested, ever since I was a wee lad.  They've got four full seasons now, and I recommend s1ep21: 'Narrative Mechanics', s2ep2: 'playing like a designer' , s2ep13: 'Games you might not have tried'. 
Or just start from the beginning.  The episodes run about 10 minutes, and they always come with cool rearranged video game music at the end.

Free Indie Games

http://www.freeindiegam.es

A website for free indie games.  I just glanced at it, but I want to spend some more time here.  I think it just may be a gold mine.  Or... a... umm... some other kind of mine.  It seems that there are a lot of experimental or abstract games here.  Anyway, the game that brought me here is called Corpse Garden.  And I want to check it out.  The images are pretty rad.
And then another game that I just happened to wander over to, and just take a good look, was called Anne Hathaway: Erotic Mouthscape.   It seems to be a poetry game dedicated to Anne Hathaway's Mouth.  Amazing. Weird.

Nintendojo

http://www.nintendojo.com/

I can't believe this website is still active.  Way back in 1997, when I was a newbie to the internet, Nintendojo was one of three sites I used to cruise.  It turns out, they stayed alive, even when n64.com was swallowed up by IGN, and ... the other... one.. that I can't remember.  Anyway.  1997 was a lont time ago, and it turns out Nintendojo still has archives going back that far.  It's very interesting to me to see how defensive some of the game reviews on.  Those console wars were turbulent times.



I did another link dump a while back, if you're at all interested.