Save the sheep from a horde of wolves by building a fence around them, in this increasingly difficult new puzzler from McPeppergames

www.mcpeppergames.com 2 ind13.com EDITORIAL Introduction

we are

Hello and welcome to IND13 (Indie), the magazine sound effect artistry to retro arcades – we’ll take a that champions independent games. look at anything that grabs our interest.

Maybe you’re a developer, or a hardcore gamer, We’re a small core team of just six members – so or someone new to the concept of indie games we’re always looking for new angles and fresh wanting to learn more – we’ve got something for writing. If you think you’ve got something that’ll you all. make indie game developers step away from their consoles for a few minutes, get in touch by emailing Just like the games we love, we’re independent: us at [email protected]. this means no editorial agenda except good, solid reporting on all aspects of indie gaming. From Enjoy, veteran developers to crowdfunding campaigns, ind13

Who we are...

IND13 is a games magazine dedicated to independent games placements in the magazine. development. The team is made up of voluntary contributors from different areas of independent games development. We also give pro bono ad placements to the companies the team work for, in exchange for our time spent contributing to the We’ve created a magazine which discusses topics we think magazine and to keep our employers happy. are important to, and cater to the fans of, independent games development. We hope you enjoyed the magazine and please do get in touch with questions and comments. Our aim is to create interesting news, reviews and articles, all focusing on independent games development. The nucleus The Team: of our team is based in the UK but we hope to have a team Richard Hoffmann Editor-in-Chief stretching the globe. We aim to have independent gaming news Harry Cole Publisher from the UK, US, Europe and Asia, but also from all other gaming Lee Smith Creative Director territories. Rokas Butkus Art Editor Sophie Rossetti Copy Editor The team behind IND13 are all volunteers, and we are giving our time because we are passionate about independent games Website: www.ind13.com development. The content of the magazine will be made up of articles created by the IND13 team but also by voluntary Facebook: www.facebook.com/ind13 contributors from the games industry. Save the sheep from a horde of wolves by building a fence around Twitter: @official_Ind13 Advertising is available in the magazine, at this time all proceeds them, in this increasingly difficult new puzzler from McPeppergames will go into the development and stability of IND13’s production. For editorial enquires: [email protected] Paying for advertising will also mean we can cover paying clients’ titles with editorial as well as with traditional advertising For advertising enquires: [email protected]

www.mcpeppergames.com 2 3 ind13.com ind13.com The Way Home Pages 12 - 15

Regional Report: Kenya Pages 44 - 47

KOLM Review Page 48

The Fist of Jesus Pages 50 - 54

Embrace YouTube gaming Pages 62 - 63 4 ind13.com Q&A with the IND13 team Skater Page 6 Pages 36 - 42 What are the biggest changes in video Skateboarding with a clever social twist games development that you have seen in the last ten years? Regional Report: Kenya Pages 44 - 47 39 Days to Mars We talk to Leon Oscar Kidando who lives Pages 9 - 11 and works in Kenya developing games A game that is so full of Steampunk Sci-fi goodness, we are not sure whether to KOLM play it or just admire the artwork Page 48 A review of the browser-based game The Way Home Pages 12 - 15 The Fist of Jesus We hear from Mowow Studios about their Pages 50 - 54 time travelling game that is inspired by There has been a history of games based the classic tv series Quantum Leap on movies, but Fist of Jesus is different

The Magnificent Stunts Mushroom 11 Pages 16 - 19 Pages 56 - 58 Stunt Guy: The Getaway 2.0. where The unique puzzle platformer that is you hang onto the back of a speeding going to be destroying worlds on a motorcar, and bash other stunt drivers computer screen near you soon... out of the way Back to Bed RuPaul's Drag Racing Pages 60 - 61 Pages 20 - 21 Where high art meets gaming... Drag is moving into the digital age and is challenging conventions. We talk to the Why you should embrace makers to discuss this crossover title YouTube gaming Pages 62 - 63 Accelerator Ophelia discusses YouTube and it's Page 22 delights for gamers A review of the browser-based game Interstella Marines Verdun Pages 64 - 67 Pages 24 - 28 First contact with Interstellar Marines, A squad-based multiplayer FPS set in a new first person shooter from indie the First World War and inspired by the studio Zero Point Software. infamous battle of Verdun in 1916

SpecialEffect Pages 30 - 35 A charity that aims to beat physical disability to enable people to enjoy video games

5 ind13.com EDITORIAL Q&A with the ind13 team

What are the biggest changes in video games development that you have seen in the last ten years?

HARRY SOPHIE ROKAS RICHARD LEE JENNIFER

Harry people out there making them, catering them to new and varied audiences I think the way that the internet allows us to share information has as there are more people out there to play them. This effect may mean to changed everything. Ideas and experiences can be shared across the world some that the market is flooded with inferior 'quantity' over 'quality', but I and that has affected both the content and creation of games. One specific think it means people are making better games in order to get noticed, and area that has become huge for videogames is Digital Distribution on PC and distributors and reviewers just work harder to help curate the best of the Mobile, the fact that videogames can now be distributed without needing best. shop space or a huge marketing budget, is massive. Richard If you have a good idea you can get your game out there, and even better Free to play became big and for some Indie developers this is not the than that, you can create an Alpha and actually have your audience work best business model to sell their games in the mobile sector. Kickstarter, with you to make your game. These new distribution platforms have now Indiegogo and Co on the other hand helped Indies to raise significant been widely adopted and I expect to see this trend overtake traditional amount of money to fund their game development. Steam obviously forms of distribution in the next ten years. pushed DLC and killed the middle man aka the traditional distribution channels.. Rokas This is a difficult one as so much has happened in 10 years. One of the Jennifer biggest things I would have to say is the birth of smartphones and mobile The biggest change in the process of videogame development has been gaming. This has put games in the hands of everyday people you may not in communication between developers and players. Over the past ten have expected to play games. But what I find fascinating is the rate of years, thanks to platforms like Steam and Kickstarter, game development development this new technology has undertaken. It has jumped to catch has become much more of an exercise in conversation than dictation. up graphically and processing wise to AAA titles from a few years ago, Nowadays, players feel more entitled and empowered to have their say in to the point where you can get an emulator on your phone and play AAA the development of the games that they play. tittles from a few years back! Lee Smith When I first saw GTA 3 in all it's 3D glory on the Playstation 2, my mind was One of the the biggest changes, away from the technology side of things, is blown. Now to see it again but portable on my phone, it blows my mind how computer games touch pretty much everyone’s lives now. From the stay again. I still remember snake... and only snake.. no play store, just snake. -at-home parent, to the commuter, to the grandparent, to the school kid.

Sophie Games were usually seen as the preserve of the kids and the geeks (which I agree with the others in that the increase in gaming platforms (especially we have all been, admit it...) but now, with the rise of mobile gaming and mobile) and distribution methods (digital) has redefined us as a gaming *shudder* Facebook games, they are used by the majority now. Even David society. 10 years ago, 'gamer' meant something completely different, Cameron probably allows himself a few games of Bejewelled at the end of whereas now anyone who enjoys Candy Crush on the bus home should be a hard day’s night messing up the country. able to comfortably call themselves one. Strangely, though, a lot of the people who play these games, if asked, Development has changed because not only have games never been easier would probably say that they don't really play, or have an interest in, to own / play, they have also become easier to make. There are simply more games.

6 ind13.com A platformer with a unique mechanic You can dive into the ground. Momentum is conserved but gravity is reversed, letting you fling yourself high into the air or deep “Overall USD $9.99 winner of beneath the surface. The goal is always EUR €7.99 Ludum Dare CAD $11.49 straightforward - collect the three orbs in 29.” April, GBP £6.49 the level and jump into the wormhole - but 2014 spikes, endless drops and impossible heights make this more and more difficult.

PC / Mac / Linux Steam

www.daniellinssen.net7 ind13.com 8 9 ind13.com ind13.com FEATURE 30 Days to Mars Harry Cole and Lee Smith

9 ind13.com FEATURE 30 Days to Mars

Along has come a game that is so full of Steampunk Sci-fi I'm the only developer, and I'm writing 39 Days to Mars in my goodness, a game with astonishingly inventive artwork and game spare time." play that ticks every proverbial box, that we are not sure whether to play it or just admire the artwork. Going on to add the killer line: "I think that's about as 'indie' as you can get!" That game is 39 Days to Mars and although it isn't due out until 2015 (exact date isn't yet known), we are already eagerly awaiting Well, I cannot disagree with that sentiment. We are all well versed a copy of it. Until then, though, we will have to make do with the with the developer in his bedroom coding a game by himself, and images, the trailer, and an interview with Philip Buchanan from of course there is a certain developer of Flappy Bird. However, 39 Surrealix, the artist and developer of the visual tour de force. Days to Mars is such an original and artistically stylish game, you would be more inclined to imagine a group of developers, artists Philip is one of those mythical Jack-of-all-trades, who also and designers working together to bring this project to its fuition. happens to be a master of them all. He is an engineer with a PhD in Computer Graphics which was achieved in the Computer Philip, though, seems like he was ready to do this for the majority Science Department, and with the Graphics Research Group at of his life, seeing as he learned to program at a young age by Lund University, Sweden. He also holds a Bachelor of Computer reading the MSDN manual for Visual Basic 5 from cover to cover. Engineering with first class honours. "Most of the examples were for enterprise systems", he says, "but The University of Canterbury ran a graduate profile about him and one of the exercises was a simple game. It was much more exciting his research. than databases, and I never looked back."

He is also a programmer who develops primarily in C++, C# and And 39 Days to Mars is the cooperative steampunk puzzle- Javascript, and have experience in PHP, Visual Basic, Python and adventure game that he has always wanted to make. Java. "You're put in charge of two 19th century explorers, Sir Albert He is also an artist of some considerable skill, which is Wickes and The Right Honourable Clarence Baxter, who are immediately obvious when looking at the artwork for 39 Days attempting to pilot a dubious looking spacecraft to Mars", he says. to Mars. Plus, he has developed software that automatically creates 3D models from concept artwork, as well as methods to But what aboout the game itself? I have mentioned the steampunk understand and manipulate visual style in game art. inspired artwork, but how about the gameplay?

Right, now the introduction is out of the way, how about looking Well, the gameplay itself has three main elements: survival, puzzle, beyond the resume and finding out about the person and his and adventure. Each character has basic needs such as hunger inspiration for 39 Days to Mars. and boredom that must be attended to throughout the game. This becomes harder as the game progresses, because things in the Well for starters, as you can imagine, Philip is pretty much a one ship break down. Fixing these is done via minigames and puzzles, man game making machine. As he says, "there's no studio as such which increase in difficulty as the game progresses. behind the game. It's just me! I'm based in New Zealand and more recently, Canada. It is very unique. Was this a deliberate action from Philip, did he set out to make something that really stands out from the other

10 11 ind13.com ind13.com FEATURE FEATURE 30 Days to Mars 30 Days to Mars

games out there? If so, it could either be a masterstroke, and sell "I've drawn all of the artwork for the game, as well as doing the the game to the masses with it's originality, or it could just be a bit programming. It usually starts as rough pencil sketches where I too much too soon. develop the overall look of the piece, and then it's re-drawn on the computer in HD and imported into the game. As Philip himself says,"it was a very deliberate decision. I knew that I couldn't make a full adventure game by myself, and so I "For 39 Days to Mars I almost fell into steampunk by accident. looked for ways to take the same core aesthetic but branch out into I had originally envisaged a sleek modern spaceship based upon a different style of gameplay. It seems to be working so far, but NASA's ion drive (this is where the name comes from). However, there's still a lot of development left to go." as I was designing the artwork and characters I found that I wanted to convey a more experimental and adventurous feel. Steampunk let me draw a parallel between space travel and the romantic idea of English gentry and adventure on the high seas.

"For 39 Days to Mars I almost I've always been a fan of steampunk. I think the raw and exposed mechanical side of the genre appeals to my background as an fell into steampunk by accident. engineer, while the scope for detail makes it heaps of fun to work I had originally envisaged a with as an artist." The trailer was released recently to a great reception! Philip listed sleek modern spaceship based the game on Steam Greenlight, and it gained so much support upon NASA's ion drive..." that it was accepted onto the platform in only 19 days. "I'm still blown away by the supportive feedback and comments."

However, as I mentioned earlier, there is currently no playable Back to the art, though, which is unavoidable due to its style, as it version, and the game itself won't be released until 2015 « certainly takes game art to the next level. With the simply drawn strokes and characters, and the obvious roots in steampunk, what If you want to check it out before next year's release, was the thinking behind this? I must confess, that even outside of just check it out on the website: the games world, if there is such a place, I've always been drawn to www.surrealix.com/39days steampunk in its many guises. It's so appealing that it is hard not to be. But what about Philip? And how did he do the artwork all by himself?

Artwork for 39 Days to Mars

11 ind13.com FEATURE Mowow Studios

12 13 ind13.com ind13.com FEATURE Mowow Studios

The Way Home: Oh Boy!

We hear from MoWOW Studios about their time travelling game that is, by their own admission, very much inspired by the classic tv series Quantum Leap. By Harry Cole and Lee Smith.

MoWOW Studios are based, officially, in Germany. I say With its brilliant mix of humor, drama and melodrama, social officially because in the strange reality that exists in the games commentary, nostalgia, and science fiction, it had a broad world, one half is in Germany while the other half is in range of fans. So much so that there were protests in America Romania. when the series was eventually canned.

Although they do say that, technically, they "can work from One of its trademarks is that at the end of each episode, Sam any place that has electricity, good internet and coffee. We "leaps" into the setting for the next episode, usually uttering a can manage for a while without the electricity..." dismayed "Oh, boy!".

Those two halves are Tudor Munteanu, an iOS & Python Alexandru and Tudor have unashamedly been inspired by Developer and the Junior illustrator plus Alexandru Bleau that to make The Way Home: Incredible Time Travel Arcade who is the Game Designer and self-confessed "Marketing Mad Man". It is Alexandru that we have been talking to regarding MoWOW Studios and their incredible new Quantum Leap inspired game.

If you are not familiar with Quantum Leap, well, frankly I feel sorry for you. It was an amazing series that ran from the late 80s to the mid 90s, starring Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a quantum physicist from the near future who becomes lost in time following a time-travel experiment, temporarily taking the places of other people to "put right what once went wrong."

Dean Stockwell co-starred as Al Calavicci, Sam's womanizing, cigar-smoking sidekick and best friend, who appeared as a hologram that only Sam, animals, young children, and the mentally ill could see and hear. For some, the wise-cracking Al was their favourite character; while his morals were not as high as Sam's, he was a good person, if very sarcastic.

13 ind13.com FEATURE Mowow Studios

Adventure; and their story is a familiar one to many indie studios exciting challenge for us to make something that could leave such starting out. a mark on people."

As Alexandru points out to us, "we are just two people making They met, they partied, they talked they shared ideas, they games for our fans and our enjoyment with no budget other than developed ideas and 'The Way Home' is the fruit of their labours. our personal savings and earnings. This started out as a hobby and How did they embark on the journey that led to this game now we are working full time to earn enough from our games and though? apps so that the dream becomes reality. We're also not working with any publisher." "The Way Home is a mix between an unusual (and we think new) mechanic combined with an episodic time traveling story inspired The indie dream: to be able to earn enough from making games by the really cool TV series Quantum Leap. to simply be able to afford to make more games. For most, it isn't about earning the squillions that the likes of Rockstar or Rovio are You are part of a time traveling experiment that went a little… making, it is more utopian than that. kaka. Now you are bouncing around in time, ending up in the bodies and lives of different people. Set things right in their lives You could, possibly, argue that this ideal is one that was explored in order to jump in time again. in many an episode of Quantum Leap; that it is about living a good life, doing the good things, that is most important and not The hero doesn't have control over the time jumps, so he never the quick bucks and empty riches that some crave so much. knows where he will wind up next. This lack of control is also present in the game mechanic, where the player can only move the But I digress, as the story is about MoWOW Studios, as it should hero up or down while he constantly moves left and right." be, and also how they got into the tricky industry of game making in the first place. It should be no surprise to many of us that it Well, the Quantum Leap inspiration is something that we have started with an idea, a shared vision, and one that never actually covered a lot in this article, but how about the extremely long made it but did start the formation of a new indie games studio. name too? It is quite lengthy: The Way Home: Incredible Time Travel Arcade Adventure. "Me and Tudor had worked and also partied quite a few times before starting MoWOW. At one point we wanted to make a Alexandru explaines that "for a lot of our players, it's just The Facebook version of a local game from Romania. Although that Way Home. We added the other part game never got to see the player's faces, it did give birth because the name of the to moWOW studios. game doesn't really explain what a We admire and are constantly person who amazed by the power of games to wants communicate, teach or create to experiences and it was an

14 15 ind13.com ind13.com FEATURE FEATURE Mowow Studios Mowow Studios

download is going to get. The initial title is more connected to the himself as a test subject. Everything goes south after the first jump." hero's goal and the theme." It is a bit more than that though, as the character grows through So Alexandru, the self-confessed "Marketing Mad Man" has the story arc, as you progess through the game; "Will's personality obviously been working on his SEO, and hey, why not. With is uncovered a bit while playing the game, like in the Albert so many games out there now, and with potentially having to Einstein episodes. Even though he has a strong character, he would scroll through endless lists to find one you want, a little sensible not be able to travel in his adventure alone, thus Dex is a great marketing isn't a bad idea. help." Alexandru explains.

Back to the game though, and more of the inspirations behind it, The great artwork is all done in-house by Tudor, "although as it surely isn't just Quantum Leap. The game play itself is also we both discuss and decide on details, the brush is his." says quite unique in the way it works. Alexandru.

"We try out a lot of quirky/weird mechanics but also try out a lot It has been out a little while now, so hopefully the results are of games. The mechanic in The Way Home is a mash-up of various starting to show, the hardwork is starting to pay off. How you bits and pieces discovered and enjoyed in games that we've played. meassure success though, is tricky. For some there are charts, for some it is extreme amounts of downloads, and for others the The story: we wanted a theme that would allow us to share advertising revenue is enough for you to be able to buy a small stuff that we found interesting and also allow us to break it into island. How about for Alexandru and Tudor though? What has the episodes. I can't remember exactly how Quantum Leap came up in reaction been to The Way Home? the discussion, but we both lost half a day reminiscing about our favorite episodes. Well, as Alexandru explains, "the reviews and ratings are good, but we have yet to see the download and revenue numbers that would We started thinking of important moments in history and what make us open a champagne bottle... on a yacht. Let's just say we could go wrong. Let's just say that after five scenarios everything are at sparkling water and row boat right now. We're still working was so wrong it was too fun not to go along with this theme." on various details and content based both on data and feedback from the players." And then we have Will, the main character from the game; a genius from future earth and obviously based on Sam from On that note, we will leave it at that. Off course, though, we can Quantum Leap. always come back in time and play it again. «

"He designs a time machine and decides to see if it works... by using Check out MoWOW Studios at www.mowowstudios.com

"You are part of a time traveling experiment that went a little… kaka. Now you are bouncing around in time, ending up in the bodies and lives of different people. Set things right in their lives in order to jump in time again..."

15 ind13.com INTERVIEW Kempt

The Magnificent Stunts

Stunt Guy: The Getaway 2.0, where you hang onto the back of a speeding motorcar, and bash other stunt drivers out of the way, jump off ramps, and cause enough explosive mayhem to satisfy your overly demanding movie director, is out now. We talked to Chris and Kempt Studios about how they developed the game. By Harry Cole.

Could you introduce yourself, tell us about the team What got you into making games? and your studio? I made my first game (a horseracing sim) on a Ti81 graphing Sure, my name is Chris and I run a small studio called Kempt calculator (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TI-81) it had a in Canterbury. We started making Flash games about 11 years version of basic on it and I programmed the game in maths ago and discovered we were pretty good at it. We developed lessons in order to avoid doing any actual work! However… nearly 100 games in the first 7 years before developing our the real stimulation was in about 1998 when Tom Fulp current mobile specialism. We focus on building the kinds of (Newgrounds, The Behemoth) published the very first flash games that we like - simple, funny and 2D - we’re aiming for game - Pico’s School. It blew me away and I spent the next 5 playable comic-books. years trying to find a job where I could do that for a living. In 2003 I gave up and started Kempt! Do you consider yourselves an Indie studio? I think so - although people often seem to think we’re not. I think it’s because we put a lot of effort into art, design and finesse and tend to stick to fairly simple accessible play mechanics, whereas other studios tend to focus more on gameplay innovation?

Anyway, we just want to make games that tell a few stories and make people smile, but we certainly do that in an "artistically independent” manner!

What are the benefits of being an indie and what are the draw backs? Crikey… well, we have a lot of fun I think?! It’s great to be in control of your own destiny - at least when things are going well! The key drawback though is definitely cash, I’ve lost track of the number of times we’ve nearly gone bust over the years but we always seem to pull it out of the bag somehow!

16 ind13.com 16 17 ind13.com ind13.com INTERVIEW McPeppergames

18 19 ind13.com ind13.com INTERVIEW INTERVIEW McPeppergames Kempt

In your own words, how would you describe Stunt Guy? happy really - and lets face it - it’s pretty funny huh?! Stunt Guy 2.0 is a simple, accessible, friendly and funny little game which is trying to tell a little story to you whilst you focus We often hear games getting taken out of context. If on trashing as many cars as possible. It doesn’t want to become someone said that Stunt Guy encourages bad driving, your new life obsession - it just wants to give you a giggle while what would you say to that? you’re waiting at the bus stop or on the bog. Oh, that’s an interesting one… errr… Well the first thing I’d do is ask for the rationale or evidence and if I was sufficently convinced What is the back story to the game? What was the then I’d think about whether we could change it. However… inspiration behind the game? do I think it does? No. I think Stunt Guy is clearly an over-the The project started with the realisation that we were struggling to find top cartoon world where looney-tunes style rules apply. I think the time to create our own games but didn’t want to give it up. So it’s no more likely to encourage bad driving than wile-e-cayote is we started two simple questions: 1) What’s the simplest game we can encouraging road-runner kidnap attempts. build that’ll allow us to play to our strengths and people will enjoy? 2) What kind of character could we build a series of simple games It’s out now, how has it been received? around that all inter-relate. We settled on a stunt man (and would Honestly - the first release was a bit dodgy - we rushed it out and never have believed we’d spend 3 years working on the project!). made a few mistakes in the process. The latest version however has gone very well indeed - we got features in almost every The rock music, is that a real Rock Band? Can you give us territory around the world, the reviews are good and the userbase the back ground on how that partnership came about? is growing like topsy! We’ve hit about a quarter of a million users Yeah! They’re Hey Hello and they’re fricking amazing. Their manager, now, we just need to hope that some of them decide to spend Gav, is a friend (and hero) but I’ve been following Ginger (one of the some money in it! duo) since I was 16 and caught his band - the Wildhearts - on their first tour. I guess the relationship is a classic case of “you don’t ask” - What do you see as the future of the studio? we needed some music for a game one day so I got in touch, we’ve At the moment I’m firmly focussed on releasing the final part of been trying to help each other out ever since. the current trilogy - Stunt Gal - which’ll (hopefully) hit the app- store next week. Stunt gal is a much deeper premium game and The artwork has a poster style and looks really cool, If that’s a success then hopefully we can plan the next releases a can you tell us more about that decision in the design bit more instead of having to build them in snatched bits of time process? around other projects. Ultimately the goal would be to become In the context of the project It’s all part of the wider universe we’re fully self-sufficient from producing our trying to create - it’s all about evoking the 70s hollywood cliches own games and be “Creatively and creating the wider universe that they live in. Stunt Guy 2.0 Independent” 100% represents a tiny fraction of the whole story which involves ninjas, of the time! « aliens, pirates and even non-copyright infringing characters that bear a similarity to Ewoks!

There’s some great humour in there (Beaver Wax) was it important the game had real character and a personality? :) thanks, although sometimes that gets us into trouble too… for example, earlier this year we ran some ads in Japan which we translated from the english “Good for playing on the toilet” unfortunately the translation turned out as “It’s good to play with yourself on the toilet”… sorry Japan! Anyway, yes, those kinds of touches make the game fun for everyone (us just as much as you) and one thing I’m certain of is that if we have fun while we make things, you’re much more likely to enjoy the result.

What’s your beef with Squirrels? They are adorable. Honestly nothing at all - we’re certainly not squirell-ist or anything! Reg is just a tragic character - the reality in the games - he represents all of us that fail more often than we succeed, but you don’t need to worry about him - he’s quite

19 ind13.com FEATURE RuPaul's Drag Racing

RuPaul's Drag Racing

Drag is moving into the digital age and is challenging conventions. We catch up with the makers to discuss Dragopolis. By Harry Cole.

In your own words, please describe Dragopolis? There’s a surprising amount of detail that goes into creating this. Dragopolis 1.0 is a crazy, fast-paced run through the streets of We work with the queens on everything from wig styles to shoes Dragopolis. The evil queen Apocalypstyk has kidnapped the pit to earrings making sure the look is perfect. We also help them crew and RuPaul needs your help to get them back! Of course, brainstorm a few ideas for their voice work, but to be honest, the this requires a few trips to the Main Stage, which in turn requires best stuff comes when they just open up and let loose! They love new wigs and outfits. So perfecting your look is essential! being able to interact with their fans this way; there’s a lot of love in all of those recordings! Dragopolis 2.0 is a brand new game with seven new queens. RuPaul is all set to open her new Ruseum in downtown It’s been an absolute dream working on this project. The queens Dragopolis, but Apocalystyk sneaks inside and steals all the wigs and our partners at World of Wonder and LogoTV have been and gowns. You’ll need to help the queens re-assemble their looks. truly fantastic. And every day we get some tweets from new fans This game really takes balls to play, as you’ll be shooting balls of the app who are sharing their pictures and telling us how much onto the play field pachinko-style to snatch up rhinestones, wigs, they’re enjoying the app. There’s a lot of work that goes into this, outfits, and shoes. so it’s really wonderful to see it so well received.

Did you ever think you would be working on a game that This is certainly a crossover title (see what I did there) involved drag queens? have you had a wide range of people playing the game? Well, I can’t say that it was on my vision board five years ago! But I think that speaks to the wide range of people who are fans of the seriously, I wanted there to be more gaming content that really show! I know parents who like to give it to their kids as a super- celebrated LGBT culture, so I created Dragopolis. I’ve always fancy dress up game. And there are folks out there who have never been such a huge fan of drag queens and thought they would be picked up a mobile game before who are now playing. But we perfect in an over-the-top, crazy adventure game. really see all types playing, and that’s fantastic.

We built out the main game and got folks like Pandora Boxx and It’s totally unique, do you think this illustrates how a Yara Sofia involved. Eventually, the folks at RuPaul’s Drag Race successful game can be about just about anything as heard about what we were doing and wanted to get involved as long as the team is creative? well, so we stopped everything so we could re-focus with the show Creativity is certainly an important part of it, but it’s also having being up front and center. the utmost respect for and commitment to the source material and the personalities involved. We went out of our way to make sure What was it like working with the stars of the show? That’s the best part of the job! These queens are so creative and funny; they really help push the app to be as amazing as it is. I remember when we first got RuPaul’s sounds in the game and the whole play experience of the game just flipped. Both World of Wonder and LogoTV have been amazing to work with as well and very supportive of the game.

20 21 ind13.com ind13.com FEATURE RuPaul's Drag Racing

that even small details like the loading screen have been dragified. The success of this game comes from really capturing the essence and character of the show and bringing that same vibe to a mobile experience. It’s not an easy task, but it’s one that we’ve done very well.

What has the reception been like, how have fans responded? Fans have been going crazy over this game! We’ve been really pleased with the response for this . We chat a lot on Twitter with our fans, and love seeing them post pictures of themselves in the game. They love how all the different stars of the show have gotten involved. RuPaul cheers you on during the main game, but Manila Luzon, Pandora Boxx, and Yara Sofia all provide their own voices (and outfits!) in their episodes, so it completely changes the experience.

For Dragopolis 2.0, we’re pushing that even more. We’ve got more queens, more levels, and more gameplay. We’ve been working with each of the queens to make sure their voice recordings really shine through. They’ll condragulate you on well- placed shots and read you for FILTH if you mess up.

Have you had any interesting fans get in contact with you or interesting user comments? My favorite part is fans who do drag and send us links of them in drag playing the game or just videos of their drag performances. It so amazing to see folks so engaged with the game, and it’s a great way to learn about some new queens around the world. «

21 ind13.com REVIEW Accelerator

Accelerator

Now, this is a simple, yet fun game. The as medium, but now you have curving One of the drawbacks I have with this idea is easy to understand. You just have to tunnels. So, there is a difficulty scale that game is that it is fully mouse controlled. It go through an obstacle course for as long makes it really hard to master. And there is brings to my attention exactly why I don’t as possible without crashing. Simples. On an even harder difficulty after that. like controlling games like Tachyon, or TIE the other hand, it really isn’t as easy to do Fighter with the mouse. One spasm with as you’d think. Like the game suggests, you Graphically, it really is simple but there is a your arm, one missed course correction go faster and faster the further you go. real sense of speed and momentum. Plus and boom. Head first into one of those Also, some of the obstacles are stationary, if you crash fast, your pod gets embedded obstacles or into the side of the tunnels in but others move. Most of the ones that in the obstacle. And if the obstacle rotates the harder levels. move have a side to side motion but your pod does too. The obstacles are occasionally they have rotational motion bright red but they do look solid. The On balance though, I do like it. There is a as well. And those obstacles can go fast tunnel design is simple. Black, with white ruthless simplicity which I admire. Head or slow. lines denoting the seams and red for into a tunnel and see how long you can intersections. Also, parts of the tunnel last before you run out of space. Or luck. There are three difficulties. Easy, normal, widen out and are lit in a dark blue with It’s the kind of game where you need to hard. Easy is just one straight tunnel filled white lines. give it your full attention. Even if you do, with obstacles so the highest speeds are it will still bite. However, perhaps you’ll in theory possible there. Normal goes There is no music, but for sound you really get further. Or maybe you’ll just run out between single tunnels and intersections do hear the impacts. Plus you hear the air of road. with multiple paths. So if you pick the right buffeting around the pod as you go faster. paths you could get a better score with Along with the sound of the pod crossing With a choice of controls it would be a normal than with easy. Hard however is as the seams. Like I said, there is a real sense near perfect game. As it is, it doesn’t quite the name suggests. You still have the same of movement. get there. Alas, I’m still hooked. «

PLAY-ABILITY 85%

ART/GRAPHICS 82%

MUSIC/SOUND 80%

83% OVERALL SCORE

22 23 ind13.com ind13.com 23 ind13.com FEATURE Verdun

A squad-based multiplayer FPS set in the First World War and inspired by the infamous battle of Verdun in 1916. By Harry Cole and Lee Smith.

24 25 ind13.com ind13.com 25 ind13.com FEATURE Verdun

The 4th of August 2014 marked the 100th to whole communities. Soldiers went to I had already made some games so that anniversary of the day Britain entered ground, digging trenches and dugouts that seemed to fit. The WW1 theme was always one of the costliest conflicts in history soon began to feel almost permanent. very important to Jos, since he visited the – the First World War – with fighting WW1 fields a lot as a kid. As for myself, continuing until the 11th of November The crucible of war also proved very the main drive to create this game in the 1918, Armistice Day. creative. Aircraft developed quickly, taking beginning was to create a multiplayer FPS death and destruction into the sky. New game a least once." By the end of the First World War there ways of fighting made better and more were very few people in the countries that effective use of huge quantities of shells It is a game that is very much in the vein took part who remained unaffected. and bullets manufactured on a scale never of Call of Duty and other first person seen before. shooter games, but the WWI setting seems The war reached out and touched almost somehow more harrowing. everyone’s life in some way or other. A new game, Verdun, is being developed that goes to show some of the horrors Mike said that "WW1 was a gruesome war Children grew up in the shadow of battle, that these soldiers would have faced, in a (like any war). It did not make the process their fathers absent or lost. Women claustrophobic, action packed, way. of making a game any more difficult but became directly involved, picking up at times, such as when we implemented the pieces of industry and agriculture as Verdun was the site of a major battle of the gas, I did wonder if it would get too the men went off to fight. By 1918, they the First World War. One of the costliest gruesome. The fact that we are one of the too could join the army and serve their battles of the war, Verdun exemplified the very few games dedicated to the WW1, country too. policy of a "war of attrition" pursued by and thereby remembering, is comforting: both sides, which led to an enormous loss The WW1 started in a very weird way and Men enlisted, or were called up, in their of life. looking back it's silly it even escalated to a millions, being sent to fight in places that world war. many had never heard of before. It was Mike Hergaarden, one half of games a global struggle. Life changed forever. studio M2H which has developed Verdun, Although he went on to comment that: Nothing was ever the same again. along with Jos Hoebe from Blackmill "It's very important to remember the past, games (Mike's brother makes up the other as the current world is doing just as silly In the opening moves of the war, both half), said that the inspiration started things. Let's hope we learn from history." in the West and the East, the nature way back in 2006. When he "met Jos at of modern warfare soon became clear. university. While we were waiting for a I think that one of the aspects of the game Armies were numbered in the hundreds delayed train we came up with the idea that adds to the claustrophobic nature that of thousands. Modern weapons rapidly to work together on a game: Jos had been I mentioned, is the trench warfare, which caused heavy casualties and laid waste modding some war themed games and is one of the most brutal and horrific

26 27 ind13.com ind13.com FEATURE Verdun

aspects of war, and WWI in particular. action experience for Mike and the team create the best mix between gameplay and But was that difficult to get into a game, though. It was more than that. It was realism." difficult emotionally and from a game about exploring the brutal history of the design point of view? Great War too. If anyone expects driving one of the old tanks or charging at the enemy on a "Actually", Mike says, "it was more the "Everyone on the team learned more horse, however, you might be a little bit opposite: pure gameplay/strategy wise of the history in their own areas. Like disappointed. (and in games only) I love the trench when Matt was planning some bunkers warfare. Compared to other games the he immediately bought a book about the "It's becoming my #1 practical joke: slower and trench based warefare opens WW1 bunkers. The community is also Yes we have horses (and tanks) in the up much more visible possibilities for a big help here since we have quite some game... but they're dead/broken on the strategy and teamwork. We haven't historians playing the game; if we missed a battlefield. Vehicles (tanks & horses) deliberately distanced the game from the detail we're sure to hear it. We also visited would drastically change the game so topic, we do aim for as much realism as the Verdun area a few times and you can that's not something we're considering. fitting in a game. For most topics, we still 'feel' the WW1 aftermath there." We want to focus on the infantry mode simply "gamified" them using common only and do that very well. Also, vehicles (gaming) sense. E.g. in most games when With the game featuring missions and were not even that useful in WW1: horses you're wounded you open a medkit and real life locations though how accurate are are easily killed and the mud was the worst you're instantly healed. This is what these to the real war? enemy of the tanks. gamers expect. Therefor, in Verdun we just couldn't add something like trench foot As Mike says; "We have multiplayer only, We do have artillery: every squads NCO since it would ruin the experience." the frontline game mode is objective will call in either artillery/mortars or based and really geared towards the WW1 gas. Playing any game of Verdun you'll "We have of course 'gamified' the WW1 theme: You capture frontline by frontline, constantly see artillery being dropped." theme here and there to strike a good this is really a tug of war and only the balance between realism and gameplay. clearly stronger party will be able to Aside from the attention to detail given E.g. for balancing between the French capture ground. to the battlefields, the weapons used, the and German squads we decided not to let overall dark feel of the trenches, there is the Chauchat machine gun jam as much As for the locations we indeed have picked also the sounds. And not just the mud as it did in WW1. The accuracy of the locations from Belgium and France on the being splashed in, or the bombs that are rifles wasn't even that bad back then so we western front and based the mountains exploding around you. There is also the didn't have to upgrade them." and vegetation etc. on the areas. We did music. not copy a battlefield 1 to 1, but have used Making the game wasn't just a pixel and photos and maps of the battlefields to "The main menu of the game indeed

"WW1 was indeed a gruesome war (like any war). It did not make the process of making a game any more difficult but at times, such as when we implemented the gas, I did wonder if it would get too gruesome..."

27 ind13.com FEATURE Verdun

features WW1 music. This was mostly for practical reasons but Mike is also quite enthusiastic about being an indie still too, about everyone seems to really like the atmosphere." not taking the money on offer from the major gaming companies.

What is going to be the specific appeal for the game though; the "I love the fact that my hard work really matters for the end setting, the action, the history? War is obviously a big seller in the result. Everyone in the project has their mind AND heart set in games market, but this is different, this does seem more real, and a the project so you see more dedication and passion which really history lesson too. shows in the end product. I seriously wouldn't know what a big company could offer me that's better than my current situation. "I think we have a three main appeals for gamers in specific: I would hate a job in a big company where I'd earn millions but 1. The WW1 theme (for fans of history and the like) 2. The cannot vent any creativity as I would be really stuck in just one squad system, for those whole love cooperative play. 3. Our gun limited position." handling, the rifles, realism and deadliness of the game makes for a more strategic and rewarding game play. You can't just run in, "I've learned a lot over the years and as we've tried many platforms spray fire and catch bullets. Every kill/achievement is much more and different (mini)games we were able to learn while developing. rewarding in Verdun since it requires some more skill to achieve." This went pretty smooth actually. Only the business side takes more work and is something we're still improving. The business They are still just an Independent studio despite what the game side feels like an annoying distraction from work but it's just looks and plays like. It may have a big budget feel, but it isn't. It's as important. There are a lot of game developers, but only few an indie studio run by people that have honed their craft over the manage to do the business side well." the years of toils, which has led to Verdun. So what would their advice be to others starting out? After Verdun, what is next for Mike and the others?

"Really", Mike says, "the best advice I keep on giving is not to "For the near future I hope we deliverer a great, polished, product aspire to being a game developer, just be one... right now! This (Verdun). We will be adjusting our plans according to how means that you really just need to start making games right away. Verdun is received after launch. I'm sure we'll do a few small Do start with at least 5 small games, finish them as small and games(mobile, web, etc.) afterwards to charge up for a bigger polished as possible, keep improving every time...make a few project again. Matt and I have enough innovative plans for the different genres. Also one important quote I've picked up over the next 5 years, we just have to pick the best one ;)." « years: Fail often, early."

"You capture frontline by frontline, this is really a tug of war and only the clearly stronger party will be able to capture ground..."

28 29 ind13.com ind13.com IND mag ad copy.pdf 1 21/03/2014 15:10

FEATURE Games of Glory

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500 MILLION PLAYS WITHIN 3 YEARS WE PUT SOME OF THIS SUCCESS DOWN TO OUR

29 29 MINIWORLDGAMES IS A ind13.com Gind13.comAMES STUDIO POWERED BY FEATURES SpecialEffect

SpecialEffect: a gamers charity that changes lives

A charity that aims to beat physical disability to enable people to enjoy video games. By Harry Cole and Lee Smith.

Recently, I attended the EGX London event, twice in fact. The where you control the car with the movement of your eyes. Just first day I went it was as a member of the press. I was there as your eyes. Speeding up, slowing down, turning corners, all simply a cynical hack to run my inscrutable eyes over the new games controlled by where you look. on offer from both the big companies showing off the latest installment of their franchise, and the new indie companies that It was quite exhilarating, the experience, and even more so when were there to try and persuade people to stop palying Call of Duty the realisation hit me that I have played a similar game so many for a while and to try something different. times in my life, for too many years. But for many, for the severely disabled, this would be their first experience of this kind of fun On my second visit I took with me my wide-eyed 10 year old and immersion. daughter, it was weekend dad time, and I was there to watch her play the games and to see what games she gravitated to more. On the second day I took my daughter to the same stand, introduced her to the same people and game, and she too was truly During my first visit I was showed the SpecialEffect stand, and taken aback at not only the technology but at how this could help it was there that my perception of games and gaming in general people that are at more of a disadvantage than us. The amount changed. Away from the cosplay, away from the fuss over some of of people that this could help is limitless, and the work that the more violent and graphically intensive games, here were people SpecialEffect do is immeasurable. that was really trying to make a difference using the medium of games. SpecialEffect, you see, are a charity set up to help bring the As they say themselves, they have, "seen many physical gaming world to those of us who, due to various disabilities, have improvements that have been confirmed by occupational therapists never really been able to indulge in it. and physiotherapists, but the greatest benefit is inclusion. Being able to join in with friends and family (and beat them!) is priceless They are working hard to introduce all forms of technology-based for self-esteem and independence..." leisure, including popular computer games like FIFA 13, Football Manager, Call of Duty, Dirt, MineCraft and Team Fortress. After that visit I contacted SpecialEffect to find out more about their charity, to possibly feature them in IND13, and spoke to After talking to them for a little bit, I tried one of the games that Mark Saville who was nice enough to answer a few questions for they had on offer; a racing game (I cannot remember which one), me and illuminate further on the work they do.

30 31 ind13.com ind13.com FEATURES SpecialEffect

Some of the people we see are limited to watching whatever TV channel is put on in front of them. To go from that to being able to take take part in one of the most absorbing and exciting forms of entertainment is life-changing.

30 31 ind13.com ind13.com FEATURES SpecialEffect

What was the inspiration behind SpecialEffect? a really varied team of people to make this happen - our wonderful There wasn’t necessarily an inspiration as such behind the start occupational therapists, some amazing tech experts and hardcore of the charity, more of a gaping need that was just crying out gamers who know their games inside out. We’re really lucky in to be helped with. Dr Mick Donegan, our founder and CEO, that people with some fantastic skills have volunteered to help as worked for a charity that helped severely disabled people to access well, including developers. Another example is the workshop guys communication and learning through technology, but he noticed from food giant Mondelez, who have produced some beautifully that they were having very little opportunity to access leisure engineered adapted controllers for us. activities as well. Video games were becoming huge, and so many people were being sidelined out of the action because of their SpecialEffect is helping to change the lives of the disabilities. disabled, what are the challenges involved? Especially given the varied people that it helps? How did you go about setting it up? Our job is to help as best we can, as even a tiny body movement The precursor to the charity was an project that produced a can make a huge difference - we can try to harness it to enable website that listed games according to how playable they were gaming. It’s probably worth checking out how we helped Jamie in based on factors like gameplay speed and reaction time. But recently as an example of the challenges we face (see page 35). any attempt at classifying games in terms of accessibility is going to be a huge challenge. There are so many variables, not only What is the major impact on people’s lives when they within the game but because no individual has the same abilities. get to play games? Even within cerebral palsy, for example, there are many different It’s a privilege to witness the massive lift in quality of life and ways in which the condition can affect people. So that’s what we inclusion. Some of the people we see are limited to watching concentrate on now - looking at the abilities of the person first and whatever TV channel is put on in front of them. To go from that working from there. to being able to take take part in one of the most absorbing and exciting forms of entertainment is life-changing. There are many How do you find the funding for it? other benefits too - it brings families and friends together, it raises There’s virtually no statutory funding for work like ours, so we’re self-esteem, can help therapy, and in some cases it gives carers a reliant on the generosity of individuals and organisations to keep little respite time,. We’re discovering new benefits every day! the doors open. We’ve been humbled by the amazing response of the gaming community - so many people have said that they can’t Do you see yourself at the forefront of technology imagine life without their games, and they really get what we’re in games, given how you are using and reimagining trying to do. Which is brilliant, given that we don’t charge for any technology? of our support or loans, and we don’t sell anything. Although we’re using cutting-edge technology like eye-control and face recognition in innovative ways to access games, much of our Do you get support from games companies with this? work involves adapting existing controllers and other off-the-shelf Either in the form of money or development time? kit. So it’s a bit of pulling and pushing really! There are so many people within games companies who have provided amazing support, not only directly by donating, but by How do you see this growing, and are there other organising and taking part in events or spreading the word about organisations across the globe that you work with? the charity. We have a team that run the British 10k for us every As far as we’re aware we’re the only UK charity with an year, and it’s truly wonderful to see how many games companies individualised approach to levelling the playing field for gamers are represented there. with disabilities. There are other organisations around the world that help disabled gamers though - Ablegamers in We’re always more than happy to talk with games companies to the US, for example. make their games more accessible as well. it was great to work with Splash Damage, for example, and CodeMasters produced a To find out more, go to cracking prototype eye-controlled downhill racing game through a www.specialeffect.org.uk game jam.

Where do you find the developers for this, and do you find that people are always happy to help given the nature of it? Nearly all our help is based on custom accessibility solutions, which might be combinations of specialised hardware like switches controlled by various parts of the body, combined with accessibility software such as voice control. Sometimes we’ll get the drill and soldering iron out to modify a games controller. We have

32 33 ind13.com ind13.com 88% RATING OVERALL SCORE 33 ind13.com FEATURES SpecialEffect Bringing the laughter back into Jamie's life

I accompanied Gillian and Gav on an assessment visit to see I watch as Gill and Gav set up and adjust a number of mounting Jamie, a young man with muscular dystrophy. He's a cracking arms that carry complicated assortments of small switches bloke in his twenties who's in a wheelchair and needs a ventilator and adapted controllers. Working with Jamie, they patiently to breathe. He can speak, but the only body movement he has is a spend hours trying equipment in a range of positions so that his few millimetres of wiggle in his thumbs and fingers. And that’s it. fingertip movement can operate the adapted gaming controls. But, like most of the people we help, he’s keen to enjoy as wide a With such extremely limited movements, even the tiniest variety of games as possible. adjustment makes a massive difference.

We’ve arrived with boxes of gear. Mounting arms, switches, “That’s it!” says Jamie. “Ah, no, now my right index finger isn’t adapted controllers, cables, tools… it’s all there. Gav’s done his quite in the right position.” Adjust. “That one’s good, but now my homework and already customised a PS3 controller with switch thumb’s slipped off the joystick.” Adjust again. “Now my wrist sockets to give us a head start. isn’t supported properly.” Adjust again.

I’m expecting the team to pile in straight away, but instead Jamie’s mum comes in with tea and a plate of rather delicious they sit and talk to Jamie. They find out how his condition is homemade cake. The team take a break to think again. Gill, who’s progressing, and what modifications might be planned for his a specialist occupational therapist, suggests reconfiguring wheelchair and other equipment in his room. They ask how his Jamie’s wheelchair arm rest to give more support to his wrist, family are, and if his carers are new. Is that a new pair of glasses? so they burrow into a box of spare wheelchair accessories, and Many of the questions seem to have little to do with gaming, but attach a different arm rest. Suddenly the extra support’s freed up it dawns on me that all of them are deeply relevant if anything a little more finger movement and they’re onto something. we do is going to have a long-term impact. Only then do we talk about what games he wants to play. Gill repositions his left hand precisely over the modified

34 35 ind13.com ind13.com FEATURES SpecialEffect

controller, and his right is angled very carefully next to two small and taking into account comfort, safety, energy levels, lifestyle, fingertip switches that act as the trigger buttons. things like that. And everything has to work long term. That means training the carers and parents in how to use and maintain “Yes!” says Jamie. “I think I can use everything now.” And he dives the equipment, otherwise even the most accessibly-designed into Call of Duty. games and kit won’t be much use.”

Soon Gav and Jamie are deep in discussion about what games he “Then there’s the software,” says Gav. “We’re often linking several might be able to use with his particular setup. Gav’s keen to point things together - infrared controls, environmental control out that not all the titles he wants to play will be possible with software, one-off drivers. Something as simple as a Windows the equipment as it is, but the team can (and will) come back and update might knock a voice control setup over, so we have to adjust things as his physical condition changes over time. know what to do or advise when that happens.”

Gill takes time to explain to Jamie’s carer what they’ve done I’ve been blown away by just how many skills Gill and Gav use to so that she can replicate the position of the setup whenever get a successful setup up and running, skills that go way beyond he wants to play. Gav downloads voice control software onto wielding a drill to adapt a gaming controller, although that’s Jamie’s laptop to work alongside his switches, but he’s frowning. sometimes part of the process. Everything’s stopped working. Controller, switches, the lot. After half an hour he traces it back to a faulty controller adaptor, and But the effort is worth it. “It’s made a huge difference,” said we’re up and running again. Jamie’s mum. “It’s bought laughter back into the house and a real boost to his quality of life. He can now play proactively again Sitting on the M4 in a traffic jam later that day, I ask Gav and Gill with his sister - something he couldn’t do before.” about how they view their work. For nearly all the people we help, truly accessible gaming means “When we’re working one-to-one with someone with a physical looking beyond the technology and taking into account their very disability like Jamie, it’s the detail that becomes important,” said specific personal circumstances and physical abilities. Gav. “Finding the right grip material for the tip of an analogue stick extension, for example. Or making sure that we’re using the As our CEO Mick Donegan said recently, “We take over where the right velcro, or adding a non-slip washer to a mounting plate. in-game assists end.” If Jamie’s setup slips by even a couple of millimetres, it’ll be unusable .” He might also have added that a good cake can help enormously.

Gill adds a wider perspective. “We’re also managing expectations, By Mark Saville, Communications Support, SpecialEffect

35 ind13.com FEATURE Skater

Skateboarding with a clever social twist. By Harry Cole and Lee Smith.

36 37 ind13.com ind13.com FEATURE Skater

36 37 ind13.com ind13.com FEATURE Skater

Frosch’s game offers authentic open-world skateboarding in some latest team videos from the skate brands, we’d like bootleg the of the world’s best known skate parks – with a clever social twist. VHS tapes from each other and that’s where we got ideas and motivation from. There was no youtube back then so you just The Australian award-winning game development studio Frosch absorbed these little bits of what was going on in the scene from Media, have announced their first-of-a-kind skateboarding game, the pros from mags and videos which came out once a year. Skater has launched on the iOS App Store for iPhone and iPod Touch. Things have changed so much since then, with the internet and phones, it’s more of a connected community now instead of just Focusing on the most fun aspects of actual skating, and pockets of kids absorbing what is created by one small group in the introducing a unique new cloud-based social interaction feature at industry – anyone can contribute to the the flow of ideas and push its centre, Skater offers an endless stream of user-generated content things forward and skating evolves so much quicker. that can be explored in open-world gameplay environments –set in the most authentic virtual versions of real-world skate parks ever On a macro level that’s a part of what we wanted to capture in the seen in a game. game – we thought imagine if instead of just us, the developers designing a rigid set of challenges for players to work through we Skater, which started gathering industry attention under the title facilitated an online hub of ideas and ways of engaging with these Touch Skate when still in development last year, brings a clever spaces in the game. social interaction twist to the genre, allowing players to create their own trick runs and storing them in the cloud, so that others Basically create a huge skate session where everyone both benefits can copy and improve on them. The line between single and multiplayer experiences is blurred unlike in any other previous skating game, enabling players to save their favourite trick runs and share them with the world.

In turn, they get to discover and copy runs that others have created – giving them access to a seemingly endless number of new ideas to explore.

We chatted to Dain Hedgpeth, Director of Frosch Media, to find out more about Skater.

Why did you choose to make this game? It was a bit of a perfect storm really – a magical overlap of our love of skating, a perfect use of our team skill set and a gap in a decently sized market we felt we could serve really well. In the mobile economy it didn’t seem the return on a $7 unit price skating game would be worth much investment from the big studios – they have bigger f2p fish to fry – and the odds of a small studio having the skill set and resources to pull off something on par with the old console franchises seemed low.

We already wanted to do it, but these things all considered and it seemed like an opportunity to contribute something and try and push mobile gaming in some new directions in the process.

How long have you been working on this title? We started working on the concept and mapping out interaction schemes in March 2012, prototyping around August then production from early 2013. So end to end technically two and a half years but the first 6-8 months was exploring the concept.

What is your connection to the skater scene? Most of the dev team are skaters since we were kids, we were just a bunch of typical suburban skate rats growing up. Back then the way you connected with the culture was you’d watch the

38 39 ind13.com ind13.com FEATURE Skater

from and contributes to the experience. This allows for the whole range of movements to be recreated because the skater and the board are separate entities. Things What is unique about the game mechanics? How you such as 180s (where both the skater and board make a half turn control the board? together) are visually distinct from pop shuvits (where the skater Early on in the process our thinking evolved from ‘how can we jumps up and the board does a half turn underneath him). make this feel like a skateboard’ to ‘how can this feel like skating’, and that’s been kind of our guiding question through making the The connection of these elements in motion anchors all the skate game. There’s a certain flow, range and rhythm of movement that moves – everything makes sense and feels much more like skating. all comes together in skating to create the feel of it, and we realised From there the experience is tuned around the things that are most it’s to do with both the skater and the board moving together. important in actual skating at a pro level, namely clean execution and flow of tricks and lines. The experience is not just about the board but how your body moves and interacts with the environment through the board. Are you working with major brands and celebrity skaters? To really get it to come alive in people’s minds and to evoke the Yeah, we teamed up with 17 of the most prominent brands in feeling of skating, we needed to represent the players physicality. skating and are stoked to have a bunch of classic and seasonal gear in there from shoe, board and hard-good brands. Both Camp The result is that in Skater you play with two thumbs and control Woodward and The Berrics are also playable levels which is just a pair of shoes which in turn skate and flick the board around. amazing – if you’re a skater you’ve dreamed of skating both those

38 39 ind13.com ind13.com FEATURE Skater

spots at some point or another and now you can download and newcomers – either shooting too big, following the f2p trend play them on your phone. We have a bunch of stuff lined up with and trying to ride the wakes of the billion dollar games, or going pros too which we will be announcing soon. super niche ‘indy’ to the point of being to obscure and unrelatable. You’re disadvantaged in a consolidated mass market with a ‘casual’ Are there famous skate parks in the game? product made in the same vein of 50 other titles and you won’t Yes, it’s all iconic real-world spots. We started by considering make enough money to keep the lights on if you make your literally a few thousand street and park spots, took surveys of concept too obscure. skaters from all over the world and eventually jumped on a plane, met up with some well known guys in the skate industry and went Go niche, avoid the herd and make something unique and well and visited a bunch of the ones on our short list. crafted in a smaller space you can own that a smaller number of people will love – and by smaller I mean millions instead Some of these spots are as much a part of skating as the brands and of billions. Align those things with a project you’re genuinely the famous skaters themselves and have a lot of history to them. I passionate about and I think you’re in with a good chance for think that’s a big part of what we wanted to create with this game success. – that skaters can jump on and skate these legendary spots they would probably never otherwise have a chance to visit. Also, every person’s context is different so adapt any advice you get to your own situation! As an Independent studio, what advice would you give to aspiring games makers? For a nice case study check out the old post mortem of SQUIDS As a small entrant, know and play to your strengths and hedge by The Game Bakers. Their strategy was to target a smaller market against your weaknesses. I feel like I see a bit of polarisation in than most games on a higher budget and a longer production time Hollywood High School

Where the stars go to skate!

With a sexy 12 and 16 set taking center stage, nearly every pro has rolled through Hollywood High on the road to stardom. Take it down either the set or, ifin the mood to risk impalement, over the fence.

It's a nice one two punch- a twelve stair and a sixteen stair, each with perfect rails.

It has been a fixture of LA hammers for a decade plus, and shows no sign of slowing down.

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with a lower potential maximum return – but ultimately with less risk. They knew their niche RPG audience was lacking something meaty for mobile, they knew they could create something kick- "We started by considering ass in that space and they knew serving that space well would provide more than enough return for them as a small studio to be literally a few thousand street profitable. and park spots, took surveys It ended up working out well for them! of skaters from all over the What are the benefits of being an indie and what are the draw backs? world and eventually jumped Downside – none at all if you love what you’re doing. The upside in our experience is complete creative freedom, taking full pride on a plane, met up with some in what you make and a general happy fuzzy feeling. There’s no strong argument not to – you’ll be working 100 hour weeks and well known guys in the skate sweating energy drink either way so just strap in and do it! industry and went and visited What do you see as the future of the studio? Keep improving Skater. That’s really our only mission right now a bunch..." and we plan to work just as hard on the live product as we did in production.

40 41 ind13.com ind13.com FEATURE Skater Carlsbad Gap

By all accounts, the Carlsbad Gap is no good. There are cracks Throughout the years he frontside flipped it in a line and and the landing is uphill. The ground is slick and the drop is frontside 360ed it among other tricks in Second Hand Smoke, unforgiving. Yet Carlsbad became an iconic spot because it was in then he backside heelflipped it Element World Tour. Before the the heart of professional skateboarding. gap was destroyed in 2012 Transworld held the Last Times At Carlsbad High contest and a whole new set of rippers earned a There were plenty of pros to skate it and plenty of filmers and spot in the Carlsbad Gap history book. photographers around to document what went down. Kris Markovich set things off in 1994 with a kickflip. After that, many people did tricks there but Jeremy Wray did the most and the gnarliest.

42 43 ind13.com ind13.com 42 43 ind13.com ind13.com REGIONAL REPORT Kenya

The Kenyan Project

We talk to Leon Oscar Kidando who lives and works in Kenya developing games. By Harry Cole and Lee Smith.

"In a country where only men are encouraged, one must be one's Leon Oscar Kidando who is slowly trying to make a name for own inspiration." wrote Tegla Loroupe, a Kenyan long-distance himself in the industry whilst living and working in Nairobi. track and road runner who is also a global spokeswoman for peace, women's rights and education. Leon, at 27 years old, released his first game just over a year ago called Nuggets Will Figure It Out. It is a A 2D platformer played Now, of course, that quote was about her own struggles in a male in the browser. Before that he "experimented a little but didn't orientated country, specifically in sport. However, equally, it could really sit down to craft anything playable." be used to inspire in the games industry, where the Western world, and the US and UK in particular, are the main players. Although he is developing games on his own, he asserts his commitment to forging a career in the brutal world of the games This is where, despite the global reach and power of games, game industry. Working hard on his craft and 'learning on the job' so to development is very centralised. Or it seems to be, if you just look speak. at the media and the games that are generally reported on. If you look further, though, there are many developers and indie studios "I spend most of my time after my day job and during weekends breaking out across the globe. working on my games and learning about the industry."

We did a regional report on NastyCloud in Argentina in the last Until he has gained a lot more experience, though, until he has a Issue of IND13, and this week we look at the African continent gained knowledge of the industry, he is not thinking of startting and to the beautiful country of Kenya. Specifically, we talked to a studio. Which is sensible. Too many people nowadays are not

44 45 ind13.com ind13.com REGIONAL REPORT Kenya

gaining the requied experience needed, and are just fast-tracking their careers only to see the endeavour end in failure because they moved too hastily. "I want to bring back the

Leon is being far more astute, saying that: "I think there's a lot challenge. Create games that that goes into setting up and running a studio/company. Right now I'm mostly focused on releasing great games and creating force the player to figure out awarness for them. Dealing with anything else right now would be a distraction I cannot afford to go through." and develop reflexes..."

To Leon, games are not merely a way to earn a living, although of course he would like to get some recompense for all the work that sanity to realize their lifelong dreams of sharing their visions with he has put in. the world.

For Leon, "games are a basic necessity in my life. I can't go a day It was with this film that Leon "became seriously inspired." without even thinking of playing or making one. I always wanted to be a part of the game development space for almost my entire Plus, "that was around the time I stumbled upon Construct 2. A life." tool to help make games without code. My first game was built on it. Now I'm using Game Maker and Unity." What pushed him to really try and make a go of being a games developer was the epiphany that one person really can make a I know that, in the UK, there is a big community in the games difference, really can aim high and make it, even from Kenya. This industry with developers and small indie studios often getting was when he first watched Indie Game: The Movie. together at events and game jams, swapping skills and experiences or even just stories over a few drinks. There is a sense of solidarity This was the first feature documentary film about making video as everyone knows how tough it can be to not only get a good games. It looks specifically at the underdogs of the video game game out into the market, but to get people to see it, to play it, to industry, indie game developers, who sacrifice money, health and rate it and share it. With little to nothing of a marketing budget to

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give it a push. "Other than that," he does say though, "game dev is just awesome..." This is why we set up IND13, to help give exposure to studios and developers that normally wouldn't get it. However, in the gaming Back to the game though, which is the most important thing outpost of Kenya, is there that sense of community amongst really. How is it played, what is the point of the game, and where games developers? Actually, the other question is are there many was the inspiration for it? developers in Kenya, let alone the rest of Africa? What is it like making games in a remote area? "It's Battle City on steroids. I'm not sure how many people ever played the classic NES title, but fundamentally it's like that. What "Well, I could say that it's mostly challenging. I know that there I have added to the experience is literally more mayhem. Plus the are game devs in the country, but we don't know each other. There challenge builds up as you progress. aren't communities that I know of, but I'm hopeful I will run into one or create one. I say this because you only have yourself and the "So apart from having the same enemies just a bit tougher, you people online to inspire and challenge you." also get enemy variety forcing you to first understand what you are dealing with. Strategy will paly a huge role in helping you get past So it is lonely, it is tougher, there is no ecosystem that has been the levels." created to help young developers. In this sense, Leon is something of a trailblazer; not only attempting to put himself on the gaming It is another retro styled game, which over the last couple of years map but also show that it is possible to do this in Kenya, to bring has become increasingly fashionable and doesn't seem to be dying the massive industry to them rather than move to somewhere like away any time soon. Was it styled this way out of necessity though, the UK to try and find a way in. or because of a love of pixel art?

As Leon says, "It's challenging because not a lot of people "Both. I love pixel art so much. I'm better at pixel art design and appreciate game development as a sustainable (or even meaningful) animation than I am with 3D or more fine 2D art styles. Plus, I business venture in the region. It's a fact that not a lot of studios know how time consuming designing can get. Being a solo dev, I exist at the moment. So getting the support or even trying to sell had to decide on a direction that would have me spend more time games is a big challenge." on the experience and mechanics than just the visual presentation.

46 47 ind13.com ind13.com REGIONAL REPORT REGIONAL REPORT Kenya Kenya

I probably would have gone a different direction if I had a team or that force the player to figure out and develop reflexes. Many outsourced the art direction." games are easy these days and telling your friend "hey, I just beat that game" means very little. Back in the day, saying you got to He also stuck with the time-honored tradition of big end-of-level World 6 in Super Mario Bros... man... you desereved free lunch bosses, which we at IND13 always love and appreciate. There is for a month." nothing more satisfying than finally reaching the end of a level and having a big scary level boss to beat with a mixture of cunning and That's that. He says that he "strives to create amazing but frantic button pressing. challenging games that will be remembered for decades to come."

"I laugh because you have no idea the type of bosses I wasn't able So to wrap things up a little, Leon is making a name for himself to put into this game because of complexity. This is my first "big" from Kenya where there is no games industry to really think of. It project. I had to learn almost everything about game coding as I doesn't exist. But he is doing this by looking back to the old games went. Including the most painful part... enemy AI." where the challenge was real and a real sense of satisfaction was had. "No one wants to face a boring, dumb and predictable boss. The amount of work that went into figuring it all out... boy... but it It hasn't always been easy for him, and it certainly still isn't, but was totally worth it" he is facing up to everything with an attitude and a willingness to learn and experience new things, that can only inspire those "I believe in quality over quanity. I got into the business to make around him. So to end this feature in a positive way, with the the kind of games that made me smile growing up. I want that to words that really make you want Leon to succeed in whatever he continue in game design." does, here is how Leon describes his experiences so far:

It isn't just the art stlye that is retro, it is the whole game, the "It's really really so much fun and anything is possible. There are whole ethos of the game, with the right amount of achivement felt people with really strange and questionable game ideas but we still when you have moved from one level to another. love them. And although I don't personally know a lot of people in the community, I follow them and they are just the best set of As Leon says, "I want to bring back the challenge. Create games human beings you could ever find in any industry." «

47 ind13.com REVIEW KOLM

KOLM

Now, this game reminds me of Castlevania touch by the enemies can definitely kill you, towards the completion of the game. The in the old Nintendo style of side scrolling. at which point you are teleported back to percentage gets multiplied by 100. The You go through different segments to get the start of the area to try again. Any enemy number of deaths then gets multiplied by upgrades so you can get through segments you do kill does not respawn with you, 100 and then subtracted from that. Finally, that were previously closed off to you. though any obstacles that killed you will taking into account that each second still be there. taken has an impact, the total amount of To start with, your character has almost playtime gets subtracted from your total nothing. He must embark on a quest to However, you will have to kill enemies to score as well. If you score more than 0, rebuild himself and please his mother. She progress through the game. Also, you have you’re doing well. You know, to get the is your guide and seemingly your loving no voice, so the music does go some way full majesty of the game you’ll have to try friend. The more you rebuild; the more cold to telling the story. It’s very atmospheric it for yourselves. If there are any spoilers and malevolent towards you she becomes. and at times quite moving. Perhaps no I apologise. However, because they are in It’s in the visual style of pixel-art. But, other flash game has music that fits it so some way necessary to the review of the right at the start it is all very blurry. Mainly well. There is no voice you hear as such, game, I’ll also keep them. because your character has no eyes. Also, just written commands and comments. at the start your character can only move Yet these form such an integral part of the There is a good plot, with nice music and slowly and can only head down. Probably story and your character’s development excellent character evolution. Plus it’s got because you need to find your legs as well. that it can send shivers up your neck. just the right amount of challenge and Once you get your eyes you’ll see the detail variety to make it replayable without being and variety to the maps. The more you There is a scoreboard, and it gets worked an utter pig. Loved it. « upgrade, the more you get to see. out by how much of the game you complete. Aside from parts collected, You have no health bar, so one shot or there are plates with letters on that count

PLAY-ABILITY 95% ”Verdun is a squad-based multiplayer FPS in a realistic WW1 setting. The merciless ART/GRAPHICS 92% trench warfare offers a unique battlefield for tactical squad play in the realistic Frontlines game mode, and raw gameplay in the rifle-deathmatch.” MUSIC/SOUND 90%

83% OVERALL SCORE Available Now

48 www.VerdunGame.com49 ind13.com ind13.com FEATURE PAC-MAN™ and the Ghostly Adventures 2

”Verdun is a squad-based multiplayer FPS in a realistic WW1 setting. The merciless trench warfare offers a unique battlefield for tactical squad play in the realistic Frontlines game mode, and raw gameplay in the rifle-deathmatch.”

Available Now

www.VerdunGame.com49 ind13.com FEATURE Fist of Jesus

50 51 ind13.com ind13.com FEATURE Fist of Jesus

51 ind13.com FEATURE Fist of Jesus

Fist of Jesus, the game based on the movie...

There has been a history of games based on movies, with them normally being some cheap cash-in which doesn't really reflect the film, and the name rather than the game play is more important, but Fist of Jesus is different. By Harry Cole and Lee Smith.

From the debacle that was the Street Fighter film starring Kylie It is, though, a fantasticallly fun short film. Minogue and Jean-Claude Van Damme, to the extremely disappointing Mario Brothers film starring Bob Hoskins, there is a Fist of Jesus is a proof of concept short for the prospective film, sadly unspectacular history of games being turned films. Once Upon A Time in Jerusalem. Filmmakers Adrian Cardona and David Munoz pay tribute to their love of low budget schlock There have also been games based on movies too, with many in this campy retelling of New Testament parables. This mythos a franchise being cashed in (manly in a lazy way). From the mash-up brings religious tales and pop culture together for a wild, infamous ET game on the Atari which ended up being buried in entertaining ride. the Arizona desert, to cheap regurtitated formulas infesting the play stores based on every kids film that hits the cinemas. Jesus is performing his sermon in the desert when he’s interrupted by a grieving father bearing news of his dead son. The prophet Games and movies are not great bedfellows really, and I am not calms Jacob down by trying to convince him that his son Lazarus sure why that is. You would think, naturally, that games and is simply in a deep sleep. Jesus follows Jacob to his son’s bed, in the movies would make the perfect partnerships. Each having stories hopes of a miracle. Followers witness Jesus’ power as he commands which should move seamlessly between genres. Lazarus to resurrect. A moment of celebration is destroyed by Lazarus’ new ravenous appetite for humans. Jesus’ childish reaction This is not to say that there haven't been some great games based gives a pregnant pause to the situation before chaos resumes. on movies. Robocop from the late 80s is one that always jumps out at me for capturing the film perfectly and also giving us People scatter, bringing the new flesh eating disease with them. envigorating game play. And now, I think, we have a new game Can the patrol of Roman soldiers bring the crowd under control? which is based on a movie which proves that the tie-in can work if No. Their spears and armor are no match for the boil-infested it is done properly. This game is Fist of Jesus... crowd. Can the Pharisees fight back? No. Their vulnerability is increased with no weapons for defense. Jesus has no choice but to Now, yep, I know what you're thinking. You are thinking that finish what he started. you haven't seen this film. This isn't a big blockbuster. This isn't a film that has had the world raving about it featuring stars such as Essentially it is a B-Movie zombie comedy film, filled with Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt. You're right, it isn't. humour and fun and lots of action scenes. Although it is a short

52 53 ind13.com ind13.com FEATURE Fist of Jesus

film, and acts like a teaser in the hope of getting the funds to for digital distribution platforms. With a goal to contribute new make the full length Once Upon A Time in Jerusalem, it works ideas and ways of gaming, and are working on bringing original fantasically well as a standalone movie. IPs onto video gaming platforms.

It also works brilliantly as a game. As they say themselves, "we love indie games and in the future we'd like to work on more experimental ideas …and anything that Developed by Spain-based Mutant Games, Fist of Jesus is a is FUN to play!" hilarious, gory beat ‘em up classic style arcade game with RPG depth. So we asked them to explain why they chose to make this game, their thoughts in general. Something went wrong with Lazarus’ resurrection and the world is now full of Zombies, so your job is to help Jesus and Judas to fight "Fist of Jesus the game is a classic beat ‘em up adapted to the the zombie infection using amazing combos, divine punishments modern times, with many zombies, gore and funny elements." and special attacks! Cowboys, the Roman army, mythological they told us, which really is reflected in the game and the great creatures and steampunk technology come together in this 80's artwork. style beat ‘em up, all packed with lots of fun! What more could you want? "It is based on the award-winning short-movie of the same name, with more than 60 international awards, especially Best Short Film Mutant Games are just a small team of 5, composed of industry from the Fantastic and horror Film Festival in Sitges 2012. The experienced artists, programmers, and designers. Founded in characters, the story behind the game and some of the weapons 2009, the studio is focused on developing small to medium games are ideas that were already in the movie. The idea to make a game

52 53 ind13.com ind13.com FEATURE Fist of Jesus

out of the film came from another team, the DearFear guys, and to cause controversy and hurt. we added our imagination to it. Our work has been to take all that and adapt it to create a fun game to play. When they offered us In fact, they do say that they are "surprised with all this reaction. the project, the team was very glad to work on it, we had always The violence in the game is cartoon and much lower than in the wanted to do a beat ‘em up game!" movie. Jesus is the hero that saves the world from the attack of the zombies, the game's focus is not to mock of the religion. We never Again, as tends to be more and more normal in games now, set out to offend anyone! Remember the movie “Life of Brian” especially amongst independent development studios, it has a retro from Monty Python? It was great wasn’t it? Just actors. So we are style both in terms of art and in gameplay. just game developers."

"After watching the movie it was clear in our minds that the game They are not overly anti-religion either, stating that "all of us are had to be a hack & slash or beat em up. Also, the game had to be baptized and we have been communicated, so we're officially small, since the development time was tight, so we decided to go Christians. I've studied in a Christian school, and two of our with a classic arcade beat ‘em up, adding some fresh elements. programmers were altar boys in their childhood. But after the game release I don't know if we're excommunicated… Life’s too Our main references for the gameplay have been Konami games short not to have fun" like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time and The Simpsons Arcade. Then we have been inspired also by River City "It is not in our plans to do a game based on Islam or Judaism, Ransom and Pocket Fighter for the art." but I guess that if there is a fanbase wanting a game like that, and somebody is ready to fund the development, we may consider it. However, aside from the retro nature of the game, the fun game However, it's not our goal to create polemic games, we prefer that play and the excellent and fun artwork, surely this is a most people talk about the gameplay instead of the theme, and work on sensitive subject that could quite easily offend some. It is the original ideas." nature of religion. It is so personal to millions around the world. Some people easily take extreme offence to something which they The game has, so far, had a brilliant response and is quickly feel is mocking not just them, but their god and their religion. gathering a large fan base. "We're really glad that players are enjoying the game, one of our favorite daily activities now is to Over the years there have been many protests against films such watch videos of players on YouTube having fun with the game. It's as The Life of Brian which used the religious setting of Jesus in very rewarding, after many months of hard work, to see that it's Jerusalem for laughs. worth the effort." «

There are, of course, many of us who are religious and can take it You can download it now on Mac, Windows and Linux: for the good-natured humour that it is obviously intended to be. www.fistofjesusgame.com No one involved with either the film or the game actually set out

"We never set out to offend anyone! Remember the movie Life of Brian from Monty Python? It was great wasn’t it? Just actors. So we are just game developers..."

54 55 ind13.com ind13.com www.souzou.co

WE ARE SOUZOU a creative agency built for you

We are not your usual agency. We are listeners, questioners, and problem-solvers. We are also gamers, and work closely with independent game studios to help advertise and promote their games.

So if you are looking for complete branding, a new website, or some advertising and marketing help, visit www.souzou.co

creative design | branding | digital | advertising 54 55 ind13.com ind13.com INTERVIEW Mushroom 11

Mushroom 11

The unique puzzle platformer that is going to be destroying worlds on a computer screen near you soon... By Harry Cole.

At Eurogamer 2014 there were a ton of new Indies. We took teamed up with PowerUp audio to help us with the game sound the time to catch up with one such Developer, NY based Indie: effects. And that's the whole team. Untame. IND13 asked about the team’s experience with game Development and its uniquely brilliant title: Mushroom 11 In your own words, how would you describe Mushroom 11? Mushroom 11 is a unique puzzle platformer where your only What is the name of your studio and where are you based? control is destruction. You are molding and sculpting a green I'm Julia Keren-Detar, and my husband Itay Keren and I make up fungus around a destroyed world, exploring and solving puzzles Untame. We are an indie household game studio based out of our along the way. apartment in Brooklyn, NY. We work with Kara and Simon Kono on Mushroom 11. I've worked with Kara and Simon at a game Where did the concept come from? The gameplay is unique, studio in the past and when they left to travel the world, Simon how did you come across the idea? decided to make some art for Mushroom 11 while traveling. Itay and I came up with it at the Global Game Jam of 2012. The theme was ouroboros (a snake eating its tail). Itay told me his idea I was still working at the game studio up until about 10 months for it: what if you were a blob and when you removed parts of ago and then came to help out the team along with Kara. yourself you regrew? At first I thought, that's interesting but there is no way you can code that in 48 hrs. He had it up and running Itay is the one who came up with the idea and does the design in 8. So I threw in some art and that was the first prototype of and programming, I help out with design and the tutorial system, Mushroom 11. It was super crude, basically just moving a blob Simon is our artist and Kara is our producer. We've licensed music from point A to point B but even back then people were really for the game from The Future Sound of London, and recently drawn to it and we couldn't believe no one had done it before.

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Is it difficult to develop and follow through on an original idea? puzzles and we had so many ideas that we wanted to try. I think if you have this notion of coming up with something original ahead of time, its hard. Everything is an extension of I think it’s great that people can be free to make toys and still be something else and the pressure of coming up with something accepted in the community as a game by players. We did need to great and original prevents you from doing so. You spend too be careful though not to lose that fun toy feeling and let people much time thinking about this great idea in your head that it sets play with it and enjoy it at first while they are learning to control you up to fail. If we didn't participate in the global game jam we it in a safe way. It’s something we still struggle with in the tutorial: might never have come up with the idea. what the right balance is of helping people and letting people struggle and just play with it. That’s why game jams are so great. There is no pressure to come up with something great, just try something different or something Where does the name come from? that seems fun and run with it. Worse case you 'wasted' a weekend The original name was coined a long time ago, for something learning new skills and meeting new people. Best case, you come completely different. When we made the GGJ game, it just felt out with a great idea you never would have thought of before like a perfect match, and eventually also helped with the narrative. WE ARE ANOUK and you proved it by making something playable. We didn't have Maybe one day we’ll tell more about it... the idea for the game beforehand, we just thought it sounded interesting, fit the theme, and just crazy enough to work. Can you tell us a little about the back story? We have a pretty detailed backstory to inform us of what we want Following through is hard too. Itay spent half the year optimizing to show in the space and we provide some hints to that story in how this thing would regrow. It took just as long to figure out the form of background imagery such as billboards, wall writings how you interacted with it. We tried so many different ideas and other artifacts you pass by. But we want the players to piece that sounded great but didn't work. We were in a good place to together for themselves what happened, or come up with their experiment. I was still working at a studio while he spent time own version. We feel like this is a much more powerful way to tell working on this new mechanic and seeing where he could take the story. Players can then be left to ask questions while playing: it so we didn't have the financial pressure that a lot of indies are what happened, what am I? Am I a force for good or evil? Is that under when they follow through with a good idea. A few months relevant? What happened to humanity? later the game got funding from Indie Fund too which really helped. We do however tend to tie the story to real life science, with references to mycelium, about how mushrooms can stabilize It uses a cloud, what do you feel the cloud is similar to in reality? different compounds for life, and that nature does adapt lifeforms Where do you think the idea came from? to changes in the environment even if we cannot. The mechanic came first and we fit the title around it. It was called Mushroom 11 from the beginning mostly referencing the fungus. It’s set in quite a desolate world, can you tell us more about the Later in development we were watching a series of talks about settings and backgrounds? mycelium and its different forms and we were like, wow that's a We knew that we wanted a post-apocalyptic environment and I lot like this organism in the game we have. We plan on using some think Simon did a great job of including everyday mundane items of this science to inform the backstory. in this world. These nature-reclaimed artifacts really make you think about the devastation of the world and the people who used Do you think manipulating this putty like material appeals to to live there. people’s sense of childish fun? Like a child playing trying to keep water droplets in the palm of their hand? If it’s out now, how has it been received? I think that is what we discovered with the original prototype. It We plan to release it in March of 2015. We are planning a pre- was a fun toy and it felt good to play with it. The challenge was order sometime next month. That being said, we've gotten a lot making that into a game. Some people feel that that should be of attention. We were part of the IGF finalists this year, we were We are a group of Producers, Directors, Photographers, Camera Operators and Artists. enough - a toy doesn't have to be forced into a game. But we felt in the PAX 10, the indieMEGABOOTH for PAX East, and now like for this mechanic, there was so much possibility for cool, fun Leftfield Collection at EGX « We are made up of a London based core team of progressive and determined individuals, with an international network of trusted professionals.

We have extensive experience in all areas of production with years working professionally in image and film. "We knew that we wanted a post apocalyptic environment and I think Simon did a great job of including everyday mundane items in this Please get in touch to talk about your project. world. These nature-reclaimed artifacts really make you think about the devastation of the world and the people who used to live there..." 0203 605 3806 [email protected] www.anoukproductions.com

58 59 ind13.com ind13.com FEATURE Meerkatz Challenge

WE ARE ANOUK

We are a group of Producers, Directors, Photographers, Camera Operators and Artists.

We are made up of a London based core team of progressive and determined individuals, with an international network of trusted professionals.

We have extensive experience in all areas of production with years working professionally in image and film.

Please get in touch to talk about your project.

0203 605 3806 [email protected] www.anoukproductions.com

58 59 ind13.com ind13.com INTERVIEW Back to Bed

Back to Bed

Where high art meets gaming... By Harry Cole.

Could you introduce yourself, tell us about the team and your Your game is seriously cool, is there some inspiration from studio? Dali in the game? Did other artists inspire you to create these My name is Klaus Pedersen, and I run the small Indie studio worlds? Bedtime Digital Games. The Company was formed around the There is a lot of inspiration from surreal artists throughout time. game Back to Bed, which originally was a student production. We’ve tried to make our own style, that would fit into surrealism, The team on Bedtime Digital Games, is based on key members and combined it with some homages to famous surreal artists. We from the original student production. We are located in Aalborg, have Salvador Dali’s melting clocks and Renee Magritte’s green apple Denmark, and are currently 7 team members. for instance. The impossible shapes from M.C. Escher is were also a great inspiration, not only visually but also game mechanics-wise. Can you tell us the back story of the game, where it was created and the story behind Bob and his sleeping problems? High art meets gaming, is that an area not enough games enter We had an idea, about basing a game around sleepwalking. Taking into? inspiration from old disney cartoons with Goofy and Donald Duck I think that traditionally, games that have tried this have had sleepwalking, and getting themselves into all kinds of dangers. a tendency to be too artsy. They become more like interactive

60 61 ind13.com ind13.com INTERVIEW Back to Bed

art installations, and never reach people outside of museums or The game is about getting Bob back to bed after he falls asleep events. They, more often than not, become gimmicks because they in the office. Are offices so boring that we should worry about lack substantial entertainment value. From the beginning we didn’t this game becoming a reality? want to make something that just felt like an interactive painting. YES! Offices can be very boring, so if you have a tendency to We wanted to create an interactive painting that felt like a game, sleepwalk, shy away from boring office jobs, or you’ll end up like with solid, entertaining gameplay mechanics. Bob.

These bizarre visions lend themselves to creating more of a Is the game based on personal experiences, working in offices? backstory to Bob’s Universe. Is creating more of a Bob story We get to make games for a living, so, no :) something you have planned? We haven't planned for any spin off based on Bob and Subob yet. It’s very unique, is that something you set out to achieve? Were We do use their personality in the achievement system, but maybe you tired of other games out there? doing some short comics with em isn't such a bad idea :) We definitely set out to create something unique. But not because we were tired of other games, other games are cool too... Please explain what players will need to do in the game? At the core, the game is about helping a sleepwalker back to bed. Where has the game been released and how is it doing? In order to do this, players must navigate him through surreal The game is out on Steam, iOS, Android, Windows Phone and dreamscapes by solving puzzles and escaping enemies. Ouya. Its had a very good reception, and we get a lot of positive feedback from people who’ve played it. Its created a basis for our Giant apples, strange dogs, tricks of the eye staircases and company to start developing our next game, so as long as we can beds, what’s going on? continue making our own games we are happy. « We’ve tried to envision what it would look like if dreams and reality was mixed together. This is the result :)

It’s a very strange world, is it an insight into what happens in your mind when you go to sleep? " From the beginning we didn’t it very well could be :) want to make something that just Can I get a Subob? felt like an interactive painting..." You are the first one to ask, but if we keep getting demands, we might start production, who knows?

60 61 ind13.com ind13.com NEXT GEN GAMER Ophelia Matthews-Smith

Why you should embrace YouTube gaming

Most people take YouTubers for granted… especially when it comes to gamers. What if there was no more PewDiePie or NoochM or SimSupply? Well, it’s simple, no more of my favourite YouTube videos. What if one of their videos was late? Let’s just say, they would have lots of rude messages to answer and that would probably be the end of their fame. By Ophelia Matthews-Smith.

Like some YouTube beginners I know, for instance OrangeFlames, This is the problem. Beginners think they are not good enough, so Annie Stables or even me, Purple Awesomeness, it’s very hard to get they stop making the videos so often or stop altogether, taking away subscribers or views. This is a problem, especially if all of the famous their chances and opportunities of becoming a good YouTuber. Youtubers stop making videos, because then whom will we watch? There is no way of stopping this unless we put it out there. Inform The answer is unknown. We don’t know whether people will grow all the good youtubers, so that the beginners like OrangeFlames, bored of YouTube and just stop going on it or whether the channels Annie Stables, or even me, Purple Awesomeness can let people know that have gone on unwatched will receive millions of views. not to let go and to carry on with their dreams.

If they do get lots of views, though, who will get the most views? Now if all of the well-known youtubers stop making videos then The ones who get around a hundred views per video or the ones would we watch? Well, it’s simple. We would watch the beginners who get maybe thirty or forty if they’re lucky? Or what about the who listened to us; carried on, and achieved their dreams. games Youtubers play, because we don’t know which game gets the most views. We would watch the ones who have pride in themselves no matter what their age, how much money they have or whether they’re This is the question that should be going around the office, ugly. We would watch the believers because every gamer is a playground or cinema. Although how do we know the answer to believer. it? We can’t go around asking, because people might not have fun watching the videos, or they might just like the talking. The ones who tell their friends about their channel, the ones who told everyone to subscribe and watch them play. So when I think that all of the beginners should put themselves out there somebody finally asks who he or she will watch when the well- because that is how they are going to get subscribers. It doesn’t known youtubers stop making videos, you’ve got the answer. You’ll matter if they are doing games, speed paints or even showing watch the believers. outfits or make-up; it is their life and they should become famous on YouTube no matter how old they are, whether when they Well, I have some videos to make because they don’t make started they were rubbish at making videos or whether they’re not themselves, do they? Only the question is… what will the topic of the prettiest of people. the video be? «

62 63 ind13.com ind13.com NEXT GEN GAMER Ophelia Matthews-Smith

"What if there was no more PewDiePie or NoochM or SimSupply? Well, it’s simple, no more of my favourite YouTube videos..."

63 ind13.comind13.com INTERVIEW Mushroom 11

First contact with Interstellar Marines

A next generation first person shooter that puts you in the role of an Interstellar Marine soldier and lets you experience the thrill of a tour of duty in outer space where your decisions can affect the future of mankind. By Harry Cole.

From Wikipedia: Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with There has to be room for humor, even in what we want to be a imaginative content such as futuristic settings, futuristic science serious game and technology, space travel, time travel, faster than light travel, parallel universes and extraterrestrial life. It often explores the What is that shark monster, it is awesome? potential consequences of scientific and other innovations, and has The landshark is a genetically modified creature created from the been called a "literature of ideas". most fierce predators on Earth. They serve as a biological warfare asset and for training purposes. Or, in other words, the perfect setting for a new first person shooter from indie studio Zero Point Software that takes place What’s the story behind the game? in a future military training facility that will stage multiplayer, This will take me days if not months to tell you ;-) But in short. singleplayer, and cooperative training scenarios. It resurrects The game takes place in a near believable future were mankind the old school tactical FPS, offering a unique blend of co-op, is colonizing space. The Interstellar Marines program is created role-playing and nonlinear gameplay. Set in a believable future, in secrecy by a branch of the ITO (former NATO) The purpose you take on the role of an elite soldier handpicked to join Project is to create the most elite fighting force ever seen that can be IM, a top secret military program being assembled to protect deployed in any scenario such as Hostage rescue, boarding space mankind from all dangers outside our solar system. We caught up stations & space crafts, and other combat related scenarios in space with Carsten Boserup from Zero point Software to find out the or on foreign planets. inspiration behind the game and, of course, life as an indie. These guys are the frontliners in a war and the Spearhead of the Do you consider yourselves an Indie studio? attack. Yes very much indeed. Not only do we not have a publisher, but our resources are also very limited. The limited resources is What made you choose to make a first person shooter, surely it is however compensated with passion and dedication the team puts the most competitive market? into the game development. We all love FPS, but we believed something was missing within the ( in some opinions saturated) genre. Name me one Coop I see you have added a touch of humour to the game, how game that is a heavily storydriven, tactical Sci-fi simulation set in a important was this to your team? near believe able future with a character develping RPG element, That's who we are. So even though developing a game is "deadly" and with a perfect lighting and atmospheric experience? That's serious and something that takes pretty much all our waken hours. Intersteller Marines.

64 65 ind13.com ind13.com Voted one of the top 5 Indie games at Play Expo 2014 - Gamertime.co.uk HARD-HITTING BEAT-EM-UP ACTION!

‘MakinGames has got that beat- - BONE-CRUSHING MOVES - 'em-up feel just right, complete - DEADLY WEAPONS - with bone-shuddering weapon - INSANE BOSSES - attacks and weighty divekicks.’ - Pocketgamer.co.uk DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES?

COMING SOON to CONSOLE, PC, MAC, AND MOBILE

64 65 ind13.com ind13.com How does your game differ from other FPS titles? & issue reports from the players who are trusting us with their We want you to feel and breathe as the Marine you are playing money. Things can suddenly go really fast. A good sale on Steam as. We want you to fear for your (Ingame) life and your fellow can secure the team with 2-3 months salaries, but on the other Marines' safety. We want you to be completely immersed in the hand it can also work against us when sales aren't' that good. But story and while being on missions that will offer some of (if not) that is something people like myself and a few others do our best the best dynamically changing environments that forces your and to deal with, with the help from our "out of this f**king world" your teammate s to constantly adapt to the situation. awesome Community!

Mech warriors are always awesome, can you tell us a bit about You’ve been in development since 2005, what stage are you at yours? now and are you looking forward to the release of the game? The titan walker are either automated or player controlled through Everything we did before around 2007 was scrapped. We had to the Marine PDA. They are mostly deployed as support for the start completely over with everything except for the concept and Marines, but will also be a training adversary in order to prepare most of the artwork. But the entire codebase had to be rewritten. the Marines for anything. This time not with 20 guys, but only with 2.

You have 27 weapons planned for the final game, want to tell us I don't really think that there is a term that describes the stage the anything cool about the weapons we can expect? game is in right now. But I think the closed to normal terms we We will have SMG's, Assault rifles, Pistols, Shotguns and sniper rifles. can get is Pre-Alpha, which means that we are FAR from done and On top of that each weapon can be modified with scopes, springs, still missing tons of code, content/features and optimisations. grips, barrels and much more, and you can select different kind of ammunition types for each tactical scenario. Oh did I mention that What have you learned in the development process? you will also be able to select from different suits and tools? ;-) What I think we really learned is, how challenging it is to please our fans and players while developing a complete game from the How have you found developing on Steam? ground up and keep the Community going (which is my area). We Really good. Steam is helpful for the most part. We are hoping are basically selling the dream of the perfect car, that currently is though that we can make a non steam version too. just a car with only the chassis and 4 boxes as wheels. Surely the car can drive is someone is pushing it from behind, but we haven't You are partially crowd funded, what are the positives and even completed the engine yet.. far from. We are selling the dream negatives of this process? of the game and we want people to buy into it now and together We are fully alpha funded through Steam Early Access. The help us make this dream come true. In the process we ask the positives are that we were allowed to ramp up the team to what we players to help us make the best game possible with their feedback have today (13 full/part time and 6 interns) and get the feedback and bug/issue reports. «

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