What is an indie game than they are interested in and how to look for them

What is an indie game

Indie Games - these are the projects that are created by independent authors. That is, people who do not work for large publishers like Activision, Ubisoft or EA's, but for themselves. As a rule, an indie studio consist of only a few people (rarely more than a decade). There are also a single developer.

The gaming industry - one of the richest markets in the world, but to the independent teams rarely reach the money. Because of the availability of training courses and gradually simplify the development process every year indie studios are more and more. But financial success achieved units - most often those who are just lucky.

On the one hand, this means that most of the indie developers spend money and effort is almost nothing. On the other - that these studios have to look innovative ideas and new ways to make games. After all constraints are known to cause to be creative.

So, first version sloumo shooter SUPERHOT created in just one week in the contest 7 Day FPS Challenge. Several years later, the prototype has become one of the most successful

indie games in history.

What is interesting indie games

High quality of certain aspects

Independent studios rarely take up large-scale projects. This allows developers to focus on the features of the game - whether it's beautiful graphics, extraordinary gameplay mechanics and immersive storyline - and polish them.

For example, in platformer GRIS first striking a stunning visual style. IN Octodad - funny behavior of the protagonist. The rest is not so prominent in these games, and they pass quickly, but still leave a good impression.

It is clear that not all indie games are made at a high level. On the market a lot of projects, which is almost impossible to play because they are made by inexperienced developers. But if indie title achieved at least some popularity, you can be sure that anything in it is sure to be catchy.

unusual ideas

Indie studio - the main source of pilot projects in the gaming industry. Major publishers have carefully weighed each step and are assessing what the concept will bring them more money. independent developers, on the contrary, create games that you want, and are not afraid to explore the crazy ideas.

For example, in the game Downwell the protagonist is constantly falling. When you press the button, he jumps, interrupting the flight, and at the same time shooting. Number of rounds in the cage is limited, and recharge can only be landed somewhere.

Because of this, the player constantly have to make decisions. To jump on the enemy or not to waste bullets and try to dodge? Shoot at the enemy land or to him?

Another example of a game with an unusual idea - Getting Over It. It is necessary to climb the mountain of garbage, running half-naked man with a hammer. The game is very complex, it inconvenient administration, and physics is configured so that any wrong move can cost tens of minutes of progress.

All this was done deliberately. Getting Over It - game-mockery. It is designed to torment enough patient players and show them that defeat - it is an integral part of the gameplay. This project would not have been possible anywhere else, except in the independent segment of the gaming industry.

Quick response to feedback

Indie studio is almost always small. Therefore, it is easier to respond to the claims and suggestions of players. Often developers fix bugs within a few hours after an error message. In addition, the independent teams are more willing to add new content quickly and the major studios.

The fact that large companies user suggestions and bug reports should go a long way through a few people from different departments, before the game will make changes. In the case of indie studios, this time is reduced by several times.

Many independent developers generally like to interact with the community of their games. Like all people, they are pleased when their creations fall to someone to their liking.

What minuses indie games

Lack of experience of developers

Very often in the indie developers do not have enough skills and experience to create a truly quality game. In some projects, poorly thought out gameplay, because of what the player starts to get bored after a few minutes. The other interface is not intuitive. The third little content, and so on.

Any aspect may be undone. Therefore, to find on the market a good indie project - not an easy task.

bad marketing

One of the main reasons for the failure of most indie games - the fact that the developers did not have the money, time or skills to an effective PR-campaign.

Importance marketing overemphasized. Large publishers are spending tens of millions of dollars to him, but some of their titles will still fail. So that project from a little-known independent developer a chance to shoot at virtually no promotion without the campaign.

oversaturated market

In a form of indie games have always existed, but this popularity they achieved only in 2011. The success of The Binding of Isaac, Terraria, Frozen Synapse and other projects has shown that it is possible to release the game without a publisher and still make money.

From this moment the number of indie releases in the year began to grow almost exponentially. Most of them came in the store Steam, because new games in it almost never checked. Playground filled first work novice developers, low-quality projects, clones of famous games, and even fraudulent programs that, for example, extracted cryptocurrency without the knowledge of the player.

Now on Steam comes out to about 20-40 games per day, almost all of them - indie. For players, this means that most of these projects, even very good, they will never know. Even if you are an active interest in this part of the industry.

What to watch out for indie games

Steam

Indie games are on all platforms: consoles, mobile devices, PCs and even on the Dendy. But the main platform for such projects - the biggest digital store PC games Steam. Most third-party developers releasing their work is there because of the lack of quality control and relatively low cost of publication.

Steam The only problem is that to find indie games it is easy, but to distinguish among them are good - it is difficult. But Layfhakera just have detailed instruction for this. Simply add the tag "indie" in the search.

Social networks and media

Search indie games are not only for PCs, but also on other platforms, you can use social networks and specialized Internet publications. For example, on Twitter, you can find accounts that make regular collections of interesting indie games. For example, Notable Releases or oliver Snyders. It is also about quality projects can learn from the theme section Reddit.

And if you know English and are willing to help developers, look at a subpage PlayMyGame. There indie studio divided trailers, screenshots, and prototypes of their new games.

Among gaming publications worth mentioning Destructoid and Rock Paper Shotgun. They are closely watching the market and often write about promising projects.

Also learn about the new indie games can by subscribing to the page "VKontakte" like World of Indie or Ducat.

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