IndieSider - indie video game developers interviews

Indie game devs are crafting compelling offline multiplayer experiences

The tenth annual PAX East was held last month, and I was honored to host two panels [https://www.gamebits.net/2019/03/18/paxeast2019-panels/] of brilliant speakers. One, “The Art of Craft: Inspiring Game Creations”, can be seen and heard on the Polygamer podcast [https://www.polygamer.net/2019/04/10/pg88-paxcraft/]. The other was “The Return of Couch Play”, looking at offline multiplayer as an alternative to online games such as Fortnite, PUBG, and Tetris 99. > Steam, PS+, and Xbox Live make it easier than ever to get matched online — yet gamers are increasingly rediscovering the appeal of local, offline play. What are the unique challenges and opportunities of taking a game offline? How do you design a game for competitive or cooperative gameplay on the same screen? We’ll look at how to innovate this ancient tradition and design a game that makes the most of couch play. Featuring: * Ken Gagne [https://twitter.com/gamebits] [Digital Content Developer, Gamebits] * Tanya X. Short [https://twitter.com/tanyaxshort] [Creative Director, Kitfox Games [https://twitter.com/kitfoxgames]] * Christoffer Holmgård [https://twitter.com/holmgard] [Director, Die Gute Fabrik [https://twitter.com/gutefabrik]] * Danny Silvers [https://twitter.com/shadesofsilver] [CEO, Lantana Games [https://twitter.com/lantanagames]] * Zachary Johnson [https://twitter.com/zacharyjohnson] [Code / Design, Space Mace LLC [https://twitter.com/SpaceMaceGames]] * Tommy Sunders [https://twitter.com/supertommy64] [Art / Design, Space Mace LLC [https://twitter.com/SpaceMaceGames]] Watch the video above [https://youtu.be/KGGpaupO79c], or download the audio edition below or from Apple Podcasts [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/indiesider/id895509496?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo=4], Stitcher [http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51147&refid=stpr], Google Podcasts [https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ2FtZWJpdHMubmV0L2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8?sa=X&ved=0CBQQ27cFahcKEwiQqaOqjcfsAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQBw], Pandora [https://www.pandora.com/podcast/indiesider-indie-video-game-developers-interviews/PC:48134], Spoke [https://www.hearspoke.com/path/55bd39ea-d883-11e8-9946-cd03a1c0a9b2], Overcast [https://overcast.fm/itunes895509496/indiesider-indie-video-game-developers-interviews], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6PnenfKFrrqCigWLR05lS0], Pocket Casts [https://pca.st/indiesider], iHeartRadio [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1248-indiesider-indie-video-ga-74530006/], TuneIn [http://tunein.com/radio/IndieSider-p654099/], or RadioPublic [https://radiopublic.com/indiesider-indie-video-game-deve-8g2mep]. Full disclosure: I backed Kitfox Games’ “Boyfriend Dungeon [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kitfoxgames/boyfriend-dungeon-date-your-weapons?ref=discovery&term=boyfriend%20dungeon]” Kickstarter.

CRYPTARK [http://cryptark.com/] is a 2D sci-fi roguelike twin-stick shooter in which players pilot mechs charged with salvaging alien technology from derelict spaceships. Technological defenses remain active on these procedurally generated abandoned hulks, and players must shut them down and shoot the core if they hope to escape with enough artifacts to sell and fund their continuing expeditions. CRYPTARK is available from Alientrap for PS4 and Steam (Mac, Windows & Linux). In this interview, I speak with Alientrap creative director Jesse McGibney about this game’s artistic departure from Alientrap’s previous game, Apotheon, which was based on Greek mythology and pottery. We also chat about CRYPTARK’s two-player co-op mode and the lack of online play; how the game fared in early demos at PAX East 2016; the challenges of creating a game with procedurally generated levels; and the CRYPTARK’s time in Steam Early Access — a first for Alientrap — and the one-week delay between its Steam release and its arrival on PlayStation. Watch the video above [https://youtu.be/x8JNj3ulACw?list=PLmQ-r_fmIh3I7A72IfgMxQLx3X-yo5GLo], or download the audio edition below or from Apple Podcasts [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/indiesider/id895509496?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo=4], Stitcher [http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=51147&refid=stpr], Google Podcasts [https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ2FtZWJpdHMubmV0L2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8?sa=X&ved=0CBQQ27cFahcKEwiQqaOqjcfsAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQBw], Pandora [https://www.pandora.com/podcast/indiesider-indie-video-game-developers-interviews/PC:48134], Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c1e18065-5d4e-4c2a-836b-9b6218c7be57/IndieSider-indie-video-game-developers-interviews], Overcast [https://overcast.fm/itunes895509496/indiesider-indie-video-game-developers-interviews], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6PnenfKFrrqCigWLR05lS0], Pocket Casts [https://pca.st/indiesider], iHeartRadio [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1248-indiesider-indie-video-ga-74530006/], TuneIn [http://tunein.com/radio/IndieSider-p654099/], RadioPublic [https://radiopublic.com/indiesider-indie-video-game-deve-8g2mep], or the Internet Archive [https://archive.org/details/indiesider]. Links mentioned in this episode: * CRYPTARK [http://cryptark.com/] by Alientrap [http://www.alientrap.com/cryptark/] * Apotheon [http://www.alientrap.com/games/apotheon/] * Gamasutra – Game Design Deep Dive: Visualizing Cryptark’s 2D sci-fi world [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/300214/Game_Design_Deep_Dive_Visualizing_Cryptarks_2D_scifi_world.php] * CRYPTARK soundtrack by by Ryan Roth & Ryan Henwood [https://cryptark.bandcamp.com/album/cryptark-ost] * “A richly strategic shmup [https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/11/09/cryptark-review-early-access/]” — Marsh Davies of Rock, Paper, Shotgun This is the final episode of IndieSider [https://www.gamebits.net/2017/07/01/ending-indiesider/]. My thanks to everyone who listened!

A richly strategic shmup

A game about life, loss and hope