Indie Game

If you see two different games, and I tell you that one of them is indie, could you tell me which one?

We did some research about different indie games that we could take a look at some characteristics. Even if the game doesn't look like Ninja Avatars, we still can see what is indie on it.



I conclude that indie games, usually:
- Indie games have something "different" than the another games from big companies.
- Indie games are the kind of game a big company would never make (usually), like a freak game that is awesome.
- Indie games are usually simple, simple mechanics and simple story and goals.
- Indie games usually don't have online multiplayer mode.
- Indie games (at least the good ones) are really unique.
- Is the kind of game you would like to play.

My team (we still working in the team name) were working in some research about indie games, and I pick up this games to talk about:

Overgrowth
(thanks Blake)


This one still beying developed. Have cool parkour animations (and funny characters, btw). I like the mechanics, they are very good and looks very possible to be made by a person.


Oil Rush


Reminds me of Age of Empires (the sandbox game style) and have very good graphics (actually they are really amazing for an indie game).
That makes me think that one thing that indie games can do is to pick a famous title that people really like, and adapt it with an unique scope or gameplay or whathever that makes your game unique. And this works pretty well.


Mini Ninjas
(thanks Ross)


I really like this one. The game art style totally match with what we are looking for, because of the Xbox Avatar style. I like the sounds and environments (even if I think that the environment and maybe the sounds style are going to be pretty different, but still a good ninja style).
Since the Avatars have this cartoon style, if we put something more realistic could be too much weird.


Castle Crashers


Such an awesome game. I really like the way this game flows. Very fast and funny.
And the thing that I really noticed about it: it have multiplayer online mode.
You can play in the co-op mode, or battle arena (I am not sure about all the game modes, I couldn't play the game, one thing that I really wanna do soon). In the first beginning, the core of Ninja Avatars were the multiplayer online mode, and then we figure out that indie games don't have multiplayer online mode.
Well... I think they can have, since you still have the single player mode, right?
So we are changing this game core, but we are definately not giving up of it.


Jetpack Joyride
(I am not sure if is an indie game, since is a social game, but I still want you to take a look here)


I really like this game design concepts.
I know that is a 2D social game based on score and have nothing (yet) with Ninja Avatars, but I think is very useful to take a look into some things in this game. The way they manage the stuff that is going on, and still different each time you play even if there are always the same stuff. They way they reward the player even when the player loses. You never feel that you are losing in this game. And you can pick up coins to upgrade or just personalize stuff. These kind of concepts can be very useful, doesn't mean which kind of game you are developing.
If you really have time, I highly recommend the game designers to take a look into THIS:
http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1015527/Depth-in-Simplicity-The-Making
It totally worth for me, probably for another game designers it will be very usefull.

I still working in the game design, and different kind of games (or game modes).
I probably gonna work on this with Ross Marabella, we have some good ideas and I am pretty sure we can work very well together.

That's all folks, sorry for letting you so long without news, I promisse I won't do that again.