Notes from the Book
List of interesting independent games:
- The graveyard tale
- The cat and the coup
- Papers please
- Fez
- Firewatch
- The artist is present
- EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OK
- Braid
- Stephen’s sausage roll
- VVVVVV
- Osmos
- The Marriage (Humble 2006)
- Dys4ia
There is no accepted definition of ‘indie games’ but they tend to be antimodern in design : a revulsion against the process of rationalisation (p.8). Similarities with other movements i.e. arts and crafts movement -> rejection of commercial industrial processes.
Indie games can have these qualities (p.12)
- financially independent
- aesthetically independent
- culturally independent
There is conflict in the definition and this idea of ‘purity’ is a risk when using the word authenticity (cf identity politics discussion).
Authenticity aesthetic can be created/ manufactured to create a sense of connection between players and game developers
Indie games may be designed with ethics in mind? Craft work and small production sizes? (p.48)
Independent style is a construct but it does also have use as it is a cheap way of developing games (p.56)
Nostalgia for a restoration of mood or a childhood emotion? (p.105)
Idea of ‘personal games/diverse games’ as games that are coming from a person rather than from a company (p.135). (Anna Anthropy: dys4ia)
Critiques the idea that games are great at creating empathy and also highlights that games made by people ‘with identities’ are usually read as being about a whole group whether the maker intended this or not (p.140)
‘meta’ games – playing with the idea of expected forms
Reflections And Next Steps
An excellent book giving a thorough overview and discussion on the topic of indie games. I like the fact that it is happy to problematize concepts and does not suggest that there is a unifying answer or approach.
The book will be useful to come back to throughout my game making journey as by default, many of the process constraints I will have to work through will indicate that my games fall under the indie game category (no budget, one person designing and making the game, the limitations on the production values etc…)
I also plan to explore some of the games listed in the book for ideas.
Bibliography
Jesper Juul (2019). Handmade pixels : independent video games and the quest for authenticity. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Mit Press.
