As outlets such as “Steam” and “Desura” on PCs and their more limited siblings on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network have allowed the indie gaming scene to grow exponentially in the past few years, throwing them into the spotlight more than ever. And since quality rarely falls in line with quantity, there have been far more duds than “Minecrafts” released into the world. What separates these product’s tiers critically and commercially are not, however, related to the skill or budget of developers, but an important and succinct design philosophy: simplicity.
In general, to earn their moniker as “indie” game developers, these independent groups are made up of small and often inexperienced teams with minimal amounts of funding. Of course, these developers are aware they are physically and monetarily incapable of producing something in the vein of “Call of Duty” or “Mass Effect.” However, their downfall comes in attempting to replicate big-budget ideas without regard for the feasible scope of their projects. Take the highly anticipated, but critically panned, “A Valley Without Wind,” for example, which attempted to create an open-world, procedurally generated platformer with in-depth RPG and city-building elements. If you had trouble following along with that description, that’s exactly the problem with many indie products. This game and others essentially cave in upon their own flurry of underdeveloped and overthought mechanics, resulting in a confusing and unfulfilling experience.
It’s when products have a simple idea or philosophy which they make clear and execute well that they graduate from being a poor man’s jack-of-all trades and into a product worth playing, or at least discussing. “Slender,” the recent product of Parsec Productions, steps into the familiar boundaries of first-person gaming but contains itself to the objective of collecting pieces of paper in a dark forest and avoiding “slender man.” Where its mechanics are simplistic, familiar and quickly learned, the focus of the game is clearly in its atmospheric presence. Its minimalistic sound effects and music, paired with the overall darkness and visual impairment, as slender man nears toys with your emotions and creates a chilling experience in this freeware game, is unparalleled by most of its contemporaries in the horror game genre. If you don’t believe me, the rash of “Slender” reaction videos currently flooding YouTube may well convince you.
Coming from the other end of the spectrum, “AaAaAA!!! – A Reckless Disregard for Gravity” from Dejobaan Games cares little for storytelling or atmosphere, but focuses instead on one adrenaline-based mechanic and a colorful aesthetic. As its name hints your objective is simply to fall. Falling through certain markers and avoiding obstacles through a cavalcade of lights and shapes results in a tight and addicting adrenaline rush generating that one-more-level itch. Indie hits, such as “Minecraft,” “Braid,” “Legend of Grimrock” or “Super Meat Boy” have an unquestionable depth to them. However, it’s their commitment to a sharply tuned set of ideas and mechanics that separate them from the pack and allow them to punch above their weight. As the community grows and creativity expands, indie games will continue to find and unlock new and old concepts to the gaming tapestry and remind us that not every game needs to be part of an epic trilogy or a multi-million dollar budget.
