The rise and rise of indie games
Flappy Bird may be gone, but independent gaming is in rude health
IT’S ALL over. Any Flappy Bird players who didn’t get in at the ground floor may never get the chance to pilot that charmless chick through an endless series of decidedly Mario-esque pipes. Nguyen Ha Dong, the Vietnamese developer who released the infuriating, addictive smartphone game, has withdrawn it after a deluge of international attention, despite the reported £18,000 a day he was raking in from in-game advertising.
Since its removal this week, a slew of pretenders have emerged, including the out-and-out rip off Splashy Fish and the screen-poundingly difficult Ironpants. None quite match the flawless mechanics and mindless brilliance of the original – all the more impressive when you take into account it only took three days to make.
Whether its disappearance is a masterstroke of marketing (revenue is still being earned from players who already own the game and if it re-emerges it’s sure to hit the top of the charts again) or genuine exasperation with overnight success, Flappy Bird is proof that the indie games market is in rude health, with small time operations capable of turning gigantic profits without the need for matching marketing budgets.
It’s never been easier for individuals and small teams of developers to take a game from a kernel of an idea to an international word-of-mouth success. Google Play and the App Store provide a portal to hundreds of millions of players, while more complex games can be released on platforms such as Steam, an online library that users can pay to download titles from. Steam has the added benefit of being able to pre-release games while they are still in production, meaning real-world users can stress-test titles and leave feedback before they hit the mainstream market.
Crowd-funding also plays an important part, with games offering users exclusive in-game content in exchange for backing during the development phase. Upcoming online multiplayer title Starbound even offered to create in-game statues of top-tier backers and craft weapons based on their sketches and ideas.
While the final products often lack the polish of major releases, they get away with taking risks that wouldn’t be countenanced in a multi-million pound studio production, and sometimes they’re all the better for it. Here are a few of our favourites.
TOP SCORE?
Think you’re a Flappy Bird master? We’re looking for the Square Mile’s top score. The Morning Wire office leaves something to be desired when it comes to piloting the fragile chick through those pipes. Life&Style editor Steve Dinneen is top with an unremarkable score of 18, and our live content co-ordinator is a close second with 17. What’s your top score. Tweet us at @cityamlife
The Stanley Parable (Mac, PC) | £10
This game is quite literally the most fun I can remember having while playing a video game. It’s about the very concept of gaming, about the tautological idea of making decisions in a world that has been programmed to deny you any real choice. Irreverent, idiosyncratic and brilliant.
LIMBO Game (iOS, Android, Mac and PC) | £2.49
A beautiful, greyscale take on the classic platform game. You control a young boy searching for his lost sister. The eerie environment is filled with hidden traps, predators and puzzles to solve but it’s the painstakingly crafted world that really makes this game one of the best.
Serena (Mac, PC) | Free
Serena is a collaboration between a number of top games designers and fans, a labour of love brought about by a simple desire to make something awesome. You play a man locked in a creepy old cabin. You can remember your wife… just. Prepare to be scared as you work out where she went.
Gone Home (Mac, PC) | £12
The premise of Gone Home is very simple: you return to your family home to find it empty. You fumble around in the dark looking for clues as to where they might be. And that’s it – no big scares or monsters to defeat, just an environment to explore and a family drama to unwind.
The Witness (Mac, PC) | £TBA
This in-development problem solving game is set on a mysterious island, which you’re free to explore, prodding at levers and trying to work out how everything connects. It takes inspiration from classic PC title Myst and some of the puzzles look every bit as tough.
Among the Sleep (Mac, PC) | £TBA
In this soon-to-be-released title you play a two-year-old who wakes up in his cot at night. The developers say they want you to explore the game with the same sense of wonder – not to mention terror – as a child encountering a place for the first time.
Ridiculous Fishing (iOS, Android) | £1.99
This blocky adventure is a new spin on the classic fishing game. You have to fish, but not as you know it, with your methods including guns, a bowling ball and a hairdryer. It incorporates tricky, skill-based action and a story that pulls it all together nicely. Perfect for wasting your lunch break.