Imagine you’re given the chance to play five of the most anticipated indies, but you only have fifteen minutes for each. That’s the deal as I sit down to check out some of this showcase season’s highlights. Day of the Devs lined up Phoenix Springs, Building Relationships, UFO 50, Afterlove EP, and While Waiting back-to-back, and set me at the starting line. Ready. Set. Go.
Phoenix Springs
I launch into a dystopian future where the main character, Iris, represents the “haves” stands in her clean high-rise apartment that soars above the haze of the city. But it’s not the gleaming deal it appears to be. The chamber includes a mirror that acts as a recording device and a government-issued computer with deeply restrictive access to the outside world.
She seems to accept this as a matter of course. A pile of articles (saved from the censor, apparently) reveals that she’s a journalist, and she’s looking for something. Or, really, someone. Representing the “have nots” her brother Leo, has gone missing. my search for his trail starts at a boarded up house. On one side, a security-concerned neighbor, and on the other is a tarp tent housing a child and an incoherent adult.
Trying to discover what happened to my brother – who once lived in between these two extremes, means running over to the elderly neighbor’s home — hidden behind an iron fence and cameras. Here, I learn (through his callous ranting) that the landlords payed for renovators to demolish the building next door. However, they never finished the job and the “scavengers” (as he calls the unfortunate people two doors down from him) recover items around them to sale. That’s where my next clue will be.
Building Relationships
I’m happy to report that Building Relationships — a dating sim for sentient structures — is as ridiculous as it sounds. The world is open, but rolling around as a building limits my movement somewhat at first. The I run into the first “Chester” — a perfectly amusing and dumb play on the word chest.
The wordplay is perfect, not only because a building named Chester tickles my funny bone, but it also gives me abilities. In this case, my power comes in the form of shoe ware that allows me to jump. Don’t ask me how it works.
That’s just what I needed as a whimsical windmill — named Millie — awaits me past a pile of tall rocks on the beach. But I get distracted by a houseboat that offers fishing prowess. And I’m not exaggerating when I tell you the building is basically squidward. Sadly, I manage to mess fishing up so bad that I crash the game. The helpful demo team helps me jump back in before my time is up, and even give me unlimited jumping powers — a taste of the endgame after meeting all the Chesters — to help get back to adventuring. It was so fun.
UFO 50
The members of The Indie Council that attended Summer Game Fest’s Play Days waxed poetic about all our varying experiences in UFO 50. So, you can get more of a sense of the game there. However, for those just hearing about the collaborative indie title made up of scores of disparate titles, here’s what you need to know
The creators behind Spelunky, Downwell, and Catacomb Kids teamed up to design an epic project. Ostensibly an anthology collection of every game made by a fictitious ’80’s developer, UFO 50 gives players the chance to jump into a wide array of experiences — all of which are full games.
I played a futuristic golf game (not to be confused with the top-down golf game), a grim cowboy RPG with real-time elements and turn-based gameplay, and a Snake-like game called Magic Garden. And though developers are not talking details, they assure me that careful observes will be able to discern what happened to the in-game company.
Afterlove EP
“You know the Pixar movie Up?,” a member of Afterlove EP’s PR team asks me as I sit down to play.
That’s one attention-grabbing opening. I knew going into the appointment that the melodic narrative revolved around a young musician’s journey after his partner’s sdeen passing. I knew too that art, all too tragically, imitated art in this respect, as the game’s creative director, Mohammad Fahmi, died during its development. The team continued on his vision. Unfortunately, the time limit of my visit meant I had to choose between seeing the opening narrative setup and substantial gameplay. I opted to cry.
The first thing I observed was that the hand-drawn art was simply gorgeous and wonderfully reflected protagonist’s world — full of feeling and authentic humanity. The little gameplay I did get to experience followed this trend. Like the protagonist, I, trying to successfully complete a rhythm minigame simulating songwriting, wasn’t paying enough attention to see I was getting texts – a lot of texts. As a result, the devastating news seemed to drop out of nowhere for me, just as it must have for the main character.
While Waiting
Fitting as the last game, while waiting is a curious gem. The game is exactly what it says, and my attempts to fill the moments leads to missing my main objective. That’s exactly what the developer warned me would happen, with a knowing grin. My failure highlights the interesting philosophy behind the game, it’s hard to wait.
There are side goals (like placing a poster over a silly little dogs eyes) which offer the illusion of productivity. Trying to achieve them, however, requires players to make multiple runs through the same scene because first quest is always to just do nothing. That means waiting for the bus, staring at an elevator, and standing around at an airport over and over again. Or I could just wait. Patiently.
Y’all know I love a game with a creative concept that pushes back on the player themselves. I also walk away with a glowing sense of the experience due to the developer positively bursting with excitement to watch his game in the hands of journalists. I suspect the full title will be a joy.
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