As 2013 draws to an end and we look ahead to what the new year and next gen consoles will bring, there's plenty that's happened over the past year that's worth a bit of a revisit. Here, then, is a recap of some of the stand out Indie-Ana Co-Op features over the past several months, and my own personal list of favorite indie games I've played in 2013.
Gaming with the Devs
This particular feature of Indie-Ana Co-Op was something I had tried to start up back in 2011. However, many of the indie games I was playing at that time were XBLIG, for which I didn't have a capture device, and my PC wasn't quite setup to do a live capture of footage and audio, so this didn't get a chance to really come to fruition until now. Essentially, it's a chance to play the very game the developers are in the process of making (or have made) and just chit-chat with them. The equivalent of sitting down and having a beer with them.
This past year, I was able to work this out with the developers from Dinosaur Games, MechKnight Chronicles: Knightfall, and Hopoo Games, Risk of Rain, both of whom were really kind and shared some interesting views into the game development process. There are still a few aspects I'm working out with all thi, but I hope to do more of these next year with the embedded streaming capabilities on the next-gen platforms and, hopefully, get the Co-Optimus community involved as well!
Interviews
The more formalized version of the above, sans gameplay footage. This year, we had a chance to converse with Arcen Games about their slew of games, Rocket City Studios about the upcoming Second Chance Heroes, and the one-man development team behind the excellent 8-bit zombie shooter, Dead Pixels, John Common.
Arcen Games interview, Part 1 and Part 2
Dev Stories and Post-Mortems
One of my favorite features: just give the developers a blank canvas and see what they come up with. Dev Stories are a chance for the people who make these games we love and play to share how they started in this whole business, or why they do what they do, or how they were able to even make it to release. On the other side of that, the Post-Mortems are an introspection to what happened afterwards. What worked, what didn't, and what's going to get better the next time. We heard from Cadenza Interactive, Yeti Trunk, and Really Slick this year, and trust me, there will be more in the year ahead.
Cadenza Interactive post-mortem
Top Indie Games of 2013
Our official staff picks for Games of the Year will be forthcoming, but I wanted to present my own personal list of my favorite indie co-op games this year. There were plenty to choose from, which is a good problem to have, but there were a few that really stood out.
1) Risk of Rain - a rogue-like survival game unlike any other. Much like the number two choice, this is a game that you pretty much have to play cooperatively and that's ok because there's such a great dynamic with the different characters that you'll want to do just that. You may not survive until the very end, but it is so addictive you'll want to get right back into the thick of things. Pick up a 4-pack, grab some friends, and good luck!
2) Monaco - co-op gameplay mixed with heists and craziness. There's so much that could be said about this game (e.g., it's a great pick up and play for a few minutes type game, co-op is so well integrated), but you really are better off just playing it for yourself. Special mention goes to developer Pocketwatch Games who, months after the game's release, is still providing updates to the game and supporting it and its community.
3) Wyv and Keep - some of the very first games I played growing up with my family were games like this one. Some were just puzzle games, others were platformers. Some had co-op gameplay and the rest we just played "pass the controller." Wyv and Keep combines all these things and has a sense of humor that keeps you smiling all the way through.
4) FORCED - gladiatorial combat with action RPG elements and a different type of strategy/tactics with the introduction of the Spirit Guide. When the game ends, which will take some time, there's plenty of challenges and other things to do to keep you coming back for more.
5) Retrovirus - Cadenza's second offering is altogether different from their first action/tower-defense title, Sol Survivor. If you were a fan of Descent and other flight-sim shooters from the '90s, then this is the game for you. The RPG elements with the different guns adds a unique element that lets you customize your gameplay and come up with some interesting synergies when playing with a friend.
And that's a year in review for Indie-Ana Co-Op! I hope you all have enjoyed this feature and have had a chance to check out some of the excellent indie offerings this past year. 2014 should be an interesting year for indies with the PS4's open arms for all indie developers and Xbox One's new ID@Xbox system. Steam's Greenlight program has also turned out to be a great way to get indie games some attention and a release through a major digital distribution platform.
Here's hoping 2014 will be another great year for indie games!