SUPER GREEN AND HOT, HOT, HOT!
Interactivity is not only a key aspect of any game itself but plays a central role when we are looking at the indie scene; at events like this it exceeds the games and moves to a social level where even visitors are not only watching but becoming part of it. It’s about meeting people and appreciating their work, getting and giving feedback and about connecting. Especially when you are making games, no matter how small or successful, you can feel it: A reality beyond, a cosmos with its own sets of rules, its own dynamic full of widespread tolerance difficult to find elsewhere. Finally a weekend where you wouldn’t talk about Greece and the demise of the European Union (at least financially). - A welcome break from frustrating politics or economics, a place where – at least for a short while – the only thing that actually matters is games!
Radius ranks high among the best events I have visited so far. They had a beautiful location, they were well organized, took care of your every need, everybody was friendly, they had a super exciting night show broadcasted live on twitch and maybe most importantly: A really, really awesome collection of indie games to play. Seriously, with more than 50 games, the list is that long that I can’t even see me doing the work of linking to all of the juice. Luckily the website of Radius itself offers links to (almost) all of the games that were shown on the weekend, so I strongly urge you to check the games out from there. However, here are some of my personal favorites:
TOTEM'S SOUND
Initially made for a museum this 2D-RPG doesn’t come short on historical content but surprises with lovely graphics, traditional RPG values and atmospheric sound. You play Johan Adrian Jacobsen and more or less accurately experience his story with the goal of retrieving several artifacts that are actually exhibited in the museum. Sounds boring? – I don’t think so!
Although strictly seen this might be an “educational game” (and there goes the profit) it really is not. Even if you are not interested in the history and you don’t want to visit the museum this game offers everything a good RPG needs, except multiple party members, and it is free as well… so no profit anyway. Check out the game here and please follow/support @causecreations and their other games as well.
Hmm… considering the success this game (made in Austria by @bloodirony btw.) is having on iOS all over the world at the moment, it won’t take too long until Michael, Stefan and Alex – the sympathetic developers behind it – have to add themselves to the game as stars!
Don't trust the website, here’s the true plot: There was this rainbow unicorn; white, with rainbow hair and well… unicorny. It could walk on two legs, speak English and loved coffee. Then came aliens and sort of body-snatched into the stars of our world – as in Alk Hogan, Pew der Pie, Edmund McBillion and Nuck Chorris – to do bad things. So, the unicorn mated with itself and magically gave birth to a man named Tscherno. He first travelled back in time and stole the hoverboard of Marty McFliege before he fell in love with a cute cat in Eastern Europe that could shoot lazers from its mouth named Bill. They teamed up and are now on a rogue-like, arcade-style mission shooting the stars (wait... killing the aliens). – Well, something like that anyway. Seriously, just get the game and try figuring it out yourself while competing for a highscore here.
...is not a fancy new vegetarian fast-food product from the Netherlands, but an absolutely addicting party game for up to eight players. Still in development I consider myself lucky I could play this game already and even got some familiar “Let’s play risk”-rivalry going with friends visiting the event. Being smart about the path you choose, you just have to reach the goal before the others do – it doesn’t get simpler than that. This game is one to keep under close surveillance! - More info at: Chalochalogame
Ever wanted to be a bird? This could be for you. So far Fugl is "only" a bird-flying simulation from Norway. Because the game is still under development there aren't any goals in it yet, but according to the developer Johan (no, not the one from the history RPG) there will be. In the meantime Fugl impresses with a fantastic and colorful, minecraftesque, voxel world and great touch-screen flight controls. Unfortunately there's not too much to follow the development yet but you can get a glimpse of what it looks like here on youtube and I am sure more social links will be available soon.
MARY WOKE UP TODAY
Waking Life meets Point&Click and results in a inspiring and artistic experience for everyone to play. Mary woke up today is another game made in Austria that shows how much talent is actually located here and that less is often enough to leave a lasting impression and make dreams come reality!
Play this short, free indie game linked from here and keep an eye on @inyoursigh for more art!
Developed by @mudvarkgames from London, Hue is not the usual puzzle platformer; here it's all about crazy colors! I have first seen this game in January at the CEGC15 and not surprisingly the game has come a long way since that. There is a multitude of new puzzle mechanics and an actual game world has evolved while even bits and pieces of the underlying story are starting to emerge. Honestly, the game is still not for me personally, since I prefer action and speed when it comes to platformers, but the visual art of the game together with its literally "colorful mechanics" does certainly make it special. Pay it a visit here and say "Hi" to @DanDaRocha on twitter, will you?
THE ANSWER MY FRIEND, IS BURNING IN THE WIND
- I swear I will let those Dylan quotes rest at some point, but what can you say... they offer soo much!
Of course there were many more games... Her Story, Blood will be spilled, TactiX, Space Box, Antisphere, Ten Weeks, Hive21, Son of Nor, Riposte,... many more great games to be fair, but as I said, I can't cover all of them now and you could always check out the links on the Radius page or even re-watch the recorded live streams of each day on twitch. In the future I will surely take a closer look at a few more of the games but for now let's slowly try to get a hold of the "real" reality again.
Radius was an inspiring and surprisingly big celebration of the videogame culture, not only for Austria but for the whole indie community. It is a pleasant feeling to burn right in the middle of the indie movement that, thanks to a lot of hard working people and entities (@GeorgeBacker, @TomDeRoeck, @GamesAustria to name a few), got finally ignited even in super conservative Austria. The fire is spreading, much more is about to happen and the flames won't be that easy to put out anymore!
Hopefully Radius, Adriel Wallick and Rami Ismail with his "Vlambeer" will return to Vienna again and you will be burning with us next time.
Play more! Celebrate more!
