Joystiq

Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs delayed once more to Q2 2013

Mike Schramm — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:15:00 EST

An official blog post from Frictional Games now says that the publisher's Amnesia: The Dark Descent followup, subtitled A Machine for Pigs, is due out not in "early 2013," as last stated, but in "Q2 2013," which means in April of this year or later. That's another slight delay for the title, which was originally scheduled for release back at Halloween last year.

What's the holdup? Frictional says that A Machine for Pigs was originally planned as "a short, experimental game set in the universe of Amnesia," but as developers thechineseroom filled out the project, it became apparent that the "short experiment" was becoming "a fully fledged Amnesia game." So Frictional has made the decision to do it up right, which means another few months of waiting for fans. Frictional also says pricing and availability information is coming soon, so we'll keep an eye out for that.

Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs delayed once more to Q2 2013 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amnesia sales surpass a million, dev working on new horror game

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 17:00:00 EST

Frictional Games' Amnesia: The Dark Descent has sold over a million copies over the past two years. Breaking the math down, Frictional owner Thomas Grip says sales of 1.4 million is the "optimistic figure," since he doesn't think people purchasing multiple copies should count. The game's inclusion with the Humble Indie Bundle and Potato Sack account for many sales and overlap in his estimate.

"Despite that huge number of sales, what I think is more interesting is how good the monthly sales still are. Not counting any discounts, the monthly full price sales lie at over 10,000 units," wrote Grip. "This is totally insane to me. The figures themselves are far beyond any guesses we would have made two years ago. It is also insane, because this number is actually higher than it was around three months after initial launch. That a game can still be going this good two years after is truly remarkable."

Grip concluded his second annual state of Amnesia post by teasing the company's next project, which he says will be a first-person horror game. Grip is hoping to deliver deeper themes with the next project, saying he was disappointed that Amnesia was a "more like a shallow fright-fest." The new game should be available in 2014, but there's no plans to rush it out.

Amnesia sales surpass a million, dev working on new horror game originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 10 Sep 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs delayed to 2013

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 21:30:00 EST

Excellent news for the sanity of survival horror fans everywhere: Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs will not be making its intended 2012 launch. Originally slated to arrive in time for Halloween, A Machine for Pigs will now be released in early 2013, thechineseroom creative director Dan Pinchbeck said in a recent interview with GameZone. "The quality of the game is the absolute first, last, and always with this development," he told the outlet, adding that the game "could do with a few more months' work."

In a follow-up with Giant Bomb, Pinchbeck noted that thechineseroom will "definitely have more to show in the not too distant future."

Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs delayed to 2013 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scared Stiff: Amnesia and the evolution of the modern horror game

Colette Bennett — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 15:00:00 EST

If it's horror, Colette Bennett knows it. This column is dedicated to everything frightening gaming has to offer, from ghostly little Japanese girls to flesh eating zombie dogs.

You fumble through the darkness, your feet slopping in the rain. You have no idea where you are or how you even got here. An unfamiliar sound reverberates in the distance, its tinny undertones stinging your ears and furthering your sense of confusion. You're alone and have nothing to defend yourself with. And the only sound you can hear is that of your breathing, ragged with panic.

There's no mistaking it - this is survival horror.

Unlike the basic action and platform genre, the evolution of horror titles has followed a slow, twisty path. By the mid-nineties, it was known for its signature talent: the ability to reel you into a dark, unknown world like a helpless fish. Titles like Silent Hill and Resident Evil acted as some of the first passports into the journey we now refer to as "psychological horror." System Shock, Parasite Eve, Fatal Frame, and Siren were memorable trips into less-than-reassuring territory. Throw in some unexplained, mysterious figures, watch the world spin out of control, and you've got one hell of a recipe for an addictive genre. Who would have thought that fog-choked towns and shambling creatures who greet you with a spray of vomit could be so appealing?

Gallery: Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs

Continue reading Scared Stiff: Amnesia and the evolution of the modern horror game

Scared Stiff: Amnesia and the evolution of the modern horror game originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs dev teases ... um, a pig monster

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 13:00:00 EST

The terror of Frictional's first Amnesia game never involved the almost comical squeals of a pig wielding what sounds like an axe. In Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, that's all gonna change. See - er, hear - for yourself in the latest teaser, above.

Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs dev teases ... um, a pig monster originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Humble Indie Bundle V includes Psychonauts, Limbo, Superbrothers, Amnesia, Bastion (as a bonus)

Jordan Mallory — Thu, 31 May 2012 13:07:00 EST

The fifth iteration of the Humble Indie Bundle has gone live, granting donors their choice of Mac, PC or Linux versions of Psychonauts, Limbo, Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP and Amnesia: The Dark Descent, as well as the soundtracks for each game. Anyone that pays above the average price (currently $6.71) will also receive Baston and its soundtrack.

Seeing as the Steam release of Sword & Sworcery EP is still only available on PC, this bundle is currently the only way to buy it for OSX. As per usual, patrons can decide how much of their purchase price goes to the developers, to charity, and as a tip to Humble Bundle folks.

Humble Indie Bundle V includes Psychonauts, Limbo, Superbrothers, Amnesia, Bastion (as a bonus) originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 May 2012 13:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amnesia dev shares secrets of evolving the horror genre

Jessica Conditt — Tue, 01 May 2012 18:45:00 EST

Frictional Games proved it knows how to make a game that would scare the bejeezus out of Beelzebub himself with Amnesia: The Dark Descent, but there's always room for improvement. Frictional's Thomas Grip has compiled a list of 10 items that can "take horror games to the next level," and (surprisingly) it doesn't begin with "Everything opposite of Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City." It does, however, touch on a few points that could have put the "horror" back into that particular survival-horror title.

Grip suggests "minimal combat," "long build-up" and "doubt" are essential to evolve the horror genre, and we've already seen these aspects work wonderfully in Amnesia. Another aspect Grip notes is "no enemies," which he clarifies as follows: "What I mean is that we need to stop thinking of any creatures that we put into the game as 'enemies.' The word enemy makes us think about war and physical conflict, which is really not the focus in a horror game."

Grip's list seems to focus on different approaches to immersion and connecting to players on an emotional, human level before ensuring they won't be able to sleep properly for a few weeks at least. All 10 points are described in full on Frictional's blog.

Perhaps we'll see a few of these fleshed out in Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs, a sequel in development by thechineseroom and overseen by Frictional itself.

Amnesia dev shares secrets of evolving the horror genre originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 May 2012 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs aims to frighten you, even if you know what to expect

Jessica Conditt — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 06:00:00 EST

Amnesia proved, among other things, that atmosphere is one of the most important aspects in a horror title, trumping jumpy music, grotesque character designs and top-of-the-line graphics -- but now imagine Amnesia's panicked, clammy tone coming from a game as dark and beautiful as Dear Esther. Pure terror.

This is what Amnesia developer Frictional Games has charged Dear Esther's thechineseroom with accomplishing in Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs.

"The thing is, if we don't frighten people as much as the original, then we've failed," Dan Pinchbeck of thechineseroom told Gamasutra. "But now we have to frighten people that know what to expect. The big design challenge is: How do we protect the things that make Amnesia great, and how do we evolve everything else to make a really fresh experience?"

Pinchbeck wants players to be reminded of the original Amnesia with each shiver of fear, but to be so enthralled by the new, horrific world that it will feel as if "something has burrowed into your head and is just scratching its nails at you. But you're so hooked. Inside, you're peeling away like bodies from a pile and you just can't stop yourself," Pinchbeck said.

Now that sounds like fun.

Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs aims to frighten you, even if you know what to expect originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Building A Machine for Pigs and expanding the universe of Amnesia

Xav de Matos — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:15:00 EST

It takes place sixty years after Amnesia: The Dark Descent at the turn of the twentieth century, yet the next game to carry the franchise's moniker will feel like familiar territory in one major respect: it is built to scare you senseless.

It's six-o-clock in the morning. My tea jolts me awake. The street outside is silent. It's serene and peaceful all around me, until I call Frictional Games designer Thomas Grip. His voice booms in my headset; he's obviously excited. This is the first time his team can talk about his upcoming project. This is how I was introduced to Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs.

Continue reading Building A Machine for Pigs and expanding the universe of Amnesia

Building A Machine for Pigs and expanding the universe of Amnesia originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is the next title from Frictional Games and Dear Esther dev

Xav de Matos — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:15:00 EST

The power of two crowned indie developer darlings have joined together to form one team, set to bring the Amnesia franchise into a new era.

Speaking exclusively with Joystiq, Frictional Games and Dear Esther's thechineseroom have revealed their latest project, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs.

Developed by thechineseroom and produced by Frictional Games, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is planned for a debut on PC later this year. No firm date has been set, but internally the two studios hope to launch before Halloween. A recent alternate reality game has been teasing the the next Amnesia's reveal, sending fans into a frenzy.

"It's not a direct sequel, in terms of it doesn't follow on from the story of Amnesia. It doesn't involve the same characters," Dear Esther writer Dan Pinchbeck told me. Instead, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs will be set in the same "alternate history and set in the same universe." In short, the game will look to scare your pants off.

Set in 1899, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs follows the "wealthy industrialist" Oswald Mandus, who has returned home from "a disastrous expedition to Mexico, which has ended in tragedy." Struck by a destructive fever, Mandus is haunted by dreams of a dark machine until he mysteriously regains consciousness. Months have passed, unbeknownst to the industry tycoon, and as he emerges from his slumber the roaring engine of a mysterious machine sputters to life.

A detailed interview with Frictional Games designer Thomas Grip and thechineseroom's Dan Pinchbeck is coming later today, delving deeper into the darkness with Amnesia's next chapter. And yes, the two discuss what A Machine for Pigs means.

Gallery: Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs

Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is the next title from Frictional Games and Dear Esther dev originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amnesia follow-up teased with ARG, more clues

Mike Schramm — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 04:01:00 EST

Fans have been working around the clock since a new teaser site appeared for Frictional Games' suspected follow-up to the acclaimed indie horror title, Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Not only has the blurred image been revealed as a freaky tunnel entrance, with what looks like a limbless corpse (ew), but fans have tracked down the latest hint, which leads to a tower in Seattle called Smith Tower. Inside that you'll find The Chinese Room, named after the furniture it houses, donated from the Empress of China herself. Speculation suggest the new game may have some connection to China and its history.

Fans have also uncovered an interactive feature on the site, which has since revealed the picture above (called "fragment_ebola.jpg"), and a coded series of letters: "P F C I N C M I O I S G G."

Some guess it to mean "GIF PICS COMING," which would suggest more clues are on the way. Research is being headed up on this forum thread, so have at it. Our contribution? The letters above can also be rearranged into "SICCING OF GIMP." You should probably download everyone's favorite image editor posthaste!

Amnesia follow-up teased with ARG, more clues originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 18 Feb 2012 04:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Frictional teases a new Amnesia project, possibly set in China

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:15:00 EST

Frictional Games, known for the Penumbra series and 2010's fantastically creepy Amnesia: The Dark Descent, is teasing something new. A new website, NextFrictionalGame.com, hosts a blurry image above emblazoned with the Amnesia logo and the cryptic words "Something is emerging." The image also contains a link pointing to a Google map of China. An Amnesia title with a Chinese backdrop? Could be.

The site is indeed registered for Frictional, and the domain information also points to TheDarkSwarm.com -- a possible hint at the new game's title -- which leads to an unplayable browser game and a timer that continuously ticks upward every second. The source code on both sites mention first-person perspective, horror, action adventure and other qualities we've come to associate with Frictional. The Dark Swarm site was registered way back in 2007, and was updated in September of 2011, so it might be unconnected.

Frictional's Thomas Grip told us last year that the studio was working on "an Amnesia-related project." At the time, he said that the project wouldn't focus solely on creating fear, but will hopefully "evoke other, less primitive, emotions as well." If that means it will feature even a few moments without teeth-clenching, panic-stricken fear, we're all for it.

Frictional teases a new Amnesia project, possibly set in China originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amnesia dev discusses success; next project won't lose the 'scary atmosphere'

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

Thomas Grip, project manager at Amnesia: The Dark Descent developer Frictional Games, spoke on "Evoking Emotions" earlier this week at GDC Europe, and explained the intricacies of the game that absolutely terrified those who played it. We wanted to discuss his emotions on the success of the game, which has sold over 400,000 copies --- an impressive feat for an indie dev.

"While we were quite confident that we had a game that was better than any of our previous, we had never expected the response we got," Grip told us when we asked if he was surprised by the success. "The press response was very nice -- both in terms of coverage and grading -- but even more fun and surprising was the player response that continues almost a year after. The amount of videos, images, etc. that players have created in response to the game is just amazing, and several orders of magnitude larger than anything we have had. Sales-wise it's, of course, also overwhelming, and I think especially how good it is still selling even a year after."

Continue reading Amnesia dev discusses success; next project won't lose the 'scary atmosphere'

Amnesia dev discusses success; next project won't lose the 'scary atmosphere' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amnesia: The Dark Descent scares up 400,000 in sales

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:47:00 EST

We're still not sure what drives players to submit themselves to the psychological assault of Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Whatever it is, it seems to affect quite a few gamers, as Frictional Games' Thomas Grip revealed at GDC Europe that the survival horror title has sold 400,000 copies.

It's a significantly higher number than last January, when Frictional reported sales were nearing 200,000, which already handily surpassed the company's "dream estimates" of 100,000 copies. In short, that's a lot of dudes screaming like little babies.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent scares up 400,000 in sales originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amnesia marathon (and scare-a-thon) for charity this weekend

JC Fletcher — Sat, 28 May 2011 00:00:00 EST

Charity's great and all, but we've found that it rarely affords us opportunities to watch people scream and cry in terror. What's up with that? We need to cause suffering as we're easing it. Luckily, a group of gamers is filling that void this weekend, with a charity gaming marathon guaranteed to make you feel good and make the participants feel scared to death.

Vernon Shaw and his brother Tim plan to take turns in an Amnesia: The Dark Descent marathon tomorrow and Sunday -- while the inactive player and a group of volunteers conspire to scare the player "in every way imaginable." It's the perfect weekend for the more sympathetic sadists in our audience!

Proceeds from the marathon will go to Camp Kesem UCSD, which holds annual camp events for children of cancer patients. The event will be livestreamed here.

Continue reading Amnesia marathon (and scare-a-thon) for charity this weekend

Amnesia marathon (and scare-a-thon) for charity this weekend originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 28 May 2011 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OnLive giving away Amnesia for free today

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 17 May 2011 17:00:00 EST

To celebrate the launch of Amnesia: The Dark Descent on OnLive today, the cloud-gaming service is offering a scary good deal until midnight ET tonight: Simply enter "THANKYOU" (all one word) in the "Redeem Promo Code" field in the checkout window and you'll be granted a full PlayPass for the game at no charge. In other words: Free game!

The catch? Actually playing Amensia could end up costing you your sanity.

[Thanks, Barney]

OnLive giving away Amnesia for free today originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 May 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amnesia 'Justine' DLC now available to all, soundtrack released

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 17 May 2011 11:00:00 EST

The super creepy 'Justine' expansion is now available on all versions of Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Originally released as part of Valve's Potato Sack promotion -- and thus only available via Steam -- 'Justine' takes players through several chambers designed to test their mental fortitude. The catch is that failing a test results in someone's grisly death.

The expansion is available via update 1.2, which can be downloaded via the update page on the Frictional Games website. As an added bonus, the update also includes a collection of five short stories written by Amnesia's main writer and illustrated by its concept artist.

Finally, Frictional has released the soundtrack to Amnesia. Those who pre-ordered or purchased Amnesia directly from Frictional can download the soundtrack for free. For everyone else, it's available for purchase from the Frictional store. We're not sure why you would want to listen to Amnesia's psyche-rending soundtrack outside of the game -- perhaps some people just like being on edge all the time.

Amnesia 'Justine' DLC now available to all, soundtrack released originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 May 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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THQ places Amnesia: The Dark Descent in a retail box

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 07:00:00 EST

Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a frightening game. A pants-wettingly frightening game. One of the few nice things about Frictional Games' heretofore downloadable title is that you can at least pretend that it ceases to exist once the computer is turned off. Apparently not satisfied by this state of affairs, THQ's ValuSoft division will be bringing a box-copy version of the game to retail on February 22 for the decidedly not scary price of $20.

The box itself isn't very frightening at all, almost to the point of being amusing. We can only assume this is to lull new players into a false sense of security before installing the game.

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THQ places Amnesia: The Dark Descent in a retail box originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amnesia dev now stable following 'tremendous' sales

James Ransom-Wiley — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 22:00:00 EST

Once on the verge of its own dark descent, independent studio Frictional Games reports that relatively strong sales of Amnesia: The Dark Descent have made the company "completely financially stable" for the first time in its four-year history. Frictional now has enough capital to finish its next game "without any problems," thanks to Amnesia closing in on 200,000 copies sold and trouncing pre-release "dream estimates" of 100K units.

The company's newfound stability represents a complete one-eighty from its situation just four months ago, when Amnesia was released to tepid first-week sales. "Even though we are far from complaining," Frictional wrote at the time, "it feels like we do not have the financial security we would like to have, to truly be able to focus on making the best game possible." Funny how a strong Metacritc score, a series of Steam sales and compelling fan PR (like the popular YouTube clip posted after the break) can turn it all around.

"We have been extremely lucky with our media coverage and gotten tons of free PR," Frictional admits, "something that has greatly influenced our sales compared to other titles." While the studio doesn't want to discourage hopeful indie developers, it does consider Amnesia's sales to be atypical in the current digital distribution market on PC. "The market does continue to grow though, and it might not be long before these kinds of numbers are considered perfectly normal."

Of course, Frictional is quick to point out that self-publishing can be the key to success in the digital marketplace, suggesting that "we would not be in the state that we are in now" if Amnesia had been launched through a third-party publisher. "This does not mean that publishers are evil," Frictional adds, "just that one should think carefully before signing up for anything. Releasing a game without any financial backing or help with marketing is quite a struggle, but if you pull it off it is well worth the effort!"'

Having pulled it off, Frictional is now reconsidering a console release of Amnesia, with the "current idea" to contract a third-party developer to do the port. Meanwhile, with no plans to expand its staff, the studio is forging ahead with its new game. "We aim to use the emotions that Amnesia was able to provoke and to focus them in a different direction, which will hopefully give delightfully disturbing results."

Continue reading Amnesia dev now stable following 'tremendous' sales

Amnesia dev now stable following 'tremendous' sales originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Humble Indie Bundle: Pay what you want for World of Goo and four others

Mike Schramm — Tue, 04 May 2010 20:30:00 EST

You've commented on Joystiq posts about oppressive DRM many times before. You dutifully wear your Target-purchased indie game t-shirt every week without fail. And you read every Joystiq Indie Pitch we post. But if you want to put some money towards supporting indie games, you won't find a better way to do it than this. Wolfire Games and a few other indie developers have put together the "Humble Indie Bundle" sale, offering five terrific award-winning indie games (World of Goo, Aquaria, Gish, Lugaru and Penumbra Overture) for the low, low price of ... whatever you want.

That's right -- they're asking you to pay what you feel is right for these bundled, non-DRM, developer-owned Mac, Linux or PC games. And that's not all: You can even specify part or all of your donation to go to a charity, either Child's Play or the Electronic Frontier Foundation. That's about as selfless as it gets in gaming -- pay what you think it's worth, to charity or the people who made it.

The average donation so far is about $8.00, but individuals have donated as much as $500 to the effort. You get lots of chances to say you support indie gaming, but fewer great chances like this to put your money where your mouth is. And walking away with five great indie titles to play doesn't hurt, either.

Humble Indie Bundle: Pay what you want for World of Goo and four others originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 May 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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