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Indie Royale 'Lunar' bundle gathers Pid, Back to the Future and others

David Hinkle — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 23:00:00 EST

A new Indie Royale bundle, called the Lunar Bundle, gathers several "out-of-this-world" indie gems, with an initial offering of four games and spots for three more to be added throughout the next six days of the promotion.

Pid is first on the list, the puzzle-platformer about a lost boy stranded on a strange planet from ex-Grin folks at Might and Delight. It's joined by Cargo Commander, an action-platformer from Serious Brew, in which your goal is to loot expensive cargo in the alien-infested reaches of space. The final two are Telltale's Back to the Future, which takes place six months after the events of the third film in the series, and Dungeon Hearts, a hybrid strategy and pattern-matching affair from Technobabel.

All four games are Windows and Mac OSX compatible, and available as Steam codes for those who pay the minimum asking price or above. Agreeing to pay $8 more for the bundle will net you an additional perk: the album Reawakening from C64/Amiga chiptune artist TDK.

Indie Royale 'Lunar' bundle gathers Pid, Back to the Future and others originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Pitch Fork Parker' winner Dungeon Hearts out March 28

JC Fletcher — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 14:45:00 EST

Dungeon Hearts, the game Devolver Digital found in the back of a bus last year, is coming to PC, Mac and iPad on March 28. Cube Roots' game combines RPGs and match-three puzzles, allowing you to perform attacks by matching "runes" on the "Fatestream." The effect is visually similar to Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy, although the scrolling line of icons has a different meaning in this game than it does in Square Enix's rhythm RPG. Dungeon Hearts has the advantage of having a title made up entirely of real words, as well.

Dungeon Hearts will launch on Steam and assorted other digital distribution services for $2.99.

Gallery: Dungeon Hearts (3/6/13)

Continue reading 'Pitch Fork Parker' winner Dungeon Hearts out March 28

'Pitch Fork Parker' winner Dungeon Hearts out March 28 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Mar 2013 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indie publishing styles: The 'Hey, kid, take a ride on my bus' tactic

Jessica Conditt — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 20:00:00 EST

The week after E3's blockbuster bombardment from high-profile, mainstream publishers seems like a proper time to step back, take a breath and remember that for many indie developers, getting a game made has nothing to do with fog machines, loud on-stage demos or awkward celebrity banter.

Sometimes, indie publishing involves standing on a shady street corner in San Francisco until a bus pulls up and offers you a beer and a ride.

At least, that's how it worked out for Chris Pavia, a developer who recently quit his mainstream industry job to create indie titles under his own studio, Cube Roots. Pavia's first game, a puzzle RPG called Dungeon Hearts, got picked up by Devolver Digital during its Pitch Fork Parker project at GDC earlier this year.

Pitch Fork Parker had indie developers vie for a spot on Devolver Digital's bus, where they would ride around for a while and try to sell their indie games to the publisher. Pavia earned a spot on the bus with Dungeon Hearts' cohesive art style and character designs alone, and in the month before GDC he hired an animator, had his musician tweak the audio and spent all his time refining every detail he could in the first few minutes of the game.

Gallery: Dungeon Hearts

Continue reading Indie publishing styles: The 'Hey, kid, take a ride on my bus' tactic

Indie publishing styles: The 'Hey, kid, take a ride on my bus' tactic originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dungeon Hearts was made in the back of Devolver Digital's bus, out early 2013

Jessica Conditt — Tue, 22 May 2012 16:00:00 EST

Devolver Digital has teamed up with Cube Roots to publish the indie puzzle RPG Dungeon Hearts on PC, Mac and mobile in early 2013. Before any of you smart alecks ask: No, it's not a mashup of Dungeon Defenders and Kingdom Hearts.

Dungeon Hearts features a "nostalgic" blend of classic RPG elements and match-three puzzle mechanics for a "wholly unique experience," Devolver promises. It has 99 character levels and 16 unique environments, and players will use the matching game to perform powerful attacks in the game's mystical world.

At GDC in February, Cube Roots founder Chris Pavia got on a bus with Devolver Digital's Fork Parker as part of the Pitch Fork Parker Project. Pavia pitched Dungeon Hearts, left the bus, and by the end of the night his game was signed.

"The original pitch was for Dungeon Hearts to be a medieval brothel simulator," Parker said. "I recommended we shift development toward the puzzle/RPG hybrid because medieval brothel simulators just don't sell anymore."

Gallery: Dungeon Hearts

Dungeon Hearts was made in the back of Devolver Digital's bus, out early 2013 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 May 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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