Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[IGF 2013 finalists set a Little Inferno, dial Hotline Miami for Thirty Flights of Loving]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/07/igf-2013-finalists-set-a-little-inferno-dial-hotline-miami-for/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/07/igf-2013-finalists-set-a-little-inferno-dial-hotline-miami-for/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/07/igf-2013-finalists-set-a-little-inferno-dial-hotline-miami-for/#comments This year's Independent Games Festival finalists have been selected, a smattering of almost 30 top independent games that have launched within the past year. Leading multiple-nomination games are Subset Games' Best of the Rest 2012 favorite FTL: Faster Than Light, Cardboard Games' adventure offering Kentucky Route Zero, street vendor sim Cart Life from Richard Hofmeier and Little Inferno, the surprisingly delightful Wii U game about burning things from Tomorrow Corporation.

Other notable mentions include The Fullbright Company's nod for excellence in writing with its first game, Gone Home; Blendo Games' sequel Thirty Flights of Loving is also up for the win in writing. Terry Cavanagh's Super Hexagon is up for an award in design, while Dennaton Games' Hotline Miami is up for the Seumas McNally grand prize along with all the games listed in the first paragraph of this post. And, as announced back in December, IGF finalists will be offered a Steam distribution deal.

For the full list of nominees, hit up the source link below - the nominees will be playable and showcased during GDC in San Francisco, March 27-29. The winners will be revealed during the annual awards show on Wednesday night, March 27.

JoystiqIGF 2013 finalists set a Little Inferno, dial Hotline Miami for Thirty Flights of Loving originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 07 Jan 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidftl-faster-than-lightigf-2013independent-games-festivaliosipadiphonemacmobilepcMon, 07 Jan 2013 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Best of the Rest: Jess' picks of 2012]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/01/best-of-the-rest-jess-picks-of-2012/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/01/best-of-the-rest-jess-picks-of-2012/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/01/best-of-the-rest-jess-picks-of-2012/#comments Joystiq is revealing its 10 favorite games of 2012 throughout the week. Keep reading for more top selections and every writer's personal, impassioned picks in Best of the Rest roundups.


Best of the Rest Jess' picks of 2012
FTL: Faster Than Light
I find tremendous pleasure in games that allow me to name my characters, humanize them and create their unique, intricate backstories, for the sole purpose of making me watch those beloved little guys burn to death on a cramped space ship. No game does this better, or more often, than FTL: Faster Than Light.

Another alluring aspect of FTL is that it's an indie game that looks indie. The game's strength lies in the incredible interstellar journey the player takes with her crew, and the graphics do everything they can to stay out of the way of these space battles and indiscriminate deaths. It's a mental game, high-energy in synapse rather than the screen - much as I've heard the original X-COM described. And like X-COM, playing FTL isn't just a wonderful experience today, but it promises greater, better things to come from Subset Games.

Continue reading Best of the Rest: Jess' picks of 2012

JoystiqBest of the Rest: Jess' picks of 2012 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a-virus-named-tombest-of-2012Best-of-the-Rest-2012borderlands-2FTLftl-faster-than-lightgame-of-the-year-2012GOTY-2012hawkenmicrosoftpcsnapshottiny-and-big-grandpas-leftoversxboxyesterdayTue, 01 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Best of the Rest: Mike Suszek's picks of 2012]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/01/best-of-the-rest-mike-suszeks-picks-of-2012/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/01/best-of-the-rest-mike-suszeks-picks-of-2012/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/01/best-of-the-rest-mike-suszeks-picks-of-2012/#comments Joystiq is revealing its 10 favorite games of 2012 throughout the week. Keep reading for more top selections and every writer's personal, impassioned picks in Best of the Rest roundups.

FIFA Soccer 13
I'd argue that sports games haven't quite accomplished what EA Canada managed to do this year with FIFA 13: Mix in a subtle sense of unpredictability that you'd expect from the sport the game represents. FIFA 13's first touch controls forces players to calculate their decisions on the field more carefully than ever before, as one bad bounce can create an opening for your opponent. Layered with that unpredictability and an always-improving AI is the EA Sports Football Club Catalogue, which builds on the XP system pervasive throughout the game by offering players in-game rewards for their efforts. FIFA 13 is a complete game, and is unquestionably my favorite sports game of 2012.

Continue reading Best of the Rest: Mike Suszek's picks of 2012

JoystiqBest of the Rest: Mike Suszek's picks of 2012 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Jan 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>best-of-2012Best-of-the-Rest-2012EAEA-Canadafifa-13frog-fractionsftl-faster-than-lightgame-of-the-year-2012GOTY-2012iosiphonejellyvisionmicrosoftmobilenew-super-mario-bros-unintendopcplaystationps3subset-gameswii-uxboxyou-dont-know-jackTue, 01 Jan 2013 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Steam Holiday Sale, day 9: Assassin's Creed, Prototype, Left 4 Dead franchises and more]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/28/steam-holiday-sale-day-9-assassins-creed-prototype-left-4-d/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/28/steam-holiday-sale-day-9-assassins-creed-prototype-left-4-d/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/28/steam-holiday-sale-day-9-assassins-creed-prototype-left-4-d/#comments Steam Holiday Sale, day 9 Assassin's Creed, Prototype, Left 4 Dead franchises and moreThe majority of mainstream shopping holidays have now reached a complete stop, but the sales live on - especially in the case of Valve's annual Steam Holiday Sale, which today enters its ninth day of dealing out discounted digital sundries.

PC gamers can save 25 to 75 percent on every game in the Assassin's Creed series, 75/50 percent off Prototype and Prototype 2 respectively, get Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 for a cold dead $7.49, Limbo for a spooky $2.49, Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion for an astronomically low $13.59 and Just Cause 2 for a justified $3.74.

Yesterday's deals also remain active for another 20 hours or so, including LA Noire for $4.99, FTL for $4.99 and 33 percent off XCOM: Enemy Unknown. As always, flash sales and community choice sales change throughout the day.

JoystiqSteam Holiday Sale, day 9: Assassin's Creed, Prototype, Left 4 Dead franchises and more originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 28 Dec 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Assassins-Creedfaster-than-lightFTLftl-faster-than-lightJust-Cause-2LA-Noireleft-4-deadleft-4-dead-2limbomacpcprototypeprototype-2Sins-of-a-Solar-Empiresins-of-a-solar-empire-rebellionsteam-holiday-saleSteam-Holiday-Sale-2012Valvexcom-enemy-unknownFri, 28 Dec 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Joystiq Indie Pitch: FTL: Faster than Light]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/19/the-joystiq-indie-pitch-ftl-faster-than-light/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/19/the-joystiq-indie-pitch-ftl-faster-than-light/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/19/the-joystiq-indie-pitch-ftl-faster-than-light/#comments Indie developers are the starving artists of the video-game world, often brilliant and innovative, but also misunderstood, underfunded and more prone to writing free-form poetry on their LiveJournals. We believe they deserve a wider audience with the Joystiq Indie Pitch: This week, Justin Ma and Matthew Davis of Subset Games describe their quick rise to space roguelike-like fame with FTL: Faster than Light, which recently launched on Steam for PC and Mac.
The Joystiq Indie Pitch FTL Faster than Light
What's your game called and what's it about?

Justin Ma: Our game is called FTL: Faster than Light and we've been describing it as a "spaceship simulation roguelike-like." The focus is on managing a spaceship and her crew as they explore a randomized galaxy. Combat requires you to control the crew to keep your ship running and fight off intruders, balancing your power distribution, and trying to wreak havoc on the enemy ship. In between fights the game is filled with "choose your own adventure" style text-based events with many possible outcomes.

Matthew Davis: The core game can be compared to something like Weird Worlds or Flotilla where the player is travelling to various star systems, encountering events and upgrading their ship. But the combat is focused on the ship interior as opposed to "dogfighting" in space.

What's the coolest aspect of FTL?

Justin: Each element of the game is pretty simple on its own: Blast doors can restrict enemy movement on your ship; oxygen can be vented by opening the airlocks; fire spreads through open doors. When all of these interact you can get some amazing and unpredictable situations. Your crew might be trapped putting out a fire in the weapons rooms while at the same time boarders are trying to break the doors down because they're suffocating after mistakenly sabotaging your oxygen system.

Gallery: FTL: Faster Than Light

Continue reading The Joystiq Indie Pitch: FTL: Faster than Light

JoystiqThe Joystiq Indie Pitch: FTL: Faster than Light originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ftl-faster-than-lightIndiejoystiq-indie-pitchjustin-mamacmatthew-davispcroguelikespacesubset-gamesWed, 19 Sep 2012 19:00:00 EST