Indie Interviews: An Introduction to Debate’s New Game Journalism Series
WEB EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW | GAMES
Written by Trinity Thompson (she/her) | Contributing Writer
Immersive gameplay. Thrilling action. Heartwarming stories. In this advanced technological age, a thriving, expansive gaming industry is available instantly at the end of our fingertips. Whether you’re seeking something scary, action-packed or a bit more peaceful - there’s definitely something out there for you.
In saying this, it can be easy to miss hidden gems that are tucked away behind the gaming giants we know and love. To support local gamemakers, and highlight the importance of indie developers helping drive the industry forward, Debate is launching a new series of articles amongst upcoming issues and web exclusives.
Keep an eye out for ‘Indie Interviews’ with local gamemakers, including independent, student and studio developers from across Aotearoa. Gain insight into the minds and processes of these talented game developers and designers, and even pick up a few tips or tricks too.
As a sneak peek of our pilot article with Auckland-based developer duo Shannon and Sam; here are my top picks from their label, Cookie Crayon, which are freely available to play on their itch.io
“Make your way to the summit. Will you go it alone, or with a friend?”
Pikwip steals the hearts of players with an incredible environment, amazing character design, and gentle music. The game was created in 72 hours as part of the ‘Mini Jam: Summit’, and received first place overall - alongside top placings in art and presentation. In this platformer, you must help two super cute characters reach the top of the mountain, but watch out - character movements influence each other. You can help your teammate up, but one wrong step and you may end up dragging them right back down with you. The game jam also included the limitation "Only use WASD and the Arrow keys”, which makes Pikwip the perfect shared experience on a laptop. If you don’t have someone to play with, take on the extra challenge of controlling both characters at once! Pikwip was incredibly sweet, immersive, and colourful. I can’t wait for more.
“Two of you do not belong. Blend into the crowd, and take out the other. Trust no one.”
An amalgamation of bright colours and unique characters, Neon Knives is an exciting experience meant to be shared. The art direction is stunning, with vibrant, saturated colours that are both eye-catching and spunky. The visuals of Neon Knives are further attested to by a first place ranking in New Zealand-based game awards ‘The Pavs’ for ‘The Decorative Piece, Excellence in Visual Art’, as well as an overall placing of second in the ‘Multiplayer Game Jam’. Beyond artistic prowess, the beat of the music adds to the ambience of the game, further aided by a rich, diverse range of maps in which to compete. This 1v1 cloak-and-dagger was immensely enjoyable, and I would thoroughly recommend giving it a try when you have a spare minute. You might find your-self more invested than you’d first thought!
“Search the crowd for your perfect match. Merge and repeat.”
Mingle is a short, simple, but super effective concept. Encompassing a range of differentiable characters, despite a minimal style, you must match all of the minglers with their counterparts until none remain. Mingle has a lovely atmosphere with catchy music that enhances the vibe perfectly. Listen to the chatter of the characters - cleverly incorporating letters from the title - and reach the wonderful closure the ending brings (with a twist!).
“The purrfect challenge.”
One would expect themselves to be better at differentiating cats from ice cream, but apparently they should expect the unexpected. Cat or Ice Cream?, being the first game the Cookie Crayon duo created, is very dynamic, with some hinting questions to provide an extra challenge. The illustrations of each cat (or ice cream) are delightful, with a consistent style across the board. Although my favourite was the ‘Ice Cream Tragedy’ - what was more tragic was the fact that I do not, in fact, know my cats from ice cream.
“Alone and isolated, floating through the quiet of space. Until the alert.”
A gentle, ethereal game travelling through the depths of space as you follow the signal - life signs detected. Honestly, this was a title I did not hold expectations for, but thoroughly enjoyed. The music was calming, building the experience and encouraging the player to take their time. The silhouettes were interesting, but resulted in a few confusing pathways, whilst the sensitive controls added to the challenge. The ending was very well presented, and provided great closure to the game - enhanced further by the change in music. Despite your initial thoughts, this game will surprise you!
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