We did know how to keep a promise. 2018 Results & 2019 Goals

Just one year ago we made a list of our 2018 goals.
What happened?
Let's see it together!

• To improve the Suggestions Area ==>> DONE & DONE
• To Increase the visibility of the website in Russia, China, Korea and Japan -> DONE. We are one of the most visited website about free games in Russia, we're linking our website with a game dev University in Korea and were uploaded a lot of Japanese games.
• To left the developers earn money ==>> DONE
• Virtual Memory Card & to improve the indiepad ==>> The indiepad is improved, now you can use it also on TV using a Chromecast devices. The Virtual Memory Card is still not online, also because several developers are not interested about it.
• Games in Exclusive ==>> DONE

And we added also a lot of new features!

- improved the Notification System & Area

- improved the Badge System for Devs and Gamers

- added Comments Area, Supported Games, Records and Suggested Users in the User Page (to show the latest games commented by the User)

- Score System Completed (now with Notifications and the author can delete the Fake Scores)

- website translated in Finnish (thanks to Virva), Ukrainian (thanks to quizcanners) and Malay.

- added the Date in the Comments

- over 30 Games that support the Score System!

- added new filters in the Advanced Search (Online Games and Games with Scores)

- AMP pages for the User Pages

- improved AMP game pages also with the suggested games

- now the Charts show only the games uploaded/updated in the last 6 months

- Language problem on the website? Now you can select your language on Settings Area!

- Improved Mobile View!

- Added the Adult Filter, that you can switch (on/off) in your Settings

- bugfix, bugfix, bugfix

- Are you playing an online game and received a notification? Now you can move the mouse on the top and open the Notification Area, no exit from your game! 

- New News Area

- New Stats in your own Game Page

- Improved the Game News Area, with buttons to follow or download the game, easily and fastly

And now?

We want to improve the Player-Experience.

Few time ago we make an egg-hunting and it was very funny! Were uploaded a lot of very good games and we helped a lot of developers with their Kickstarter Campaigns!

So, for the next year the word is MORE... those are our Goals:

• More Events like the Egg Hunting!
• More exclusive games, always FREE
• To Continue to improve the Reccomanded Area in Home Page (it's very important for us)
• More Games playable online
• To improve the News Area
• More feedbacks for the latest games
• More way to use the indiepad

It's hard, but we can do it!

Together we can do great things!

indiexpo staff

indiegames Rewind: The Best of 2018

Rewind 2018 video with the Best Indie Games of this year!

Celebrating the games, developers, players and gamers that made 2018. #indiegames

Discover the best indie games and free games uploaded during the 2018. 

The games showed are all free on indiexpo!

in order of appearance:

A Good Day to Die

Book End VR

0R8

Dash Breaker

Alucard

Thirteen Half Cats

Azuran Tales

Way of the Sinner

Black Paradox

Piko Piko Girl

Pylow

Corona Black

Punk-Ex

Noiz

Landflix

Earth Romancer

Naxia the Cards of Wonder

Brutal MooD

Once Upon a Coma

Quando Fuori Piove

ぶきあつめ / Bukiatsume

CHOP

Wings of Bluestar

Just BeatEm Up

Serenade of the Sirens

The Sundew

Triglav

Mechs  v Kaijus

LazerGrrl

Timothy and the Mysterious Forest

Resonance

A Landlord's Dream

Sherlock - The Dark Arts

Birkanoid CG

She Be Free

Transmogrify

Heralds of the Order

Cheat or Cooperate? Nicky Case shows The Evolution of Trust

During World War I, peace broke out. It was Christmas 1914 on the Western Front.

Despite strict orders not to chillax with the enemy, British and German soldiers left their trenches, crossed No Man's Land, and gathered to bury their dead, exchange gifts, and play games.

Meanwhile: it's 2017, the West has been at peace for decades, and wow, we suck at trust.

Surveys show that, over the past forty years, fewer and fewer people say they trust each other.

So here's our puzzle: Why, even in peacetime, do friends become enemies? And why, even in wartime, do enemies become friends?

Nicky Case thinks that the game theory can help explain our epidemic of distrust – and how we can fix it! So, to understand all this...

You can play online his game, The Evolution of Trust, to test several combinations and to learn so more about the cooperation. Is it possible in our modern time? What are the consequences?

It was translated in over 20 languages and share all around the world.

Changelog & redesign!

Hi!
A new post to report the latest news and features on the website!

- New News Area!
Now you can see just two areas: Most Popular & Most Recent.
In the top you can see Recently Updated, clicking on the images you will go directly to the game's News Area (with the latest updates)

- Suggested Users
Now in the bottom of the User Pages, you can see 3 Users with their rank, to discover new players!

- New Stats
Added new Stats in your Game Page!

- Total Stats
Do you have more than one game? Watch the Your Games area to see the stats of all your games uploaded just in one place!

First to the Egg!

Hi guys! The Kibou Entertainment uploaded few hours ago a new game! It's The Mysterious Forest!

Timothy's grandfather is ill and he's going to die.

The magical mushroom is able to heal any wound and illness.

But the magical mushroom only grows into the dangerous and unknown Mysterious Forest.

Timothy starts his journey to find the mushroom and save his grandfather: he did not know what tremendous dangers he would face.

But... Why we're talking about it? And why that image?

As you can see, you can play it online, but there's a secret... stage by stage, room by room, forest by forest, you can find a secret Easter Egg!

Be the first to the Egg and win 500 gems on indiexpo!

Changelog... Chrome Addons, Malay, Chromecast & Bugfix!

Hi indiexpors!
Recently we improved the website with several little features and fixes!
To improve the experience of developers and players!

Let's start!

• Now you can see, in the User Page, the latest Games with Score System Played!
• Added the Adult Filter, that you can switch (on/off) in your Settings
• Improved the Game News Area, with buttons to follow or download the game, easily and fastly 
  
• bugfix, bugfix, bugfix
• Added Malay Language!
• Improved the Recommended Algorithm in the HomePage also for no-logged users!
• Are you playing an online game and received a notification? Now you can move the mouse on the top and open the Notification Area, no exit from your game! 
  

Other nice info!

Over 800 Users are using our Chrome Extension, to play online game from your browser!

Adding the Chromecast Support to our indiepad app, to use your TV like a free virtual game console!

User Stories: Bookend Team - Why do a VR Game?

The whole Bookend team has never worked on a VR project nor have ever been avid VR connoisseurs up until the creation of Bookend. 

"a pop-up book" in VR

What we did know, however, was that we wanted to create a unique, well-designed project meant to wow everybody within the University of California: Santa Cruz’s capstone series.

Our first thought was to develop a VR title. 
This idea was two-fold: first, it was supported by the fact that many of us believe that virtual reality as a concept is only budding. We have yet to see the huge mainstream appeal of virtual reality and the technology is only going to improve. We, as the Bookend team, want to be there for the ride (and get a portfolio boost). Second of which, virtual reality was a means for us to truly create an immersive experience allowing the designers within the group to truly flex their design muscles, and the developers to experience developing with virtual reality in mind.

In an attempt to explore this idea, we began iterating on Beloved, an atmospheric horror game set within a virtual reality space. We iterated ideas over the course of a couple months such as the player having ghost hands and using telekinesis to guide another individual around puzzle situations akin to a second person exploration game. Although the game was only supposed to take place within a household, the project quickly got out of scope within its narrative, art direction, and programming months into our development cycle.

Winning the the Peer Choice Award

We persevered through months of dead-end conceptualization, eventually leading us to create a narrative-centric puzzle game meant to subvert the expected conventions (grab objects and throw stuff) within a virtual reality space. Although started by a core team of ten students for Beloved, we quickly ballooned our team into twenty (ten core members and ten auxiliary members that helped with art, sound/music, and programming) for Bookend’s rise.

We definitely wanted the gameplay to be reminiscent of reading through a pop-up book so heavy design iteration went into honing in on that particular feeling. As such, many of our mechanics are analogous to the features of a physical pop-up book. The music and narrative direction, in particular, serve to enhance the whimsical and enchanting nature of Bookend’s aesthetic.

Creating Bookend was not without its problems, however, as developing through the affordances of VR. We ran through multiple problems that the affordances of a mouse and keyboard avoided. Namely, controls were our number one issue. We changed our controls scheme multiple times due to player confusion with the Oculus controls. At first, we had it so that the player navigated the game space with their headset, looking at objects they wanted to interact with. We quickly realized that this idea was more trouble than what it was worth. Players quickly grew frustrated at the fact that they had to pinpoint their headset at a small object in order to select it. 

We then changed the controls to focus on the Oculus Touch. 

Bookend Team

Our first iteration of this was too focused on the Oculus face buttons (A, B, X, Y). We had players press the grip button on the controller and confirm their selection with either A or X. This caused the issue of the player not knowing which button was A or X causing them to become increasingly confused and frustrated. Through a lengthy design discussion, we finally decided to change the controls to what we have now: Point in VR by closing the grip button and confirm the selection with the trigger button. This was due to the fact that the grip and trigger buttons are the largest buttons on an Oculus Touch controller. This changed proved beneficial as when players would get confused about the controls, they would first attempt to press the trigger and grip buttons. 

Wanting to create a project that mattered to us, the team decided to make a VR project that doubled down on immersion and unique gameplay features. Developing through VR is difficult, especially in the controls department. (Try getting someone to press the A button while they can’t see!) Nonetheless, through multiple months of hard, dedicated work, Bookend slowly yet steadily transitioned from a concept born from the fall of Beloved into a concept that carried its own weight. The last-minute scrapping of our original idea left our team scrambling, but we’re extremely proud with our work thus far. 

We hope that you enjoy playing through Bookend as much as we enjoyed making it.

- Book End Team

Is there a website with free games for kids?

A lot of parents are looking for free games for their kids on internet.

On TV or newspapers a lot of time we read about "violence in video games" or "games with sex and blood". And we know that the PEGI was born to create safe categories for kids.

So we introduced, few days ago, the Adult Contents filter.

Now the developers, uploading their games, can check this box and the games will be visible only to +18 years users.

If you are not logged or you didn't change your age in your settings page, you will not see those games.

Enjoy and discover new games every day!

Saying NO

It's hard to imagine certain situation until meeting those.
Designers who create might encounter different request - which won’t fit with their values.

What if you’ll be asked to design an anonymous ad against a figure.
If you’ll be asked to work at the expense of your family time.
If you’ll be ordered to sabotage files before sending them to the customer.

What if someone will try to use your access to a database with personal details of subscribers from a minisite.
What if someone will use you to know how to take advantage of a young designer starting out.

When working with people we encounter bizarre realities.
Sometimes it’s hard to stick to principles
Becuase it might cause us out job or hurt it.
We need to know how to say no.

What the hell is going on?

It's going very good!
Recently great free cool games, the new score system on games with a old fashioned Retro Style, new features, monetisation for devs, changing and so many other things!

So... What are the latest news?

• LIVE Notifications!
• AMP pages for the Users
• improved AMP game pages also with the suggested games
• Monetisation [BETA] for indie devs (it needs a separate post, no worry)
• bugfix! bugfix! bugfix! bugfix!
• now the Charts show only the games uploaded/updated in the last 6 months
• Language problem on the website? Now you can select your language on Settings Area!
• Improved Mobile View!

Social Goals?

• Over 2,000 followers on Facebook
• Opened an Instagram Page

And now?
Now we're focusing our energies on two elements: Bugfix & Players
Yes, we want to fix aaaaaall the bugs reported recently and gather new players!

3 indie games that look like 3 famous Movies

Did you never play a game thinking... "Oh, it looks like that movie!"

In the last period we saw so many video games in the theaters. Like Warcraft (amazing!), or Assassin's Creed or Tomb Raider. Who loves this kind of games, loves also this kind of movie.

But sometimes happens also something of different... You're playing an indie game and it looks like one of your favourite movies.

It happens to me, playing those games:

Dex/Ghost in the Shell

In Dex, exploring with a girl the streets of a cyberpunk city as you run for your life from the mercs of The Complex hunting you down, I said "oh! It's Ghost in the Shell!" It is an American science fiction action film directed by Rupert Sandersand, based on the Japanesemanga of the same name by Masamune Shirow. It stars Scarlett Johansson, and set in a near future when the line between humans and robots is blurring, the plot follows the Major(Johansson), a cyborg supersoldier who investigates her past.

Game-Page

The Ledge/Man on a Ledge

In the Ledge you are a man... on a ledge. But, why are you here? And where did I see it? Oh, yes! Man on a Ledge is a 2012 American thriller film directed by Asger Leth, starring Sam Worthington and Elizabeth Banks! 

Game-Page

Noiz/Death Race

Not a simple race. Traps, weapons, explosions. Did you never see Death Race?  In the movie "Death Race", the racers, along with their navigators, compete in a three-part race over three days on a closed track. The track is littered with pressure plates that activate either the cars' offensive weapons, defensive equipment or deadly traps. Any racer winning five races will be granted freedom. Yes, a little bit as Carmageddon. But with...the aliens?

Game-Page

So many updates! New Languages, new Console, Score System and so on!

Hey indiexpors!
Here we are with other news about the website that it's growing up day by day!
When it was born, it was just another website with free games, not so sure to see a new day. But now it's smashing and there are over 2,000 games, so many feedbacks and a great community of crazy players and devs!

So the latest news/features/adds:
- website translated in Finnish (thanks to Virva) and Ukrainian (thanks to quizcanners)
- improved the Suggestion Algorithm
- improved the Notification System
- improved the Badge System for Devs and Gamers
- added Comments Area in the User Page (to show the latest games commented by the User)

- New subareas in the Indieconsole! How many players are in your room?
- added the link to the User Page in the Notification Area
- Score System Completed (now with Notifications and the author can delete the Fake Scores)
- added the Date in the Comments

- 30 Games that support the Score System!
- Over 2,000 Free Games!
- added new filters in the Advanced Search (Online Games and Games with Scores)

And now?
Now we're finally working on an original support system for the developers and the "Daily Challenge" for the best players!
Stay tuned!
We're planning to complete it in June/July!

User Stories: How Founding An Indie Games Blog Changed Our Perception Of This Industry

As the term gained popularity, producers and consumers alike began to wonder: what exactly is an indie game anyway? Should we consider anyone who hasn’t been signed by a publisher independent? And if that’s the case, are solo developers and multi-million dollar self-publishing studios on the same plane?

Eventually, to answer these and other questions, my partner Elisa and I launched The Indie Toaster in May 2017. We began to review other people’s work, we attended events, we published summaries and - most importantly – we made an effort to meet as many creatives as we could fit into our schedule. Our final goal, you ask? To provide the community with all the guidance and assistance we could muster.

Almost immediately, we began to realize just how deep this specific rabbit hole goes. The indie gaming industry is not as simple as it might seem at a first glance. Whether you’re working on your first project or already have a few titles safely under your belt, here are three tips we feel could help you!

All Projects Have a Price

Once you open your door and let people know that you’re there to help, questions usually start pouring in. One of the most common we’ve seen in the last 400 or so days is about how much it costs to build a game from scratch.

Let’s be crystal clear about this one: there’s no such thing as a completely free effort to bring something to life. Regardless of your intentions to make money out of it, developing an indie game will cost you. Before you even attempt to move forward, you should get familiar with whatever requirement your project has.

If you’re only developing out of passion or are doing it to earn experience, time ends up being your most valuable commodity. In this case, the golden rule is to be as constant as you possibly can. Dedicating 8 to 10 hours a day into the earlier phases of your plan will serve you no purpose, if you can’t be persistent enough to see the end of it. 

Things get a bit more complicated when a commercial release is involved. You’ll have to acquire all needed licenses, invest in assets and marketing, maybe even pay your colleagues a few bucks to keep them happy. As such, building a realistic business plan remains one of your utmost priorities. 

Do that and you’ll be one step closer to becoming a successful indie games developer.  

Don’t Be The Jack Of All Trades

“Fine then! If hiring outsiders costs so much, I’ll just take care of everything by myself!” This too is an extremely common answer we get while talking to devs. Especially among first-timers, tackling every aspect of their project in a single sitting is seen as a final proof of honor and ability. 

Unfortunately, as players come to expect more polished and richer experiences, doing everything on your own often becomes impossible. Mind it: it’s not a matter of skills or willingness to sacrifice your free time. On the contrary, it’s the sheer amount of work that has the ability to trample your dreams. 

The average indie game takes several months to see the light of day. We’re only talking about the time needed to turn an idea into a working build. On top of that, you’ll have to account for marketing, community management, quality assurance, and shipping. Oh, and you should sleep too. You might feel invincible in your early 20s, but that won’t last forever. 

Once again, your final goal influences the way you work. For a non-commercial release, you can take as much time as you want. When you’re planning to sell your game, though, setting the right kind of deadline - and sticking by it - can make a difference. Delay your release too much and you might doom your title from the start! 

Maybe it’s time to drag a few more people into your project? 

Be Ready To Fight For Your Place

We talked about managing your resources, we discussed how you shouldn’t do everything by yourself, yet we left the most important question for last. “What exactly makes an indie game a success?”, we were asked more than a few times. Truth be told, there’s no clear answer to this one!

In its infancy, the interactive entertainment industry saw a couple of hundreds of new releases hitting the shelves every year. In 2016, SteamSpy counted more than 6000 titles seeing the light of day. The number was even higher in 2017, for which the site reports more than 7050 new product pages. That’s a lot of competition you’ll have to ride through. 

There’s no magic formula for success, but there are a couple of guidelines you should stick to. Among the others, always make sure you probe the market before you start working. Join development groups, visit events, ask fellow gamers what kind of titles they would like to play. You won’t have time for it once the project is underway. 

Finally, be prepared to fight for the attention of your crowds. Start marketing ahead of time, get in contact with the press - we have a guide on how to do both - and give your indie game as much visibility as you can; even if it means cracking open your piggy bank!

- Alessandro Cossidente

2000 Games and time of cleaning for a Party!

On indiexpo are hosted over 2,000 Games!!
It's great if I remember that it was born on very small communities and forums.
Now it's a big website with great and small projects.

But now... It's time to cleaning! (to organize the Party)

Yes, it is! It's not useful to be a big website with a lot of games with broken link.

In fact indiexpo wants to be different from other websites. Here you are totally free. You can upload your game on our servers or add an external link with a direct download.

Using this second opinion it's possible that your games will be removed by the web hosting that you are using. Or you need more space on your cloud and delete old folders with your game.

So we're contacting dev by dev. If there is no reply, we are deleting the game page.

We want to create a clear place with games to play and discover!

User Stories: LostTrainDude at Codemotion Rome 2018

or: How I went to give a talk about puzzle design in adventure games and came back with an interest in hardware programming.

On April, 18 you could find me in Rome, among over 2000 people attending Codemotion tech conference.

The event was held at the engineering department of Roma Tre University, a place I know very well, because that’s where I first attended a Global Game Jam in 2012.

I was there to give a talk about puzzle design in point-and-click adventure games!

Here is a handy YouTube video. You can find the presentation slides here.

Thanks to both my brother Syd and TheTMO for recording the video!

That said, let’s talk about the conference!

It was exciting to see my name there, but turns out there were a lot of things to be excited about.

First of all, I was going to meet some old friends from the indie gamedev scene.

Andrea Ferlito (who made all of this possible in the first place), TheTMO, Ciro Continisio (now Technical Evangelist at Unity in Brighton), Giuseppe and Francesca from Yonder (now working on Circle of Sumo), Giorgio Pomettini (who gave a great talk about Rust programming language in videogames), Augusto “KyserByte” from Motorsport Gaming, Tommaso from Caracal Games, and more!

From left to right: Andrea Ferlito, my brother Syd, me, Jeff and Giles

It all started here, end of Day 1, when we met Jeff Minter and Ivan Zorzin (Giles) from Llamasoft!

Needless to say: meeting Jeff and Giles was a blast. We laughed over a couple of drinks and chatted about stuff we love, in and out of the gamedev subject.

Yet again, it’s always nice to feel like part of a huge family.

In the back you can spot Ivan Preziosi (wearing a baseball cap), whom I met on this occasion and found out he’s developing Hard Times, a game about homeless survival in the big metropolis of indifference. A really interesting and deep game that sends out an important message, without compromising entertainment.

Also it reminded me of one of my favourite games of all time which is Rags To Riches from C64, but this takes everything of a whole new other, and higher, level.

Ivan discussing the game with Giles (Llamasoft) and Andrea Ferlito

Another thing this event may be responsible of is my taking my first step into hardware programming. Something I would NEVER expect to happen.

Amie DD was one of the speakers and when I attended her keynote, I couldn’t help but be inspired and curious.

I really like this picture, because it seems like she’s just out of a cyberpunk movie, her lines being: “Hey, fancy some hardware?”.

I asked for advice and she provided me some, also advising me not to fear hardware and offering to help me start, something I accepted with extreme gratitude!

Being mostly among the gamedevs I didn’t manage to be around many other speakers, who all came from different backgrounds.

Still, it was nice to meet them and share a few laughs at the Speakers Dinner. I’m very curious about the “Anxiety Driven Development” talk by Nicole Bartolini, which I could not attend to because I was giving my own talk at the same time.

Thanks, Codemotion Rome 2018, I won’t forget you and your excellent team easily, if ever.

- LostTrainDude/Christopher Sacchi

Are you looking for a Cute and Colorful sci-fi Game?

Steel Zeroes is a free indie game in a sci-fi city. Cute and brilliant! Made by Pedrovin.

This is our cool cover!

It was an exclusive of indiexpo!

indiexpo now also in Ukrainian!

Now indiexpo is also in Ukrainian thanks to quizcanners! Thank you again!

https://indiexpo.net/uk

indiexpo дозволяє тисячам людей ділитися своїми досягненнями, та відстежувати оригінальні інді ігри від інших незалежних розробників. Indiexpo - це простір для спілкування, де ви можете поширити інформацію про свої розробки та надихати людей у всьому світі.

Improving the Recommended Area. The Algorithm Power.

More than 70 per cent of the games regular users play on indiexpo are discovered through the platform’s recommendation system, in the Home Page.

That means the majority of what you decide to play on this website is the result of decisions made by an algorithm.

As we said in a previous post, one of our goals was to improve the Recommended Area and we're still working on it!

indiexpo uses machine learning and algorithms to help break gamers’ preconceived notions and find games that they might not have initially chosen. To do this, it looks at games played, rather than relying on broad genres to make its predictions.

As Netflix, Amazon or so many other websites, we're improving this system day by day, thanks to the users feedbacks.

To discover and play the best games for your taste!

Are you an Hobbyist Game Developer? Read the Manifesto!

Hobbyist Game Developer Manifesto

Edmund McMillen's recent manifesto for independent game developers

1. Make a small game
Don't aim to make the next World of WarCraft. At least complete some small games before moving on to some of your grand ideas.

2.  Be open about your game
Don't be shy about developing games as a hobby. Upload your game to a website as soon as the first playable version is ready and share the link with friends. If you have concept art then share that even earlier in the process. Create videos, take screenshots and release early demos for the world to see.

3. Let your game evolve
Your game will never end up quite as you expected. If something does not work or feels annoying then change or remove it and maybe add something else to the game if it needs to be improved.

4. It is YOUR game
While input from friends can be useful don't forget that it is your time being spent developing it. If you love space themed games then set it in space. The target audience is probably you and it is really just a bonus if other people happen to like it.

5. Find help when you are stuck
Join communities and forums to find people who can help you when things get over your head. This can also lead you to a possible collaboration with someone who is talented in areas you are not.

6. Learn when creating your game
Game development allows you to learn a lot of things. Improve your skills in design, programming, graphics, sound, music and even creativity. Game development will naturally make you more creative.

7. Learn from other games
Play games that are comparable to what you are creating and draw inspiration from them without simply copying them. Even board games can be an inspiration. Improve their formula if possible or create something entirely new the world has never seen before.

8. Finish your game
Ten unfinished games will not make you half as proud as actually completing one game. Always strive to finish the game you are working on.

9. Give your game away
Free is the keyword here. Don't charge people for wanting to play your game and make it easy for them to share the game with their friends.

10. Have fun
Do it because you love it, you want to do it and because you have fun doing it.

Pixel Art + Netflix = Landflix Odyssey

Landflix is a free indie game about the tv series, like DareDevil, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones and others. It's still a demo but it's very cool. And it's in exclusive on indiexpo.

Let's see more about it:

The Studio

Rome-based indie dev Fantastico Studio has unveiled Landflix Odyssey, a 2D platformer that parodies your favourite cult TV shows while you explore a mock version of Netflix.

The Game

The game has five different worlds - with each one pastiching everything from Game Of Thrones to Stranger Things - as you hunt down a set of radioactive batteries for a man who's purposely ripping off Doc Brown from Back To The Future. It's very silly, and very 2018, but we like the look of its mixture of satire and challenging platforming mechanics.

Nintendo Switch

The campaign has a stretch goal for a Switch version at €20,000 (roughly $25,000). Fantastico had told us that a release on Switch had been secured even without the Kickstarter, and reaching the main campaign goal would allow for the company to avoid going through a publisher.

It's on Kickstarter! You can support it here 

This is our cool cover!

News & 2018 Goals

We were born in small forums like this, we made a website with no money, no support by huge company and no superskills. We trained day by day and the website attracted several developers and players. There are still big Goliath to fight.

So, the 2017 was a great year for the indie games! So many cool games!

Those are the recently new features (and improvements) and the goals of the 2018!

first of all... The News!

• improved the view of the website for mobile (easy to read and to navigate)
• new area Challenges opened! It's in Events. It's still in beta but it's working good! The games showed are uploaded by few beta-devs
• improved the Console area
• improved the SEO of the Comments and News Pages

The Goals

• it's coming new games in exclusive for indiexpo. If you love the TV series, you have to play the first one! It's very cool! 

  

  Landflix - the demo in exclusive for indiexpo

• increase the visibility of the website in Russia, China, Corea and Japan
• to improve the Suggestions Area with the best games to play for each gamer
• we want to add a very transparent and good system to left the developers earn money. Also with a partnership program with few Devs!
• to add a Virtual Memory Card to start to play your game on Desktop... And continue to play it on Mobile
• to improve the indiepad feature, so the users can play those games automatically also on their phones.

indiepad on mobile?

How to describe your own videogame? It's easy, use this free Game Design Document (GDD Template)

Hi game devs that are reading this blog! 

We want to share here a very good and useful document! It's the template of a Game design document (GDD) used by Devs to show their Games and their features. It is a highly descriptive living design document of the design for a video game.

A game design document may be made of text, images, diagrams, concept art, or any applicable media to better illustrate design decisions. Some design documents may include functional prototypes or a chosen game engine for some sections of the game. 

Here it's an example or better, a template, to use to describe your own game. It's made and share by Benjamin “HeadClot” Stanley.

<Your Game Name Here>

<Your Company Logo Here>

  

Revision: 0.0.0

Overview

Theme / Setting / Genre

Core Gameplay Mechanics Brief

Targeted platforms

Monetization model (Brief/Document)

Project Scope

Influences (Brief)

- <Influence #1>

- <Influence #2>

- <Influence #3>

- <Influence #4>

The elevator Pitch

Project Description (Brief):

Project Description (Detailed)

What sets this project apart?

Core Gameplay Mechanics (Detailed)

- <Core Gameplay Mechanic #1>

- <Core Gameplay Mechanic #2>

- <Core Gameplay Mechanic #3>

- <Core Gameplay Mechanic #4>

Story and Gameplay

Story (Brief)

Story (Detailed)

Gameplay (Brief)

Gameplay (Detailed)

Assets Needed

- 2D

- 3D

- Sound

- Code

- Animation

Schedule

- <Object #1>

- <Object #2>

- <Object #3>

- <Object #4>

Overview

Theme / Setting / Genre

         - <Insert Theme here>

Core Gameplay Mechanics Brief

         - <Gameplay Mechanic #1>

         - <Gameplay Mechanic #2>

         - <Gameplay Mechanic #3>

         - <Gameplay Mechanic #4>

Targeted platforms

         - <Example Platform #1 Here>

         - <Example Platform #2 Here>

         - <Example Platform #3 Here>

Monetization model (Brief/Document)

- <Monetization Type> (Premium, Paid Alpha/Beta/Final, Ad Driven, Micro-transactions, Subscription, etc.)

         - <Link to Monetization Document>

(How do you plan to monetize the game?)

Project Scope

         - <Game Time Scale>

                   - Cost? (How much will it cost?)

- Time Scale (How long will it take to make this game?)

- <Team Size>

         - <Core Team>

                   - Team Member name?

                            - What does he/she do?

                            - <Cost to employ them full time or part time>

                   - etc.

(List as many core team members as you need to)

- <Marketing Team>

                   - Team Member name?

                            - What does he/she do?

                            - <Cost to employ them full time or part time>

                   - Etc.

(List as many marketing team members as you need to)

         - <Licenses / Hardware / Other Costs>

         - <Total Costs with breakdown>

Influences (Brief)

         - <Influence #1>

                   - <Medium> (Television, Games, Literature, Movies, etc.)

- /Explain why this is an influence in 1 Paragraph or less/

         - <Influence #2>

                   - <Medium> (Television, Games, Literature, Movies, etc.)

                   - /Explain Why in 1 Paragraph or less/

- /Explain why this is an influence in 1 Paragraph or less/

         - <Influence #3>

                   - <Medium> (Television, Games, Literature, Movies, etc.)

- /Explain why this is an influence in 1 Paragraph or less/

         - <Influence #4>

                   - <Medium> (Television, Games, Literature, Movies, etc.)

                   - /Explain Why in 1 Paragraph or less/

- /Explain why this is an influence in 1 Paragraph or less/

The elevator Pitch

<A one sentence pitch for your game.>

Pretend that your were pitching your game to a executive going to the elevator. You have less than 60 Seconds.

Project Description (Brief):

<Two Paragraphs at least>

<No more than three paragraphs>

  

Project Description (Detailed)

<Four Paragraphs or more If needs be>

<No more than six paragraphs>

What sets this project apart?

         - <Reason #1>

         - <Reason #2>

         - <Reason #3>

         - <Reason #4>

         - <etc.>

Core Gameplay Mechanics (Detailed)

         - <Core Gameplay Mechanic #1>

                   - <Details>

                            /Describe in 2 Paragraphs or less/

                   - <How it works>

                            /Describe in 2 Paragraphs or less/

         - <Core Gameplay Mechanic #2>

                   - <Details>

                            /Describe in 2 Paragraphs or less/

                   - <How it works>

                            /Describe in 2 Paragraphs or less/

         - <Core Gameplay Mechanic #3>

                   - <Details>

                            /Describe in 2 Paragraphs or less/

                   - <How it works>

                            /Describe in 2 Paragraphs or less/

         - <Core Gameplay Mechanic #4>

                   - <Details>

                            /Describe in 2 Paragraphs or less/

                   - <How it works>

                            /Describe in 2 Paragraphs or less/

Story and Gameplay

Story (Brief)

<The Summary or TL;DR version of below>

Story (Detailed)

<Go into as much detail as needs be>

<Spare no detail>

<Use Mind Mapping software to get your point across>

Gameplay (Brief)

<The Summary version of below>

Gameplay (Detailed)

<Go into as much detail as needs be>

<Spare no detail>

<Combine this with the game mechanics section above>

Assets Needed

- 2D

         - Textures

                   - Environment Textures

         - Heightmap data (If applicable)

                   - List required data required - Example: DEM data of the entire UK.

         - Etc.

- 3D

         - Characters List

                   - Character #1

                   - Character #2

                   - Character #3

                   - etc.

         - Environmental Art Lists

                   - Example #1

                   - Example #2

                   - Example #3

                   - etc.

- Sound

         - Sound List (Ambient)

                   - Outside

                            - Level 1

                            - Level 2

                            - Level 3

                            - etc.

                   - Inside

                            - Level 1

                            - Level 2

                            - Level 3

                            - etc.

- Sound List (Player)

                   - Character Movement Sound List

                            - Example 1

                            - Example 2

- etc.

                   - Character Hit / Collision Sound list

- Example 1

                            - Example 2

- etc.

                   - Character on Injured / Death sound list

                            - Example 1

                            - Example 2

                            - etc.

- Code

         - Character Scripts (Player Pawn/Player Controller)

         - Ambient Scripts (Runs in the background)

         - Example

- NPC Scripts

         - Example

         - etc.

- Animation

         - Environment Animations

                   - Example

                   - etc.

         - Character Animations

                   - Player

- Example

- etc.

                   - NPC

                            - Example

                            - etc.

Schedule

         - <Object #1>

                        - Time Scale

                            - Milestone 1

                            - Milestone 2

                            - Etc.

         - <Object #2>

                        - Time Scale

                            - Milestone 1

                            - Milestone 2

                            - Etc.

         - <Object #3>

                        - Time Scale

                            - Milestone 1

                            - Milestone 2

                            - Etc.

         - <Object #4>

                        - Time Scale

                            - Milestone 1

                            - Milestone 2

                            - Etc.