Critique VS. Cruelty

While the indie development community can be an all inclusive and encouraging force, there is, in some circles, an air of arrogance and cruelty - especially to those silly enough to present their work to their peers in an early form. Sometimes a newbie developer will have an early piece of work torn apart for no reason other than being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

It is one thing to be honest for the sake of helping others but it is bad form in general to do it just to be an elitists. I mention this in a vague way to point out a big problem with being a new indie in a community filled with people that think they have the authority to decide the worth of anyone's project.

Sadly, many of the most vocal critics have never even finished a game project of their own. Sure, it's all in the spirit of "keeping it real" but shouldn't these people look to their own houses before pointing out that their neighbors' needs a fresh coat of paint?

I guess the point of this opening tirade is to tell new developers not to be discouraged by the harshness of these kinds of people. Find people that will want to revel in your success and give you real constructive criticism that will help you improve your game project to the best of your ability. At the end of the day, no one can take away from your accomplishments and you'll be a more seasoned developer than these folks if you simply finish what you started.

In this week's edition of "Sixty Seconds With" I take at a Super Mario Brothers Clone, A solid GarageGames title that deserves some attention, a unique adventure game from Manifesto Games, A remade classic, and a game that probably has as many fans as it does detractors..

Secret Maryo Chronicles

Secret Maryo Chronicles is an Open Source gem that pays homage to the classic NES game Super Mario Bros. This two-dimensional platform game may use a lot of the same gameplay mechanics, but the graphics are what really make it stand out. The game is easy to pick up and play and comes complete with an editor allowing you to create your own levels. It is also free to use, which is just the icing on an already delicious cake. There is a reason that this particular game is at the top of this week's list: it is simply awesome!

The Shiva

The Shivah is a classic point and click mystery adventure game that hearkens back to the early days of the genre but takes an obscure story, characters and social setting to create something that is truly unique. While the game may seems simple at first glance, there's a lot going on under the hood; using some classic gameplay elements and tailoring them to the traditions of this social setting, this game delivers some surprisingly compelling moments.

OpenTTD

I'm a sucker for a remake of a decent game, and OpenTTD is just one of those ongoing Open Source projects that I adore. This Open Source version of the DOS classic Transport Tycoon Deluxe, brings the classic transport empire game from Chris Sawyer to modern operating systems and tweaks various gameplay elements for the better. The only catch is that you need to have files from the original game for it to work.