Tag Archive

Is Mountain A Form Of Modernism Or Just Another Screensaver?


Posted on July 19, 2016 by Kyle Scarboro

Is Mountain a form of modernism or a screensaver? On one hand, Mountain offers a serene landscape and a breathtaking view of a mountain. On the other hand, it ages and becomes its own identity. Mountain lets you look at all sides and the more you look, the more it grows. What sets this mountain apart from other games? A game that offers no control of the outcome, but draws you in.

 

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Mountain was created by David O’Reilly and is a relaxing simulator where its art is defined as not just art, but art horror. Why is it considered art horror? The art is understandable but why horror? We will go into that a little later. If you are a fan of the movie Her, then you might have seen David O’Reilly’s work. The game’s the main protagonist plays are a collection of his works. Unfortunately, those games you cannot play. So instead, David O’Reilly gives us Mountain, a small taste of what he has stored up in his head.

 

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When we think about games we think of a range of things: full controller support, saving, music and sound effects, progression, character design, story, begin and end, protagonist and antagonist, etc.. While this game has some of those elements, it boasts a whole new mindset to instill into the player.

Upon entering the game you are greeted with a very lush and green hill top. Sound effects in the background of blowing wind or chirping birds may come up and clouds blowing past. You spin this hunk of land and you see nothing but a normal looking mountain . You look underneath this massive landmark and you see gravel and foundation. This mountain is floating in space and is surrounded by an aura to keep in the atmosphere.

Overtime, it may rain or snow, but you soon realize that is just a common thing that happens naturally. This is everything you see in the first minutes of game play.

 

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Once you realize that you can’t do anything but look at this monument, you leave it on in the background thinking you might have just bought a screensaver.

Suddenly, a thought pops up in the upper left-hand corner. Some omnipresent being is having a thought while observing.

As the time passes and music cues in, you start to realize things that were not there before. Your mountain starts growing new things and evolving into its own identity.

This is one of the game’s unique features. Once you start the game, you cannot start it over. Each mountain is unique to the gamer. As it slowly spins, more things show up on it. The longer you have the program running the older the mountain becomes.

 

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My mountain is in its infancy, so there is a giant toy block to represent its age. At night, little pixies dance in the trees. It has an adorable look to it. If the day is clear, then the omnipresent voice might type how it wishes to share this with somebody. When the day is rainy and dreary, the voice might express matching emotions, which gives you mixed feelings of who this lonely person is.

After every new dawn, you are greeted to a chime and the game saves for you making sure you did not lose any progress as you leave the game open. Thus, the cycle continues.

 

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What makes this game different from other simulation type games. I think it has something to do with an underlining story and you are the audience watching it unfold. Instead of naturally progressing the game yourself, you are reading this story as it is happening, almost like raising a child.

I think that is where the horror comes in. For new parents, it is a crazy ride and you don’t know what to expect. The danger and fear around every corner and not knowing what will happen next. You may have limited control, but you just have to take it day by day. The messages you get are an inner monologue and interpretation of what a child may be thinking as it sees the world through its eyes. The mountain grows as it ages, like a child would and if you stop watching for a moment something amazing might happen. Art is supposed to be interpreted several hundred ways and this is what I see.

Enjoy

For a game that is only $0.99, I recommend giving it a shot. See what bundle of joy you can create and leave a snapshot in the comments below!


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Jotun is a fun, beautiful, romp for all 5 senses


Posted on October 19, 2015 by Fionna Schweit

Do you like Beautiful hand drawn art and simple but challenging combat with massive bosses? Then Jotun is the game for you. The game’s hand drawn art is so beautiful you’ll wonder if you’re playing a videogame or a story book.  Jotun is an exploration game created by William Dubé, originally launched on kickstarter, and now released on steam for $14.99. You play as Thora, a Viking warrior who died an inglorious death (falling off her ship and drowning) and must face the challenges of purgatory to escape and be allowed to enter Valhalla. Along the way she will have to face the Jotun, massive monsters from Norse lore, and explore a wide open set of 6 unique worlds. She fights with the aid of the same gods who denied her entrance to Valhalla barrowing their powers to aid her. Her kit for this massive task, a simple iron axe, with a light and a heavy attack, her wits, and a dodge roll, but that’s all she will need to impress the gods and kill the Jotun.

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Make Your Own Zombie Game With These Great Assets


Posted on July 14, 2015 by Les Major

With the latest Humble Bundle being focused on game design, your biggest problem may be if you’re not an artist. There’s even a HUGE contest on right now that you can enter! But you need backgrounds, and fast! So what do you do? Game Dev Fort has lots of content including their latest release, the Survival Horror Backgrounds Pack! After all, who doesn’t LOVE zombie games in this day and age?

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If you’re a fan of RPG Maker VX Ace, there are even battleback versions included! So not only can you make an amazing visual novel telling the tale of friends trying to survive in the zombie apocalypse, but there are battlebacks ready to drop right into RPG Maker! There are six sets to explore with a few variations to utilize. Of course, these can be used for anything you can dream up! So go wild! It doesn’t have to be Zombies. Maybe animals all around the world have been acting strange for some unknown reason… I watch too much TV.

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“Whoa!” You say, “That’s pretty pricy for just some backgrounds isn’t it?” Well, you need to take this with context. These assets are royalty free! You buy it, you own it to use in your game (or games, go nuts, make a couple!) So what are you waiting for? Get these assets and get making a game! Need software? Get on Humble Bundle right now for the Humble Game Making Bundle which has just under seven days left!

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Did I mention I made these assets? Probably should. Honesty and all.

If you missed it above, this pack can be purchased at Game Dev Fort!
It’s the Survival Horror Backgrounds Pack.


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