Computer Worlds is a showcase for indie computer games whose distinctiveness would make it hard for them to reach their audience. In the words of Gil Lawson, the brain behind the showcase:
There’s something happening that I want to tell you about.
For the last few years, game studios across the world have been getting downsized and demolished. Massive, expensive AAA games are being met with disinterest and dispassion on release, and the culture around games has been choked by algorithm driven feeds and collapsing forum for public conversation. The mood has been a little grim.
In spite of that, though, there is a growing movement of developers often often working alone around very small teams, making beautiful, fun, strange, distinctive games that find large, enthusiastic audiences on release.
In a moment where both independent developers and massive teams are trying to hedge their bets and play it safe, these developers are swinging for the fences and finding that’s what people want to play.
Those people and those games don’t always have the easiest time finding one another though. The games press has been gutted, there’s almost no infrastructure left for curation and criticism, and even publishers don’t know how to publicize a game today.
If you want play a game in a specific genre, there’s probably a steam tag for that, but if you’re looking to play a game that is specifically distinctive and unique and unlike anything else, it can be hard to know where to start.
I don’t think it should be that hard. So I reached out to a number of other developers working in this vein, and we did something about it ourselves. I’m very excited to show it to you. It’s called Computer Worlds.
Please, take a peek for yourself! There is a treasure trove of cool games in here, including something that will probably become your personal GOTY for the coming year.
Aielman15@lemmy.world 1 hour ago
All the games featured in the showcase are part of a Steam Event: bit.ly/computerworlds