So, it’s my birthday and I’ll Tap if I want to.

The IGF article I posted at the beginning of March had a somewhat lengthy preamble which I cut just before publishing. After reading it over again it seems a shame to leave it on the cutting room floor so — after a spot of editing and because I’ve just been given a cup of tea without asking, putting me in a splendid mood, I’ll just quietly post this here and you can make of it …

Beautiful, gripping and powerful. These are all words you wouldn’t associate with Stephen ‘increpare’ Lavelle’s Starfeld, a strange, miniaturised space oddity. I played this a few weeks ago and had a good giggle but after all the talk of RPGs, freedom and linearity here recently it seems only fitting that I throw this one out there now. You Mass Effect players may appreciate the satire here more than I did. I just appreciated the line …

I’ve been reading a lot recently about the nominated finalists and Student Showcase winners for this year’s Independent Games Festival and there looks to be some cracking titles on the way. It’s worth noting that there’s been loads of features across the web on the IGF and this article is by no means an extensive look at the event; just a quick glance at the titles that have piqued my interest. The full listing of …

Having still not plucked the courage up to brave Penumbra: Black Plague, I was pleasantly surprised to see that horror masters, Frictional Games, have released a new and really quite brilliant teaser trailer for their upcoming cack-your-pants-fest, Amnesia: The Dark Descent. I’ve been following their (very interesting) blog for a few months now and this is looking and sounding very promising indeed. If Penumbra: Overture is anything to go by, I’m scared already. Full details …

Hear ye! Hear ye! Spencer Halpin’s 2007 documentary Moral Kombat is currently viewable for free over at Babelgum for a limited period. It highlights the issues surrounding videogame violence from the first amendment and the industry’s freedom of expression through to the implications that it may have on the next generation. I spotted this over at GamePolitics.com and although it covers a lot of familiar ground it’s definitely worth a look if you’ve not seen …

Developer Frictional Games Publisher Frictional Games Released March, 2007 Available for Windows Verdict:  5/5 Gold Star. “If you enjoy adventure games and have a penchant for horror, especially from a first person perspective, I urge you to play this. Overture is a testament to Frictional Games’ understanding of horror and while it has a few flaws, it’s a spine-tingling experience unlike any other. Just make sure you play it alone with the volume up and …

I think this could be one of the most important games I’ve ever played and it took me completely by surprise. Developed by Paolo Pedercini in six days for the Experimental Gameplay Project, Every Day the Same Dream demonstrates beautifully how interactivity can communicate certain concepts every bit as effectively as linear media, perhaps even more so. I noticed it a few weeks ago but haven’t really had a chance to post about it. So …

A couple of days ago I posted up a link to Life is Hard, a short satirical flash platformer that had me chuckling away for a good few minutes. My girlfriend was at work when I spotted it so she didn’t get a chance to give it a whirl. Anyway, yesterday while I was at work Hazy popped up on Gmail and I pointed her over here to check out the game (and my first …

I was going to save my first post for something more substantial, something epic but spotted this over at RPS and couldn’t resist sharing it. As Jim Rossignol mentioned it’s not worth explaining simply because it takes less than a minute from start to finish unless you’ve got a crap connection like me in which case about ten. If you liked this then you should go and check out The Gutter and You Only Live …