Speaking with a Creator: Game Dev Catt Small

We’ve just come right out of Black History Month, and we’re right into Women’s History Month. What a wonderful time to spotlight more creators in the nerdy and tech spaces! I wanted to interview someone very active and inspiring in the indie gaming scene, and a creator who quickly came to mind was Catt Small. She is a Black game developer from Brooklyn, known for putting together the Game Devs of Color Expo, Code Liberation, and speaking about diversity in the games industry.

Although she is very busy, I was able to get a bit of her time to ask her some questions. Check out the interview after the jump!

via Geeks Under Grace

Web Crush Wednesdays: Sketchy Panda Games and Aberford

One word that gets thrown around a lot these days is “aesthetic”. And really, it’s an important word to signify appreciating the look of a certain era or mood without necessarily glorifying the other things about it. The best example of this is the American 50’s aesthetic; with its malt shops, leather jackets, and sock hops. It’s a cornucopia of neat stylistic things, but it comes with some extremely poor politics and social standards. I, myself, am a fan of this aesthetic (as well as dunking the prejudices that happened during this era in the trash), which is why I’m excited to bring you my web crush today, even if I may have missed the boat in some respects.

The Need for Women and People of Color Coding

With February ending, Black History Month is also coming to an end. But March brings us Women’s History Month! Like a broken record, I’ll say, representation matters. (The changing of these months, though, should remind us to keep intersectionality in mind as well.) This repeated mantra may feel a bit stale without a solution to the question: how can we get better representation in our games and media? One answer would be to diversify the creative forces. Today, I want to talk about some of the efforts to improve this deficiency.

via Code Liberation

Score One for the Little Guy: Super Hexagon Rocks

was released for iPhone and iPad on Thursday, and it has drastically outperformed even its developer’s expectations. Having picked it up on Saturday and spent most of Sunday and this morning playing, I have to say it’s no surprise. Super Hexagon is a pure delight to play.

Though I love and play a great deal of games, it still is not often that I find myself smiling broadly from the sheer enjoyment of the experience. Super Hexagon achieves this with its flowing gameplay, simple visuals, and an astounding soundtrack. When you first start, losses come easily in the first several seconds, but you’re right back into it for another try with a simple tap of the screen. This means that the game can feature a steep learning curve and offer extremely challenging experiences without ever breaking the flow of the game. For those who don’t know, the term ‘flow’ in relation to gaming refers to when a players state of mind is fully engaged and focused on the game while fully enjoying. Basically, it means “in the zone.” Thus, a game which “flows” successfully facilitates this state in the player. The gameplay is so simple that it’s nearly impossible to explain, as even these screenshots tend not to help you understand. It’s a basic game of survival by dodging. You see an obstacle moving toward you, and you must move out of the way before it strikes you. Games of this type are nothing new, but Super Hexagon’s use of polygonal themes, catchy chiptunes (by Chipzel), and beautiful color palette set it apart. Such powerful music and colors could easily be overwhelming, but fortunately the music is tasteful and the color schemes pleasant.

Super Hexagon was developed by Terry Cavanagh, the indie developer genius behind VVVVVV. I can say genius because Marcus “Notch” Persson , member of Mensa and creator of Minecraft, lists Cavanagh as one of his idols. Cavanagh’s games tend to be reminiscent of those older gaming machines whose power was measured in bits, but they still always work in new and interesting ways.

Having already sold over 10,000 units, Super Hexagon is sure to keep me and many others smiling for quite some time to come. If you’ve got an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad, this is a game you should definitely pick up.