I mean ‘changed the world’ is a pretty hefty sentiment. And after reading the book, whilst – inevitably – some games included aren’t my jam, the beautifully written histories, interview snippets, and summaries that sum up the sheer impact of said game on the overall industry is hard to argue with, making this a surprisingly bold – if not definitive - tome on some of the most influential games ever released.
If you aren’t familiar with Bitmap Books, you won’t have come across their incredible packaging, which really sets the tone in terms of quality. The book arrived in a solid, bespoke cardboard parcel, inside which the book is ensconced in tight protective polystyrene cornering and bubble wrap. Needless to say, they always turn up in absolutely pristine condition. A hardback, 50 Indie Games That Changed the World is 450+ pages covering the most vital and quite often literally game-changing releases in the world of independent games.
The cover features a main character from each of the games included here, all bursting forth from the image, around a celebratory, golden ‘50’ that takes centre stage, the backgrounds being cloudy purples and oranges. Gold is a key colour throughout, with the inside front and back pages being a solid gold, as is the page-marker inside, we’ve said it many times here at GF, but this is truly indie gaming gold!
The book begins with a preface by publisher Bitmap Books, laying out the background and purpose of the text. Next up is a foreword from Mike Bithell of Thomas Was Alone fame, which in turn is followed by a lengthier section from the author of 50 Indie Games That Changed the World, Aaron Potter. The next section is – rightfully - the largest of the book, the fifty games themselves, listed in alphabetical order, beginning with 80 Days, and ending with What Remains of Edith Finch.
The layout of the book for this lengthy section follows a similar pattern, with each title being given several pages of dedication, complete with everything from screenshots to box art, and work-in-progress drawings and sketches of characters and locations. Aside from Aaron Potter’s extremely informative and detailed penmanship, there is also key information such as the release date, genre, developer and publisher, and platform availability.
The book ends with a pretty nifty selection of honourable mentions, and quite honestly – these tied up for me some of the titles I felt were possibly missing in the top fifty, making it feel like a pretty comprehensive guide to the most important titles on the indie scene that either took a concept and ran with it like no other, or came up with a whole new perspective on a genre or mechanic.
SUMMARY
As usual, Bitmap Books have released a tome that bleeds quality, with the artwork, editing, writing, presentation, and material quality being the best that it can possibly be. We here at GF have spent over a decade championing indie games, and the passion in this book is almost palpable, a huge recommendation from us to those out there that love the underdog, and who doesn’t?
The cover features a main character from each of the games included here, all bursting forth from the image, around a celebratory, golden ‘50’ that takes centre stage, the backgrounds being cloudy purples and oranges. Gold is a key colour throughout, with the inside front and back pages being a solid gold, as is the page-marker inside, we’ve said it many times here at GF, but this is truly indie gaming gold!
The book begins with a preface by publisher Bitmap Books, laying out the background and purpose of the text. Next up is a foreword from Mike Bithell of Thomas Was Alone fame, which in turn is followed by a lengthier section from the author of 50 Indie Games That Changed the World, Aaron Potter. The next section is – rightfully - the largest of the book, the fifty games themselves, listed in alphabetical order, beginning with 80 Days, and ending with What Remains of Edith Finch.
The layout of the book for this lengthy section follows a similar pattern, with each title being given several pages of dedication, complete with everything from screenshots to box art, and work-in-progress drawings and sketches of characters and locations. Aside from Aaron Potter’s extremely informative and detailed penmanship, there is also key information such as the release date, genre, developer and publisher, and platform availability.
Throughout the pages, you’ll get titbits and interviews from those creative minds behind the game in question, and each section ends with ‘how it changed the world’ which distils the concept, impact and importance of the game into a single paragraph. I daresay that some folks out there will disagree with some inclusions, and will have their own thoughts on other titles overlooked here, so let the discussions begin!
The book ends with a pretty nifty selection of honourable mentions, and quite honestly – these tied up for me some of the titles I felt were possibly missing in the top fifty, making it feel like a pretty comprehensive guide to the most important titles on the indie scene that either took a concept and ran with it like no other, or came up with a whole new perspective on a genre or mechanic.
As usual, Bitmap Books have released a tome that bleeds quality, with the artwork, editing, writing, presentation, and material quality being the best that it can possibly be. We here at GF have spent over a decade championing indie games, and the passion in this book is almost palpable, a huge recommendation from us to those out there that love the underdog, and who doesn’t?
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