So now you are into cart life, Bandini?

A room in a motel

Arturo Bandini smuggled in his cat. Eating, sleeping, smoking – that’s his day. Occasionally, random attempts at getting something done.

Money problemsHumans are met, some bound is formed and immediately broken. Arthur recently changed his name, to confuse creditors. Now he’s called Andrus Poder, and pretends to be working at a newspaper stand.

Only friend, the cat

Here are John Fante’s works, and here is an interview with Cart Life author, Richard Hofmeier. The two inhabit the same hallucinated and deeply realistic world, just in a slightly different time and media.

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Italy towards election day: Italian indies react pronto

Election game

As Italy is getting close to an uncertain election day in troubled times, Italian indie game scene – which is quickly getting more and more lively – releases a series of short games on the theme. The games can all be found here, but be warned: both introduction and contents are only in Italian.

The game we review below is an exception both because it has an English presentation page and because it attempts to go beyond political mockery (which, don’t get me wrong, is already a non trivial task for a game released for a jam).

The Wrong Lizard

The Wrong Lizard game by Urustar  allows a very short gameplay, still the current indecision of Italian voters and the uncertainties of an arrested-development society are very well represented – a non trivial task. Environment and gameplay are Pedercini styled, and there is a well integrated soundtrack. In its minimalism, I consider this a small gem.

The game is in Italian only, but it is presented in a site in English. An English version is coming soon.

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Applying for a job in videogames. Signed: Leonardo da Vinci

Dear Sirs,

I am hereby applying for all positions in your company.

For game narrative and scripting, you should check my theatrical pieces. Today you can also see theater pieces using my writings.

battiloroFor programming, I actually used it extensively. Like for my machine for thinning gold, it can be programmed for any sequence of movements in a two dimensional space.

File:Peter Paul Ruben's copy of the lost Battle of Anghiari.jpg
As general illustrator and for concept research, see my sketches for “Battle of Anghiari”.

On 2D/3D, I did some minor frescoes.

Leonardo’s work in 3D in evidence.

Mona Lisa for videogamesNote that among infinite other crucial discoveries, I invented the use of transparency layers for generating depth effects; I hereby present a version of my Mona Lisa adapted to the aesthetic criteria in use in videogames today.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8aPlGoqu7cI/Tff3msJ1BsI/AAAAAAAAFg0/5AbDzraLna4/s1600/LeonardoFort4.jpg
I also did extensive architectural design of houses, castles, cannon resistant fortifications, so if you are going for a tower defense game, I’m the man.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/407231_265499150243030_1384060791_n.jpg

I also did town map design – actually I was the first to do it applying consistently geometric methods, so in a sense I invented modern cartography. Also consider my bridge over bridge for the Golden Horn

Leonardo project for Golden Horn bridge

Leonardo project for Golden Horn bridge

De Divina Proportione, fine art facsimile edition
For specific game illustration, you should check my work with Luca Pacioli on geometry. I gave him also some advice concerning his chess problems drawings, without great results.

image

As playtester, I contributed most solutions to Luca’s chess study.

 

 

 

 

 

Some malevolent people insinuate that I have some problems shipping in time, but I say that quality will be remembered long after delay has been forgotten.

Finally, if there is any other field of knowledge even remotely connected to your videogame design, I feel I can always give a hand: my knowledge may be slightly outdated but I catch up quickly. More on my works here.

Regards,

Leonardo da Vinci

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Dear Esther review does not go as planned – DAG Pod ep. 4

We reviewed the game Dear Esther in our podcast, with somehow unexpected results:

Design a Game Pod Dear Esther review

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“Poetry does not have readers any more.” Sure?

Dear Esther

Dear Esther: a game? A novel? An experience?

My prayer for an adventure not centered on puzzles has been answered.

The means, the form, is that of a videogame. The experience, is quite unique. [Read more…]

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A trip in Cabrera’s cyphers – DAG Pod 2

Cabrera's CypherSomething that indie game designers are capable of doing is taking unlikely, dead games genres and giving them new life. Cabrera Brothers tried just this by releasing a new text (yes, text) adventure in a new format here:

http://www.cabrerabrothers.com/

We’ve briefly reviewed the game in our podcast here:

Cypher review

Cypher help

(Euro Gamer Podcast episode 2)

 

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10000000 meaningless deaths

overwhelming indifference of nature

Werner Herzog as narrator in Grizzly Man:

And what haunts me is that in all the faces of all the bears that Treadwell ever filmed I discovered no kinship, no understanding, no mercy. I see only the overwhelming indifference of nature.’ [Read more…]

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