This is the first post about Abscure's colorful puzzle-platformer, Propel. In this first post I will discuss something different- I'll talk about the marketing effort me and Christian put together, to try and get this game noticed.
Something I've always struggled with is getting my games noticed. With Ruined, it was designed for YoYoGames' Competition05. Which meant that we'd automatically get the attention of that community. And that was what happened, even though it didn't win. It got attention, because of the competition alone.
Beyond Ruined, we just used different forums to promote our games. And when we were finish Propel, it was important to get it out there in the public. It was important because sometimes I feel like if no one plays the games we make, it's pointless. Maybe that's sad, maybe that's true. Anyway, we decided to make a mass email to publishers containing a PDF and a special download that has all of the levels and everything unlocked in the game.
Email we sent to reviewers:
Hello [insert name here],
[insert compliment here]. I'm an indie developer, and I have a game that I think you'd be interested to check out. Below is a link to a reviewer copy of the game, and some information. I hope you can find some time in your busy schedule to give that a download.
Download: [censored] Username: [censored] Password: [oh, totally censored. no way we'd let you see this]
Thanks in advance!
There you have it. Actually, "mass email" is the wrong way to say it. We each individually emailed each website. Sites like Jay Is Games, TIGSource, and many others. For each site, we added a special individualization. We used reciprocity. So, for example, here's how I would write to myself. "Hello Ethan and Christian, I'm a big fan of your website. Your game Ruined is awesome, and I love how you incorporated its art into the design of your site."
In my opinion, Propel looks good enough to get attention.
In my example, if I were reading this, I would immediately be attracted to this person. I mean... I'd think, "I'll bet this guy has great taste." And then I'd read on.
And then they'd download the file. The ZIP includes the EXE and PDF. The PDF was really cool. Christian put it all together and made it look pretty, and included graphics from the game and screenshots. I wrote all the text. The text was really stupid.
And the PDF went a little something like this:
Remember the old days of videogames? When you could only play games in arcades, shoveling quarter after quarter into a machine? Well, I don't. In fact I wasn't born then. But that doesn't mean I don't know what makes an arcade game a GOOD arcade game.
Let me introduce you to Propel, a new arcade-style game from Abscure Games, the guys who brought you… a lot of games you probably have never heard of. But pretty soon, we will be known because of this very game. Hopefully. Maybe. Sorry if that sounds cocky.
Okay, on to the good stuff. Propel is a game that is similar to a platformer. You move across a screen, left and right, up and down, to get to a goal. The catch? You can’t jump. That’s right. You must maneuver yourself by manipulating gravity. When you hit an arrow, you move in the direction of that arrow, and some arrows will change gravity. Others will give you the boost you need to compensate for lack of jumping.
That’s the basic gameplay of Propel. The game has 25 levels, and each has a collectable. Collectables, as well as beating levels, will unlock… unlockables. The unlockables are completely secret. But I’ll let you guys in on the secret. And in your version, everything is already unlocked. First, there’s the level editor. Then, there’s an arcade mode. And you can’t forget the inverted graphical mode.
You might also notice the cool graphics. People are really weird, and for some reason, they think games are more fun when they look cool. That’s weird because games are essentially behavioral psychology, just a sequence of rewards and punishments. The graphics don’t really have much to do with it.
Well, I’m honestly running out of things to say. I guess it’s time to reveal my intentions. I want you to give me… ONE BILLION DOLLARS. Just kidding.* It would actually be really cool if you guys could give Propel a review on your site. I know, I know. You get a ton of requests do this kind of stuff… yeah. I know. It’d be great if you could do my team and I the favor of responding to this by emailing back. Thanks. Oh, and thanks so much for taking the time to read this and play the game.
*The one billion dollar request is still an option.
That's it. It's a little cheesy, a little stupid. A lot of crap. I imagine people just looked at the pictures, or just played the game.
On to the fun part. Eventually, people actually responded. Let me tell you, getting an email back that is some sort of "yes" letter is the best feeling ever. I was so happy. I'm not going to break down all of the traffic and all of the places that reviewed the site. But it was awesome, and a total and complete success.
Here's what's we did right in our PR campaign thing:
• The reciprocal introduction. (Hello, [insert name here], [insert compliment here].) • Not sending a mass email. (could get detected as SPAM) • Unlocking everything. • Sending it to a lot of review sites. • Making the PDF look pretty. Appearance is everything!
In the future I plan on trying to duplicate this success. Should be fun.
The title of this blog post might be a little misguiding, because I am not explaining the difference between challenging and frustration. I'm writing this blog post not because I am telling you how to handle this balance act between the two sides of the difficulty spectrum.
I'm writing this blog post because I need your help (yes, you).
As a kid, I really didn't think about what I liked about gameplay. I liked games because I liked the atmosphere, and because I was a kid, the plotlines entertained me. Plus, I liked being in control.
But now, as a game designer, I wish I thought about that. Because I'll be honest. I don't play (mainstream) games anymore (I do however kill time by playing indie games. Go indie games!).
Anyway, here's the problem. I don't know how to make games challenging, as opposed to frustrating. Before we go any further, I want to tell you what I mean when I use these two terms (every time you see me say these two things, just replace the words with these explanations).
Challenging- A generally positive sensation that occurs when skills are tested, pushing one to a higher level of ability. Usually reinforces (makes the player want to play more of the game).
Frustrating- A generally negative sensation that occurs when skill is seemingly uninvolved, making one feel as if the outcome of the game is out of their hands. Usually punishes (makes the player want to stop playing the game).
Yes, those are my interpretations of the words. Not a definition, obviously. I tried my best. Anyway, I know what you're thinking. "If you can come up with two separate definitions, then that means you know what the difference is.
In theory, yes. I know what the on-paper difference between the two terms are. However, in practice, I do not know how to make my games challenging. Essentially, I always get feedback that my games are frustrating. Let me give you an example.
I recently worked as a level designer with Pinpickle on our game Propel. We sent the finished version off to a lot of indie review sites and such. The graphics and music were well-received. The gameplay? The word "frustrating" was probably the most used phrase in every review! To get the best idea of this, it's probably best to play the game. If you don't want to do that, just know this. It involves a lot of brain-twisting gravity switches, split-second decisions and quick reflexes. We thought this was a good idea. I still do, kind of.
Doesn't this take skill? How come this can be described as the "f" word? That's where you come in. How could I make something like this skillful and challenging as opposed to annoying?
So, I need your help. I need your expertise. I'm all ears. I just want to learn.
A while back I blogged about a demo for a game I've been working on - Propel. A good three months later I finally finished those last touches to the game, for two of those months I was very occupied and that's why it's taken so long to get this out.
In Propel you must utilize the different powerful arrows that will change your gravity or give you a boost (or both). Twenty five different levels each with their own collectable is what you will get, and plenty of unlockables.
One of the main differences from the demo is the level editor. Once unlocked in game (not very difficult to do), it has a comprehensive way to put all of the features available in game and a few more.
If you make a level, upload it and post it as a comment here. You may just get a mention on the Propel page.
In the last post, Ethan wrote about our upcoming games. One of them being a stylish arcadey remake of The Fall Game, called Propel. We've rushed development a little and have presented the game almost complete, with all of its original 25 levels. In future there will be unlockables and a level editor with nifty features like level storing and locking, and coming with a few new extra levels.
But for now, we have the unfinished version which you can download from here.
It has been a while since you’ve seen a post on the blog, and for that, I apologize. But that’s just what happens when you’re busy at work; and we have been working hard on new content that you’re sure to love. This post will quickly summarize two games in words, and then you'll get what you really want- screenshots!
The World Within
In the post below, you can see that we have been working on this first project for a while now. It is about a man who goes on an adventure to discover a balance between his professional life and his social life (or lack thereof). This platformer will allow players to travel through a variety of worlds, meeting a quirky collection of characters. Here's a few screenshots:
Propel
This game looks like no other game here on Abscure. However, it is in fact a new and improved version of The Fall Game (currently available on our Games page). This revamped project does not only give the graphics a touch-up, but it adds many new levels, and more (you'll have to wait to see what we mean by "more"). On to the screenshots:
Thanks for reading (or just looking at screenshots, it's fine by me.) You will see these two projects out sometime, hopefully sooner rather than later. Oh, I almost forgot! Abscure recently made itself a Twitter page, so be sure to follow us! Look to the sidebar for more information.
This is the blog for Abscure's development team. Here we post about upcoming things for Abscure, or any old thoughts that pass through our head. Check us out at our website.
In my opinion, Propel looks good enough to get attention. 
In Propel you must utilize the different powerful arrows that will change your gravity or give you a boost (or both). Twenty five different levels each with their own collectable is what you will get, and plenty of unlockables.
