Końcówka była hardcorowa. Tak zażartej walki o miejsca w finałowej 15-tce nie spodziewał się żaden z jurorów. O wygranej jednych i przegranej drugich zaważyły setne i dziesiętne! Ostatnie godziny głosowania na zgłoszone do konkursu Indie Basement 2.0 gry to walka nerwów w gronie twórców oraz spory stres i rozterki wśród członków międzynarodowego jury. Dominik Głowacki i przewodniczący zespołu sędziowskiego Johannes Wadin nie mieli łatwego zadania, bowiem w wyścigu o dwa miejsca w finale prześcigały się nieustannie cztery idące łeb w łeb produkcje. Po wielu analizach, TOP 15 konkursu Indie Basement 2.0 przybrało ostateczną formę:

• Beyond Space
• CATDAMMIT!
• CAVE! CAVE! DEUS VIDET
• Createrria
• Darkwood
• Daymare Town 4
• Duma Szlachecka
• Ninja Cat And Zombie Dinosaurs Power Pack
• oO
• Race to Mars
• Spoiler Alert
• Star Horizon
• Superhot
• Volt
• Warlocks

Kolejność najlepszych gier konkursu Indie Basement 2.0 jest alfabetyczna. Już niebawem ujawnimy nominacje w poszczególnych kategoriach. Twórcy finałowych gier zawalczą o następujące nagrody: licencję UNITY PRO, polską i angielską lokalizację gry ufundowaną przez mocap.pl, pakiet wartości 1500zł na udźwiękowienie swojej produkcji od firmy SoundIT, tablety Pentagram Quadra 7 Ultra Slim oraz słuchawki Plantronics. Jeśli chcesz poznać zwycięzców, którym nasza redakcja ufunduje pamiątkową statuetkę i dyplomy, przyjedź na retro imprezę Pixel Heaven 2014 do Warszawy już 31 maja 1 czerwca! To właśnie tam odbędzie się wystawa gier i uroczysta ceremonia wręczenia nagród z udziałem 1ndie World i jurorów!

—- u p d a t e —-

W zeszłym tygodniu po długich naradach wyłoniliśmy wreszcie finałową 15-tkę największego w Polsce konkursu dla twórców niezależnych Indie Basement 2.0. Dziś mamy dla Was kolejną istotną informację – jury wybrało nominacje w kategoriach. Ogłoszoną w materiałach promocyjnych kategorię Fresh Air zastąpiła kategoria Best Art. Już 1 czerwca w Warszawie podczas Pixel Heaven 2014 odbędzie się uroczysta ceremonia wręczenia nagród z udziałem jurorów, redakcji 1ndie World, organizatorów eventu Dominika Głowackiego i Roberta Łapińskiego oraz sponsorów. Wówczas też dowiemy się, która z finałowych gier wygrała nagrodę Grand Prix i miano najlepszej gry konkursu Indie Basement 2.0! Poniżej znajdziecie nominacje: #BEST GAMEPLAY

• Spoiler Alert
• oO
• CATDAMMIT!
• SUPERHOT
• Darkwood
• Volt

#BEST ART

• CAVE! CAVE!
• Star Horizon
• Daymare Town 4
• CATDAMMIT!
• Warlocks
• Darkwood
• Beyond Space

#BEST SOUND

• Beyond Space
• Volt
• Star Horizon
• CATDAMMIT!
• Darkwood

#BEST STORY

• CAVE! CAVE!
• Daymare Town 4

Wszystkim finalistom redakcja 1ndie World życzy powodzenia!

There are a lot of game developers out there, but few have achieved the cult following and widespread popularity of Mateusz Skutnik. From the post-apocalyptic tale of The Fog Fall to the simple yet oh-so-stylish puzzling of his charming 10 Gnomes games, Mateusz has taken players around the world on memorable point-and-click adventures, to say nothing of his smash-hit ten year series of Submachine games. It’s hard to believe he gets any time off at all… just one month after the first Submachine game, he released Submachine Remix, which dramatically expanded upon the original. Since 2005, he’s made or been involved in the creation of a staggering amount of free online games, to the point where it isn’t officially the New Year until he’s released a new installment of his Where Is… ? series to ring it in. Just lately, he’s agreed to work on a very special project for us, an escape game just for JayisGames, but then, he’s always working on something special, from comics to tutorials, to special HD versions of the games people love. What’s your favourite Mateusz Skutnik game? What was the first one you ever played? Do you like them whimsical… or just a little freaky? What’s your favourite thing about them… what makes, for you, a Mateusz game, a Mateusz game?

A big focus of your games is usually story and setting. Is there any sort of story genre that you haven’t tried yet but have always wanted to?


Not really. I’m not looking at genres while writing a story. Often when I write… I don’t know what will come out of it. The readers and players determine whether that thing that I did is cute or disturbingly fascinating. That concerns mostly graphics, but story as well. Long story short, I don’t know in what genres I operate. I don’t know what genres I’m missing here.

Few people actually think about or understand the time, effort, and talent that goes into creating the games they play online for free. What is the process like in creating the average point-and-click adventure you make?

60% is thinking, imagining, writing, going through the game in my head. Another 30% is drawing everything. 5% is programming and the last 5% is all other stuff, like engine integration, implementing sound effects, music, debugging, beta-testing, releasing…

Submachine recently released its ninth installment… and has been going on for nine years to boot! Has the series changed direction or vision significantly since you first began, or have you always had a specific storyline in mind?

No, of course not. When first one came out I didn’t even have a plan for a sequel. But the overwhelming popularity of this game dictated that it turned into series which is now closing to a ten-year run. I have a not-so-clear vision of the entire plot, but creating each installment is shaping the game to its final state. And with that, the overall story as well. I had a rather clear idea about how the series will end by the time Submachine 5 was released, but how we’d get there… I had no clue. Now, after Submachine 9 we know.

Out of all the different settings and storylines you’ve worked with and created over the years, is there any one in particular that you find the hardest to work with, or the easiest? Something that just “comes to you”, while another you might find yourself really puzzling over how to proceed with it?

For me there’s no such thing as a setting that’s hard to work with. I don’t struggle with my games, I let them flow, my games are like a river, they take the easiest path to the sea. It’s about floating alongside that river. It’s kind of hard to explain, but that work that I do while creating games isn’t really “a work”… it’s more like drawing my comic books. If I don’t feel good while creating… I just don’t do it.

Most of the Submachine games have a very distinctive approach to puzzle solving and exploration. What’s most challenging about coming up with puzzles that fit their environment and are often something the player needs to experiment with to understand, without going overboard to the point where the design gets too obscure?

I always had a fixed answer to that question, which is… I don’t know. But the more I think about it, the more I know there’s more to it. I think that’s because I, myself, am an average gamer. I probably wouldn’t be able to solve a Submachine game if it wasn’t me who made it. So I’m just pushing the puzzle design right out of my reach, and that’s that golden spot, not too hard, not too simple, just average enough.

Have you ever thought about creating a game in something other than flash, such as Unity or HTML5?

I have, and we did. We, as in Pastel Games. But that didn’t go so well for us. However, I’ll probably be moving away from flash-based games starting from 2015, I’m thinking about creating a game that I’d be able to put on Steam. But that’s distant future, right now I have a series to finish. I can’t abandon my players who’ve been waiting almost 10 years for the resolution in Submachine series (What, pressure? No, no pressure at all…).

Finally, you have a lot of different multipart games you’ve been working on over the years. Do you have anything new you’re thinking about starting, or are you planning to focus on the stories and games you’ve already got going?

No, no new series for now. I’m saving that for something completely different, big and bold and sparkling new that I’d be able to put on Steam and earn a pot of gold. Meanwhile wrapping up the flash-based part of my life, I’m creating HD remakes of my best games, which are available in my store.

Why play it?

The Daymare Town series is instantly recognizable due to Mateusz Skutnik’s sketchy artstyle. Skutnik makes particularly good use of heavy lines to add presence to the darker corners of the eponymous town, suggesting a sinister belly lies just underneath the sunny disposition. He’s especially talented in giving tangibility to the hard textures of architecture. It gives the buildings a life and history of their own — a blank wall is never just that — which is very important as you’ll be staring at them a lot.

Throughout each of the games is an unsettingly quietness, as if something is watching you, and doing its best to keep out-of-sight. That said, sometimes you will meet the inhabitants of the town and soon wish you hadn’t. They’re fond of staring, moving around behind your back, and working against your intentions. But who can blame them? It’s you who has walked in on their turf during their personal time.

The Daymare Town series is worth playing for the eerie ambiance and peculiar architecture that you’re left to fumble with; finding hidden passages, mechanisms, notes stuffed in holes. I particularly love learning how the strange, esoteric objects you find connect with the environment, or their significance to their owners.

There are some rough spots where a solution to a puzzle isn’t as obvious as it should be, but that’s easy to glean over due to the coalescence of art, puzzles, and mystery.

Chris Priestman

Meanwhile, in Daymare Town. Graphics got updated, sounds got enriched and expanded, long story short, this game just got HD-fied and thus 100% cooler. Click on the picture to get it and own it forever and ever.
We’re just one step away from having a full Daymare Town bundle of all games.

Ze wszystkich stron oglądasz trzymane w ręku urządzenie. Coś jakby pilot, mocno nadgryziony zębem czasu… Ma miejsce na osiem klawiszy, ale tylko siedem z nich tkwi na swoim miejscu. Z głupia frant naciskasz dowolny z nich…

…i czujesz, że coś się wydarzyło. Coś się zmieniło.

Ty? Świat dokoła? Niby żadnych zmian nie widać. Ale jednak… Hm, a może jedynie w miejscu, w którym stoisz, nie jesteś w stanie zauważyć żadnej różnicy?
Mateusz Skutnik, twórca wszystkich części „Submachine”, informował jeszcze przed premierą, że dziewiąta odsłona cyklu, „The Temple”, jest ponad dwukrotnie większa od części poprzedniej („The Plan”) – pierwszej, której wersję offline HD można było także kupić. „Świątynia” jest droższa od „Planu” – $5 w miejsce $2 – niemniej nie ma się nad czym dłużej zastanawiać: jest to kwota niewielka, produkt jest wart swej ceny (otrzymujemy zipa z wersją na PC, Maca oraz empetrójki z podkładem muzycznym), a polskie produkcje wspierać trzeba.

Gry z cyklu „Submachine” polegają na wędrówce po dziwnych miejscach (w dużej mierze statyczne kadry, nawigacja po bokach ekranu), na których należy odnajdywać przeróżne przedmioty, a następnie (najczęściej w innych miejscach) je używać. Nic skomplikowanego, o ile ma się w miarę dobry wzrok i ochotę na rozwiązywanie prostych zagadek logicznych. Tajemnicą sukcesu tych gier (uznawane są za najlepsze w swej kategorii w wielu obcojęzycznych portalach) jest nastrój. Skutnik na potrzeby gry wykreował Tajemnicę i teraz konsekwentnie ją rozwija. Tajemnica zyskała uznanie wśród fanów z całego świata, których zaangażowanie nie tylko dało sens tworzenia gier-światów pobocznych (jak „Submachine Universe”), ale przede wszystkim umożliwiło uniezależnienie się od kaprysów portali-sponsorów.

Scenerią dziewiątej odsłony gry są podziemia (początkowo akcja dzieje się na powierzchni) południowoazjatyckiej świątyni. Twórca wplótł w kadry architektoniczno-religijny mix tamtejszych okolic, niemniej mowa jest przede wszystkim (nie licząc tajemniczego głównego bohatera, Murtaugha) o Sziwie. Jest to też pierwsza gra, w której Murtaugha można dotknąć… Nie chcąc zdradzać szczegółów fabuły, a chcąc pozostawić graczom przyjemność odkrywania pomysłów autora, pozostaje jedynie dodać, że przejście gry do jej zakończenia bynajmniej nie oznacza… końca gry. Ba, niektóre lokacje czy przedmioty są dostępne dopiero wtedy! Ale uwaga: do niektórych miejsc, po przejściu do końca, nie da się wejść powtórnie. Dlatego warto każdą sekcję spenetrować bardzo dokładnie, nim się przejdzie do kolejnej (każdej wieloekranowej sekcji towarzyszy inny zapętlony ambientowy podkład muzyczny). Oczywiście, czasami element znaleziony w sekcji Y trzeba zastosować wracając do sekcji X…

„Świątynia” kończy się zapowiedzią ciągu dalszego, czyli części dziesiątej. Czekamy z niecierpliwością… i obawą, bo jej zapowiadany tytuł to „The Exit”.

autor: Wojciech Gołąbowski.

Guia de Submachine 9 The Temple:

– derecha 4 veces, coge una palanca
– usa la palanca en la ranura y muevela …
– izquierda, entra en el edificio, derecha 3 veces, coge una jarra
– izquierda 5 veces, usa la jarra en el caño de la fuente …
– derecha, entra, derecha 2 veces, usa la jarra en el cuenco … coge el engranaje verde
– izquierda, entra, usa la jarra en el cuenco … coloca el engranaje, muevelo …
– izquierda 14 veces, mueve la barra de la izquierda …
– sube, derecha, coge el escarabajo
– izquierda, abajo, derecha, coloca el escarabajo en la ranura … coge la parte de una llave
– izquierda, sube, izquierda, usa la jarra en el cuenco … mueve la barra verde …
– sube, izquierda, coge la otra parte de la llave, juntalas, usa la llave en el panel …
– baja, izquierda, fijate en el panel de la pared, selecciona el IIIION del inventario … los botones activan el artefacto de la sala, pulsa el tercer boton de la izquierda … coge la llave
– coloca la llave en el panel
– izquierda, coge el cuenco
– abajo, derecha 2 veces, abre levanta la tapa del cuenco, coge una esfera, luego usa la jarra en el cuenco … coge el engranaje verde
– derecha, coge la llave del suelo
– izquierda 3 veces, sube, derecha 2 veces, coloca el cuenco en la caja y usa la jarra …
– sube, derecha 2 veces, usa la llave en la caja, coge la pieza #1
– izquierda 2 veces, abajo, izquierda 2 veces, abajo, derecha, fijate en la escalera detras de la cortina …
– baja, izquierda 3 veces, click en el agujero de la pared … coge la pieza #2
– sal del agujero, derecha 7 veces, coge la pieza #3
– izquierda, selecciona el IIIION, pulsa el boton inferior de la izquierda …
– usa la jarra en el pedestal … selecciona el IIION, pulsa el segundo boton de la derecha, usa la jarra en el cuenco … selecciona el IIION, pulsa el primer boton de la izquierda, pulsa la palanca
– izquierda 4 veces, baja, derecha, coge una piedra alargada
– izquierda, sube, izquierda, coloca la piedra en el panel …
– sube, coge la pieza #4
– baja, derecha, baja, izquierda 3 veces, coge la llave
– derecha, selecciona el IIION, pulsa el boton inferior derecho … coloca las piezas en el panel …
– baja, izquierda, coge un ojo de la escultura
– derecha 4 veces, baja 2 veces, coge un caliz
– sube, izquierda 3 veces, sube, derecha 4 veces, entra por la ventana, coloca el caliz en la barra, usa la jarra
– derecha 5 veces, baja por el agujero, derecha 3 veces, usa la llave, muevela …
– izquierda 3 veces, sube, derecha, sube, izquierda, coge el ojo de la escultura
– derecha, abajo, izquierda, abajo, derecha, selecciona el IIION, pulsa el primer boton de la derecha … coloca el engranaje en el circulo
– izquierda 3 veces, baja 4 veces, izquierda 6 veces, coge un cuenco
– derecha, baja por el agujero, izquierda 4 veces, sube, derecha, abre la botella y usa la jarra … coge el engranaje verde
– izquierda, entra en la cripta, click en el ataud, coloca un ojo en la ranura … coge la moneda dorada
– atras, derecha, usa la jarra en el cuenco de la estatua … pulsa el circulo para transportarte… abre la radio, coge una llave … transportarte
– izquierda, atras, baja por el agujero, derecha 4 veces, sube, derecha 5 veces, sube la escalera 4 veces, derecha 3 veces, selecciona el IIION, pulsa el tercer boton de la izquierda … coloca el engranaje verde en el circulo … pulsa el tercer boton de la derecha … coge la valvula
– izquierda 3 veces, baja 4 veces, derecha, coloca la moneda dorada en la maquina
– derecha 2 veces, usa la llave en el panel circular
– derecha 3 veces, entra en la cripta, izquierda, coloca la esfera en el circulo inferior … transportate
– derecha, coge la cuerda
– izquierda, transportate, derecha, click en el ataud, usa el ojo … coge la moneda dorada
– atras 2 veces, izquierda 5 veces, coloca la moneda en la maquina y baja las 2 palancas
– izquierda 2 veces, baja por la trampilla, coloca la valvula y girala … usa la cuerda
– baja … derecha 4 veces, selecciona el IIIION, pulsa el segundo boton de la izquierda … transportate
– baja la palanca del panel de control … coge 3 gemas
– transportate, izquierda, selecciona el IIIION, pulsa el primer boton de la derecha, luego coloca una gema en la ranura y pulsa el segundo boton de la derecha, coloca otra gema y pulsa el tercer boton de la derecha, coloca la tercera gema
– izquierda, coge un boton
– en el inventario, combina el boton con el IIIION
– selecciona el IIION, pulsa el boton …
– izquierda 9 veces, pulsa el circulo …

nota.- el juego tiene 5 secretos, puedes continuar y buscarlos (una de ellos esta en la estatua de una vaca, pero antes tienes que bajar la palanca de otra vaca, diviértete)

SUBMACHINE 9 REVIEW

You all know this is coming… The beginning of the end. Submachine 9: the Temple, the penultimate chapter of the legendary Submachine series crafted by Mateusz Skutnik is only a fingertip away from the click of our mouse, tugging at the minds of all who yearn to see the story coming to full circle. And came to (almost) full circle, the story does while also blowing, shattering, and vaporizing all of our doors right off the hinges with some absolute shockers of gameplay and plot twists. Submachine 9 make no apologies with what it sets out to do while leaving us cowering in prospects of our doom, knowing that the entire main series will end soon.

With styles.

—————————

GRAPHIC

Once more, with feelings. Our old song and dance. Again and again, no beginning nor end like the haunting Loop. After the last two jaw-dropping entries that entranced the PNC worlds with their revelatory styles has Mateusz once more enticing everyone with his impressive mastery over art directions. This time around in Submachine 9, the ethereal sci-fi-inspired designs were exchanged for the mystical, spiritual, and religious architectures. Stones wedged within the walls and floors, cracks and growths littered their surfaces, totem and statues and ornaments and the likes sitting in open and corners, taunting and teasing our inquisitive curiosity. The entire Temple are rife with the remnants of ancient times, falling victim(?) as another part of Submachine’s mysteriously abandoned locations.

While such decision may be quite odd given how heavily interwind the series is with many science fiction tropes, the choices are rather inspired and fitting given the nature of the game itself for a few very good reasons I dare not to mention here. Each areas outside and inside the Temple are vividly haunting, serene, and menacing, appropriately given the atmosphere that the entire areas are of sacred value and not to be desecrated. Even many of the series’s hallmark difficult puzzles are crafted as if they’re part of the Temple’s ornaments and are gorgeous to look and interact with. Even the entire architecture serves immensely to the plot as you will find out why while descending deeper into its never-ending abyss.

The only criticism leveled against the game is that some of the main levels are too similar in term of design and construction, though they’re smartly differ from each other by uses of various elements and puzzles to keep you from being too lost in its labyrinth layout. Submachine 9 might delights or disappoints you depending on your preference of art styles, but it will leave you satisfied with how gorgeous the Temple is.

Score: 9.8/10

—————————

SOUND

Your ears will bleed in happiness for the acoustic and soundtrack of Submachine 9 are phenomenal. Not only the entire soundtrack ranks against the likes of series’ best in Sub_2, 4, 7, and 8, it could very well be the very best in series. The tunes continue the proud traditions of evoking ominously haunting and oppressive atmosphere, fitting so perfectly within the style of locations, and being marvelously memorable. What made this installment special is how extremely fitting the soundtrack is within the sequence of game and the emotions of plot so efficiently as the tunes blare and beat perfectly with your awes and shocks and dread.

Even the tunes are delight to listen as they are full of characters and also perfectly fits the style of the entire Temple. The richness and quality of soundtrack made itself into a unique kind of beast all of its own that elevates the whole game convincingly against the other critical darlings in its own series.

Thumpmonks has outdid themselves once again.

Score: 10/10

—————————

PLOT

You know those sounds raging across the internet lately?

MINDS BEING BLOWN.

Who knew that chasing after Murtaugh and Liz would reach toward something like this? Being the penultimate installment of the main series, Submachine 9 wastes no time revealing itself to answer many of our tantalizing questions and creating several new ones. At long last, the entire plot of Submachine are starting to be made clear, starting with a lone and seemly inconsequential note back in Submachine 1: the Basement. Details being scrounged and analyzed, theories are shattered and validated, and revelations being digested and debated. Submachine 9 absolutely leave almost no stones unturned, ambitious in its quest to make sure we know exactly or subtly what has happened, what are happening, and what will happens in Submachine 10: the Exit.

The only small criticism that some people may have against the game is that the story told in Submachine 9 has made the Submachine 7’s excitingly active plot rather pointless. Heck, they may feel that the entire series has slammed its brake and did a disservice to its own tale. In my personal opinions, I enjoyed the plot for what it is. While I may lament that the main plot may be neatly wrapped up as it is after experiencing exciting and active entries in Sub_4, 7, and 8, I understood and respect the decisions as what were found in the Temple have huge thematic implications in the entire series for the better.

The method and style of plot and its twists are absolutely fitting given the nature of the Temple location itself. Perhaps what may delighted or angered many of series’ devoted and diehard fans is that the biggest question have still yet to be answered: what Submachine really is? At this point in the entire series given that Mateusz has been very selective with how he choose to share with the players, we may never know the answer.

And yet, we still love the series for its mysteries.

Score: 10/10

—————————

GAMEPLAY

Submachine 9 does not disappoint. It kicks our asses and made sure we loved every agonizing seconds of it. The Temple may well be the hardest in series as it was clearly crafted for the expert PNC players. With very little hints and guiding arrows, we are left to our own devices and instincts as to where to go, what details to explore, and how to solve those puzzles? The series’ hallmark exploration are still here, this time bolstered by sheer immensity of the Temple itself, being the biggest in series. The backtracking were kept from being tedious thanks to strong art direction and smart level design. What elevates the gameplay is how the overarching plot of series works seamlessly within the game, using the items and puzzles themselves to progress the story and answer many of our questions. The puzzles are no slouch either, requiring your very best logic and observation skills to hatch open their solutions.

These requires some finely-tuned attention to details that not many players may have. Some of puzzles are rather difficult (or perhaps TOO difficult), forcing you to potentially hound after a conspicuously hidden item, room after room, before you either figured it out by yourself or resorting to walkthrough. I almost took the easy way out as few of the puzzles were particularly unforgiving given that it is easy to miss some of crucial details that may nudge you toward a solution. Also, secrets hunting is as strong as ever. You may wastes hours trying to find those little golden buggers and hated Mateusz for it. The set this time around are the most cleverly hidden yet.

Make no mistakes, Submachine 9 is a monster as it was meant to be at this point in the series. If you played this game first before any other games in the series, may Shiva has mercy on your poor foolish soul.

Score: 9.5/10

—————————

FINAL THOUGHTS

Submachine 9 has comes and gone, leaving behind trails of destruction that are our lofty expectations. Mateusz Skutnik has once again shattered them and rightly so, leaving the gap wide open for any and all hypes to shatter once more when the conclusive game, Submachine 10: the Exit, emerges from the depth of his mind to pen off one of the most well-realized, expertly-written, and finely-crafted PNC series of all time.

On my more personal notes, this is one of the best in series with Sub_9 ranking alongside Sub_2, 4, 7, and 8. No easy feats given the previous two games have constantly outdoing themselves and Submachine 9 has certainly outdid itself.

With styles.

FINAL SCORE: 9.6/10

Author: -AK-