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I have a confession to make.

I like putting free indie games in my Steam launch list, not because it's easier or more convenient that way, but because I hope one of my Steam friends will see me playing and get interested.

It would probably work better if I had more than four Steam friends. :'(

And this is worth a new thread because...?

EDIT: On second thought, we could turn this into a "how to introduce people to indie games" thread.

I mostly do it the unsubtle way, via IM. I'm usually like "hey dude/gal, I got this awesome game you might enjoy" and them annoy until they actually try it. Has worked a couple times already.

This is now the "How do you introduce people to indie games?" thread.

'Cause it's a good intro to a "how to introduce people to indie games" thread? :)

And 'cause this here is a forum for discussing our love of indie games, yeah? Unless...OH SHIT I POSTED TO THE EROTIC FURRY STAR TREK BOARD BY MISTAKE AGAIN

How would I introduce people to indie games?  Probably by inviting them along to a KOTM club (http://www.glorioustrainwrecks.com/node/44).

i link people to games they might enjoy; typically flash games

I bought some people the humble indie bundle, when that sale was going on.

At the moment I'm too strapped for cash to do anything like that again, though.

I recommend indie games to people via comments or e-mail on occasion but usually to people that are devs and don't have time to play many games anyways or people that have already tried said games with my knowledge.

I used to recommend stuff to Tim W all the time over msn way back when, if I thought he might not have posted about it. 9 times out of 10 I was unsuccessful ofcourse.

Once you've kidnapped a man's family, Phasma Felis, he'll pretty much listen to whatever you want to tell him.

I look for genres that my friends enjoy, then link them to those games. Web games that don't require a download are the quickest and easiest way - there's no installation so there's no resistance to playing. Next are free download games, and then finally commercial indie games (like on steam).

It's really the same process you'd use to introduce any other type of game to a friend.

I scream at people, repeatedly demanding they play Cave Story and calling them philistines if they refuse to.

I show my friends a short playthrough of an indie game they might like, sometimes I am right :).

I used to show games to my friends during boring computer-related classes. They're kind of a captive audience when their choice is between "some weird computer game" and "actually doing work".
It was great to see people who I didn't even know playing Gunlimb and Clean Asia.

A link to flash games is the most easiest way to get people hooked. People don't want to download or install anything especially if they don't know what they will be playing.

I ask a person -- or if they're my friend I should know -- what kind of games they like and push them in the direction of an indie game according to their response. If they say "I like dem FPS' " I just ask them if they want to play Timesplitters. :)

My friends don't play games that are more than a few years old (they can't stand the graphics), much less indie games.

However, I had a small victory recently - my friend started playing Morrowind without any graphics enhancing mods because he "doesn't care about the graphics." Blocky polygons today, pixel art tomorrow!

I usually have them finding me playing said game, and then I get them into it, and then after they are obsessed I usually make the announcement that it's an indie game. And then I open the doors into the magical world of the most creative games they will ever see.  :eyebrows:

I don't really introduce anyone to indie games as everyone I know on my steam list is already into indie games or is an indie dev. Hopefully I can get some fresh new converts from tigmn if I get more none indie people listening to indie music. ;D

Something like Cave Story should be something anyone who has played non-indie games can get into.  I mean, they're just games after all - if it's fun people will pick it up.  Just say "Hey, there's this cool game you ought to try".

I've gotten several of my friends to try Knytt and they've all enjoyed it.  People like things that are fun.

Now imagine trying to get people into indie games music.  :crazy:

I usually do it at knife point but this is a much better method.

With a sale (http://digitanks.com/), hopefully.

Just pressure them into thinking they're not cool unless they play indie games. ;D

There is such a wide variety of indie games out there; the best thing to do is think about what types of video games your friend likes already and try to find an indie game that is similar in genre.  Some of my friends are really into short and catchy puzzle games, so it was really easy to turn them onto Eyemaze games (Tontie and Dwarf Complete in particular). 

I decided for one of my goals this year is to personally introduce someone to indie games music each week, every week, for the rest of the year. Which in turn will introduce them to indie games.

At least that's the plan.

I introduced most of my friends to Cave Story back when the fan-translation patch was released. I'd found out about it shortly after the translation team finished (although I didn't realize it, my stumbling on it was entirely random) and played through it completely.

It's just gone from there. Virtually every friend I have plays indie games of some kind on the PC.

Good games to encourage indie players: Cave Story, Warning Forever, Gunroar, Iji, Dwarf Fortress.

I do it with beer. Few beers, couple of mates and some games i've found on the internet. easy!

Cheers
Charlie

I introduce people to the music of Barry white and soft lights

Just tell them that there are good people in the world that actualy believe in the powers of good games and don't just get into the scene for the prize money :handjoystick:

(It didn't work with my friends,but hey at least I tried)

A good way is to show them during some computing class. You'll grab attention. Plus teachers don't really mind if it's something you made*.
Ask some classmates to "beta test" it.

*The best way to prove that is to find something open-source and have it and its code and IDE open.

I give my gamer friends indie games for Christmas/Birthdays since they're 1. Cheaper than AAA Michael Bay-esque escapades 2. More thoughtful since they're usually a lot more niche.

Very carefully.

Cheers!

This, most of the time.  Or I bring a couple over to a friends house on a flash drive and make em try a couple.  Enviro-Bear 2000 was a huge hit while I was getting drunk with some friends.

Indeed, beer and a flash drive full of weird games usually works. people I know really go for games are weird rather than "yet another pixel puzzle platformer" so games like enviro-bear 2000, norrland, etc usually appeal more.

Also the more polished/graphical an indie game is the easier some will like it. Machinarium, Privates, Amnesia, Braid, and the like are easier to introduce to some people who have some sort of aversion against pixel graphics.

I dunno if it's been mentioned, but you can add non-steam games to your steam list and will show to your friends when you play it. I get messages all the time from friends asking what a certain game I'm playing is.

I have to give these ideas a thumbs up.  :handthumbsupL: :) :handthumbsupR:

I have currently been trying to force people to play Jables Adventure


It will work eventually


I hope...

so far iji, legend of a princess, noitu love 2 pad in hand work like a blast. There is so much happening on screen they immediately wow and the control suck them, then some pixel prospector 250 indie game video to blast their mind with an ultra combo.

I'm sure I've seen this thread somewhere before

You kidding me? Enviro-Bear's a good game to immature teenagers who think the bear is the most epic animal when a viking rides it. You don't have to be drunk to enjoy it.
...Meanwhile on the subject, quick, somebody make a game of that to attract such crowd!

Since I work as a full-time substitute teacher I usually bring my flash drive and USB SNES controller to school. I play a bunch of indie games on lunch break, and sometimes a student/staff member will wander in and check it out -- which gives me a perfect excuse to hit them up. DoomRL hasn't won anybody over yet, though.  ;)

*FIXED* 

Because child abuse is funny. :lol:

Glad to know I'm not the only person with one of those.

Anyway, to me indie games aren't that different from regular games. When I make friends with people who like video games, I'll recommend indie games that they might like. I think indie games are getting a lot more currency these days among "mainstream" gamers due to XBox Live and the like. My brother said Braid was possibly the best game he ever played, and a few of my friends spent most of yesterday with Minecraft.

I've actually found that indie games can in some cases be more accessible to non-gamers. I have a friend who doesn't play video games at all but she played Knytt and Seiklus all the way through; their gameplay style, focus on beauty and exploration, and forgiving nature were much more accessible to a non-gamer, it turned out. It's a simpler language to learn.

I want to get myself a SNES usb controller. Any suggestions?

Don't you think Google would provide you with the proper answers to your questions rather than sticking in an awkward question in the middle of a thread?

my friend has one of these (http://www.retrousb.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=33) and it works very well, but if you already have a SNES controller you might as well save 10 bucks and get a converter  (http://www.retrousb.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=29)

I would ask google, but usually it just throws a bunch of junk at me and then I have to sift through all the crap just to find someplace worth while. I might consider the converter as I have an original pad laying around, but I still want to find a knock off that I could get more of in case my controller should break.

Thanks for the links though. Appreciate it.

Mine's just some 3rd party thing, but it's been long enough since I played a real SNES that the inauthenticity of the button textures doesn't upset me overly.

I think the controller shape is the biggest impact for me. If a knock off was made for people with big hands then I'll usually tend to not like it very much.

All you have to do to introduce someone is make them play Modern Warfare 2. The seething hatred spawned from that game alone should be enough to make ANYONE want to play indie games.

Funny... a lot of people like it.