Hi! My first original game, Don't Move, comes out this Friday. It is an experimental side-scroller exploring the themes of ludonarrative dissonance and player investment manipulation. You can learn more about the game on IndieDB
here. For answers to some obvious questions, look below!
When will Don't Move be released?Friday, September 13, 2013. Mark your calendars!
What do I need to play Don't Move?This game is compatible with any Windows PC. I may release Mac and Linux versions in the future, if there is a demand. (Update:
Now available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android!)
How much will the game cost?Don't Move will be 100% free.Update: While I originally wanted the game to be supported by sales of the album, this proved to be untenable. While this has worked in the past for other games (see:
Frog Fractions) I managed several thousand downloads but only one album sale. Don't Move is still available to try at no cost in several places, but to receive the album, mobile versions, and updates, I ask that you pay for the game.
What kind of game is Don't Move?Don't Move uses a simple sidescroller format, but don't expect a lot of platforming. In fact, it might be best to consider Don't Move an experimental or art game.
But I really, really want to give you money for this! How can I?Oh man! Well in that case, you may be interested in buying the extended soundtrack from Bandcamp. The album will be 10 tracks, most of which will be unused music made for the game. All songs were made using an authentic NES sound chip emulator.
The album has a minimum price of 50 cents (required by Bandcamp) but you can pay as much as you like!Update: The album is now $1, but you can pay more if you like!
Why should I buy the album?The album will come with "limited edition" "artwork" and other secret stuff, not to mention seven tracks which are not in the game proper.
Also, the first 24 people to buy the album and include their Twitter handle in the "Include a message" box will be tweeted part of a mysterious code for use in Don't Move. What could it be? Only time will tell! (Update: this code is now hidden in the game itself. Happy hunting!)
Furthermore, buying the album will be a way for you to indicate you'd like to see more stuff from me in the future. Vote with your wallet! Note that there is no way to indicate you'd like to see
less stuff from me in the future.
How long will it take to complete the game?I can get to the "end" of Don't Move in around 50 minutes. However, there are several (intentionally) obfuscated puzzles in the game, and you'll need to figure them out to finish. The game does not make these puzzles obvious or easy! If your progress is stymied, there's something you need to figure out. After a while, I'd imagine the solutions will be available online somewhere, but early players (or those who don't want to look up the answer) may take somewhat longer to get to the "end".
Also, after beating the game, you may find there is more to do! This additional stuff is intended merely to serve as fun rewards for those who choose to invest extra time in the game.
How did you make Don't Move?Don't Move was written in Haxe using the HaxeFlixel library and OpenFL. All programming, sound, and graphics were created by myself. You can read more about the tools used
here.
Thanks for reading. Let me know if you have any further questions!
edit: formatting