Over the past two years the Independent Games Festival has raised the expectations of the gaming public, particularly in regards to the quality of so-called "underground" software (i.e. no funding from a large publishing group). Now with the third annual contest coming at the end of the month, it is evident that the IGF has grown into more than a novelty.

The quality, complexity and variety of the final cut are arguably the best yet, perhaps because many of these games started at the time of the original competition two years ago. These people could have easily been random faces in the crowd of the 1999 Game Developers Conference with simply a good game idea. Now they are onstage.

The ten finalists profiled here arguably show the best titles the independent game community has to offer. No matter how noble their attempts are, however, one must keep in mind that there is always an underground brewing; there is always a rising developer with the "new new thing;" there is always an idea that is yet to be tapped. We must respect all those who aren't honored here, for they may be the next game development geniuses.

As said before, the novelty of the IGF has worn off. It is no longer a mere curiosity; it is now an institution. And now, more than ever, people are watching.

Let the games begin!

Playing with the Big Boys

Archmage: Stabat Mater, Mari Telecommunications Co., Ltd., San Jose, CA, and Seoul, Korea, http://www.stabatmater.com

One of the interesting things the IGF has done is bring to light how little difference there is between so-called undiscovered talent and companies that have "made it." The games, arguably more as the IGF has progressed, show the maturity of the underground development scene. Archmage: Stabat Mater, by Mari Telecommunications Co., Ltd., is no exception.

The online RPG supports 32 players, voice recognition and random world creation all within a 3D environment. The group plans to expand the game to support thousands of simultaneous players, putting it in the league with Ultima Online and EverQuest. Luckily, Mari has taken its time and released previous titles in the Archmage series before attempting to create something as graphically and technically complex as Stabat Mater.

"Creating a massively multiplayer game in 3D is never an easy task," says Matt Machtan, a spokesperson for Mari. "Our current massively multiplayer games include free browser-based games like Archmage: Reincarnation from Hell and Archspace, both of which are extremely competitive strategy games. But going to a graphically intense game was really quite a trick."

The work of the five-man Archmage team has started to pay off, with the strength of the title opening doors to potential publishers. The IGF nomination has added fuel to the fire. "We have had the opportunity to speak with several companies that might like to joint venture with us," Machtan says. "We are currently considering these options and look forward to hearing more offers at the festival itself."

With 60 total employees Mari Telecommunications Co. Ltd isn't likely to go anywhere if the team doesn't come home with an award. However, despite his company's large size and complex IGF entry, Machtan understands that technical savvy means nothing without inspiration.

"The best advice is to stay focused and keep with it," Machtan says. "Your creativity is the best tool."

Old School Fun for the New Millennium

Chase Ace 2, Space Time Foam, Copenhagen, Denmark, http://www.chaseace.com

The Chase Ace 2 team: (from left to right) Jeppe Juul, Jesper Colding-Jørgensen, Peter Holm, and Tobias Thorsen.

To most developers today, a game isn't worth pursuing unless it uses perfect light sourcing, requires a Pentium 4 and can support netplay through a cell phone. Eager to exploit the new technologies, an unsettling number of developers have released games that lack one major component: fun.

Space combat shooter Chase Ace 2, with its overhead view, man-to-man action and focused gameplay, harks back to the classic arcade. Denmark-based developer Space Time Foam says that lack of fun isn't an issue with its' game.

"We used just about as much time playing the game as we did developing it. It has sort of a magnetic effect on people, and it is very easy to get started," says producer Tobias Thorsen. "You just sit down, and you play."

A screenshot from Chase Ace 2.

Thorsen calls Chase Ace 2 an "old fashioned recipe with new ingredients," with direct three player interaction through a traditional split screen or over the net with IPX, straightforward gameplay with challenging AI, and a 2D-level structure with a packaged level editor. "The simplicity combined with the freshness of the visuals and level of action makes the game stand out we think."

The four-man team has worked with the concept for about two years, which started as a DirectX demo. They just continued to add features and tweak gameplay until it became a fun, polished game. Like many independent developers Space Time Foam has spent nights and weekends developing while keeping their day jobs.

The payoff has been considerable, though, with positive website reviews and, of course, their IGF nomination. "Before it was really difficult to grab anyone's attention, but now emails are pouring in from all sorts of people who find the game interesting." They expect an IGF win to bring them closer to getting a publisher, but for now are distributing their own product by selling the game from the Chase Ace 2 website.

Thorsen admits that he and his team are now Chase Ace 2 addicts, becoming "chasers" themselves. He says he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Where's the fun in making games that you wouldn't play yourself?"

Back for Seconds

Hardwood Spades, Silver Creek Entertainment, Grants Pass, OR, http://www.hardwoodspades.com

A screenshot from Hardwood Spades.

Certain things in life never get old, like sex, game development or Dick Clark, though they definitely can become stale. Card games fit in this category too, though if Silver Creek Entertainment has its way cards and boredom won't ever be associated again.

Its' game Hardwood Spades is trying to revitalize the classic pastime with online play, detailed graphics and a medieval theme. Silver Creek is fresh from a 2000 IGF nomination for Hardwood Hearts and it evidently has taken last year's award loss in stride. Actually the team is, in a word, excited.

"Well, we're as tickled as the Pillsbury dough boy in feather blizzard!" says Jonas Stewart. "I'll tell you it's quite an honor to come back again. Wow! The first time was great.... but the second time is really cool!"

Even though this is the second major card game for Silver Creek, creating Hardwood Spades has been a learning experience. Ironically, the biggest challenge has been the same major issue for complex, multi-million dollar RPGs: managing an online community.

"One tip we got at the Game Developer Conference last year during a talk on online game communities was the idea to add a button for players to file reports," Stewart says. "That's been a real help tracking down bugs and dealing with problem players quickly."

Despite the challenges, Silver Creek seems determined to have fun. According to Stewart, last year they left a trail of cards to their hotel suite to attract people to the Hardwood Hearts demo. Now they are threatening to rent a remote-control blimp with ad space.

"Have we set a nomination record yet? Now if we can just get nominated next year that would really be something wouldn't it?" says Stewart. "Who knows, maybe we'll be the Susan Lucci of the IGF!"

An RPG in Zero-G

Hostile Space, Interadventure, Burlington, VT, http://www.interadventure.com

The creators of Hostile Space.

Role playing games and PCs are like peanut butter and jelly, so RPG players know that to get the serious depth they need to come to the computer as opposed to a console. Until recently, though, many computer RPGs have been stuck in a medieval time warp: yeah, I'm a knight on a mission; yup, I found chain mail; wow, my defense is up +2.

Thankfully, many developers are looking beyond the cliched environment. IGF finalist Interadventure has thrown the classic RPG gameplay into space, bringing fresh air to the genre with Hostile Space.

"We think it was the originality of the concept that caught the IGF's attention," says Doug Cobb. "A true multiplayer persistent online space role playing game is something we had not come across before."

Since the Hostile Space project began there have been other attempts at space RPGs, but the primary focus of the two-man team is on fair gameplay and solid design, not only on elaborate graphics.

"There has been a lot of thought into game balancing and reducing some of the common problems associated with long term play," Cobb says. "We want to keep Hostile Space as exciting for newbies as for veterans."

Interadventure's Hostile Space.

The team has worked hard to blend realistic space combat with elements of RPG fantasy: players can enter a fight in a cloaked ship while casting "spells" against their enemy, and use magic power to transport out of a no-win situation. Qualified players can play dungeon master as server hosts, with 90 percent of the game customizable.

Interadventure isn't afraid to take risks and it believes that this is the key to making a great game.

"Although glitzy graphics and awesome sound helps to set the tone of a game, it's still the quality of the gameplay that makes it a success. There's a lot of tried and true paths, but I believe it helps to push the envelope into new areas."

Heavy Metal

Iron Squad, Gigantic Games, Austin, TX, http://www.giganticgames.com

Garage game developers must be insane: who in their right mind would spend months... years working nights and weekends on a project that may or may not be picked up by a publisher, that could just sit on their computer collecting dust or, heck, that might not even be any good? Commitment and supreme confidence is something not to be underestimated, and Gigantic Games seems to have it in spades with its online RTS entry Iron Squad, a four-year undertaking for a three-man team.

"We began Iron Squad with the most optimism and excitement any developer could have. This helped fuel our good times," says producer John Nguyen. "But when the realization of money and the lack of it, difficulties organizing remote developers and the uphill battle for garage developers became clear to us, things looked bleak."

Gigantic Games' Iron Squad.

Gigantic Games has preserved through the ups-and-downs of independent development and created a solid RTS that blends classic gameplay with clean 3D graphics and online play. The premise, a multiplayer battle for planetary resources, isn't a completely original concept, but that's not was not the goal: Iron Squad is meant to represent the best of its predecessors.

Iron Squad's gameplay was based on the classical multiplayer games like Netrek," Nguyen says. "This tried and true design is accredited to the countless contributors to this game. We didn't want to make a clone, instead add a pinch more action elements without upsetting the solid strategic portions of the design. The result is game that both cognitively and dexterously challenging."

Gigantic Games says the IGF nomination has become a huge asset, with media and general interest increasing after the announcement. "Since the day of the finalist announcement, we have been in contact with numerous gaming news organizations, large and small. Our beta sign up tripled and general interest surpassed our expectations."

Now more ambitious than ever, Gigantic Games has high hopes for the IGF and is planning to use the opportunity to drum even more interest for its game. It also has side projects, including GiganticX, an online game delivery website.

They would be thrilled to win an award, but Nguyen seems to understand that life as an independent developer goes on, with or without accolades. In fact, he takes it in stride.

"It is still business as unusual, regardless of winning any of the awards."

Hot Wing

Sabre Wing, Wild Tangent, Redmond, WA, http://www.sabrewing3d.com/

The team behind Sabre Wing.

Space cockpit shooters have been a staple on computers since Origin's Wing Commander. One of the problems with this genre, then and now, has been that most titles require next year's technology to play a decent game. Wild Tangent's entry, Sabre Wing, has avoided the lure of high requirements at the sacrifice of gameplay.

The team of two created a special compression system, allowing online combat for players with a basic 56K hookup. Combined with complex graphics featuring particle explosions and dynamic lighting, Wild Tangent seems to have found the sweet spot between beauty and accessibility.

Director Travis Baldree believes this is what caught the judges' attention at the IGF. "I would say it's probably for the high quality graphics and functionality similar to what you would find in an off-the-shelf product, but at a tiny fraction of the size."

A scene from Wild Tangent's Sabre Wing.

Baldree admits that creating any game, and presumably something as big as Sabre Wing, can be a tiring process. One of the strengths of the Wild Tangent's project is that fun has been the main priority. "So many of us get bogged down making one little feature 'just right,' and by the time they're done, they're exhausted," he says. "All the fun elements get left until last, and more often than not, don't make it in."

Wild Tangent believes that the fun is definitely in. But at the IGF the competition is more fierce than ever, so there is no guarantee that its product will get top billing. Baldree seems to have accepted this and, like any independent developer, life goes on... even after the IGF.

"If I win I'll go home in a blaze of glory, only to be chained to my computer again. But seriously, I'll probably get a pat on the back from our CEO, Alex St. John, and maybe a nice dinner," Baldree says. "Then, it's back to work!"

Putting It All Together

Shattered Galaxy, Nexon, Sunnyvale, CA and Seoul, Korea, http://www.nexon.net

Many of the best games are actually blends of classic titles. Nexon's Shattered Galaxy is a noble attempt to blend Real Time Strategy, role playing and action into one game. According to Executive Manager Omari Miller, the response to their online title has been very positive.

"The average player is in Shattered Galaxy for more than 20 hours a week," Miller says. "We currently have thousands of completely-addicted Shattered Galaxy beta testers."

The game personalizes many elements in the RTS genre by emphasizing character creation akin to RPGs and quick reflexes common in action games. This may have led to the strong support for Shattered Galaxy, but it also challenged the team; even though it is a hybrid of sorts, the concepts combined make Shattered Galaxy unique.

"The greatest challenge in creating Shattered Galaxy from a game design perspective has been the lack of a precedent," says one team member. "With no successful massive multiplayer real-time strategy game to use as a model, we have had to overcome many game design difficulties through our own intuition, planning, and experimentation. The high degree of innovation required in the development of Shattered Galaxy has been very fulfilling and rewarding, but also resulted in great frustrations at times."

The 20-member team has persevered, though, and is currently beta testing with more than 7000 people while entering the final phase of development. "Our development schedule and beta test are moving along as planned," Miller says. "We continue to allow our body of a few to several thousand testers tell us what would get them even more psyched, and then do our best to put it in the game."

Aside from looking for a publisher, Nexon is also starting to plan a game project to follow Shattered Galaxy. Miller, evidently undeterred from the difficulties in creating Shattered Galaxy, says that Nexon has a simple goal after the IGF.

"We want to continue making believers in Nexon's magic."

Out from the Shadows

Strifeshadow, Ethermoon Entertainment, Carversville, PA, http://www.ethermoon.com

A scene from Ethermoon's Strifeshadow.

Ethermoon Entertainment is working hard to put the Real Time Strategy genre on its ear with Strifeshadow. The team of six has been focused on creating a unique RTS experience, perhaps more than average developers since the whole team is yet to meet.

"We've taken the notion of a 'virtual office' to an extreme," says President Martin Snyder. "I find it interesting that the IGF will be the first time some of the team members meet each other."

The game itself uses a detailed three-quarter view akin to a medieval cartoon, with graphic details rivaling the latest big-budget projects. Snyder says that the complexity (on a low budget) and superior game design are what got it into the IGF.

"We spent a great deal of time designing and implementing Strifeshadow to create a specific gameplay experience, and it showed - even in the early demos of the product," he says. "We took nebulous ideas like "create more opportunities for combat" and then made them a reality."

One of the experiences the team is trying to avoid is the usual RTS focus on the "final big battle," which, after hours of preparation, only lasts "fifteen or thirty seconds at most." As a result, Strifeshadow has more battles than the average RTS.

Snyder expects the game to be complete very soon. As for now, the team is working towards its next milestone and preparing for the IGF. Afterwards, Snyder and company will take a brief break, which is probably best after the virtual office challenges and game development hurdles.

"I think the biggest challenge has been maintaining focus and stamina required to do something like this. If you look in the credits for any of the games that Strifeshadow is compared to, I guarantee you'll see a lot more than six names," he says. "We're just a bunch of gamers making sacrifices to live a dream."

The Ten-Year War

Takeda, Magitech Corporation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, http://www.ezgame.com

The team behind Magitech's Takeda.

It is said that the first step towards achieving a dream is planning like it will come true. Game developers deal with this constantly, whether it be Shigeru Miyamoto waiting for the N64 to do a true Zelda game or Warren Spector planning for Deus Ex years in advance.

Takeda producer Ming-Sheng Lee was in the same boat in 1991. Back then, when Turbo C was the popular language, a detailed, real-time combat game with battles of epic proportions wasn't really practical. It took eight years to get the money and the technology, but in 1999 Magitech Corporation started creating Takeda.

Though the beautiful graphics are a strong highlight, Lee says Takeda's strength is in the gameplay details. The clean design allows for complex strategies. "Our formations, our chain of command based AI and our detailed unit behaviors are not seen in many other games," he says. "With a 2D graphic engine, players can see clearly how a cavalry charge can break into enemy lines or how a battalion of spearman battalion can hold a formation and stop the enemy from getting through."

The game also features numerous small touches, ranging from the facial expression graphic of the combat leader (a la Doom) to random weather, which actually affects gameplay. There are also four levels of AI, utilizing actual historic battle formations.

Magitech's Takeda.

As with any independent developer, even with a good product it is difficult to get in the door of a publishing company. Lee says the IGF nomination has given them a considerable leg up. "Then the IGF finalists are announced, and 'BOOM!' we're rushing to update the demo, putting a rough manual together, burning CD's, and sprinting to FedEx before they close. And during all this time we're getting phone calls and emails from people who want to interview us and watching the hit-counter on our website spin."

Lee encourages others to not give up on their vision, even if it takes some time. "Create the game that you always wanted to play rather than what you believe the market wants."

More Fun than Freshman Year

Virtual U, Enlight Software with Dr. William Massy, Hong Kong, China, http://www.virtual-u.org

One of the beautiful things about interactive games is how they continually redefine themselves. Using a standard definition, there shouldn't be games based on dancing talk show hosts (Sega's Space Channel 5), rapping paper dolls (Sony's PaRappa the Rapper) or everyday people wandering around (EA's The Sims). But there are, and the creators of Virtual U hope that, like the others, their game will be a hit.

Created by Enlight Software and Dr. William Massy, Virtual U is a simulator built to help actual (and aspiring) faculty and staff manage day-to-day university activities. Like its award winning predecessors Capitalism and the Seven Kingdoms series, Enlight has attempted to blend realism and fun in a successful package.

Enlight Software's Virtual U.

"It's a totally original idea and it's a project that marries public policy and gaming technology," says spokesperson Ben Sawyer. "While we can't be considered the first product to do that, I think the judges nominated us because we presented a polished, independent effort to apply game technology and development skills in a novel way to a very novel audience."

The audience is very broad: it is meant to be entertaining and educational to real college administrators and game players alike. Sawyer says they figured out the secret to making the simulation good.

"We've had a lot of inquiries from other academics and professionals about how they could apply the lessons we learned from this project to ideas of their own. Our first reply, which comes unequivocally from Virtual U Program Director Jesse Ausubel, is to 'hire people skilled in game design and development.' So if we have a message aside from what we've built and why it's great, it's that," he says.

Virtual U is virtually complete, but the team is busy working on other projects, including an open source version of the game which should be available later this year.

Even if Virtual U does well Enlight still plans to break more barriers, as demonstrated with the alternative college sim being done almost ten years after the success of its revolutionary game Capatalism.

"Overall I think we'll continue to push forward with the project and with our message of improving higher-education management," Sawyer says. "We want to push game development and design into new fields."

The Independent Games Festival Awards Ceremony will be on March 23rd, 2001, at the Game Developers' Conference in San Jose, CA.