An independent look at games for Mac
The independent gaming community has been flourishing recently thanks to hit titles like World of Goo, And Yet It Moves, and Windosill. Indie developers have even included Mac gamers in their fun by releasing the majority of these titles for us as well (take that EA). However we’ve been missing out on what many consider to be the indie crown jewel, Braid. Well after patiently waiting, Braid is now available for Mac gamers to enjoy. All I can say is that it was well worth the wait.
A flash game called Windosill caught the attention of The Mac Gamer staff. It’s a puzzler of sorts, and one whose merits we chose to discuss. Alex, Brad, and Russell met to voice their thoughts, generally pontificate, then rib Alex over his sexy English accent. Proceed at your own risk: most horrible puns have been removed, though spoilers still exist.
After reading Brad’s thoughts on Windosill I decided to give it a play. And I’m very glad I did. It’s lovely.
The artwork is plain jane, with freckles. A few ambient sounds here and there; the sound of the distant ocean, the forest at night.
Objects, be they moons, jellyfish or skulls, have weight. Pulling weird flowers apart takes effort, you drag with your mouse until pop! Makes me wonder what an operating system would be like with physics; big files have to be dragged out of folders onto the dekstop where they slip away and clatter against the bottom of the screen. Or all those little stickie notes you have flutter around the screen when you use Expose.
Windosill is a magical experience, like following crumbs into the forest to a house made of sweets. All this for $3? You really don’t get this level of subtlety, elegance and beauty in many games. Go buy.
Oh, and just a thought: release on iPhone, make a well deserved million?
Video games have always been a big part of my life. My first memory is of playing Super Mario Bros. at the age of three, running through the house screaming because I beat the game. I’ve grown with the industry and seen video games evolve and become a staple of every dorm room in the western world. And yet despite all this growth, I’m always chasing those feelings of pure happiness I had when I was three. No matter how many zombies I shoot or fake bands I rock, I long for those moments of joy and curiosity that games used to instill in me. And after so many years of searching, I’m happy to say that Windosill makes me feel like I’m a child all over again.
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