We considered a lot of factors, from the quality of the game, to the effort we put into it, to plain ol’ numbers like how many hours of gameplay and how many assets we created. In Aquaria’s case, Alec and I priced the game at $30, $10 above what I guess is the “norm” is for downloadable PC indie games is, because that’s what we felt it was worth. Should that be the case? Should that idea be reflected in game reviews? I suppose it depends on whether the goal of the review is to help you make a purchasing decision or whether the goal is to evaluate the merits of a video game. A game that costs more than it should cost becomes a worse game. It’s especially compelling because it’s become obvious that for some people (perhaps most people?), the price somehow enters into the equation that determines a game’s inherent worth. What a waste, otherwise!īut in all seriousness, the pricing issue is another compelling problem for developers, especially an indie who can set his or her own price. At least not until rear ends start vending Cactus Coolers or bus tickets. You’re mad about five dollars? What? Shove your five dollars up your stupid ass. I wrung four and a half hours out of the finished product, coming into contact with genuinely huge concepts that hum with stradavarian fullness. Auntie has also put up a development diary for those who are interested. It should be noted that the game was recently updated with bugfixes and a few additional hombres. And it’s definitely the most polished and ambitious of Anna’s efforts thus far. The game has a lot of neat touches that make it a very enjoyable and memorable game. It does a great job of emulating the feeling of drawing a pistol! You can also disarm your opponents for a big bonus by shooting their gun out of their hand. In the game you play the titular Annie, a gunslingin’ gal who’s seeking the bounties on the heads of 25 bad hombres – real low down dogs like Mad Dog Coyote and, er, Urban Yeti!Ĭalamity Annie is a reflex game reminiscent of the “Quick Draw” minigame from Kirby’s Adventure, although in Annie you use the mouse to pull the crosshairs from your “holster” and shoot the bad guys. Kinda missed this last week because the panda got sick, but Anna “Auntie Pixelante” Anthropy has released her Wild West-themed game, Calamity Annie.

Calamity Annie By: Derek Yu On: August 11th, 2008

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