A couple weeks ago, I had the chance to catch up on a dozen or so indie games featured on the two indie game blogs I primarily follow: The Indie Game Blog and The Independent Gaming Source. I knew when I joined Destructoid, that I wanted to contribute Indie Game scene but I am definitely feeding you to the wolves here. This game is definitely crazy.





Imagination, Reality, Paradise
experimental, adventure - freeware
created by kanoguti
originally released 2007


I.R.P. is a highly experimental game that bombards the player's senses with strange and abnormal imagery and sound. The player must navigate the dozen of rooms in the game using the direction pad and the space/enter key. The rooms are randomly generated so each playthrough the game is a unique and different experience.


This game was posted on The Indie Game Blog by Tim W. leading to some interesting comments and discussion:
- Tottaly worth the time I spent there..sometimes it feels nice to experience something different.
- Pfft... you people will think any stupid-ass acid trip [self-proclaimed] "game" is amazing these days. Just because a game is random and pointless doesn't make it artistic. It just makes it a load of horseshit.
- I don't understand this game at all.... what the hell is it? Random stuff?
- The game was really engaging though, at least for me. I had to pull my head away from the screen and stop "playing."


Whether or not you qualify I.R.P. as a game, it is undeniably an experience. While I think it is hard pressed to find a deeper meaning in all the randomness, I enjoyed playing through. Personally, I found the game to be a Post Modernist criticism of both the video game and the player. The video game, which has been reduced to a series of flashing screens and obtrusive noises, and the player, who is mindlessly forced to complete a seemingly endless series of puzzles. That is the art historian inside me talking. I do not recommend this game to all players; even amongst indie games, I.R.P. lies on the extreme. However, for those looking to try something completely new, give it a whril. At the very least, it will generate discussion, mainly: What qualifies a game? I should also note that I.R.P. does infact have an ending.


Be warned, the game contains flashing screens that could induce photosensitive seizures.
The direct link