Destructoid is gaming news, community, videos, and sometimes love. Take the tour or jump in with Facebook:

 



erer

See that picture? You're probably wondering why I posted it, right? Why would I bother making my headline photo nothing more than a collection of static? 

I'm posting it because it's a goddamn screenshot. The above photo was taken from Lost in the Static, an indie game which is entirely built around the idea of obfuscation. It was highlighted in the "Experimental Gameplay Sessions" lecture today alongside several other games which, regardless of how fun or good they are, attempted risky and unusual and balls-out experimental things.

The entire two-hour lecture was basically just a big list of games everyone should check out for their experimental qualities, so hit the jump to get that list along with a very, very short descriptions of what made them so experimental. 

The highlighted games were broken up into four categories: Replay, Obfuscation, Games Made By Rod Humble Titled "Stars Over Half Moon Bay," User Generated/Controlled Levels, and Two Levels at Once. The categories should be pretty self-explanatory, and if they aren't then that's a good thing: though the entire lecture consisted of the speakers playing these games while explaining their experimental aspects you should really play these games without any primer rather than listening to someone explain them and rob them of all their intrigue.

Replay

cursor*10

Timebot

Braid

The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom

 

Obfuscation

Lost in the Static

Transparentor

Space Giraffe

La La Land

 

Games Made By Rod Humble Titled "Stars Over Half Moon Bay"

Stars Over Half Moon Bay

 

User-Generated Content

Line Golfer

Desktop Tower Defense

The Kingdom of Dewdith the Witch

Crayon Physics Deluxe

Audiosurf

 

Two Levels at Once

Yin Yang

Shift

Shadow

 

Though Braid, Winterbottom, Half Moon Bay, Crayon Physics Deluxe and Shadow aren't playable for the general public yet (and I couldn't find a link to The Kingdom of Dewdith the Witch -- perhaps I wrote it down incorrectly), all the rest of the games are really, truly worth finding and trying out if only for how they experiment with game design.


Continue: More GDC stories





prev next

24 comments | showing # 1 to 24

MechaMonkey's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/21/2008 21:49
MechaMonkey
Obfuscation is the Word of the Day.
Loki Power's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/21/2008 21:53
Loki Power
Space Giraffe! I should definitely check hat out!
bottled dark's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/21/2008 22:05
bottled dark
Obfuscation ftw!
Fleet3000's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/21/2008 22:12
Fleet3000
yay i'll add it to my mental dictionary.
Jetsetlemming's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/21/2008 22:13
Jetsetlemming
Too busy to actually provide links? I googled up Lost in the Static, and it was kinda cool, and surprisingly creepy as hell, but about two dozen screens into it the controls started acting weird and lagging, so that the player character would respond to my movements up to 20 or 30 seconds after I pressed the buttons. Don't know what was up with that.
nicojay's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/21/2008 22:16
nicojay
It's one of those hidden image thingies right?

I see a wo............... ew gross dude.
Dr Milkdad's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/21/2008 22:22
Dr Milkdad
Looks like a cock
Tubatic's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/21/2008 22:28
Tubatic
Its a scooner.
weirdfunk's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/21/2008 22:29
weirdfunk
This game seriously creeps me out
allisonaxe's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/21/2008 22:33
allisonaxe
@tubatic:

no, its a sailboat!

i've actually played "lost in the static" before and it sucked. it was a sort of interesting idea, but it wasn't any fun and it gave me a headache.
Ogu's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/21/2008 23:15
Ogu
this was in IGF some time ago, I agree with allisonaxe. It's kind of interesting but not all that fun and pretty much headache inducing.

Relevance of this experiment? dunno.

Other games in the list are pretty nice though and more relevant to game design. This one just has the shock factor.
Necros's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/21/2008 23:23
Necros
I honestly have no idea how you're supposed to play that.
Sheir's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/21/2008 23:32
Sheir
Oh man, I'm too late with the Mallrats references.
Batthink's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/21/2008 23:58
Batthink
Bloody hell, I never liked those Magic Eye images. My eyes go funny trying to find the image. I never do.
Nubc4kes's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/22/2008 01:04
Nubc4kes
Rev. Do you just keep sneaking Desktop Tower Defense into these lists, or is it actually suppose to be there?
Kurtz's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/22/2008 02:03
Kurtz
Loving Timebot and cursor so far
HarassmentPanda's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/22/2008 02:56
HarassmentPanda
Bookmarked. I can't wait to give some of these games a try when I get the time. Continue the great GDC work!
mistic's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/22/2008 04:35
mistic
next time i boot in windows I'm so gonna try that static-game, sounds really good!
hjd uk's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/22/2008 06:07
hjd uk
ying yang is cool , shame its limited to flash - would be ace on full platform.
wardrox's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/22/2008 07:22
wardrox
Space Giraffe you say?
wardrox's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/22/2008 07:35
wardrox
Ok, I started playing Lost in Static, but got stuck on this level (It's the one with the static ball at the top that shoots smaller static balls at you):

Zac Bentz's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/22/2008 08:57
Zac Bentz
Wow, the ending of Static is...a let down? The huge, lumbering dude was really awesome though.
Mekanikles's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/23/2008 06:03
Mekanikles
Goddamn that static game sucked, just a simple 2 cent platformer wrapped in, ooh, "innovative" graphics. Might as well have been a virus too, at the 8th screen or so, it crashed forcing me to reboot. I want my 5 minutes back! *waves angrily with fist*
jaybird1905's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/29/2008 11:58
jaybird1905
Stars over Half Moon Bay ....... can someone please explain to me how this is really creative ... or even a game?

It reminds me of that game Passage. There's so little interaction, it borders on the definition of a game. I understand pushing the boundaries is the idea, and finding the limits of gameplay ... but if something is so far outside the realm of the term "game", it really shouldn't be categorized as such.
prev next

Comment with Facebook





Click connect and comment instantly!

Comment with Dtoid





New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds

Comments policy

Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?

Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!

 

   Got news?   tips@destructoid.com   |   Dtoid Twitter

New Videos

more videos


Reviews & Previews
BioShock 2 review
Dante's Inferno review
Chime review
Hustle Kings review
iPhone Review Round-up: January review
more reviews
Dawn of War II Chaos Rising
Metro 2033
A trip to the racetracks Days of Thunder Arcade
Double the pleasure, double the fun with Darwinia+
Wizarding world in plastic Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4
more previews


- The Dtoid Army is 56704 strong -

Showing Cblogs with 3+ faps   show all

Call for entries: the Areas of my Expertise

New to Dtoid? Read the survival guide


 Originals
Jonathan Holmes: Analyzing No More Heroes 2, part 2: The bosses, part 2





















More Destructoid Originals




We are Destructoid   tips@destructoid.com
Nick Chester
Editor-in-Chief
Niero
Founder, Big Boss
Jim Sterling
Reviews Editor
Hamza Aziz
Community Manager
Dale North
News Editor
Rey Gutierrez
Destructoid Video EIC
Anthony Burch
Features Editor
Brad Nicholson
Managing Editor
Tom Fronczak Colette Bennett
Ashley Davis Ben Perlee
Conrad
Zimmerman
Chad Concelmo
Jonathan Holmes Jonathan Ross
Brad Rice Jordan Devore
Will Maddock Matthew Razak
Josh Tolentino
Joseph Leray
Topher Cantler Samit Sarkar
     
  Adam Dork
Daniel Lingen
Hollie Bennett
Joe Burling
Mikey Turvey






 
 
  get involved

register or login
post a blog
post a forum
enter a contest
contribute a news tip
suggest a feature
be a guest editor
support

new member's guide
login assistance
tech support
report abuse
email our editors
read our dev blog
nuclear crisis?
keep in touch

RSS feed
Twitter
Facebook
Myspace
Flickr
Game nights
Meetup+play online
seriously

about Destructoid
advertising
terms of use
privacy policy
jobs at MM
buy our crap
our network

Tomopop
Japanator
Despingation?




Destructoid is an independently-run publication forged by our love of video games and the gaming community's need of accountable enthusiast press
living the dream since March 16, 2006