A Hardy Developer's Journal – as written by indie adventure game developers

The recent success of Dear Esther shows there’s a real market for atmospheric first-person games that play more like an interactive story than a traditional game. Process is such a game. In terms of game mechanics, it’s a lot like Myst, although atmospherically it feels like a survival horror game. But ultimately, it is neither, and perhaps best described as an “experience”. (more…)

Architecture is perhaps the epitome of human creativity. For thousands of years, it has been one of the most (if not the most) powerful ways of human expression. You can read about Egyptian culture in countless history books, but their culture only comes alive in all its imposing grandiosity when you see those testaments in stone they built. You may have read a thing or two about the power of religion in the Middle Ages, but you only truly experience the meaning of those words inside a cathedral. Even a despicable man as Hitler understood the potency of architecture, making architect Albert Speer one of the most important men in his Reich. (more…)

It’s time to grab your gun and your guitar, to shoot and kick some zombie butt! No, this isn’t a review of Left 4 Dead or Dead Island, and yes, you’re still on HardyDevth. This is, however, a review of a zombie survival game… of sorts. (more…)

It’s taken a while, but after a few months, the third chapter of The Dream Machine is upon us. After getting reacquainted with the controls (not that they’re very complicated, but what few controls there were I’d forgotten), I was soon exploring this wonderful dream world again. The first two chapters impressed with their very atmospheric handmade sets. Can this chapter do the same? (more…)

If there’s one thing the adventure games based on Terry Pratchett’s Discworld have shown us, it is that they’re a great platform for humorous fantasy. So why haven’t there been more games like them? Yes, there’s Simon the Sorcerer, but that’s about it. But now there’s another hopeful on the scene, and it’s an ambitious project: The Book of Unwritten Tales. Can it deliver though? (more…)

Layton and Luke are invited to a mysterious opera called “The Eternal Kingdom”

From the get-go, it is pretty clear that one of the main objectives of making the film was marketing the Professor Layton puzzle games. The DVD opens briskly with a trailer for Professor Layton and the Lost Future (you should skip it, if you haven’t finished the game yet!). But what about the movie itself? Is it more than just a marketing tool?
Can it stand on its own? (more…)

When I heard about Enter The Story, I was immediately excited. This ambitious one-man project, with a bit of help from others, aims to turn classic literature into adventure games, combining two of my favourite things. Although I have great enthusiasm for classic books, and the 19th century is quite possibly my favourite century, I am a slow reader, and there are still many books I have yet to read.

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