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

Gemini Rue, the recently released commercial debut of Joshua Nuerenburger, is an exciting game. Not just in its thrilling story and engaging gameplay, but also in what it means for the future of retro games, as crazy as that sounds. While many dismiss the low-res adventure game genre as an outdated holdover from the olden days, Gemini Rue proves that the style still has very much to offer. With a captivating narrative, glorious pixel art, and a feel of greatness, Gemini Rue must not be missed.

First, let’s discuss the story. It’s the future and mankind has gone intergalactic (naturally). There’s been a huge war and a particularly nasty criminal organization known as the Boryokudan (Japanese word meaning “a bunch of assholes”) has taken hold of much of the galaxy. (more…)

Joshua Nuernberger

Gemini Rue is an upcoming indie adventure game created by Joshua Nuernberger.  Recently picked up by Dave Gilbert and his studio Wadjet Eye Games, it quite simply looks stunning, a slice of science fiction adventuring that initially evokes comparisons (at least visually) with Blade Runner, before surprising with a narrative that feels both refreshingly unique and wholly its own.

It has been my greatest pleasure, both via HardyDev and Alternative Magazine Online, to review some of the finest indie adventure games of the past few years. Perhaps that explains why I am so excited this month: It feels like Gemini Rue is going to be something  truly special. I am therefore proud to present an interview with Joshua Nuernberger, with a guest appearance by Dave Gilbert! (more…)

The future turns out quite a bit more complicated than the now. The police force seems to not have much use for hard-working, hard-boiled action heroes anymore – it’s up to top class genetics scientists to directly deal with the truly serious crimes.

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The first part of the Technobabylon series is a fantastic short game!

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Jarosław Kuczek

Set in 2099 Shanghai Butterfly is an independent cyberpunk adventure game to be released as freeware Winter 2009. It’s an ambitious project with striking graphics and many of the cyberpunk genre’s more hardcore staples. The author of the game Jarosław Kuczek – passionate about android-related projects and the constantly evolving technology, with experiences of such vastly different cultures like Polish, Japanese and Chinese – promises to deliver much more than a traditional adventure game with a few sci-fi gimmicks. Below is everything he told us about his project – from its origins to major attractions – coupled with general thoughts about sci-fi and adventure gaming. (more…)