Braid and Geometery Wars 2 show "small" games rock

I've been playing Braid and Geometery Wars 2 recently and one thing it did bring home is that it's still possible to make a great game on a technical shoe-string as long as you have a good idea and execute it well.

Braid is a unique platform game that allows you to mess with time (and messes with time itslef) to complete puzzles and advance in the game. It's 2D, could easily have been written in Blitzbasic but it's a great little game and definatly the most innovative platformer I've seen for ages.

Geometery Wars 2 is also a very simple game but probably one of the most adrenaline pumping, frantic and exciting games I've played for a long time, it's addictive, fast and fun.

I spent the evening before playing CoD 4 and while I can't deny I did enjoy that quite a bit, I think I actually had more fun playing Geometery Wars. Braid has definatly made me think about puzzles in a way I've not done before, my wife and I spent some time talking about the puzzles and how we could solve them and trying things out.

I think it proves the old adage of "It's not what you've got but what youd do with it.".

Darkheart

Jonathan Blow who wrote Braid is an amazingly astute game design expert. I highly recommend checking out his many presentations on the subject of game design to anyone who hasn't already seen them. His views on skill/reward systems in games are spot on, and Braid is the perfect example of this.

And this is what I apply to every aspect of my programming life.

Geometry Wars 2 looks awesome, very exciting stuff going on in a game that consists of one screen and a bunch of dots and lines :)

This is inspiring.

Braid looks really interesting. I wish they would release it for the PC.

They will release it for PC. Just not yet.

It has always just come down to what's fun. Shooting for a technical goal becomes a haven for many developers because it's objective. Creating fun on a large scale is hard if you have a better understanding of circuitry than psychology..

Wow, another space shooter. Indy designers sure are original.

irony.

God yeah, I wish they were all working on island-based first person shooters instead.

I don't see a whole lot excitingly new and different in this new version but it still looks pretty impressive, lots of particles an stuff.

You're missing the point ...

If your in any doubt of how good these games are simply play the demos... I defy anyone anyone to play both demos and then complain how unoriginal and boring these games are.

Darkheart