Nifflas released a game yesterday; it's a fly-through-targets game called "7 Meditations" (see a pattern here?), and it's part of the 2014 Advent of Indies project. Nifflas' game was released on the 2^nd day in this advent series.

Download:
http://advent-of-indies.com/2014/indie.php?w=2&n=nifflas


Game footage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szFTlHwDTjU


Game forum:
http://nifflas.lpchip.nl/index.php?board=90.0

Nifforum veterans might remember the "guess the music" game we've played here a while ago. I've posted videos of playing game tunes, and members had to guess the title.

Since then, I got some new gear and I'm working on a new video technique. I want to make it really good, and that's why I'd like to get your feedback: what works for you guys, and what could be improved? Some specifics of what I'm after:

• 1. How is the sound quality?
• 2. How is the picture quality?
• 3. What angle shots would you prefer?
• 4. What resolution do you usually watch videos? (HD/480p/default YT settings etc.)
• 5. What do you think about adding occasional gameplay footage during some part of the music?

So far I've uploaded two tunes with the new technique:



Thanks for helping out!  

Nifflas and his cousin Marcus Nygren made this cool trippy game in 10 hours.

Download the game from the Miscellaneous section (or play it straight from the browser if you have the Unity web player plugin).

(I've posted about this game on the old forum years ago. Posting it now with the hope to get the interest of newer folks - and oldies too, since Elona has undergone many improvements since then. If enough of us play it, maybe we can host a forum-game about it like before, too! ^_^)



Elona is an open-ended RPG where just about everything is possible but always optional, including even the main storyline. I've been playing it for many years and absolutely love it! Here are just a few of the many things you can do:



Screenshots
From a few minutes of my Elona+ gameplay just before making this post.







Downloads:
Elona 1.16 final (official version, development ended in 2011)
Elona+ 1.17 (a popular fan-developed variant with bugfixes, new quests/enemies/items/towns etc. I've been playing this since last year.)

Nifflas made this multiplayer game in two days, at Nordic Game Jam 2013 in Copenhagen. The game won the first place of the main competition (the Audience award), and was voted first place for "Most Polished Game", as well as third place for "Most Fun Game" of the event.

Download here (PC, 8MB)



Tips

• It's a multiplayer game designed to work with Xbox 360 controllers, though other brands might work as well.
• You need at least two controllers plugged in at the same time; hold the A button on both for a few seconds to begin a round.
• X Y and B on the controllers are used to adjust game parameters (chain length, mace strength and speed, respectively).
• F2 to reset, Escape to close the game.

More screenshots

When you get inspired by the game's beautiful art style or story, share the results with the rest of us here.

A couple starters:





Your turn! ^_^

What's your impression about the story of the game? Is it deep or shallow? Is there a story at all, or is Knytt Underground really just all about platforming, exploring, and collecting?

Nifflas was pretty clear about his intention for the storyline in the game: "Knytt Underground is the biggest game I’ve ever developed and is the first game where I feel that I have a story to tell." But the fact that one of its earliest reviews (linked above) could dismiss such a core element kinda begs the question how successful the game is about telling its story.

In KU the stories are told through witty text dialogues and funny item descriptions. Which is cool, but it also means that gamers who equate 'quality storytelling' with 'action-packed cinematic cutscenes' will likely glance over these text-based narratives, no matter how clever or deep those narratives are.

For example, to find out what really happened 500 years ago on the surface, we have to talk with NPCs who are only guessing at the events but lay down the background information. Then for the definite answer, we have to find an item called and read its nonsensical description which reveals the truth in a creepy manner only if we recognize that the item is in fact a
Compare all this effort and reward with the usual unskippable epic CGI that would shove all this info in your face in three minutes. If someone expects that sort of thing from a game in 2012, they won't find out like, 99% of stories here, and then no wonder that the game becomes really "just all about platforming, exploring, and collecting".

Besides this, I can think of only a few other reasons why some would miss out on the story: speedy playthrough or early quitting, for example.


Well, that's my two cents anyway. What do you think about the way the story is presented in KU?

Some of you might remember a little game we had on the old forums, where I played and recorded a bunch of videogame tunes, and you guys had to name the song and the game it's from. It was quite fun, so here we go again! 

This time the recordings are mostly videos in addition to mp3, and I've got quite a few new songs up my sleeve, along with the tunes from the good old days.

Rules are simple:

• watch the videos posted right here in the first post
• post here an accurate description of the tune(s) you've recognized
• watch this space for updates

The format of the description is up to you, and here is a rule of thumb: if someone who has never played the game can find the tune just by your description, then it's accurate (ie. "Super Mario 64 wing cap theme" or "the song that plays in Super Mario 64 when Mario has the flying hat", rather than "Mario 64 song"). Follow the links below and good luck! 

---

The tunes
#01: Song of Storms (Ocarina of Time)
#02: Remplissage Momentané (Knytt Stories)
#03: Koopa Village Theme (Paper Mario).
#04: ??????? ???????
#05: ??????? ???????
#06: Intro/Clocktown Day 1 (Majora's Mask)
#07: Rainy Day (Animal Crossing GC)
#08: To Zanarkand (Final Fantasy X intro)
#09: ??????? ???????
#10: Great Fairy's Fountain Theme (Legend of Zelda)
#11: The Villi People (Earthworm Jim 2)
#12: Angry Birds Theme
#13: The Great Mighty Poo (Conker's Bad Fur Day)
#14: ??????? ???????
#15: End/Credits Theme (Majora's Mask)
#16: Prelude (Final Fantasy)
#17: Intro Theme/Menu music (Halo)
#18: Inside The Deku Tree (Ocarina of Time)
#19: Jolly Roger Bay (Banjo Tooie)
#20: ??????? ???????



Player - highscore
1.   sergiocornaga - 08
2.   Gorfinhofin - 02
3.   StraightFlame - 01
3.   Firecat - 01
3.   BloxMaster - 01
3.   egomassive - 01
3.   NESgamer190 - 01
8.   --/--
9.   --/--
10. --/--