HEDY MAG ISSUE 1

third parties like Unity. Over the last five years
the indie game scene has exploded, with their
own trade shows, awards, documentaries and
an ever growing number of studios worldwide.
Aside from being present in PCs and smartphones,
popular titles are being made available for
their consoles by Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.
The availability of technical resources and the
possibilities for self publishing that the internet
offers have made possible that people from
different backgrounds can now make and sell
their own games in a DIY spirit similar to that of
zine makers, bringing a fresh and new perspective
to games. As opposed to mainstream commercial
games, indie games are deeply personal
and draw inspiration from a whole new range of
themes and experiences. As a result minorities
are exceedingly becoming represented in games
that touch upon issues such as queer culture, feminism,
mental illness or politics. At the same
time, innovation in storytelling and gameplay
mechanics have been sending waves through
the traditional gaming community, not always
open to allowing these new forms of games being
brought up into the scene. But for those of
us who have been dissatisfied with commercial
video games and even for those who have never
been interested in them, the appearance of a new
range of games is a welcome revolution.
WORDS BY CELIA BORRULL
HEDY 31