Welcome, dear reader, to the cosmic elevator ride that is UFO 50. It’s a game where you might end up playing more than you bargained for—50 games, to be precise! Released on September 18, 2024, this collection of retro-inspired delights has garnered a hefty dose of praise. It’s like going to a buffet and realizing you’ve bitten off more than you can chew. But when it comes to gaming nostalgia mixed with modern flair, who wouldn’t want to risk a food coma? Or in this case, a pixelated overdose!
Derek Yu, a name that’s probably made more indie fans swoon than any celebrity standing outside a midnight release line, helmed this ambitious project. With the aid of five like-minded misfits, or as we might affectionately call them, the Avengers of Indie Games, they embarked on a journey that spanned over eight years. Yes, you read that right—eight years. That’s longer than most reality TV show relationships! But instead of turmoil, we ended up with a collection that’s more cohesive than your friend’s encyclopedic knowledge of Pokémon.
“Everyone on the team enjoyed the excitement and freedom of 80s gaming – when game design was less established and less dissected.”
The dream team included luminaries like Jon Perry, transitioning from board games to video games with all the grace of a cat landing on its feet, and Eirik Suhrke, who composed tunes so catchy they might just make you forget your own name. And let’s not forget our pixel artists! They crafted visuals that would make even the most ardent retro fan weak at the knees. Seriously, just imagine the magical concoction of creativity and collaboration brewing behind those screens!
Yu opines that it’s crucial to maintain perspective while orchestrating a project of this magnitude. Think of it as a game of Jenga—it’s important to step back and see how your tower is looking before you pull out that seemingly innocent block. Regular deadlines magically help keep this chaos in check. It’s a bit like saying, “I’m going to organize my sock drawer”—you have to zoom out to avoid a fashion crisis!
What’s the secret ingredient to this pixelated stew, you ask? Individual fun! While they strung together a tight collection, Yu and his merry band of misfits focused on ensuring every game packed its own unique punch. It’s almost like trying to balance a pizza with as many toppings as possible: too many and you risk a disastrous falling slice.
Ah, the joys of collaborative creative energy! Yu emphasizes that while each game had its director, a healthy dose of open dialogue and respect for one another’s contributions meant every title benefited from multiple brilliant minds. I mean, who doesn’t love a good brainstorming session? It’s like having too much coffee—initially, you’re buzzing, and then chaos ensues.
Ever heard of the phrase “learning from failure”? Well, Yu and his crew apparently mastered it. With several projects discarded along the journey, they transformed potential disasters into lessons. Being an indie developer comes with the magical permission to pivot faster than most corporate monoliths can say “market trends.”
So why 80s gaming, you might wonder? It turns out, Yu and his crew reminisce fondly about an era filled with creativity and raw excitement—a time when game design wasn’t weighed down by forums and endless discussions about game mechanics. A whimsical time when getting lost in a game was truly a delightful risk!
“Sometimes you need to miss a deadline to put things in the right perspective.”
Originally destined for a 2018 launch (which would have made it ideal for Intergalactic Pizza Day, I assume), we witnessed delays that would have made even the most stoic among us sigh. But fret not! Delays meant crafting a refined experience that both Yu and his team could stand behind. After all, who wants to put their name on something that feels half-baked? With the game ready to reveal its pixelated beauty, Yu reported input from playtesters to ensure it felt complete, like a well-stuffed taco.
Interestingly, this indie phenomenon stands in stark contrast to the rushed, profit-driven practices rife within the larger corporate gaming world. It’s reassuring to see a project steeped in care transforms into an artistic endeavor rather than a rush to market. Yu advocates for smaller, iterative projects for budding developers, promoting sustainable progress over one massive, years-long journey in game-making land. Because let’s face it, starting your development career by biting off 50 games might not be the wisest course of action.
Yu reminds us that games, at their core, are a people-driven craft. Finding trusted collaborators is crucial, perhaps even more so than mastering the subtle art of pixel placement. It’s not just about making games; it’s about creating connections, just like forming a band—let’s just hope they don’t argue over creative differences like that band at your last high school reunion!
Ultimately, the UFO 50 journey was about having fun creating games. And if there’s one takeaway from this zany venture, it’s that whether you’re tackling 50 games or just trying to animate a bouncing ball, the heart of the project should be the joy of making something uniquely yours.
Booting up UFO 50, a remarkable collection of 50 distinct titles steeped in 80s inspiration, can leave players with an exhilarating yet daunting sense of possibilities given the modern design intricacies infused within its nostalgic framework.
Launched to widespread critical and commercial applause on September 18, 2024, UFO 50 stands as a unique anomaly in the indie gaming landscape, challenging conventions and showcasing how a monumental homage to gaming’s storied past can be elegantly crafted. To unravel the nuances of such expansive development, we spoke with the visionary Derek Yu.
A celebrated figure in the indie scene, Yu is the mastermind behind genre-defining games like Spelunky and its sequel, Spelunky 2. Over an extensive period of more than eight years, he collaborated with a team of five other talented indie developers in bringing UFO 50 to life.
“Everyone on the team enjoyed the excitement and freedom of 80s gaming – when game design was less established and less dissected”
Jon Perry, Yu’s childhood friend, transitioned from board game design to video game development for this ambitious venture. The team also included Eirik Suhrke, a renowned composer who contributed the memorable music for both Spelunky iterations; Paul Hubans, a pixel artist and indie developer recognized for his work on Madhouse; Ojiro Fumoto, famed for the mobile hit Downwell; and Tyriq Plummer, an acclaimed pixel artist and animator currently engaged in the development of Catacomb Kids.
Our discussion kicked off with Yu, exploring how such a diverse team managed to unify their vision and maintain coherence throughout the overwhelming magnitude of crafting 50 distinct games.
“When you’re working on a game, it’s critical to zoom out regularly to ensure you’re not getting too absorbed in one minor detail,” Yu notes. “It’s even more vital when you’re juggling a collection of 50 games! We structured our workflow around set deadlines, aiming to bring each game to a particular level of readiness.”
Connecting the titles within the collection was essential for the team, but first and foremost, they prioritized that each game should offer its unique appeal and enjoyment. Yu emphasized, “Our guiding principle was ensuring the games were both fun and intriguing to develop, which set the groundwork for our design conversations.”
Building connections between the finished games was one aspect; how did the team manage to collaborate effectively throughout the development process of UFO 50? Yu highlights that establishing clear expectations was key.
While Yu and John Perry took on the director roles for most of the collection’s games, Ojiro Fumoto carved out his niche with Sunset Drive. Even Suhrke contributed not only music but also took credits in a few collaborative efforts, echoing the team’s combined synergy and mutual respect for each other’s creative input.
| Image credit: Mossmouth/UFO 50
“The understanding was that the director would retain final say on their game’s design, but collaboration and sharing ideas were always encouraged,” Yu explains. “By the time we reached the release, every game had undergone multiple iterations influenced by various team members.”
Yu continues, “Each member of the UFO 50 team possessed a diverse skill set, but we each had specific strengths that we capitalized on organically—there was a genuine encouragement to take initiative when one had a great idea.”
A few projects were indeed set aside during the development phase, but Yu highlights an often-overlooked advantage indie developers have: flexibility. “I recall only a handful of games being scrapped early on, so we didn’t discard too much concept work in the end. This flexibility enables indie teams to pivot and refine ideas swiftly without causing undue complexity.”
According to Yu, this adaptability was crucial in embodying UFO 50’s signature 80s design ethos. When asked about their choice of this nostalgic decade, Yu remarked on the vibrant DIY spirit prevalent in the games of that era, which spurred creativity among both players and developers. This choice resonated especially as they erected a fictional video game company logo that mirrored the publishing landscape from 1982 to 1989.
“Everyone on the team appreciated the excitement and spontaneity surrounding 80s gaming – when design conventions were being defined,” Yu shares reflectively. “Games tended to be less handholdy, often requiring players to explore more, inviting a raw energy that fostered creativity. The technical constraints of the time became a breeding ground for innovative ideas, and we aimed to recapture that essence while also integrating contemporary design wisdom.”
However, threading that nostalgic feeling across 50 games took significantly longer than Yu initially anticipated. He had set his sights on launching the project in 2018, but various factors, including the release and demands of Spelunky 2 in 2020, shifted that timeline.
“We simply underestimated the breadth of work involved, which is typical when developing even a single game—let alone 50 simultaneously! Initially, I envisioned a different scope for the collection where the games could afford to be more raw. Once we missed that target date, it became obvious that this project needed the time to mature fully.”
Ultimately, Yu and Suhrke decided to prioritize Spelunky 2’s release before shifting their full focus back to UFO 50.
Despite the extended timeline, Yu expresses no regrets: “If I could rewind time, I wouldn’t change a thing, as both games, Spelunky 2 and UFO 50, received positive reviews. Sometimes, missing a deadline provides the clarity needed to garner perspective.”
Yu mentions that playtesters offered invaluable insights that helped refine the game into a cohesive experience during the year leading up to its launch. “We welcomed many external playtesters in the final year of development. That was when we felt the games were ready for broader interaction. We wanted a complete collection before reaching out to friends for feedback.”
“Sometimes you need to miss a deadline to put things in the right perspective”
“Our testers largely affirmed our foundational principles for UFO 50. While the prospect of having 50 games available at launch can be daunting, the overall framework resonated well with participants, particularly as they engaged more with our fictional backstory. The challenge lay in ensuring that all components—the games, the library, the narrative—worked seamlessly together and felt unified. Much of our testing discussions revolved around striking the right balance within the collection.”
The approach taken by Yu and his team stands as a refreshing contrast to the conventional industry narrative of games being artificially rushed and packaged for quick launches at all costs.
However, Yu, despite the enjoyment and fulfillment he gained from crafting UFO 50, cautions new indie developers against undertaking such an ambitious project. Smaller games, he notes, are often just as impactful for developers aiming to hone their skills, and viewing game creation as an iterative learning endeavor can prove far more rewarding than laying all hopes on a singular long-term project.
“I don’t think UFO 50 serves as an ideal model for new developers because, in essence, it remains a single, large game that took over eight years to produce! Achieving that requires vast experience and resources. However, planning to incrementally release several games over a few years can be a viable strategy. Viewing game development as an evolving craft learned through multiple completed projects minimizes risk significantly.”
The insights garnered from Yu’s philosophy on game design provide a promising outlook for innovative endeavors within the indie development community. As for the vision of the UFO 50 team, their game is designed to be self-sustaining, with ongoing support prioritized only to address bugs and enhance user experience.
“In my view, the game itself initiates the primary dialogue we want to have with players. As a standalone artwork, UFO 50 was crafted to remain as is, excepting necessary fixes to ensure user engagement. Mostly, we relish in watching our community interact with the game together while positioning ourselves to support that experience as effectively as possible.”
Yu’s passion for game development shines through as he articulates his motivation for creating games. His insightful perspective exudes empathy, a quality characteristic of the vibrant yet polished productions he’s renowned for crafting. Since the launch of Spelunky, which sold over a million copies and captivated audiences globally, Yu’s following has only expanded. He firmly believes that games are a collaborative, people-centric industry and should be approached as such, especially within the realm of indie development.
“The game itself is the main dialogue we’re putting out there – as an artwork, UFO 50 wasn’t designed to be something that keeps changing too much after release”
“Games are fundamentally created by people, rather than merely through specific skill sets, so prioritize working with individuals you trust and enjoy collaborating with,” he advises when we inquire about the lessons he’s learned throughout UFO 50’s creation.
Yu’s vision for the games industry emerges as refreshingly simple and profoundly influenced by his collaborative experience while developing UFO 50. He engaged with a close-knit team of friends, and when discussing the role of continuity in game development, he succinctly states: “I believe continuity holds value, but it must arise organically—developers should collaborate out of mutual desire.”
Ultimately, Yu conveys that the driving force behind UFO 50 stemmed from a fundamental aim: to derive enjoyment from the process of creating games.
