Terry’s Free Game of the Week

Terry Apr 6, 2021 1 Comments

Hey hey, welcome back! It’s been a while! So I’ve been working on a new project recently, and I thought it was probably about time that I mentioned it here.

Since the start of the year, I’ve been writing at this new site, “Terry’s Free Game of the Week“. Basically I pick one recent freeware game each Friday, and talk about why I think it’s cool. It’s just me doing this, and it’s going to stay that way (unless I find another Terry who wants to write about freeware).

You know, at first, I wasn’t really sure how long I was going to keep this up for – even though it’s just one game a week, I still have to play everything that comes out, which is a lot of work! But I’m a couple of months in now, so I think the site is probably not going anywhere. I figure I’ll at least try to keep it going for a year, and then re-assess.

It’s been really interesting, this process of making myself write about something every week – I am not a writer, and I genuinely find this really difficult and stressful, every week. But I think this is a good project for me for three big reasons:

One: I think creative work is more interesting when it’s connected with a larger scene – people making work in conversation with each other. In other words, I think making the effort to pay attention to what’s going on in freeware helps make me better at making games.

Two: I think non-commercial work is important. Commercial viability is not the only measure of value.

And three, just like it was six years ago when we were doing freeindiegam.es, I think an incredible amount of amazing creative work out there is not getting the attention it deserves, and it feels good to be doing my bit to try and shine a light on it.

Ahem, anyway! I’m really proud of this new project. Please check it out!

Mixtape 2: Obscure

Terry Nov 21, 2012 5 Comments

My last mixtape was intended for non-gamers – this one is more of an insider thing.

Over the long term in this medium, I think people tend to only remember the highlights. The best games on a system. The best games in a genre. The best games in a given year. A developer’s best game. In the process, a lot of flawed, interesting games get forgotten.

We’re long enough into this whole solo-indie developer thing that there are now quite a few prolific developers out there with a substantial body of work – in many cases, a body of work that includes extremely interesting games overshadowed by more famous productions. You could make many mixtapes like this one.

This mixtape is a collection of early or lesser known works by designers I like. (The title, “obscure”, wasn’t quite the word I was looking for, but I struggled to find a better one.)

Click here to download the entire collection for windows, or play the games individually below:

Mixtape 1: Introduction

Terry Oct 15, 2012 5 Comments

A little while ago on twitter, some people I follow were putting together themed mix tapes of games they like. I think it’s a cool idea, so I’m going to try putting a couple of them together myself. Here’s the first one.

This mixtape is for people who haven’t played many games, and think they won’t like them.

All of these games are controlled with the mouse, arrow keys, and space bar. They’re all free.

Click here to download the entire collection, or play the games individually below:

FreeIndieGam.es Roundup

Terry Aug 16, 2012 4 Comments

So, FreeIndieGam.es has been running for six months now. Wow!

We recently started some new things on the site: you may have already seen that Porpentine has started writing a cool weekly roundup of her favourite stuff from the site for RockPaperShotgun. Check it out here!

Also, something else: When I put out the call for a fourth editor, I got a lot of emails from indie devs who liked the site and wanted to contribute, but didn’t really have the time. I thought it would be cool to find some other way for people to contribute, so, starting today, we’re going to try letting guest editors run the site for a few days at a time! These posts will be a little different – we’re just asking out guests to share games that they’ve loved, games that have inspired them, from any time at all.

Our first guest editor is Cactus, and his first post should be appearing shortly!

Hope you’ve been enjoying the site 🙂

Wanted: New editor for FreeIndieGam.es

Terry Apr 24, 2012 4 Comments

I didn’t really know what picture to use for this blog post, so here’s some kittens in cups.

So, FreeIndieGam.es is going pretty well! We want to make sure we can keep it running long term, because we all feel it’s an important project. Currently, the site has just three editors – myself, Increpare, and Aquin. We’re looking to take on another editor – ideally, someone who has a similar idea about what constitutes an “interesting game” as the other editors on the site!

Here are some details about how we operate the site:

– We run the site in shifts, to minimise the time involved for everyone. The idea is that you take responsibility for the site for three days at a time, then pass it along to the next editor (so that you get an 9 day break from having to worry about updating it).

– We try to post at least two games a day, and more after competitions like Ludum Dare. We’re mostly focused on posting new stuff as it’s released, but posting older games you like from time to time is fine. We keep a list of blogs and forums that we regularly check for new releases.

– We’re not a review site – we don’t write anything at all about the games we post. All that’s required is that you find something interesting, and share it with our readers by posting a screenshot and a copy pasted description.

– We all have biases, and that’s reflected in the sort of games that we post. So we’re particularly interested in finding an editor that covers our blind spots – do you play a lot of adventure games? Visual novels? Interactive Fiction? Then we’re particularly interested in hearing from you!

– As a rule, we don’t post our own games on the site.

– There’s no money involved, and there never will be. This is a volunteer sort of thing. There are no ads on the site, or anything like that.

If you’re interested in helping out, or even if you just want to know more, then get in touch 🙂 Thanks!

EDIT: We have since found our new editor. Thank you!

Free Indie Games, one month in

Terry Apr 18, 2012 9 Comments

FreeIndieGam.es, a new freeware games blog run by myself, increpare, and Aquin, has now been running for an entire month, and has posted over 90 games. I think it’s going pretty well!

Free Indie Games

Terry Mar 17, 2012 13 Comments

I’ve started a new project! It’s a blog called Free Indie Games, which I hope to update regularly.

When I started making games as a full time thing, most of the sites I read were blogs that covered lots of cool and experimental freeware games. It was really exciting for me at the time, to see that sorta thing happening around me, to see so many people doing things with this medium that I’d never seen before. Being part of that hugely influenced the sorta games I work on now.

I think that’s still happening, but things have changed, as they do. The sites I used to read have changed their focus. And that’s cool, but I feel like something’s missing now. I want there to be somewhere out there which just focuses on the awesome little experimental games that got me into this in the first place – so, I started something.

I’m intentionally keeping it pretty simple – the site is literally just screenshots and links to stuff I find interesting. Hopefully you’ll find it worthwhile, though.

I’ve started the site off by posting about some cool freeware games I’ve played recently. Check it out at https://www.freeindiegam.es.