Super Hexagon, and Why Indie Games Work

Super Hexagon is a very simple indie game I picked up recently for $3. There are only two controls, and it simply involves dodging spinning lines with your triangle to the beat of a (wonderful) pulsing soundtrack. It’s one of the simplest, one of the lowest budget, and one of the best games I’ve played recently.

A typical game of Super Hexagon. Looks simple, right?

Now despite Super Hexagon certainly being a casual game, I wouldn’t call myself a casual gamer. I play most big new games that come out and I’ve had long stints of playing MMOs; so what is it about such simple games as Super Hexagon that is so much fun, often more so than big name blockbuster games? (Tomb Raider I’m looking at you.)

I think it’s intelligent game design. Something big name developers tend to do is try to fit standards which are common to the industry–often going as far as to heavily copy other, similar games in an attempt to share in their success. While obviously many people enjoy Call of Duty, it would be nice to see something a little new this year instead of the same game with different weapon skins and killstreaks.

This is where indie developers regularly hit the nail on the head. Because they don’t have the budget to make the next epic blockbuster, they have to think outside the box, and therein lies innovation.