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[JustOnePixel]

I found this "game" on the Gamedev forums a few days ago.  I quote "game" because it's not really a game in the typical sense of the word, at least at this stage.  You guide a dark-shaded plant through the gamespace as it grows ever upwards, guided by your mouse.  There are no apparent goals or objectives, but the real seller here is the plant itself.  The plant twists and turns, loops its vines elegantly, and occasionally ends its growth in one vine only to grow out of another.  Each leaf and vine continue to grow and expand even as they slip away beneath the bottom of the screen, and you can almost convince yourself that below the screen is stacked all your growth and progress, still animate, still alive.  It's a tremendous artistic achievement - and the music it plays is impressive, to boot.

You can get it here, from cambriangames.com.  Right now it's really just an engine test, and apparently gameplay and goals will be added later.  But as it stands now, it's not a game - it's a remarkable work of art.

[McDoomhammer]

Lovely.  Many games are art, of course, but this is just like watching a painting unfold.  It's the sort of thing you can spend a long time just staring at, lulled by the music.

[Armok]

That music is just like the DF one, kinda!

[McDoomhammer]

I'm not the only one who thought that, then.

[JustOnePixel]

Haha, yeah, it definitely bears resemblance.  DF's music is a little more enterprising and upbeat, though; the Phyta stuff's a bit somber.

[JustOnePixel]

OH MAN IDEA!!  We should rig the Phyta music to play when you lose a fortress!  It'd be perfect!

[McDoomhammer]

I fear none of us would ever be heard from again.

[Crnobog]

I made an art once

[Sean Mirrsen]

Anyone tried running it on vista or a GF8xxx videocard?

[Kagus]

Vista isn't really that good at running pretty things...  It takes up too much memory and video power to make itself pretty, in ways that the Mac has been doing for a long time without even half of the requirements.

[Cthulhu]

Maybe so, but I don't want to muss up my hair and say things like "dude" and drink Starbucks, because those are all requirements for using Macs.

At last, I've found the formula for art.  Make a pretty game with no goals, conflict, fun, or end, give it pretty music, and a silly name, and blammo, it's art.

[ May 31, 2008: Message edited by: Cthulhu ]

[Keiseth]

quote:Originally posted by Cthulhu:
<STRONG>
At last, I've found the formula for art.  Make a pretty game with no goals, conflict, fun, or end, give it pretty music, and a silly name, and blammo, it's art.</STRONG>

Basically? Yeah. Who says art requires entertainment or interaction? Though I agree that the absence of these elements makes for a poor "game".

Addon: Worth downloading for the music alone. Very pretty to watch- useful for sitting and thinking.

[ May 31, 2008: Message edited by: Keiseth ]

[McDoomhammer]

I would respectfully point out that what is there right now is not really a game, just the bare bones of one in development.  It is, however, extremely pretty all on its own, and all the more so for the interactive element.

[Deon]

Is it only me? I can't run in under xp. I have NET 3.5 and java if it's linked someway. The exe just does nothing, it starts no process.

[JustOnePixel]

Hey, just to keep you guys posted, a new version with some semblance of gameplay is now out (though still probably not enough to satisfy Cthulhu   ).  Anyway, it's definitely worth a look-see, now that it's got some structure.