When the iPhone 5 was presented last week, Apple made a point of how its faster processor, better graphics and light, thin, larger screen will be a boon for video gamers. Increasingly people are playing games on mobile devices instead of on computers and consoles. So game designers are busy trying to target this booming market, and that includes independent designers—sole operators or small teams who create games almost as passion projects. Some of these games will go on display starting October 4 at the IndieCade festival here in Los Angeles. IndieCade founder and CEO Stephanie Barish and festival director Sam Roberts describe the changing landscape of the indie gaming industry, and how design plays a big role. If you want to experience one of these indie games for yourself, try Frances' favorite: Contra Jour, featuring a little eyeball that has to chase turquoise dots down globular hills that are shaped into slopes by your finger, all to the sound of soothing piano music.
We have five pairs of tickets to give away to IndieCade. If you'd like to win, head over to the DnA blog to enter.
A screengrab from Contra Jour, a soothing, almost meditative game
BlindSide is a somewhat-terrifying "audio adventure" game using sound to create a virtual reality
Top image is from the game Bloop that uses an iPad or iPhone's touchscreen as a gameboard