Review of Indie Game: The Movie (2012) by Jonny P — 02 Jan 2013

"Indie Game: The Movie" is a fascinating look inside the world of video game design and beyond. Rather than give a history of the video game industry, this documentary focuses on the circle of independent video game designers, treating the games as an art form and trying to turn a profit simply to help them design another.

The film follows Phil Fish and the frustrations of his 5-year development of "Fez" through four redesigns, a potential lawsuit, and hostile gamers anxious for the game to be released. This two-dimensional character in a three-dimensional world is really cool (especially once you've seen the intricacies of the program but is major artistic eye candy.

It also focuses on Tommy Refenes and Edmund McMillen as they sacrifice their personal lives to create something very original with "Super Meat Boy." Jonathan Blow also makes an appearance to discuss his game "Braid" and his depression from positive game reviews that couldn't see past the gameplay to appreciate the depth of the story.

There is a lot more to a video game than a joystick and Mario running across the screen. "Indie Game: The Movie" explores the painstaking details put into these games by one or two people (as opposed to a thousand people working on Call of Duty), the stress of the release date, and the satisfaction of designing a game enjoyed by millions.

You need to at least have a small video game nerd hiding inside of you to enjoy this one and, despite the profanity, it is a really enjoyable watch!