I like indie game bundles. Despite that I almost don't have the time to play the games, I like to collect them for later. However, It's always smart to take a step back and analyze the games and situation decently before you throw money at it.

Let me give a nice example of what happened this month:

At 19th December IndieRoyale came with a new indie game bundle. For the people who didn't do much with indie bundles: Bundles from IndieRoyale are less generous than the ones of HumbleBundle, but they're more frequently released (almost every 4 weeks), thus it's still worth checking out. Unfortunately most of the games of the new Xmas Bundle 2.0‏ didn't catch any of my interest. Most of them are puzzle games, bad remakes of the Serious Sam franchise or have graphics which looked like they're harshly done in a week. With one exception: Offspring Fling!

Despite it was a 2D platform puzzler as well, I liked the graphics because it resembles somewhat like Kirby and such. Still paying for a whole bundle for only the windows and mac ports of one game? Hmmm, that isn't much of my goal when buying indie game bundles. Luckily the game developer was kind enough to have a demo of the game on his website. I tested it, enjoyed it despite I don't like puzzling that much. But then damn. I was stuck in a level (which I ironically completed when playing this game again for writing this journal). Anyway, that 'stuckness' frustrated me pretty much enough that I skipped buying the bundle.

Twenty hours later: Humble Bundle launched a new bundle of indie games: Humble Indie Bundle 7.

In my honest opinion, Humble Bundle lost excellence for launching the Humble THQ Bundle earlier, which was Windows-only, and the games were only accessible via Steam. <insert vomiting sound here> Ironically, even after the selling end of the Humble THQ bundle, the game publisher THQ filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy.

At the first glance, Humble Indie Bundle 7 didn't contain a lot of games which would drive me to a impulse purchase. I've had Dungeon Defenders for a couple of months via IndieRoyale. I bought the Binding of Isaac earlier via Humble Bundle, but this time it also has the Wrath of the Lamb. Also, a movie about indie game developers and developing their game didn't gain much notice from me as well, since I already finished a semester of game developing at College and already heard enough people with experience of making indie games.

Despite that, I bought it. Snapshot (yet another 2D puzzle game) has an unique game concept about making snapshots of the scenery and items to solve the puzzle. It's also from the same developer as Offspring Fling!, interesting. Shank 2 is a 2D action platformer ( kinda like Duke Nukem I & II heheh |=(;3 ) which looks better than the pixelized remakes of Serious Sam. Also the DLC of the Binding of Isaac is a nice addon. And that a Linux port of Dungeon Defenders is included in the bundle also nice, since IndieRoyale didn't release one. Also due the fact that Humble Bundle adds a couple of games to the bundle a week before the selling closes, it's worth a buy.

8 days later. Humble Bundle adds 3 other games to their Indie Bundle 7.

The Basement Collection is practically an application portfolio of the game developer behind Super Meat Boy and Binding Of Isaac. I noticed that I already played some of them, like Spewer. Still funny to play since I never finished that one. Cave Story+, already gained earlier via another Humble Indie Bundle. And as third added game...with ports of all the 3 platforms....inclusive OST.....Offspring Fling! |=(:D