By John Walker on July 13th, 2009 at 10:32 pm.
Well, we all make mistakes. This is my first one, so it feels weird, but I’m strong. Alec wrote about this a couple of months back. But it’s great, and there’s a good reason to get it, so there’s good reason to write about it all over again.
Glum Buster is a beautiful game for two reasons. Firstly, it’s a beautiful indie platformer with a ton of imagination, shifting approaches to how you play, and some remarkably detailed microscopic pixel art. It’s also rather beautiful because of its charityware sales model, which is all kinds of lovely.
It’s a traditional platformer in so much as you move left and right, and jump. Apart from when you fly. It’s also reasonably traditional that you fire with your left mouse button. Except that you shoot at the glum shadows to bring them to brighter life. Then with your completely atraditional right mouse button, you place three points of a triangle which captures a creature within it, seemingly grabbing its essence and opening portals. Until that’s not what the game’s about, and you’re flicking red and blue switches to change level patterns, and climbing on grasshoppers’ backs, and flinging yourself into the air using special whirlythings.
It’s constantly interesting, a little tricky, and always particularly soothing. And it’s free, so you should download it and play it.
However, should you feel the desire, you can pay as much as you want for the game. Or play it as much as you want then choose to pay for it. Or decide to pay for it six hundred times. Or never. However you see fit. But there’s a rather excellent incentive to pay – the more times anyone does, the greater percentage of the amount paid goes to the Starlight Children’s Foundation. And he’s being no stinge.
Every time 25 people buy the game, creator Justin Leingang increases the percentage that goes charitywards. This started at a very generous 51%, and is now in the 53% bracket. $292.63 have already gone toward the good cause. But this is a pretty great game, and RPS has a huge number of readers. Let’s see if we can make that number go very high. Do it. Play it, and pay what you think it’s worth.
13/07/2009 at 22:38 ...hmm... says:
on the plus side more people will read it if its posted twice.. right?
13/07/2009 at 22:45 The Archetype says:
This post is a bit more of a compelling plea, but yes, bit embarassing for Mr. Walker.
13/07/2009 at 22:47 John Walker says:
Oh good heavens, no it isn’t. You think we won’t occasionally forget which little indie games have crossed our path? We will.
13/07/2009 at 22:48 Alec Meer says:
I NEVER FORGET.
13/07/2009 at 23:22 PleasingFungus says:
I want to like it – I mean, it’s for charity and stuff, right…? But “constantly interesting” is not how I would describe it.
13/07/2009 at 23:22 Mortiphago says:
Deducing thusly that Alec is, very indeedily, an elephant. Of sorts.
Downloading as we speak… er… read.. the comment.. thing
13/07/2009 at 23:26 Dracko says:
Who cares? It’s a good game and well worth the time invested even though the mechanics may start to feel transparent and you go along. It’s delightful and strange like an illustrated children’s novel or a weird dream.
13/07/2009 at 23:35 negativedge says:
This is the best game I’ve played this year. If you don’t download it you hate video games.
DO IT
14/07/2009 at 00:28 dartt says:
I seem to recall getting mocked most ruthlessly for submitting something you’d already posted as news!
“Man, I hate our readers!” you remarked before twirling your ludicrous moustache and blasting off to the top of your ivory tower in a hot air balloon.
14/07/2009 at 01:29 Bhazor says:
A nigh on perfect little puzzle platformer that constantly throws new moves and tools at you and is so well designed you can work out the most obtuse tool, like a water splash launch, in seconds. My only problem with it are the deaths, whenever theres a chance of death it loses a lot of it’s atmosphere and calm and the rooms lose their appeal after repeating them 3 or 4 times. But collectable hats! Also, it’s more a problem with me than the game but I keep misreading it as bum guster.
Oh with this and Enviro Bear the indies are spoiling us. Especially when we’re being given seconds.
14/07/2009 at 01:33 The Archetype says:
I hadn’t realized the original post (which I myself had forgotten about and only knew of due to a comment no longer on this page) was from a few months ago, and I thought it was a bit more recent. The shame is all mine.
Sorry!
14/07/2009 at 01:45 DethDonald says:
I have one of them Visa debit gift cards that has only $1.37 left. I know where my money is going.
14/07/2009 at 05:39 Anthony says:
This is probably my favorite game so far this year, thanks for posting about it again!
14/07/2009 at 09:42 Andresito says:
I didn’t like it… now I feel bad.
14/07/2009 at 10:49 Surgeon says:
I loved this.
Definitely worth a shot and a donation.
14/07/2009 at 11:47 sigma83 says:
I’m stuck!!!!! On the level where you first acquire your jumping powers
14/07/2009 at 12:16 Owen says:
i like. will pay.
14/07/2009 at 17:43 ...hmm... says:
having played it for over 3 hours in the last few days, it is definately something worth the effort of downloading, beautiful art etc.
worth paying for :)
14/07/2009 at 19:45 zakkmiester says:
Liked you have to burn the rope better…