Thecatamites' Commercial Collection: 50 Short Games
A curious compendium
Stephen 'thecatamites' Murphy has given us Goblet Grottos, Space Funerals, Murder Dogs, Pleasuredomes and much more besides, and he's never asked for anything in return. I'm tremendously pleased that, for the first time, it is now possible to exchange coin for the deliriously creative creations of one of fringe gaming's strongest and strangest voices. For a minimum of four euros (higher prices are at the purchaser's discretion), you'll receive the titular FIFTY GAMES, each of which was made in a single day during 2013's final months. Along with FIFTY GAMES, you'll find yourself in possession of a loader for the FIFTY GAMES, essays on each of the FIFTY GAMES and illustrated notes about the project. A tremendous piece of history.
The collection doesn't have a launch trailer, which is a terrible oversight on the part of thecatamites' undoubtedly enormous marketing team, so I'm going to drop the opening theme to Space Funeral here instead.
I'm reminded of the IGF Pirate Kart, a collection of glitchy, imaginative constructions that are often directed toward deconstruction. The difference, of course, is that all of these games were made by one designer. Remarkable.
For Crime Zone alone, which pre-empts Kentucky Route Zero's manipulation of perspective, thecatamites deserves to have treasures laid at his door.