UK based Indie game developer HaZ Dulull from Beyond The Pixels shares the mission behind a unique physical release designed to make discovering, and playing an indie game easier.
Astro Burn has launched a Game Card Edition for PC and Mac. Priced at £9.99, each pack includes five randomly selected original art cards, two stickers, including a holographic one, and a scratch-off digital game code.
“I’d assumed that anyone interested in a PC game would have Steam,” says Dulull. “But parents would come up, see Astro Burn, and ask how they could buy it. Some didn’t have Steam and didn’t want to install another platform. They just wanted to buy the game, install it, and play,” said creator HaZ Dulull.
Those conversations extended to gamers who already play their games through other launchers (Riot, Epic, Roblox etc), but weren’t looking to add another one. Others spoke fondly about buying boxed games and having something physical to take home and install.
“That stuck with me. As an indie developer, getting someone to notice your game is hard enough. When someone does connect with it, I want getting hold of it to be straightforward. Their excitement shouldn’t get lost somewhere between finding the game and figuring out how to play it,” said Dulull.
The Astro Burn Game Card Edition offers a simple route: scratch off the silver panel, enter the unique, single-use code at the website printed on the card, and download the game for PC or Mac. Once downloaded and installed, no launcher, login, or internet connection is needed to play and you can install it on as many machines as you like!
“I didn’t want it to be just a code on a card. I wanted that little moment of opening a pack and discovering what’s inside. The art cards featuring exclusive artwork of the game are randomly selected, so there’s that excitement of seeing which ones you get, and you’ve got something from the world of Astro Burn to collect,” continued Dulull, in the press release.
That approach reflects his personal mission to help the game find its audience amid the noise of the indie games market: make the first encounter memorable, the purchase approachable, and the route to playing simple.
“At events like Gamescom and Comic Con etc, you get to see people connect with the game in person. This is my way of carrying a bit of that feeling home with them. Something you can give as a present, open together, or keep on a shelf, with a whole game to get stuck into.”
Inspired by the colourful chaos of classic ’90s cute-em-ups like Parodius, Astro Burn pairs its cute retro style with the kind of arcade action Dulull describes as a proper ‘go on, one more go’ game.”
The Astro Burn Game Card Edition is available now for £9.99.