When searching for a video game, indie games exist as a hit or miss choice as they don’t receive backing in the hundreds of thousands. But what allows an indie game to stand beside the products of big-name companies? Looking at a specific example like Hollow Knight, it becomes obvious how such a small-scale project can keep the hearts of a devoted fanbase.
First off, it’s the extent to which developers cultivate a storyline. Since it’s not easy to win in terms of highly-developed gameplay or graphics, presenting a story to the player could incentivize them to keep playing. In Hollow Knight, their small team accomplishes this through worldbuilding, in which the realm of their game may seem small at first but is developed by means of exploration. It’s genius for a world like in Hollow Knight, since the protagonist’s origins, whereabouts, and background are ambiguous or even unknown at first.
A game’s given lore – the breadth of the storyline – also produces the occasion for a whole lot of player engagement and discussion. When parts of the story are left ambiguous, details in the text and art are mosquito-bite precise, players are bound to share their theories and epiphanies online. Indie teams aren’t on the same boat of cash-grab installments as the corporate bigshots, instead, they ride on passion for game creation. When a musician or artist on an indie team creates for a given project, they are more likely to be taking creative liberties and weaving in secret motifs because they’re not acting within the same rigid culture found in huge game companies. Rather, they’re creating with artistic passion hoping that the players appreciate the authenticity of the video game.
Hollow Knight has an unfathomable amount of story-related content. Since the game is best experienced with an air of mystery, details will be left out in this article. But there is one thing that can be said with conviction: no single character or location in Hollow Knight doesn’t have a highly-developed past or alternate role – usually surprisingly different from when the player first interacts with them.
However, a heart-wrenching storyline cannot beat out the gargantuan game labels. There has to be a more compelling incentive to continue playing. Since Hollow Knight isn’t an indie game with the capability to play with other people – outside of altering the game’s code itself – there isn’t the goal of proving oneself to others as a major motive. But the team over at Hollow Knight didn’t crumble at this barrier; they resolved to make self-made progress proof that the game is worth playing. In Hollow Knight, the player’s bitterness and spite towards failing – to beat bosses or explore areas – is targeted. Although this does cause some to low-tolerance players to drop out, it does leave the committed players who are utterly decided on winning. These same gung-ho players are sure to spread word of the challenge and prompt other gamers to try Hollow Knight. Moreover, gamers who see the invitation run the risk of being called a pushover if they don’t steel their resolves – and credit cards – to play the game.
Hollow Knight offers a lot when it comes to swaying newcomers to play the game. Whether it comes through the form of detailed storytelling in their music and art, creating a culture of commitment among players, Hollow Knight sets an example to all video games hoping to reach their fanbase. As an indie game, the team behind Hollow Knight is the dark horse of video game favorites.
