| The Westport Independent | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Double Zero One Zero |
| Publisher(s) | Coffee Stain Studios |
| Designer(s) | Pontus Lundén |
| Programmer(s) | Kristian Brodal |
| Artist(s) |
|
| Writer(s) |
|
| Composer(s) | Pontus Lundén |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
The Westport Independent is a simulation video game developed by Double Zero One Zero and published by Coffee Stain Studios. The game was released digitally for Android, iOS, Linux, Microsoft Windows, and OS X on 21 January 2016.
The Game is set in a backsliding city-state named Westport amid a crisis regarding Parliament's attempts to censor the media. The player (The Editor and Owner of the afformentioned "Westport Independent") will have to choose what the newspaper will publish and what it will not. All decisions will have a major impact throughout the course of the game. The player will also need to confront the writers working for the newspaper, who will want different content to be published. [1] Articles will include subjects such as riots, healthcare, industrial accidents and rebellions. [2]
Originally, the game was developed over a period of 72 hours. This version was featured on several websites. Eventually, the developers decided to expand it into a full length game with many more features added. While it is essentially a more fully featured (though otherwise unrelated) version of Lucas Pope's The Republia Times (the Ludum Dare precursor to Papers, Please ), the developers have stated they were unaware of Pope's game until after they had finished the game-jam version of this one. [3]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | (PC) 63/100 [4] (iOS) 75/100 [5] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| PC Gamer (US) | 67/100 [6] |
| The Escapist |    [7] |
The Westport Independent received mixed reviews. The game holds an aggregated Metacritic score of 63/100 for Microsoft Windows, based on 15 critic reviews, [4] and one of 75/100 for iOS, based on 6 critic reviews. [5] PC Gamer reviewer Matt Elliott gave the game a score of 65/100, stating that "[a] cleanly executed idea falls short because of flat characterisation and a dissatisfying lack of consequence. If only real papers were this toothless." [6] Nick Monroe from The Escapist awarded it 3.5 out of 5 stars, saying that "[the game] is a great choice for fans of Papers, Please , and anyone who wants a game that makes you critically think about real-life topics." [7]
SkiFree is a single-player skiing computer game created by Chris Pirih and released with Microsoft Entertainment Pack 3 for Windows 3.0 in October 1991. The player controls a skier on a mountain slope, avoiding obstacles while racing against time or performing stunts for points, depending on the game mode.
Ratloop, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Houston, Texas, and founded in 1997 in Richmond, Virginia. In addition to traditional retail game products, Ratloop has also done contract work for various 3D multimedia projects such as training tools and "serious games". Their earliest work used the label "Team Epochalypse", and they also own the DBA brand "Mekada", which is oriented towards casual gamers. In 2007, Ratloop Asia Pte. Ltd. was incorporated to support a development team based in Singapore. In 2017, Ratloop Canada was incorporated.
Star Trek D·A·C is a video game inspired by the 2009 Star Trek movie, developed by Naked Sky Entertainment in collaboration with Bad Robot. The title is derived from the game's three modes of play: Deathmatch, Assault, and Conquest. The game was released for the Xbox 360 via the Xbox Live Arcade on May 13, 2009, for the PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows in November 2009, and for Mac OS X on December 21, 2009.
Wizorb is a video game created and published by Tribute Games. It was released on the Xbox 360 Xbox Live Marketplace on September 29, 2011. The gameplay is a cross between a Breakout clone and a role-playing video game. Wizorb was ported to Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. It was released for Windows through Steam on March 14, 2012, with added achievements and cloud storage. Upon release, Wizorb saw favorable reviews from critics, with VentureBeat's Jacob Siegal listing it as one of the top 10 independent video games of 2011.
Sanctum 2 is a first-person shooter tower defense video game, developed by independent developer Coffee Stain Studios for Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The successor to Sanctum, Sanctum 2 was announced in 2012 and released on 15 May 2013.
Papers, Please is a puzzle simulation video game created by indie game developer Lucas Pope, developed and published through his production company, 3909 LLC. The game was released on August 8, 2013, for Microsoft Windows and OS X, for Linux on February 12, 2014, and for iOS on December 12, 2014. A port for the PlayStation Vita was announced in August 2014 and was then released on December 12, 2017. A new port for iOS as well as for Android was released in August 2022.
Warhammer 40,000: Storm of Vengeance is a real-time strategy video game developed and published by Eutechnyx. It was released for Microsoft Windows, iOS and Android. It was set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, it follows the Dark Angels, commanded by Grand Master Belial, and the Bad Moons, commanded by Ork Warlord Ghazghkull Thraka on the planet Piscina IV. It was released on April 3, 2014 for Windows and iOS, and on April 22, 2014 for Android.
Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions is a 2014 multidirectional shooter video game developed by Lucid Games and published by Activision under the Sierra Entertainment brand name. The game was released on November 25, 2014 for Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, day later for Xbox 360 and Xbox One and in the middle of 2015 for iOS and Android. As the sequel to Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions is the first game in the series to be released on Sony platforms. It is the sixth installment in the Geometry Wars series and the first one developed after the creator of the series Bizarre Creations was shut down by Activision.
The Escapists is a strategy game played from a top-down perspective. The game was developed by Mouldy Toof Studios and following a Steam Early Access release in 2014, was released in 2015 for Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. It was released on iOS and Android in 2017. A Nintendo Switch version of the game containing all downloadable content was released in 2018. The game was launched on the Epic Games Store on 23 September 2021, with the weekly free game campaign of Epic Games. Players assume the role of an inmate and must escape from prisons of increasing difficulty.
Sid Meier's Starships is a turn-based strategy video game developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K. It was released on March 12, 2015 for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and iOS. The game is a stand-alone title but shares the same universe as Civilization: Beyond Earth, putting the player in control of a fleet of space-faring craft. The player will use the fleet to explore the galaxy, meeting other human and alien forces, and dealing with problems through a combination of military, diplomatic, and other strategic options. Spacecraft in the fleet can be highly customized for meeting certain goals. The game features cross-connectivity features with Beyond Earth for those that own both titles.
Ronin is a turn-based action platform video game developed by indie developer Tomasz Wacławek and published by Devolver Digital. It was released for Microsoft Windows on 27 May 2015 into Steam Early Access and left it on 30 June 2015. A later update for the game introduced builds for OS X and Linux on 15 October 2015. A PlayStation 4 port of Ronin was released on 1 November 2016.
The Elder Scrolls: Legends is a free-to-play digital collectible card video game, published by Bethesda Softworks for Microsoft Windows, iOS, macOS and Android in 2017.
Ziggurat is a first-person shooter dungeon crawl video game developed and published by Milkstone Studios. The game was released for Linux, Microsoft Windows, and Mac in October 2014 after being available for two months in early access. The game was released in 2015 for the Xbox One in March, and PlayStation 4 in April. It was inspired by Heretic and Hexen: Beyond Heretic. A sequel, titled Ziggurat 2, was released on October 28, 2021.
SkyBox Labs Inc. is a Canadian video game developer located in Burnaby, British Columbia. Founded in 2011 by Derek MacNeil, Shyang Kong and Steven Silvester formerly from EA Vancouver, they are mostly known for their work with Xbox Game Studios on the Halo, Age of Empires and Minecraft franchises.
Albert & Otto is a 2D puzzle-platform game developed and published by K Bros Games. The game will release as four stand-alone episodes, with the first episode titled "The Adventure Begins" releasing on October 28, 2015, for Microsoft Windows and OS X. The game was released for Xbox One on January 10, 2018, and for the PlayStation 4 on January 16.
Beholder is an adventure video game about life in a totalitarian police state. The game was developed by Warm Lamp Games and published by Alawar Entertainment on November 9, 2016. The game is supported on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.
The Escapists 2 is a strategy role-playing video game developed by Mouldy Toof Studios and published by Team17. It is the sequel to The Escapists (2015) and it was released worldwide for Linux, macOS, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in August 2017. Nintendo Switch and mobile phones versions were released in 2018 and 2019, both iOS and Android respectively.
Knights of Pen & Paper 2, stylized as Knights of Pen & Paper II, is a role-playing video game developed by Kyy Games and published by Paradox Interactive. It was released on May 13, 2015, for iOS and Android, and on October 20, 2015, for Windows, OS X and Linux through the download service Steam. Versions for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One were released in December 2018 under the name Knights of Pen & Paper 2: Deluxiest Edition. It is the sequel to Knights of Pen & Paper.
Assault Android Cactus is a twin-stick shooter developed and published by Witch Beam. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux in 2015, PlayStation 4 in 2016, Xbox One in 2017 and Nintendo Switch in 2019. An enhanced version for the Switch was released in 2019 as Assault Android Cactus+.
Through the Darkest of Times is a strategy video game developed by Paintbucket Games and published by HandyGames. It was released on Microsoft Windows and macOS through Steam on 30 January 2020 after three years of development and was later released on other platforms. The game follows a resistance group in Nazi Germany from Adolf Hitler's rise in power in 1933 to the end of World War II and manages each member through weekly missions and acts of sabotage.