Handmade Pixels: Independent Video Games and the Quest for Authenticity
An investigation of independent video games—creative, personal, strange, and experimental—and their claims to handcrafted authenticity in a purely digital medium.
Endorsements
“Juul's fascinating and provocative argument about the recent history and culture of independent games is grounded in his deep knowledge and personal experience of the indie game world. With a nuanced view of the network of cultural factors around independent games, this book is an essential addition to the library of everyone interested in the history and aesthetics of digital games.”
- Richard Lemarchand, Associate Professor, USC Games; former lead game designer for Uncharted
“Handmade Pixels traces the history and cultural topography of independent games. By framing the medium as a cultural crusade for authenticity, it achieves the near-impossible: a single theory to unify myriad contested histories written by a diverse and competing array of artist and entrepreneurs. It is a fascinating read.”
-Bennett Foddy, Associate Arts Professor at the NYU Game Center; designer of QWOP and Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy
“Jesper Juul provides us a thoughtful discussion of all of 'our' games, and a fresh portrait of the context in which they have come to exist and thrive. Juul's thoughtful interviews and focus on a broad range of independent festival winners creates a specific narrative understanding of an independent game movement that breaks the rules, follows the path, builds new precedents, hearkens back to its roots, and forms the most important and creative elements of the industry. Handmade Pixels is a unique look at the independent games that represent important cultural markers and provide the creative firepower that moves the industry forward.”
-Stephanie Barish, IndieCade Founder & CEO