After a long wait, Mac and Linux users will be able to enjoy Smudged Cat Games’ hit title Gateways. The Mac and Linux versions of Gateways will be available for $5 through Steam and directly from the developer.
Smell that? That sharp, intoxicating aroma? Assuming you haven't forgotten to do the washing up, that's probably the smell of possibility. Microsoft's ID@Xbox program represents a serious and very overdue step up for self-publishing on Xbox - long consigned to the sporadically fecund depths of the Xbox Live Indie Games channel.
Buddy Acker of SpawnFirst writes: "The Xbox Live Indie Games section of the Xbox Live Marketplace is depressing. I’ll actually go a step further: it’s utter junk. Most of the games available on it are poor clones of popular games, games filled with pictures of barely clothed cartoon women or farting games rife with quicktime events. Most people will stick with Xbox Live Arcade when attempting to find an independent game to play because otherwise their efforts will be akin to searching for a dime in a fountain full of pennies and cement."
Indie, 2D Portal-like charmed this reviewer with its innovative gameplay mechanics and puzzles.
"...the titular Gateways mechanic and switch pressing puzzle design appear to be lifted from Valve’s Portal series. But, fortunately, this is not the case. David Johnston at Smudged Cat Games has proven with the critically acclaimed Shuggy that he knows game design and, as the rest of the game goes on to prove, Gateways is very much its own breed."