Support NeoGAF

[McBacon]

Most Xbox Indie games are so unbelievably off putting, based entirely on their box art. You have to think, if these people can barely utilise Microsoft Paint, how can they be proficient in coding and game design?

People say don't judge a book by its cover, but with over 700 indie games on the store (eclipsing XBLA's 260 odd by some margin) its hard to not be a superficial jackass and avoid games entirely because the font is Comic Sans. With a drop shadow.

My advice: get some help. Put out a call to writers and artists on forums or Twitter. Offer a prize for the best box art. It's important to your success!

Here is a gallery of the most inhumane uses of 3D Studio Max's default shapes, Photoshop's Cloud filter, Comic Sans and several other scourges of design. And, to make the medicine go down, some top notch designs too.

The Worst

The Best

 

[Bernbaum]

The goggles do nothing!

 

[Diablohead]

Twin Blades in xbl indie too? I brought it on my ipod touch but it's rather generic in gameplay, looks pretty.

 

[No_Style]

What is that gray thing?

 

[Neverender]

:lol

 

[BitchTits]

:lol So much LOL!

Amazing Wizard & Garrett The Slug are my favorites. Best name goes to Dokee The Dog and the Musical Rain! :lol

Tobe's is awesome, it almost looks like a Genesis cart box. Will have to check that out on XBL.

 

[devilru]

Barf & Beer, Dokee the dog, Relic Raider > I made a game with zombies

 

[Gen X]

Funny thing is, the ones with the good box art are prolly shit games and vice versa! :lol

 

[PetriP-TNT]

ROFL

 

[McBacon]

What is that gray thing?

I don't know, its plagued me for months.

 

[fisheyes]

This could pretty much be under the worst list, couldn't it? Its still just a generic font with a crappy little picture.

 

[pieatorium]

What is that gray thing?

Death?

 

[edgefusion]

I don't know, its plagued me for months.

Its a koala in a sleeping bag

Spoiler

?

 

[Darklord]

What is that gray thing?

A tongue with 3 balls.

 

[CrunchinJelly]

What is that gray thing?

A scrotum and a very small penis.

 

[HUELEN10]

This is the perfect example of an average one. Gets the job done, but nothing special. Not bad though.

 

[bjaelke]

Paint boll :lol Looks like my very first go with 3d Studio Max...

 

[t3nmilez]

It's a shame that so many devs don't care about boxart, if a game has shit boxart then it's going to be a very hard sell to download, unless the description and screenshots look phenomenal. On the other hand, I'll usually download a game with good boxart, even if the game itself doesn't look that great.

 

[Hypno Funk]

Oh, look at me! I'm making people happy! I'm Donkee the Dog and the magical rain, living in a gumdrop house on Lollipop Lane!

 

[Gowans]

Yeah most indie game box art is a joke, lots of programmer art.

We should just set up a thread or go into the creators club forums & make a we create your box art thread.

 

[cuyahoga]

Oh, look at me! I'm making people happy! I'm Donkee the Dog and the magical rain, living in a gumdrop house on Lollipop Lane!

http://xbox360.ign.com/dor/objects/...munity-games/videos/dokee_the_dog_120308.html

Looks like a furry puzzle game with a dancing antromorphic dog.

 

[toythatkills]

This could pretty much be under the worst list, couldn't it? Its still just a generic font with a crappy little picture.

Agreed.

This is still my favourite boxart on the service, and the one that got me into it in the first place.

EDIT: Oh, and this?

 

[borghe]

Barf & Beer, Dokee the dog, Relic Raider > I made a game with zombies

I actually think Dokee the Dog isn't that bad.. I wouldn't include it on the best list but definitely wouldn't put it on the worst list either.

and yeah, I Made A Game with Zombies In It is awful...... definitely an example of a good game excusing horrible box art. It isn't even average. It should just be in the worst category.

 

[Princess Skittles]

This could pretty much be under the worst list, couldn't it? Its still just a generic font with a crappy little picture.

Yes.

I guess it's under "best" since it's using yet another tired, overused internet shit meme. Misspelled words and 1s with !s, it's very clever and progressive.

 

[Walshicus]

What is that gray thing?

I don't know, its plagued me for months.

Death?

:lol

Don't let the bastard get you, McBacon!

 

[DeBurgo]

Yes.

I guess it's under "best" since it's using yet another tired, overused internet shit meme. Misspelled words and 1s with !s, it's very clever and progressive.

It's kind of funny in the context of the XBLA XNA games as a (somewhat unintentional?) satire of all the shitty games on the service. Also it's got the ZZT/Dwarf Fortress style 8-bit ASCII smiley faces and that's always a plus!

 

[McBacon]

Yeah, "I maed" is actually pretty bad, but it at least shows "if you can't draw for shit - keep it minimalist".

Dokee and the Musical Rain is the funniest game available. You won't need drugs or alcohol ever again - just play this game. It's made in Croatia or something, and you play a dancing dog who has to catch falling clip-art, and sometimes you sprout wings and fly away. It's a complete trip.

 

[Rlan]

Bumping this back up because I didn't see it the first time, and needs to be seen again

 

[DMczaf]

I don't know what pisses me off more, the shitty box art or that some of the shitty box art might be shitty on purpose to be "cool"

 

[Lijik]

It's made in Croatia or something, and you play a dancing dog who has to catch falling clip-art, and sometimes you sprout wings and fly away. It's a complete trip.

I'm kind of tripping out just reading this.

 

[Gomu Gomu]

Oh man :lol :lol :lol

 

[Dark Octave]

Twin Blades in xbl indie too? I brought it on my ipod touch but it's rather generic in gameplay, looks pretty.

I really wanted to like this game too. Beautiful art, but as soon as the game started, my MS points went right back into my pocket.

Walk, walk, walk, swing, walk, walk, swing, walk, walk, swing, walk, swing, walk, swing, walk, shoot because you feel like doing something different even though there's really no need to, walk, end level.

Here's hoping they make a sequel and that it plays as amazing as the first game looks. But for a dollar or two, you can't really ask them for too much.

 

[Gamer @ Heart]

These cant be real.

I DONT BELIEVE YOU.

 

[HadesGigas]

 

[lostzenfound]

Isn't the real question here how many of these games can be labeled as quality efforts based on the box art alone? Any game I've enjoyed is contained in the 'good' box art section.

 

[HadesGigas]

Theres a lot of good games with too plain or dull box arts, but yeah. The games with the horribly bad box arts are all pretty awful.

 

[Devil Theory]

:lol :lol

 

[Dark Octave]

Isn't the real question here how many of these games can be labeled as quality efforts based on the box art alone? Any game I've enjoyed is contained in the 'good' box art section.

Geanerally, I agree with you. I hear this game is good, but...damn...

 

[Slavik81]

Isn't the real question here how many of these games can be labeled as quality efforts based on the box art alone? Any game I've enjoyed is contained in the 'good' box art section.

I would not put Miner Dig Deep out as an example of a particularly good box art, but it's the best I've played.

Also, damn you Dark Octave.

 

[bonesmccoy]

What is that gray thing?

My hunch is a chunk of plasticine... but I must admit that the 'a tongue with three balls' description appears to be just as apt.

 

[IlliterateBookworm]

These are beyond amazing.

They are MAGICAL.

Give us more! We require more magic!

 

[itxaka]

:lol this is awesome

 

[uh uh no way]

I love that the problem of bad box art is addressed so seriously in the OP, when these covers are completely on purpose. and "I Made A Game With Zombies In It" is in the "good" section despite missing that all the other box art was being ironic as well :lol

 

[yamo]

Garrett the slug and Omg Cats :lol

 

[TheKyle07]

What is that gray thing?

Mold.

 

[HadesGigas]

 

[MedHead]

Mold.

It looks to me like a person (perhaps Death, as said before) in a large hooded robe, with arms raised.

 

[Alphahawk]

:lol this is awesome

The game description is even better it's something like "Relax with these easy mazes and don't hit the cats, the full version contains a special surprise" apparently the game upon start up also tells you to turn the volume up as loud as possible. Yeah, if you've been on the internet for enough time you know exactly what's going on here. :lol

 

[coamithra]

Stop badmouthing Dokee! You plebs!

 

[mollipen]

Seriously folks... SERIOUSLY. If you haven't played the demo for Alderman, do it. DO IT. It will change your life.