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Comment by PoignardAzur | Hacker News Reader

I hope whatever entity these people reform has the same magic.

Every single game they published had something unique. Outer Wilds, Telling Lies, Twelve Minutes, Edit Finch, Neon White, etc.

They didn't develop these games, but they have an eye for talent.

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I agree. They are like the A24 for games. They don't make the product themselves but invest and promote some really good games. Outer Wilds being one of my favourites of all time.

Outer Wilds is top three all-time for me. And hands-down, the most underrated game and at least one generation.

it’s a good point that the publisher does have an eye for talent.

Did you play the DLC as well?

I didn't enjoy the DLC as much as the base game, but I did appreciate what they did with it. I missed flying to different planets rather than being confined to one of them. The story was really good

PSA: Outer Wilds is not Outer Worlds, which is a completely unrelated game from Obsidian.

Thanks, I made that mistake.

I’m aware. Outer Worlds got all the attention but it was a 1/2 expectation Fallout clone.

Outer Wilds was a masterpiece.

There really is nothing out there like Outer Wilds. It’s an extraordinary masterpiece of a game.

I’m trying very hard to make myself wait a full 5 years before I replay it, I want to experience it all over again, and I’m really really hopeful that I can find someone new to the game to play through it with me, because I am HUNGRY to feel those feelings again!

Outer wilds is such a unique experience. Not only from other games, but I mean it as well as once you complete the game you wont experience it again.

In their nascent years I played two of their early games, both mobile games - Florence and Gorogoa. Both beautiful. I still play Florence once in a while and it really evokes emotions. Gorogoa is a great puzzle game that the HN crowd would love. Highly recommend both if you haven't tried them!

Both games are incredible but Gorogoa is a masterpiece. It attempted to communicate something about humanity that couldn't have been expressed in any other form.

I adored Donut County, it had everything I could possible want from a game about trash pandas and LA county donut culture.

Donut County is my favorite game to sit someone down and watch them play through in a single sitting.

Everyone has their favourites, but have you not seen Katamari Damacy ?

Doesn’t have the king of the raccoons living in a trash can version of Griffith observatory.

Nothing against Katamari Damacy, but it's three times as long, and like 'simonw said, doesn't feature dirtbag raccoons.

It's probably the best donutlike I've played

I agree. Seeing the Annapurna logo in a game has become a signal to me that I will really enjoy that game and that it has a unique, fresh perspective to offer.

What kind of lift is there in just becoming a publisher from scratch?

I'm trying to imagine what their role is ... if you can just "be a publisher" or if you need a lot of cash up front or what.

I don't know the answer, but I imagine that the execs and staff that left as a block have some plan lined up.

I don't know either, but it seems like approximately 100% of the reason game studios opt not to self-publish in this day and age is that lift. Annapurna's name alone carried a lot of clout.

(Side note: continue to be disappointed that they didn't brand themselves as "Annapurrna" on the Stray opening screen.)

I would add a couple games that moved me (Hindsight, A Memoir Blue). but I also have to mention not all of their titles are smash hits IMO -- I disliked Florence, Last Stop, If Found, and Open Roads.

That said, I agree that their good games have made me a fan, and I hope the original staff keeps going in some form.

I feel the same way! Annapurna Interactive consistently published games with something special

They were one of the few publishing companies that people liked as a _publishing_ company.

They were a top indie publisher who you could rely on releasing interesting and quality game. Sad loss for gaming.

Absolutely. "Annapurna Interactive" essentially made anything an instant buy for me. Very disappointed to see what sort of undead monster the label will become.

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