Indie Initiative: Unlucky 13

Since the launch of our Indie Initiative we’ve worked with some of the most innovative and creative indie games developers in the field today.

As part of this, we get to see a lot of great games pass through our doors, games made by developers right on the verge of making huge waves in the gaming community. Recently, one such game, by one such developer, caught our attention, and we’re just dying to talk about it.

Unlucky 13 is the new puzzle game from indie veterans, Total Eclipse. Unlucky 13 follows in the footsteps of influential and globally beloved puzzle games like Tetris (or Columns, for the Sega fans out there) and Bubble Shooter. Instantly addictive, the game challenges players to put their spatial awareness and problem-solving skills to the test with enough of an original slant on a tried-and-tested formula to make it feel both fresh and new and yet immediately recognizable and comfortably familiar at the same time.

Many, if not all, gamers will recognize the format; you earn points by filling out lines and matching colours (like a digital Connect Four). There’s just one twist however, if you match thirteen or more colours at a time (trust us, that’s not as unlikely as it sounds), you lose! With its retro aesthetic and bright colours, Unlucky 13 is not just a pleasure to play, it’s a pleasure to look at, and with a refreshing new take on a much-loved format, it’s sure to become an instant classic.

Since its inception in 2004, Total Eclipse, based in Thessaloniki, Greece, has been one of the true work horses of the indie games industry. Founded by brothers Argiris and Dimitrios Bendilas, Total Eclipse has released nine other titles to date for PC, Mac, Android, and iOS, with millions of downloads across the App Store, Google Play, Microsoft Store and Steam. Total Eclipse has made it its mission to create memorable game experiences for all demographics and it seems with Unlucky 13 they have done just that.

For our part, we had the pleasure of localizing Unlucky 13, translating it into 11 languages including Danish, German, Finnish, French, Russian, Swedish, and Turkish, to help it get ready for global release. One of the most rewarding parts of the localization process, for us, is helping bring great games like this to communities and parts of the world it might not otherwise have spread to. Overall, it was refreshing to work on a game so unquestionably engaging and so true to the core of what makes mobile puzzle games great – even if it was difficult to put it down long enough to get any work done!

To find out more about Unlucky 13 and Total Eclipse, jump on over to their website or their Facebook page. Or, to get some more information on our localization and translation services, click here!