Unlocking the Mysterious UFO 50: Insiders Reveal No Dev Has Mastered the Elusive Games

<uFUO 50: Embracing the Overwhelming Wonder of 50 Unconventional Games

When you start playing <uFUO 50</u, you're immediately thrown into a grid menu featuring 50 pixel art thumbnails, each representing an 8-bit game. With over 50 games to choose from, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and unsure about where to begin.

Perhaps you should start with the first game, or select one at random? Due to the default list ordering, which runs chronologically, you might consider finishing the last game, believing it to be the peak of creative achievement for UFOSoft, the game's fictional studio. It doesn't matter which choice you make, as the numerous options will undoubtedly capture your attention.

I recently stumbled upon Night Manor, an 8-bit horror title, and spent days engaged in its eerie world, neglecting the remaining games. I also got trapped in Barbuta's world, where the strategy and action elements enthralled me, while concurrently exploring the worlds of Camouflage and Block Koala. While I have enjoyed playing these games, completing them is another story, as I have not succeeded in finishing any of these titles.

<uDo You Feel Guilty About Not Completing UFO 50 Games?</u

Given the sheer scale and range of games in UFO 50, it's comforting to know that you are not alone in not finishing all the games. Recently, I spoke with Eirik Suhrke, a member of the Mossmouth team behind this project, and discovered that even the developers haven't completed all the games they created.

When I questioned Suhrke about if anyone on the team has finished all the games, he replied, "No, not at all." He explained that playing just a small fraction of the games was insufficient, and that no single person has the complete experience. Suhrke expressed that it's necessary to focus on one game at a time, shutting out the other 49 in order to make meaningful progress.

Paul Hubans also shared his experience, detailing that he hasn't completed the first level of Campanella 3 despite investing hundreds of hours designing and testing the games collection.

<uThe Truth is, UFO 50 Demands Focus</u

Suhrke echoed Hubans' sentiments, asserting that it's necessary to concentrate on one level/game at a time to advance. He shared his frustration when thinking about the total scope of the project: "Whenever I thought about the whole thing I would get very dizzy and overwhelmed and I'd have to go for a walk and then just try to block out as much of it as I could." By focusing on a single experience, the true depth of UFO 50 comes together.

Tyriq Plummer, another developer behind the project, emphasized how the initial reaction from early players mirrors his own: "It's one of those things where even though it's such a large and broad encompassing kind of project, it still manages to feel more than the sum of its parts." He noted how they initially struggled to comprehend the full extent of UFO 50, but it didn't become apparent until he saw the finished project, which exceeded his expectations.