Look How Far This One Promising Indie Game Has Come

Back in 2009, The Swapper looked promising but rough. The core concept was there and you could see how the instant cloning mechanic would make for a fun twist on the typical platformer experience.

Four years later, Facepalm Games is showing off a great new trailer and letting folks know that their sci-fi sidescroller will be hitting Steam next month. In this age of people Kickstarting games left and right, you have to think that money has made a big difference to the continued evolution of The Swapper. In Facepalm's case, some of that money's coming from IndieFund, the conglomeration of superstar game-makers that help promising devs finish their games.

But The Swapper also makes it clear how the backing from Indie Fund differs from a random crowdfunded game. When people who have made good games — in this case, Braid, Sword & Sworcery, World of Goo and Journey — select an in-development project to support, there's a level of trust implicit in that choice. Simply put, they know what it takes.

And with buzzed-about games like Monaco, Antichamber and Faraway as part of their portfolio — Maybe you can't give money to Indie Fund game before they release as with a Kickstarter project, but their track record makes a great case for giving these titles cash once they're out in the world. The Swapper looks like it'll keep up that trend.