In 2014, Andrew Shouldice decided it was time to pursue his dream of developing a video game that paid homage to his formative experiences of the medium. He wanted to evoke the wonder and mystery of those early adventures that left so much unspoken, so much unknown; titles that came with extensive manuals that only aroused his curiosity further. When it was time to take the first step along that path, he pulled out his sketchbook and wrote three words. "Make a game." Development began in earnest in 2015 and seven years later he achieved that goal, as Tunic was released to a rapturous reception from players and critics alike. Its development journey had been long and complex, and Shouldice had traced each and every step in that very same sketchbook – and several more besides.

Austin's Fantastic Arcade, an indie games festival, collected games for 14 years before dissolving into a smaller format in 2024. That means its game collection needed a new home, and now the collecti...