UFO 50
A collection of 50 retro-style games from a fictional 1980s studio.
Last updated
It was critically acclaimed and won Best Indie Game at the New York Game Awards.[1][2]
Making and release
A team of six indie developers, known for titles like Spelunky and Catacomb Kids, collaborated on the project.[3] The development took approximately eight years, with each game having a lead developer overseeing its production.[4] The games are presented as if created between 1982 and 1989 for the fictional LX-I, LX-II, and LX-III consoles.[5][6] The collection was built with modern tools despite its retro aesthetic.[4]
The sequence of games is meant to illustrate the fictional history of UFO Soft's development output.[7]
What the cited sources add
The Guardian describes UFO 50 as a "jumbo variety pack of complete video games, each with its own title, genre and story"[3] One turn-based RPG in the collection, Grimstone, is estimated to take upwards of 60 hours to complete.[8][9] The PhillyVoice account notes that the collection was not intended as pure nostalgia but as something unique.[4]
References
- Wikipedia, "UFO 50" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "'UFO 50,' one of the best video games of the year, took 8 years to make – and a Philly-area developer had a hand in it", PhillyVoice, 2024-10-10 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "UFO 50" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bankhurst, "New York Game Awards 2025 Winners: The Full List", IGN Southeast Asia, 2025-01-22 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- May, "UFO 50: A low-res, high-concept anthology of imaginary retro games", The Guardian, 2024-08-30. facts only, no text reused. theguardian.com
- "'UFO 50,' one of the best video games of the year, took 8 years to make – and a Philly-area developer had a hand in it", PhillyVoice, 2024-10-10. facts only, no text reused. phillyvoice.com
- Wikipedia, "UFO 50" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Donlan, "Spelunky's Derek Yu talks crafting UFO 50 and creating an entirely fictional developer", Eurogamer, 18 September 2024 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Conditt, "UFO 50, the latest game from the Spelunky team, will finally arrive September 18", Engadget, 8 June 2024. facts only, no text reused. engadget.com
- Wikipedia, "UFO 50" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Colantonio, "UFO 50 isn't the Spelunky follow-up you're expecting. It's even better", Digital Trends, 12 June 2024; LeClair, "The Ambitious UFO 50 Finally Resurfaces With a Release Date", Hardcore Gamer, 7 June 2024; Conditt, "UFO 50, the latest game from the Spelunky team, will finally arrive September 18", Engadget, 8 June 2024; Jarvis, "Spelunky creator's mega-collection of fictional retro games UFO 50 will finally be out this September", Rock Paper Shotgun, 7 June 2024; Donlan, "Spelunky's Derek Yu talks crafting UFO 50 and creating an entir en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "UFO 50" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Young, "UFO 50 preview: Actionally Good 52", Videogames.si, 19 June 2024; "Coming in to Land", Future plc, June 2024; L., "UFO50 packs 50 retro-styled games into one amazing package", TheSixthAxis, 8 June 2024; Switzer, "My Favorite Game From Summer Game Fest Isn't One Game, It's 50", TheGamer, 18 June 2024 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Switzer, "My Favorite Game From Summer Game Fest Isn't One Game, It's 50", TheGamer, 18 June 2024. facts only, no text reused. thegamer.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article UFO 50 (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: UFO 50 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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