You won't like playing a game if you dislike looking at it. Aesthetics goes way beyond pretty: it includes touch, usability and everything that makes you feel good about the game.
Oca was a small Brazilian studio dedicated to the development of games. It was created by two brothers and although the team's size has changed with time, it's purpose remained the same: to create games free as in freedom.
So far we have published two commercial board games, lots of print and play games and an electronic game. You can download most of them for free in this website – they were published under Public Domain.
Developing games is what we love to do, and of course it would be even better if you'd also love to play them. In order to achieve this goal, we always try to keep in mind the principles below when designing.
Want to send us some feedback? Please, do so! We're waiting you mail at [email protected].
FAQ
I'd like you to publish my game. Nice. Please, read the
section on game developers below and if you still want to work with us get
in touch using our email.
Can I help? Sure. We'd appreciate it. We are most
interested in feedback on our games.
What is the deal with Bitcoin? These are cryptocurrencies.
They are a very handy method of payment.
Why don't you translate your games into other languages?
Translating is a really hard work. Community translation isn't an easy
thing either. We have tried hard, but we simply don't have the means to do
it. We have decided to publish all our games in English so we can reach a
wider audience.
I love this game, if I translate it, will you make it available in
ocastudios site? Sure, why not? We won't translate the whole
site, but we would love to make particular translations available.
aesthetics ∈ fun
You shouldn't need a PhD to play a game. The more intuitive the rules, the better.
simple < complicated
There is nothing wrong with complexity - it may be a source of fun. The ideal game should take minutes to learn but years to master. Even the simplest game should allow room for the player's ability to develop.
complex > simplistic
Even if the game is free, we won't waste your time with it if it isn't great. We only release games if we are convinced they are fun and well designed.
free ≠ shabby
The purpose of playing a game is to have fun, not to learn. Learning is always a by-product of gamming, but teaching is not our goal.
fun > educational
If we give you a free game, it's yours. If we give you a libre game, it's everyone's. Because our games are free as in freedom, we can release print and play versions and anyone can participate on improving it – whether we like it or not.
libre > free
Why libre?
We believe copyright and trademark laws not only are unfair to consumers and fans, but they also hinder the development of new ideas and diminish the cultural heritage we'll leave for posterity.
In fact, we quite understand the fear publishers and copyright holders have of what they call piracy – we all need to make a living. But we believe authors would be fairly compensated for their work without using the law to inhibit competition. The content itself would grow by derivative work from fans and competitors, and the public would benefit.
And since we believe this our works are released under Public Domain when possible (even when acquiring them is not free of charge). You can use, change, sell and profit from them without monetary compensation and, better yet, without having to ask permission. We believe you'll do the right thing and share credit if not inconvenient in your scenario. :)
Are you a game designer too?
Many would-be game developers seek us looking for a way to publish their ideas, mostly because they seek experience, merit or just because they like games. If this is your case, feel free to contact us, we might be able to help – but there are some conditions...
One. We won't publish your game commercially – don't get your hopes too high.
Two. We might publish it as print and play or electronic game, but we'll only host it if it is a free game. You'll get credit for it, of course.
Three. Any idea, revision or artwork we provide you is under Public Domain. Period. Even if your game is later released commercially, everything you get from us is libre.
Four. We won't spare your feelings when giving feedback. The rule is: be polite but fair. We also might not publish your game if we think it is not fun or interesting enough (we do it to ourselves, too).
Five. We might be too busy to work on your project. And even then, experience has shown that “almost finished” games might take months to be polished, so don't hurry.
If after reading the rules you're still interested in a partnership or some feedback for your project, let us know.