What do Super Meat Boy, Braid, and Fez have in common?
They’re gaming’s indie darlings—and the designers behind them prove that creating a video game can be as grueling (and inspiring) as making an Oscar-winning movie.
It’s like “King of Kong” meets “The Social Network”
Trailer for “Indie Game: The Movie”
Watch “Indie Game: The Movie”
You can watch “Indie Game: The Movie” on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and Google Play (it was $3.99 to $5.99 last I checked).
I also found a free way to watch Indie Game (with ads) here:
Source: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x90hq36
Ratings:
- My Rating: 92/100
- IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 91/100 (Users); 92/100 (Critics)
Release Date: January 20, 2012 (Sundance); June 12, 2012 (digital distribution)
My Review of “Indie Game: The Movie”
You never think of indie game developers as adrenaline junkies—until you watch this documentary.
The Grind Behind the Games
“Indie Game: The Movie” opens on a nerve-wracking day for Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes, the creators of Super Meat Boy.
It’s Xbox launch day, and they’re scrolling furiously through the platform’s store. Their game isn’t featured, which could kill their visibility and sales. Tommy, visibly upset, vents with a mix of disbelief and anger: “Are you f***ing kidding me!?”
That moment sets the tone for the doc: raw, high-stakes, and deeply personal.
The film chronicles the lives of four developers—Edmund and Tommy (Super Meat Boy), Phil Fish (Fez), and Jonathan Blow (Braid)—as they navigate the chaotic and uncertain world of independent game development.
You Can’t Make This Sh*t Up
- Phil Fish, creator of Fez, finds himself in a legal dispute with his ex-business partner that nearly derails his participation at the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX). He bluntly threatens to kill his former partner if the issue isn’t resolved.
- At PAX, Fez’s demo repeatedly crashes. Yet, the crowd—and even PAX co-founder Robert Khoo—offer nothing but love and support.
- Super Meat Boy, despite its rocky start, sells 15,000+ copies on its first day, eventually becoming Xbox Live’s top seller of 2010 with over 1 million copies sold.
Meet the Developers
The filmmakers, James Swirsky, (known for Indie Game: Life After (2016) and The Art of Seduction (2006)) and Lisanne Pajot, (also on Indie Game: Life After (2016) and CBC Docs POV (2017), capture the distinct personalities of their subjects with intimate candor:
- Tommy Refenes: Balding, bespectacled, and brash, he’s the fiery counterbalance to his soft-spoken, bearded collaborator Edmund McMillen.
- Jonathan Blow: The creator of Braid, wearing a Hawaiian shirt and speaking with quiet intensity, reflects on how his game’s success both validated and alienated him. Blow revolutionized platformers with Braid’s rewind mechanic, influencing an entire generation of games.
- Phil Fish: Equal parts visionary and volatile, Fish pours his soul into Fez but seems perpetually on the verge of breaking under pressure.
The Indie Game Boom
The doc situates its subjects within the broader context of a booming indie game scene.
By 2008, digital distribution platforms like Steam allowed developers to bypass traditional gatekeepers like Walmart.
That year, breakout hits like Braid, Castle Crashers, World of Goo, and AudioSurf proved indie games could thrive commercially.
Valve’s direct-to-consumer model disrupted the industry and made the success of games like Super Meat Boy possible.
The Cost of Creation
This isn’t a doc about quick wins or overnight success. Each developer pays a steep personal price for their passion:
- Tommy: He lives with his parents and struggles to pay bills, pouring every ounce of energy into the game.
- Edmund: His wife supports them financially as he spends long hours perfecting Super Meat Boy.
- Phil Fish: The tension from Fez’s development takes an emotional toll, exacerbated by public scrutiny and private betrayals.
- Jonathan Blow: Even with Braid’s massive success, he wrestles with loneliness, feeling misunderstood by fans who don’t grasp his deeper artistic intentions.
Cameos and Context
The doc also features appearances by industry figures like:
- Jamin Warren (Kill Screen): Providing thoughtful insights into the indie scene’s cultural impact.
- Anthony Carboni (Revision3): Offering sharp commentary on the technical brilliance of the featured games.
Triumphs and Failures
While the doc celebrates its subjects’ successes, it doesn’t shy away from their struggles:
- Super Meat Boy’s developers endure financial stress and technical setbacks before their game’s triumphant release.
- Phil Fish’s journey with Fez culminates in a bittersweet debut at PAX, where he confronts both technical glitches and his fraying mental state.
- Jonathan Blow reflects on how success isn’t always a cure for self-doubt, highlighting the emotional complexity of creative work.
The Filmmakers’ Vision
At 94 minutes, Swirsky and Pajot structure the doc like a game itself: a series of escalating challenges, setbacks, and victories. Their previous work on short-form gaming documentaries shines through in their ability to distill complex narratives into relatable human stories.
They focus on the grind, not the glamour, of game development. The film’s aesthetic—minimalist and intimate—mirrors the ethos of indie gaming itself.
Lesser-Known Details
- The team behind Super Meat Boy had zero investors, funding everything out-of-pocket.
- Phil Fish’s Fez eventually sold over 1 million copies, despite its rocky launch and years-long development cycle.
- Jonathan Blow funded Braid entirely with his own savings, risking financial ruin if the game flopped.
- The documentary premiered at Sundance and went on to win Best Editing in a Documentary at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.
Wrap Up
I believe “Indie Game: The Movie” is one of the best documentaries on creativity under pressure (“6 Days to Air: The Making of South Park” is damn good too!).
It doesn’t just celebrate the indie game movement—it captures the vulnerability, obsession, and resilience required to make something extraordinary.
This doc will make you appreciate every pixel of the games you play.
Thanks for reading!
Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc