Stephen Gillmurphy, known professionally as thecatamites, is an Irish independent video game developer noted for his prolific career of publishing short independent freeware games, including Space Funeral. His games are typified by the use of self-drawn, mixed-media graphics and offbeat, satirical tone. Described as publishing "weird outsider games",[1] Gillmurphy has received positive reception from independent game outlets.
Stephen Gillurphy | |
|---|---|
| Born | Dublin, Ireland |
| Years active | 2009 – present |
| Known for | Creating the video game Space Funeral |
| Website | harmonyzone |
Career edit
Gillmurphy first started making games in 2008 using RPG Maker after exposure to the software in secondary school.[2] He cites the independent games Wilfred The Hero by Brandon Abley and Psychosomnium by Jonatan Söderström as major influences to create his own art in video games, which are often composed of diverse handmade materials including Lego, paper cutouts, clay figurines, and scanned drawings.[3] He has worked with a preference to developing short-form games, as illustrated by his 2014 compilation 50 Short Games, due to the shortness "giving (the games) a larger range" and reflecting the "practical impulse to compress and avoid unnecessary work." Gillmurphy states this approach was influenced by his experience with game jams, stating positive experiences with "shared constraints that kind of sync you up with other people".[4]
Gillmurphy has distributed his games on several websites, including under the names Games 4 Schools,[5] Mystery Zone,[6] and Harmony Zone,[7] the latter of which he has used to publish commercial titles including 50 Short Games. He has also published critical essays on Tumblr under the handle My Friend Pokey.[8]
In 2020, Gillmurphy began publishing the Anthology Of The Killer comedic horror series on GameJolt under the name garmentdistrict.[9]
Acclaim edit
Gillmurphy has received praise for his work from several outlets for its unique method of composition and unusual tone. Game Jolt praised Gillmurphy as possessing "one of the most exciting and original bodies of work in gaming", describing his games as "funny, surreal, boundary-pushing, and full of wonder over the possibilities of videogames and the worlds they can create."[3] Brendan Caldwell of Rock Paper Shotgun praised Gillmurphy's writing, stating that it possesses an odd humor...that lies somewhere between absurdity and academia," and complimented his worldbuilding as "self-contained asylums of weirdness."[10] Writing for Game Developer, Mike Rose stated that he "isn't like other developers," noting "the underlying mechanics of play will often force you into the sort of silly and sometimes uncomfortable territory that video games simply don't explore."[2] Anthology Of The Killer received the 2024 Independent Games Festival Nuovo Award.[11]
Personal life edit
Gillmurphy was born in Inchicore, a suburb of Dublin, Ireland,[3] and studied as a mathematics student.[12] In 2012, Gillmurphy briefly worked in a full-time role as an insurance broker in Dublin.[2] He is noted as being reticent to discuss his personal life on the Internet, preferring to "stay in the shadows."[12]
Works edit
Under the names thecatamites, Harmony Zone, and garmentdistrict, Gillmurphy has self-published several independent games, listed below:
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2009 | Biggles on Mars |
| 2009 | Paul Moose in Space World |
| 2009 | Bubsy The Bobcat in "RIP Van Bubsy" Starring Bubsy |
| 2009 | Twenties Flappers Vs The Mummy |
| 2009 | Ghost Voyage |
| 2010 | Veggie Tales 3D |
| 2010 | Too Many Kittens |
| 2010 | The New Adventures of Billy The Kid |
| 2010 | The Astonishing Captain Skull |
| 2010 | Space Funeral |
| 2011 | Murder Dog IV: Trial of the Murder Dog |
| 2011 | Crime Zone |
| 2011 | Drill Killer |
| 2012 | Super Eagle |
| 2012 | Jungle Max |
| 2012 | Goblet Grotto |
| 2013 | Mystery Channel |
| 2014 | 50 Short Games |
| 2014 | Harmony Summer Hardpack Tape 11-in-1 |
| 2017 | Mouse Corp |
| 2017 | Magic Wand |
| 2019 | 10 Beautiful Postcards |
| 2020 | Voice of the Killer |
| 2020 | Hands of the Killer |
| 2021 | Drool of the Killer |
| 2021 | Eyes of the Killer |
| 2021 | Flesh of the Killer |
| 2021 | Blood of the Killer |
| 2022 | Ears of the Killer |
| 2023 | Heart of the Killer |
References edit
- ^ Carroll, Nilson (2021). "thecatamites' Magic Wand". Fence Digital.
- ^ a b c Rose, Mike (January 28, 2014). "Just who is 'thecatamites' anyway?". Game Developer.
- ^ a b c "Interview - The Catamites". GameJolt. June 5, 2013. Archived from the original on May 7, 2013.
- ^ Cox, James Earl (January 14, 2018). "Game Jams with James: A Fireside with thecatamites". Game Curator.
- ^ Gillmurphy, Stephen (2010). "Games 4 Schools dot com". Games 4 Schools.
- ^ Gillmurphy, Stephen (2011). "Games". Mystery Zone.
- ^ Gillmurphy, Stephen (2013). "Harmony Zone". Harmony Zone.
- ^ Gillmurphy, Stephen. "My Friend Pokey". Tumblr.
- ^ "Anthology of the Killer by thecatamites". itch.io. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
- ^ Caldwell, Brendan (June 14, 2016). "The Indie Devs You Won't Hear About At E3". Rock Paper Shotgun.
- ^ "2024 Independent Games Festival Winners & Finalists". Independent Games Festival. United States: UBM Tech.
- ^ a b Hardy, Igor (January 16, 2011). "I was lying in bed with my catamite... - Interview with thecatamites". A Hardy Developer's Journal. Archived from the original on January 20, 2011.