Humble Indie Bundle 9

Humble Indie Bundle 9 is a pay-what-you-want compilation featuring 10 acclaimed indie games across multiple genres, including titles like Trine 2: Complete Story, Mark of the Ninja, Brütal Legend, FTL: Faster Than Light, Bastion, and LIMBO. Available for Linux, Mac, and Windows, the bundle offers DRM-free downloads and optional Steam keys for payments over $1. Unique to this release, buyers needed to pay above the average price to unlock later-added games like Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken and A Virus Named TOM, with proceeds supporting charities like Child’s Play, EFF, and Watsi. The bundle also debuted Linux/Mac versions of FEZ and Mark of the Ninja, alongside most games’ soundtracks.

Humble Indie Bundle 9: Review

Introduction

In September 2013, the gaming world witnessed the release of Humble Indie Bundle 9, a landmark collection that encapsulated the spirit of indie innovation, philanthropic generosity, and player-centric flexibility. This bundle wasn’t just a sale—it was a cultural statement, blending critically acclaimed titles like Fez, Limbo, and FTL: Faster Than Light into a pay-what-you-want model that empowered players to support developers, charities, and the Humble platform itself. At a time when indie games were gaining mainstream traction, HIB9 stood out as a triumph of curation, offering a blend of artistic depth, mechanical ingenuity, and cross-platform accessibility. This review dissects its legacy, design, and impact on gaming history.

Development History & Context

Humble Bundle, founded in 2010 by Jeff Rosen and John Graham, had already established itself as a disruptive force in digital distribution by the time HIB9 launched. The platform’s core philosophy—DRM-free games, multi-platform support, and charitable giving—resonated deeply with a community tired of corporate gatekeeping. HIB9 arrived during a golden age for indie games, coinciding with breakthroughs like Braid (2008) and Super Meat Boy (2010), which proved that small teams could rival AAA studios in creativity and polish.

Technologically, HIB9 was a milestone. It introduced the “pay-above-average” tier for bonus games, a departure from prior bundles that automatically granted late-added titles to all purchasers. This shift balanced fairness with incentivizing higher contributions, ensuring sustained engagement over its two-week run. The bundle also debuted Linux and Mac ports for FEZ and Mark of the Ninja, expanding accessibility during an era when Linux gaming was niche.

The broader gaming landscape in 2013 was ripe for HIB9’s approach. Digital storefronts like Steam were democratizing distribution, while crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter empowered developers to bypass publishers. Humble Bundle tapped into this zeitgeist, positioning itself as a bridge between creators and players—one where artistic integrity and social impact coexisted.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

HIB9’s games wove a tapestry of existential inquiry, personal struggle, and subversive humor:
– Fez (Polytron Corporation): A meditation on perception and hidden realities, where protagonist Gomez’s discovery of a third dimension mirrors the indie scene’s escape from 2D limitations. Its cryptic puzzles and meta-narrative challenged players to rethink their relationship with game worlds.
– Bastion (Supergiant Games): A post-apocalyptic fable narrated in real-time, blending themes of loss and rebirth with a richly textured world. The game’s dynamic storytelling—where the environment rebuilds itself as you explore—echoed its thematic focus on reconstruction.
– Limbo (Playdead): A monochromatic odyssey through a hostile, dreamlike landscape, exploring innocence and mortality through environmental storytelling. Its wordless narrative forced players to project meaning onto its eerie silhouettes.
– Brütal Legend (Double Fine): A heavy metal-powered satire of corporate conformity, celebrating music’s power to unite and rebel. Protagonist Eddie Riggs’ journey from roadie to revolutionary riffed on rock mythology while lampooning industry greed.

These narratives shared a defiance of convention, prioritizing emotional resonance and player interpretation over blockbuster bombast—a hallmark of the indie movement.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

HIB9’s mechanical diversity showcased indie gaming’s versatility:
– FTL: Faster Than Light (Subset Games): A roguelike strategy hybrid where players juggle ship management, crew survival, and permadeath tension. Its procedurally generated encounters fostered emergent storytelling, rewarding adaptability over brute force.
– Mark of the Ninja (Klei Entertainment): A stealth masterpiece emphasizing patience and precision. Light/shadow mechanics, sound-based detection, and gadget-driven gameplay created a sandbox of lethal creativity.
– Trine 2: Complete Story (Frozenbyte): A physics-based puzzle-platformer with couch co-op, letting players swap between a wizard, thief, and knight to solve environmental challenges. Its vibrant art and cooperative depth made it a standout.

Not all titles were flawless. Eets Munchies (Klei Entertainment) felt lightweight compared to its peers, and Brütal Legend’s awkward blend of action and RPG elements divided critics. Yet the bundle’s technical execution—DRM-free downloads, Steam key integration, and modular installers—set a benchmark for user-friendly distribution.

World-Building, Art & Sound

HIB9’s aesthetic and auditory identity was a masterclass in indie artistry:
– Fez: Retro pixel art transformed into a multidimensional puzzle box, complemented by Disasterpeace’s hypnotic chiptune soundtrack. Its world felt like a living, breathing cipher.
– Bastion: Painterly backdrops and Darren Korb’s acoustic-electronica fusion score evoked a mythic, fireside-tale atmosphere. The narrator’s gravelly voice became iconic, weaving gameplay and story into a seamless whole.
– Limbo: Stark silhouettes and ambient soundscapes (creaking wood, distant growls) created a hauntingly minimalist vibe. Its visual language spoke volumes without a single line of dialogue.

The inclusion of high-quality soundtracks (in FLAC and MP3 formats) underscored gaming’s evolution into a multimedia art form, inviting players to engage beyond the screen.

Reception & Legacy

Critically, HIB9 was celebrated as a high-water mark for indie bundles. While MobyGames’ user reviews were scarce at launch, outlets like Indie Game Reviewer praised its “stellar lineup” and value proposition. Commercially, it performed strongly, with millions split among developers, charities (EFF, Child’s Play, Watsi), and Humble’s operational costs.

Legacy-wise, HIB9 solidified Humble Bundle’s reputation as a curator of quality. Its “beat-the-average” model became a series staple, while games like FTL and Bastion entered the pantheon of indie classics. The bundle also advanced Linux gaming’s viability, encouraging developers to prioritize cross-platform support. Culturally, HIB9 exemplified the indie scene’s rise, proving that small teams could deliver experiences as compelling as AAA titans.

Conclusion

Humble Indie Bundle 9 remains a defining moment in gaming history. Its meticulously curated selection, innovative pricing structure, and philanthropic mission captured the indie movement’s ethos at its peak. While later bundles would broaden in scope, HIB9’s focus on quality over quantity ensured its enduring relevance. For historians, it’s a snapshot of indie gaming’s golden age; for players, it’s a timeless anthology of creativity.

Final Verdict: A masterpiece of curation and a cultural landmark, HIB9 transcends its pay-what-you-want origins to stand as a testament to indie gaming’s power. Its influence resonates in today’s design trends, distribution models, and the unyielding belief that games can be both art and activism.