Draft:UFO 50

UFO 50 is an upcoming 2024 game compilation, created by independent developers Derek Yu, Eirik Suhrke, Jon Perry, Paul Hubans, Ojiro Fumoto and Tyriq Plummer for Microsoft Windows. It contains fifty brand new games in a wide variety of genres; these are "not minigames, but fully fledged games", with "opening intro scenes, credits, etc."

Gameplay
Games in the collection belong to a wide variety of estabilished genres (listed further down), but each has an unique twist. Half of the games feature a two-player mode.

Every game in UFO 50 is unlocked from the start. The games belong to a wide variety of genres like shoot'em ups, 2D platformers and RPGs; some are "shorter, arcade-style experiences"; others "have narratives and expansive worlds to explore." One of the games is "a classic turn-based RPG that could take 60 hours to fully complete".

All games in the collection use a custom 32-color palette, as well as other restrictions to make them feel more authentic, but do not feature sprite flickering or slowdown. Their visual and mechanical styles evolve with the years. Some of the games have sequels within the collection, while others feature character cameos from previous games, including a fighting game in the vein of Smash Bros.

Development
UFO 50 started development in GameMaker Studio 1. The development team consists of Derek Yu, Eirik Suhrke, Jon Perry, Paul Hubans, Ojiro Fumoto and Tyriq Plummer, who have respectively worked on Spelunky, Downwell, Time Barons, Madhouse and Catacomb Kids.

UFO 50 was first announced in 2017, with an expected launch date of 2018. However, development eventually took six more years, its release date ultimately being set for September 18, 2024. The delay was due in part to the team underestimating how long it would take to make 50 games, as well as the simultaneous development of Spelunky 2. Its eight-year development time coincidentally ended up matching the time frame spanning the games' fictional release dates (1982-1989).

Influences
UFO 50 was inspired by unlicensed bootleg game compilation cartridges for 8-bit consoles that were common during the 80s and 90s, like Action 52.

Reception
An early version of UFO 50 was showcased during 2017's Pax West game convention, where it received widespread praise.

UFO 50 was showcased again during Pax West 2018, where it again received praise.