Indie developers are the starving artists of the video-game world, often brilliant and innovative, but also misunderstood, underfunded and more prone to writing free-form poetry on their LiveJournals. We at Joystiq believe no one deserves to starve, and many indie developers are entitled to a fridge full of tasty, fulfilling media coverage, right here. This week, Michael Consoli helps players grasp the concepts of infinity, vulnerability and self-reliance with his Kickstarter-funded title, Against the Wall.
What's your game called and what's it about?

I'm working on a puzzle platformer called Against the Wall. The point of the game is to explore a world that is one infinite, flat vertical surface. Players use a device that lets them pull bricks out of the wall and form ledges, letting them hop from place to place without falling off the side.

You raised more than $8,000 for Against the Wall in your Kickstarter campaign -- more than your goal. What do you think made your campaign so successful?

I had a playable demo of the game available. Most of the people on Kickstarter seek funding with only the germ of an idea rather than anything concrete. My message was that I have this great thing, and it works, but I need the resources to expand it and make something extraordinary. I didn't need to offer t-shirts or other rewards, I just let the game speak for itself.