Adam Saltsman#Finji

Saltsman produced an open-source game development library for Adobe Flash called Flixel. Saltsman discussed the use of Flixel as a medium for new developers, and used it to develop Canabalt. The video game development tool Stencyl makes use of the Flixel framework.{{cite web|url=http://www.stencyl.com/stencylworks/underTheHood/|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120305104104/http://www.stencyl.com/stencylworks/underTheHood/|archive-date = March 5, 2012|title = Stencyl: Make iPhone, iPad, Android & Flash Games without code}}{{r|Gamasutra: IndieCade 2011}}

{{main|Gravity Hook}}

Saltsman developed the browser game Gravity Hook in August 2008, which is a vertically scrolling video game in which the player attempts to use a futuristic grappling hook to climb out of an underground, secret base in order to reach the surface.{{cite web |url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/browser/gravity-hook |title=Gravity Hook for Browser (2008) |website=MobyGames |publisher=Atari SA |access-date=January 30, 2023}} The game was remade into Gravity Hook HD for browser and iOS in 2010.{{cite web |url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/gravity-hook-hd/release-info |title=Gravity Hook HD (2010) release dates |website=MobyGames |publisher=Atari SA |access-date=January 30, 2023}}

{{Quote box|quote=almost no one in the industry ... hasn't taken serious note of its acclaim and wondered what magic formula there might be hidden in its design that can be replicated elsewhere. |source=Brandon Boyer on Canabalt in Boing Boing, November 11, 2009 |width=30em |quoted=1}}{{main|Canabalt}} Saltsman developed the endless runner Canabalt in 2009, where an anonymous runner moves in one direction and is able to jump and slide upon landing. Boing Boing described the game as a "one-button action-opus".{{r|Boing Boing}} It was made in response to Experimental Gameplay's "Bare Minimum" challenge. The game's viral success was a surprise to him, and he later felt like he squandered the opportunity and audience.{{r|Boing Boing}} When asked in an interview where he imagined the running man coming from, Saltsman stated "I used to have fantasies at my old office job of running down our long, long hallway just for fun. And to literally escape. I'd forgotten about that until months after Canabalt came out. There used to be an intro cinematic that I was designing, where the character receives an email, but it was all getting in the way of the main thing".{{cite news |url=http://timothycourtney.io/interview/game-talk/canabalt-and-overland-developer-adam-saltsman-interview-with-timothy-courtney.php |title=Game Talk: Developer of Games Like Canabalt and Overland, Adam Saltsman Interview with Timothy Courtney |website=timothycourtney.io |accessdate=9 July 2016 |date=11 March 2016 |first=Timothy |last=Courtney}} Saltsman presented the game design concept of "Time Until Death" at the 2011 IndieCade.{{r|Gamasutra: IndieCade 2011}}

{{main|Hundreds (video game)}}

Saltsman began to collaborate with Greg Wohlwend on Hundreds.{{r|Gamasutra: betting}} The game was Wohlwend's first as game designer, and he open sourced the game after online game sites showed no interest in purchasing it.{{r|Paste}} Semi Secret's Eric Johnson found the code and made an iPad port in a weekend, beginning the collaboration.{{r|Polygon: metamorphosis}} Semi Secret did not have the funds to begin a new game from scratch, so the project fit their company roadmap. Saltsman did not expect to work on the game himself, but became the primary puzzle designer.{{r|Paste}} It was released on January 7, 2013 for iPhone and iPad,{{r|Hundreds Game Informer review}} and on June 28 for Android{{r|Polygon: Hundreds Android}} to what video game review score aggregator Metacritic called "generally favorable" reviews.{{r|Hundreds Metacritic}} It was an honorable mention in Best Mobile Game and Nuovo Award categories of the 2012 Game Developers Conference Independent Games Festival,{{r|Polygon: IGF 2012}} and an honorable mention in Excellence in Visual Art at the 2013 festival.{{r|Gamasutra: IGF 2013}} Hundreds was also an official selection at IndieCade 2012.{{r|IndieCade|Polygon: hands-on}} In January 2013, Saltsman was working on an Android release of the game.{{r|Gamasutra: betting}}

{{main|Alphabet (video game)}}

Saltsman collaborated with Keita Takahashi on the title Alphabet (stylized A͈L͈P͈H͈A͈B͈E͈T͈) which was developed for the launch of LA Game Space in 2012. The experimental game was first displayed to the public by Juegos Rancheros on April 5, 2013 and was released to backers of the LA/GS Kickstarter that September.{{cite news|last=Renovitch|first=James|date=April 1, 2013|title=Keita Takahashi Games Set to Debut Locally|work=The Austin Chronicle|url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/screens/2013-04-01/keita-takahashi-games-set-to-debut-locally/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131229035629/https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/screens/2013-04-01/keita-takahashi-games-set-to-debut-locally/|archive-date=December 29, 2013}} Since 2018 the title has been available for free from The Internet Archive.{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/LAGSEGP01Win|title=LA Game Space: Experimental Game Pack 01 - Windows|via=Internet Archive}}

{{BLP sources|date=August 2022}}

In March 2014, Saltsman re-announced Finji, a game studio that had existed since 2006 but was relaunched. Saltsman directs the studio, and his wife, Rebekah, produces and does game design. The company develops games internally and produces others. They announced four titles with the relaunch. The first, Portico, is in collaboration with Alec Holowka of Aquaria and was renamed from Grave. It is a 2D turn-based tactical survival game first announced in mid-2011.{{r|Polygon: Finji}} Players use traps to stop incoming monsters from entering a sacred gate.{{r|IndieGames.com: Finji}} Finji distributed Night in the Woods, a Kickstarter-funded project by Scott Benson and Holowka. They also sell Saltsman's survival game Capsule (in collaboration with Robin Arnott).{{r|Polygon: Finji}} They also announced Overland, a "turn-based tactical survival game" in development with Shay Pierce of Deep Plaid Games, which Saltsman privately displayed during the 2014 Game Developers Conference.{{r|IndieGames.com: Finji}} Finji has also published Tunic, developed by Andrew Shouldice and Chicory: A Colorful Tale.{{cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/e3/2017/6/12/15784554/tunic-trailer-secret-legend-pc-gaming-show|title=Tunic is a gorgeous Zelda-style adventure starring a fox|website=Polygon|date=June 12, 2017}} In June 2014, Polytron announced that it would be co-publishing the "interactive musical landscape anthology" game Panoramical with Finji.{{r|Game Informer: Polytron Partners}} The company does not have plans to crowdfund future games.{{r|Polygon: Finji}}

In 2023 Finji along with a few other indie game studios were involved in an amicus brief in support of the proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft amid an appeal of a lawsuit filed by the FTC attempting to prevent the acquisition.{{cite web |last=Writer |first=Jeffrey Rousseau Staff |date=2023-09-19 |title=Indie game developer cohort supports Microsoft ABK acquisition |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/indie-game-developer-cohort-supports-microsoft-abk-acquisition |access-date=2023-09-20 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |language=en}}

The following is a table of games published by Finji.

{{reflist|30em|refs=

{{cite web|url=http://boingboing.net/2009/11/11/the-running-man-behi.html |accessdate=June 13, 2014 |title=The Running Man: behind the sketchbooks of Adam Saltsman's Canabalt |last1=Boyer |first1=Brandon |date=November 11, 2009 |work=Boing Boing |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140519051021/http://boingboing.net/2009/11/11/the-running-man-behi.html |archivedate=May 19, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}

{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/184336/Betting_on_style_with_Saltsman_and_Wohlwends_Hundreds.php |accessdate=June 8, 2014 |title=Betting on style with Saltsman and Wohlwend's Hundreds |last1=Rose |first1=Mike |date=January 4, 2013 |work=Gamasutra |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140511165144/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/184336/Betting_on_style_with_Saltsman_and_Wohlwends_Hundreds.php |archivedate=May 11, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}

{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/184353/2013_Independent_Games_Festival_announces_Main_Competition_finalists.php |accessdate=June 8, 2014 |title=2013 Independent Games Festival announces Main Competition finalists |author=Staff |date=January 7, 2013 |work=Gamasutra |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513131808/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/184353/2013_Independent_Games_Festival_announces_Main_Competition_finalists.php |archivedate=May 13, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}

{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/37797/IndieCade_Canabalts_Adam_Saltsmans_Pursuit_of_the_Infinite.php |accessdate=June 13, 2014 |title=IndieCade: Canabalt's Adam Saltsman's Pursuit of the Infinite |last1=Kumar |first1=Mathew |date=October 10, 2011 |work=Gamasutra |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304062006/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/37797/IndieCade_Canabalts_Adam_Saltsmans_Pursuit_of_the_Infinite.php |archivedate=March 4, 2016 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}

{{cite magazine |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/06/14/fez-developer-re-emerges-as-polytron-partners.aspx |access-date=June 14, 2014 |magazine=Game Informer |title=Fez Developer Re-Emerges With Polytron Partners |last1=Hilliard |first1=Kyle |date=June 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140616215248/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/06/14/fez-developer-re-emerges-as-polytron-partners.aspx |archive-date=June 16, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}

{{cite magazine|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/games/hundreds/b/ios/archive/2013/01/08/hundreds-review.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2014 |title=Hundreds - An Experience Custom Made For Mobile |last1=Ryckert |first1=Dan |date=January 8, 2013 |magazine=Game Informer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140530203228/http://www.gameinformer.com/games/hundreds/b/ios/archive/2013/01/08/hundreds-review.aspx |archive-date=May 30, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}

{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/hundreds/critic-reviews/?platform=ios-iphoneipad |title=Hundreds Critic Reviews for iPhone/iPad |work=Metacritic |accessdate=June 7, 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130108135952/http://www.metacritic.com/game/ios/hundreds/critic-reviews |archivedate=January 8, 2013 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}

{{cite web|url=http://www.indiecade.com/2012/games/ |accessdate=June 8, 2014 |title=IndieCade 2012 Games |publisher=IndieCade |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140816081505/http://www.indiecade.com/2012/games/ |archivedate=August 16, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}

{{cite web|url=http://indiegames.com/2014/03/adam_saltsman_announces_new_ga.html |accessdate=June 13, 2014 |title=Adam Saltsman announces new game collab Overland, new studio Finji |last1=Polson |first1=John |date=March 3, 2014 |work=IndieGames.com |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306173823/http://indiegames.com/2014/03/adam_saltsman_announces_new_ga.html |archivedate=March 6, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}

{{cite news|url=http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2013/01/from-flash-to-touch-how-hundreds-came-to-the-ipad.html |accessdate=June 8, 2014 |title=From Flash to Touch: How Hundreds Came to the iPad |last1=Martin |first1=Garrett |date=January 22, 2013 |work=Paste |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714203538/http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2013/01/from-flash-to-touch-how-hundreds-came-to-the-ipad.html |archivedate=July 14, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}

{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/2014/3/3/5467636/finji-collaborative-studio-adam-saltsman-rebekah-saltsman |accessdate=June 13, 2014 |title=Canabalt dev announces new collaborative studio, Finji |last1=Sarkar |first1=Samit |date=March 3, 2014 |work=Polygon |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140609202034/http://www.polygon.com/2014/3/3/5467636/finji-collaborative-studio-adam-saltsman-rebekah-saltsman |archivedate=June 9, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}

{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/2012/10/7/3467506/hands-on-with-hundreds-the-addictive-new-ios-game-from-canabalts |accessdate=June 7, 2014 |title=Hands-on with Hundreds, the addictive new iOS game from Canabalt's creators |last1=McWhertor |first1=Michael |date=October 7, 2012 |work=Polygon |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715001840/http://www.polygon.com/2012/10/7/3467506/hands-on-with-hundreds-the-addictive-new-ios-game-from-canabalts |archivedate=July 15, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}

{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/2013/6/28/4476430/semi-secret-softwares-hundreds-comes-to-android |accessdate=June 7, 2014 |title=Semi Secret Software's Hundreds comes to Android |last1=McWhertor |first1=Michael |date=June 28, 2013 |work=Polygon |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714173310/http://www.polygon.com/2013/6/28/4476430/semi-secret-softwares-hundreds-comes-to-android |archivedate=July 14, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}

{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/gaming/2012/3/7/2853545/here-are-your-winners-of-the-2012-independent-games-festival |accessdate=June 8, 2014 |title=Here are your winners of the 2012 Independent Games Festival |last1=Plante |first1=Chris |date=March 7, 2012 |work=Polygon |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714165740/http://www.polygon.com/gaming/2012/3/7/2853545/here-are-your-winners-of-the-2012-independent-games-festival |archivedate=July 14, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}

{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/2013/1/3/3832576/hundreds-ios-puzzle-game-semisecret-software |accessdate=June 7, 2014 |title=Hundreds' metamorphosis from late night dream to addictive iOS puzzle game |last1=McWhertor |first1=Michael |date=January 3, 2013 |work=Polygon |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714131439/http://www.polygon.com/2013/1/3/3832576/hundreds-ios-puzzle-game-semisecret-software |archivedate=July 14, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}

}}

{{Commons category-inline}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Portal bar|Biography|Video games}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saltsman, Adam}}

Category:Living people

Category:American video game designers

Category:Place of birth missing (living people)

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Indie game developers

Category:Browser game developers