Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet

Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet is a shooter puzzle video game developed by Shadow Planet Productions (Fuelcell Games/Gagne International) and published by Microsoft Studios for Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. A self-published DRM-free version with soundtrack included was featured in the Humble Indie Bundle 13.

The game is a collaboration between animator Michel Gagné and game designer Joe Olson and takes inspiration from Gagné's "Insanely Twisted Shadow Puppets", a series of interstitials he did for Nickelodeon in 2005. The two first met when Gagné was giving a workshop for Midway Games in Seattle, and Olson, having seen the Nickelodeon shorts, asked Gagné if he'd be interested in collaborating. Gagné was unfamiliar with the medium, only knowing games up to 1993's Doom; however, he was eager and told Olson that he'd do research and get back to him. Olson, however, saw Gagne's nativity as an asset and told him that he would provide help from the gameplay side. Olson stated he "wanted to use the power of modern consoles to drive feature-quality animation." Initially the team worked on the game in their spare time, which led to them working on the game "only about three or four days a month" leading them to eventually quit their day jobs in order to focus on Shadow Planet full time The team consisting of Gagné, Olson and Olson's development team initially worked out of a basement. Development began in 2007 and most of 2008 was spent with the group performing contract work in order to be able to rent an office.