Derek Yu

Early on, he was associated with a freeware game website solely distributing its own software, including Diabolika (year unknown), Diabolika II (2003), and Eternal Daughter (2002).[4][5][6]

Eternal Daughter (2002) is a throwback platform game that was developed over a two-year period using Multimedia Fusion.[3][6]

A small run-and-gun game that Yu helped create, I'm O.K (2006) is a low-resolution game created by a small team of four people in response to Jack Thompson's open letter "A Modest Video Game Proposal" regarding gun violence and any possible tie-in to violent video games.[7]

Yu has worked on several indie games sold outside of traditional distribution channels.

Aquaria screenshot

A collaboration between Yu and Alec Holowka,[1] Aquaria (2007) is a side-scrolling video game that takes place underwater.[1] It won the Independent Games Festival's 2007 Seumas McNally Grand Prize,[8][9] was available as a download,[8][10] and was also sold in a Humble Indie Bundle.

According to Yu, "Not only did Aquaria sell well enough that [Alec Holowka and I] could continue making games full time, but the positive feedback we received from players and critics also validated us as artists and helped to put to rest our doubts about whether we were making something worthwhile."[11] However, Bit Blot has yet to produce another title, and the last update to the company's website occurred in 2011.[12] Yu and Holowka live in separate countries,[1] and Holowka cited the long distance nature of the collaboration as a source of tension during a 2008 interview.[2]

Spelunky (2008) is a retro platform game with randomized level generation similar to roguelike games. It is reminiscent of the 1983 game Spelunker. It was released as a freeware game in 2008, and was remade for Xbox 360 in 2012;[13] PC Gamer UK chose the remake of Spelunky as its 2013 game of the year.[14]

Yu directed sequel Spelunky 2 was released in September 2020.[15]

Yu created the tileset graphics for DoomRL, a roguelike game based on the popular series, in development since 2002. He designed a level in Super Mario Maker for the website Polygon's "Devs Make Mario" series.[16] In 2014, he designed the card game Time Barons with Jon Perry.[17]