When it comes to identifying the single-most important year for indie games--the one that helped showcase their innovation and saw their influence grow--it doesn't take much to make a case for 2013. It was the year of The Stanley Parable and Papers, Please, of Hotline Miami and Don't Starve. Gone Home and Kentucky Route Zero were another two that were particularly notable, and lest we forget Rogue Legacy, Guacamelee, Surgeon Simulator, Antichamber, and Depression Quest. It was a year that was not solely defined by a new Grand Theft Auto, but in part by a growth in intimate and innovative titles. This of course makes it all the more interesting that one of the most critically-acclaimed games of that year--the one that took home the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the annual Independent Games Festival--is one that all but disappeared.

Richard Hofmeier's Cart Life is a simulation-adventure game that follows three cart vendors simply trying to make rent and get by. Back in 2013, it was praised for how its immersive mechanics forced players to experience similar frustrations to the vendors they play as, and for being an empathic ode to the working class. Yet for much of the last decade, it has been largely unplayable. Between delistings, bugs, and certain portions of the game being locked behind said bugs, the solo venture has teetered on the edge of remembrance. This is exactly why AdHoc Studio decided to contact Hofmeier and change that.

Earlier this year, GameSpot got the chance to sit down with AdHoc Studio co-founder Nick Herman, talk to him about the process of finishing and publishing Cart Life, and play the first 20 minutes. While the game was still far from finished, the experience of playing Cart Life and seeing firsthand what made it special all those years ago was exciting. Despite nearly a decade passing, the mechanics still feel impactful and unique, and the story remains poignant. However, even more enlightening was the conversation I had with Herman about the game, which is slated for release later this year.