As a seasoned gamer with years of experience under my belt, I must say that the indie game scene never ceases to amaze me with its creativity and innovation. Let’s take a look at some of these gems that caught my eye recently.
Indie games refer to video games developed and published independently by small teams or individuals, rather than by large game publishing companies. The term ‘indie’ is short for ‘independent’, meaning self-governing or autonomous. While definitions may vary, IndieDevDay is a gathering that embraces all aspects of indie game development, including titles published by their creators, those with small budgets, and those created by smaller teams. This year, I was fortunate enough to be invited to participate in this event as a fan of independent games.
What is IndieDevDay?
Kick things off by discussing the fundamentals: What exactly is IndieDevDay? It’s an annual gathering that takes place in Barcelona and is growing year by year. This latest event attracted over 15,000 visitors and approximately 2,200 professionals. A significant increase from the previous year. Spanning three days, so mark your calendars for a fun-filled weekend. At this expo, you can enjoy playing numerous indie games and participate in presentations or workshops. It’s an excellent opportunity to interact with developers from both small and large studios (including Larian Studios). If luck is on your side, you might even discover a publisher or a job opportunity. The first day of the event is exclusively for industry professionals, making it a valuable learning experience if you’re involved in gaming.
IndieDevDay, a place for professionals
On Friday at IndieDevDay, things got quite hectic because there was plenty to accomplish. I began my day by strolling through the building, marking significant spots and intriguing games to explore. However, my leisurely pace didn’t last long, as a lecture commenced at 10:30 am – “Scripting the Unpredictable: Crafting quests for the ‘What If?’ instances in Larian” by Elena Statsenko and Vladimir Gaidenko. Admittedly, I feel ready to become a professional scriptwriter after that engaging workshop, so I’m eagerly anticipating job offers!
For the remainder of the day, I balanced my time between exploring various presentations, engaging in fun games, and conversing with developers. Towards the end, I enjoyed attending the IndieDevDay Awards. The standout game title was “Ereban: Shadow Legacy”, which you can find on Steam. Notably, the event was conducted in Spanish.
At IndieDevDay, as it becomes increasingly global each year, you’ll find no hindrances when communicating with developers in English. However, a significant number of lectures are delivered in Spanish. The schedule on the website might be somewhat misleading, as titles could be in English but the talks in Spanish, and vice versa. I was quite taken aback when the panel titled “Panel sobre la brecha de género en el videojuego” turned out to be in Shakespeare’s language. Consequently, while fluency in Spanish isn’t strictly necessary to enjoy the event, it would certainly enhance your experience (especially if you plan to attend all panels).
And a great event for fans of indie games
Absolutely, the IndieDevDay event caters not just to industry professionals, but to all enthusiasts of independent games. You’ll have a chance to test numerous titles this year, with over 200 presented by around 170 different studios. Lectures on both Saturday and Sunday are open to anyone who wants to participate. But wait, there’s more! If you’re into retro gaming, don’t worry, there’s a designated area for those games, and you can even buy them. There are numerous shops, so shopping is definitely an option. You might even find some souvenirs, like photos or plush toys (I picked up one myself). Interestingly, you won’t need to leave the IndieDevDay premises because there was food available too.
But what have I played?
Earlier, I noted that there were over 200 games showcased during IndieDevDay. Naturally, I wasn’t able to test every game. Now, I’d like to address a question I posed at the outset of this article. To me, indie games are all about fresh, captivating concepts. In contrast, AAA titles tend to stick to established formulas that have been proven successful. However, independent games have the audacity to innovate and experiment. Here’s a peek into some of the intriguing ideas I discovered during my exploration.
Toy Tactics
As a gamer, let me tell you, Toy Tactics was quite an unexpected delight for me. In this game, I step into the boots of an army commander, tasked with outwitting my enemies scattered across the map.
- Interesting idea – you paint troops formations.
- Steam – Toy Tactics
Wandersky
This is an upcoming game in the metroidvania genre. Even though I’m not particularly skilled at such games, I must admit that this game has caught my attention. In this game, players take on the role of an archer… However, there’s a twist – you only have one arrow! But fear not, for it isn’t just any ordinary arrow. This magical projectile can manipulate objects attached to it, which is useful for solving puzzles and during fights. For instance, you can use it to dislodge armor or push enemies around.
- Interesting idea – one arrow to move them all.
- Studio’s website – Tiny Potion Tree
Neon Blood
I like both cyberpunk and noir. And guess what? Neon Blood combines these two. Players become a detective, an ex-cop. While the game focuses on the story, you will be able to fight turn-based combat. For me, the most important part of this game is the pixelart. It is really beautiful and one of the best I have seen recently.
- Interesting idea – combination of noir and cyberpunk (great pixelart, too).
- Steam – Neon Blood
Honorable mentions
Instead of focusing solely on the games with the most original concepts that caught my eye, I’d like to share some additional captivating game titles that I felt it was a pity to overlook entirely.
- Aikode – I had a chance to play its demo and… I liked it quite a lot. The game features some interesting places to visit. Moreover, it seems that we will be presented with a unique and strange storyline.
- Wax Heads – a game about managing a record store. Your task is to give your clients what they want. This year it has won the IndieDevDay Award for Best Sound and Music. It has a demo on Steam to check out.
- The Midnight Barber – a rhythmic game in which you become a barber of supernatural creatures. While I’m not the best in this genre, I can’t ignore such inspired idea.
- Bestiario – The game is a turned based RPG, where you fight and manage your private life (Persona series is one of the inspirations). While I have not seen much (I had a chance to check out a very early prototype), the game presents creatures from Spanish folklore. This alone grabbed my attention.
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2024-10-07 15:32