Sydney indie games we like
The best thing about Game On! at the weekend was seeing a range of local game authors showing off what they have achieved. Here’s what we liked:
- Goat Punks: is all about goats climbing a mountain. And bombs. Clever and deceptively simple idea with lovely graphics.
- The Desperate Mile: is a top-down game combining combat and environmental puzzle-solving in a game “about loss, obsession and humanity”. The dark, cinema-noir look works really well.
- Wholey Moley: is like two-a-side soccer combined with things that go bang. Controlling a player with each hand must be good for brain training.
- Dungeon League: is an intense fast-playing RPG with a retro look. The kids loved this one.
- Rumble Academy: pits 4 players together in a dynamic arena in a test of skill and fighting prowess.
- Kieru: In a world drawn entirely in black and white – you are either a black or white ninja. You can only be seen against a contrasting background… or when you are bleeding. We loved this game (even if the team behind it is from Canberra).
Everything we saw was really impressive. Both in terms of the output, and in terms of the talent and commitment on display from the teams behind the games. One thing that was really interesting and educational was seeing the range of skills required to get a game up and running – not only the obvious programming and artwork, but also the pitch and marketing of the title. It’s really cool to see such talent in Sydney and I hope we’ll see more opportunities to see that talent showcased locally.