David Lebrun for Curtains Up
In recent years, a surge of talented and determined developers appeared on the Internet, bringing with them creativity, diversity and risqué art direction that was much needed. Old genres are reborn or developed and entirely new artistic visions push the gaming industry towards interesting ventures. A whole area of the floor was dedicated to those small teams trying to make their mark. I’ve had the pleasure of talking to most of them and try pretty much all the games, and it’s safe to say that the Montréal’s indie scene is alive with a lot of passion.
Here’s a rundown of what was playable on site:
Leap of Fate (http://www.clever-plays.com/), from Clever Plays
A rogue-like set in the hidden shadows of New York City, the player controls the main character through different stages, using the touch controls of a tablet to navigate and attack. It offers a “tarot cards” style of progression, where you can use different cards to upgrade your powers and progress through the game. Coming in August for Steam and later for iOS.
Toto Temple Deluxe! (http://tototemple.com/), by Juicy Beast
One of the most crowded booths, pitting four players in a destructible temple where they need to steal an egg-laying goat and keep it on their heads as long as possible. It’s the frantic action accompanied by the colorful graphics and fast pace that made it a favorite on the show floor. It also makes for an incredible party game. I was not fortunate enough to talk to the developers, them being busy with the crowd constantly playing their game. It’s projected to be released this summer on all current generation platforms.
Subaeria (http://subaeria.com), by Illogika
In a setting ewhre humans are forced to live underwater in elaborat cubical complexes, the player needs to pass through puzzles and acquire skills to navigate a labyrinth accompanied by a companion drone. It offers a different approach to gameplay than straight up combat, instead offering to differ it to wits, manipulation and distractions with your drone to clear the different rooms the game has to offer.
This being a rogue-like game, permanent death is part of the concept, where failure means re-setting your whole progression from the beginning. Four different characters with their own narrative are going to be playable through the dystopian underwater world, manipulated by a “sneaky” dictatorial government.
The game has already been approved by Steam Greenlight and has a slated release date of September 22nd, 2015.
Just Shapes and Beats (http://www.justshapesandbeats.com), by Berserk Studio
The whole concept is in the title. Geared towards promoting independent musical artists and fueled by chaotic and colorful gameplay inspired by it, you control a small shape of color that needs to avoid red shapes on-screen. Well telegraphed gameplay, a lot of levels and boss battles are at the core of the game, showing a mentality of “easy to learn, hard to master” mentality. One of the loudest and busiest games on the floor, it was both fun to play and watch.
No release date or platform has been announced yet, but keep an eye out for one!
Ultimate Chicken Horse (http://www.cleverendeavourgames.com/chickenhorse/), by Clever Endeavour
When a few developers gather to make a game with “Ultimate” as a “concept”, you end up with something like Ultimate Chicken Horse. Inspired by the basketball game H-O-R-S-E, you control four different animals in a level that the players build and re-iterate every round, adding traps, platforms and contraptions for the player to toy around with.
Successfully kickstarted and Greenlighted a few months ago, the small team of three aims for a release this fall on Steam, PS4 and XBOX One.
No Way Out, by DistrictWare & Vandal Games
Trying to stand out in limited offer on the market, No Way Out offers players a MOBA inspired game set in a Sci-Fi world where five teams of 3 players are pitted against each other, where they need to survive before a bomb destroys the area. The teams, working on this project for more than a year, intend to deepen the lore and available characters after release, giving the game more depth as time goes by.
You can currently play the game in it’s current closed beta stage, but an open beta will be available next September.
Castle Story (https://www.castlestory.net/), by Sauropod Games
From it’s Kickstarted debut a few years and it’s availability on Steam’s Early Access platform, Castle Story proposes a fun and interesting creativity game, where “Bricktrons” help you build a castle according to your own design.
If you want to create at your own pace, the sandbox mode lets you create at your own pace without limits to your imagination. You want some tension and a goal, then you can play in survival, where you repel wave after wave of “Corruptrons”, keeping the crystal at the center of your castle safe.
Planning a release date of early 2016, the game from a small crew of around 15 employees can be enjoyed now on Steam Early Access.
Knight Squad (http://www.knightsquadgame.com/), by Chainsawsome Games
Created out of a Gamejam called “Pixel Challenge” in Quebec City, where it won the “Grand Prix Professionel”, eight knight challenge themselves in a multitude of game modes in this chaotic game. The simple visuals and gameplay makes this a fun experience for up to 8 players at the same time. A whole arsenal of weapons and varied characters makes it a fun experience.
Available this fall first on XBOX One and Steam (Both of which can support up to 8 players), and maybe on other platforms later on.
Land of Traps (http://www.landoftraps.com/), by Red Seed Studios
Platforming is always interesting when done right. A variety of levels, boss fights, challenges and creative gameplay makes for a perfect recipe in a platformer cake. The back-and-forth nature of Land of Traps’ levels makes it stand apart, introducing two playable characters and a multitude of different design ideas behind the game. Friendly and colorful characters, a variety of enemies and an assortment of powers are waiting the players.
Plans are set for a release in 2016 with an incoming demo in the next months. The game has passed it’s Greenlight objective and is expected to be released on PS4, XBOX and WiiU.
Va-et-viens, platformer with a competitive edge from leaderboards. Multiple levels, boss fights, small team of 3 people. Released in 2016, public demo in a few months. Steam Greenlight, PS4 Xbox, Nintendo. Multiple levels with different styles and different experience for players. 1,5 years of development. Multiple enemies, powers, characters.
PewDiePie, Legend of the Brofist (http://www.outerminds.com/), Outerminds
I’ll admit it right now, I heard the name Pewdiepie before, but I wasn’t sure who he was. The YouTube celebrity chose the team at Outerminds through a Gamejam called Gamejolt. He loved what was developped so much that he ask the team of 15 to build a game around the concept, recreating his fantastical adventures.
Players are tasked to rescue Pewdiepie’s fans, who have been captured by enemies called Barrels. A giant cast, multiple levels with a lot of variety and some surprises are waiting for the players. It will be available at the end of the summer on iOS and Android
Z’Isle (http://zisleseries.com/), by Miscellaneum Studios
Set in Montréal 7 years after a zombie apocalypse, the main focus of the game is rebuilding civilization through a unique crafting system. To stand apart from the competition, the game uses something we have in great quantities in the city to craft tools and weapons: bikes. This leads to some interesting concepts and possibilities. They’re taking a big risk by not using a “standard” American city, but by using the architectural feel and actual streets and landmarks of the city, it gives a signature that stands out.
Developed in parallel with the comic of the same name, it’s slated for a release next summer on Sony’s Playstation 3, 4, Vita, and Steam.
Kwaan (http://www.kwaan.org/), by Ankama Canada
A small MMO, with 30 to 50 players on a server, Kwaan is not based on conflict and combat like most games. It’s built upon three different aspects: survival, exploration and adventure. Survival is through the Kwaan, a giant tree in the middle of the world, and he needs attention by completing daily rituals that become more and more complex. If the Kwaan withers away and dies, the server is basically reset. Exploration means running around through multiple stories and gaining new skills and powers. Adventure is finding secrets to discover the lore and why the Kwaan has come to this world. A currency called mana is shared among players. There is a big focus on creativity where you can decorate the Kwaan. The team around the game is composed of five different developpers and artists, backed by French developer Ankama, but are entirely independent on their vision. The official release of the game is slated this fall on Steam, IOS, android and Windows Phone, but you can play right now on Steam Early Access.
There’s a lot of potential in all of these games. Passion, talent and originality were in that corner of Palais des Congrès, free to unleash whatever came to their minds. Indie gaming is blooming all around the world, and it’s about to bloom in our province in full force!
