Let’s Look at the Biggest Indie Game Fair in Spain. IndieDevDay is the Festival for Devs and Players

What are indie games? I have heard various definitions. Some people believe that we can count among them all titles which are published by developers themselves. Others argue that a small budget and a team are the most important factor. Regardless of what you think, IndieDevDay is a fair for you, as it combines all these aspects. This year I was invited by the organizers to take part in it and as a fan of independent titles I eagerly packed my things.

• What is IndieDevDay?
• IndieDevDay, a place for professionals
• And a great event for fans of indie games
• But what have I played?

What is IndieDevDay?

Let’s start with the basics, what is IndieDevDay? It is an annual event which takes place in Barcelona. The event is growing every year. This edition welcomed over 15,000 visitors and 2,200 professionals. A lot more than last year. It lasts for three days. So, be prepared for an interesting weekend. During the fair, you can play numerous indie games and take part in various presentations or workshops. It is a good chance to talk to developers from small and bigger studios (I’m looking at you Larian). If you are lucky, you may even find a publisher or a job. The first day of the event is only for professionals, so if you are part of the gaming industry, it is definitely a good chance to learn a lot.

IndieDevDay, a place for professionals

I need to say that my Friday at IndieDevDay was crazy, as there was a lot of things to do. I started the day by walking around the building, noting important places and potentially interesting games to check out. It did not last for a long time, though, as at 10:30 am the first lecture started – “Scripting the Unscriptable: Designing quests for the 'What If?' moments in Larian” by Elena Statsenko and Vladimir Gaidenko. So, yes, I can be a professional scriptwriter after such workshop, I’m waiting for the offers!

Scripting the Unscriptable: Designing quests for the 'What If?' moments in Larian” by Elena Statsenko and Vladimir GaidenkoIndieDevDay

The rest of the day was divided between attending different presentations and playing games / speaking with developers. At the end, I had the pleasure of attending the IndieDevDay Awards. The best game title went to Ereban: Shadow Legacy. You can check it out on Steam. The event itself was in Spanish, though.

Here I need to talk about one of the most important things for foreigners – language. As organizers stated themselves, IndieDevDay is more and more international every year. You will have no problems with communicating with developers in English. However, many lectures are in Spanish. The schedule on the site can be also quite misleading. Some titles are in English, but talks are in Spanish, but the other way round also happens. Imagine my surprise when the panel called “Panel sobre la brecha de género en el videojuego” was in Shakespear’s language. So, while you don’t need Spanish to enjoy the event, you will definitely profit greatly if you do (at least if you want to take part in all panels).

And a great event for fans of indie games

IndieDevDay hallIndieDevDay

Of course, the event is not only for professionals, but for all fans of indie games. You can test a lot of titles. This year there were over 200 of them, presented by more than 170 studios. Moreover, lectures on Saturday and Sunday are for all willing to participate. It’s not the end, though. If you are a retro lover, you will find something for yourself, too. There is a separate section of the hall dedicated to these games, you can also buy them. There are a lot of shops, to be fair. You can purchase some souvenirs. There are many pictures and plush toys (yes, I have bought one). To be honest you don’t even need to leave the grounds of IndieDevDay, as in addition to attractions, there was food, too.

But what have I played?

As I mentioned earlier, there were over 200 games during IndieDevDay. So, obviously I tested some but not all. Here I would like to answer the question I have asked at the beginning of the article. For me indie games relate to interesting ideas. AAA titles mostly play it safe. They follow some rules, which are tested and multiplied. Independent games, on the other hand, have courage to experiment. I would like to share with you some of the most interesting ideas I have encountered.

• Toy Tactics
• Wandersky
• Neon Blood
• Honorable mentions

Toy Tactics

Toy Tactics, developer: Kraken Empire

Toy Tactics was a nice surprise for me. It is a small game in which you are an army commander. Players are thrown on the map with various enemies which you have to defeat using proper soldiers. So, strategy, as many others, you say. The interesting part is that you paint the troop’s formation. I will play the full game in the future and properly check out what developers have done with this mechanic. Toy Tactics is available on Steam as we speak and it has demo!

1. Interesting idea – you paint troops formations.
2. Steam – Toy Tactics

Wandersky

Wandersky, developer: Tiny Potion Tree

It is an upcoming metroidvania. While I’m not good at this type of games, I can’t say that this title did not interest me. Players become an archer… with one arrow, of course not an ordinary one, as the game would be short. The arrow is magical, and it can move things to which it is attached. This feature is used to solve puzzles and during combat, for example to remove armor or push enemies.

1. Interesting idea – one arrow to move them all.
2. Studio’s website – Tiny Potion Tree

Neon Blood

Neon Blood, Developer: ChaoticBrain Studios

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.

1. Interesting idea – combination of noir and cyberpunk (great pixelart, too).
2. Steam – Neon Blood

Honorable mentions

Aikode, developer: ACE_19111545

While the games presented above had the most unique ideas for me, I have decided to add quick info about some more intriguing titles, which I felt bad to omit completely.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.