After three years it was finally time for the Big Indie Pitch to return to Koln in Germany for the extravaganza that is Gamescom. Our Gamescom week pitch has always been one of the most competitive pitches of the year, and as such, there was a lot of excitement in the air for what the indie community was about to showcase.
For those not in the know, The Big Indie Pitch is a regular event run by the makers of PCGamesInsider.biz. It gives indie developers the chance to pitch their games to industry experts and journalists in a speed-dating-style format. Teams get the opportunity to get valuable feedback on their games, as well as win great prizes such as promotional packages and opportunities to promote their game.
As always, the developers gave it everything they had in order to walk away as the winner. An award that was eventually bestowed upon Enchanted Works' Nomori. Though it is certainly worth highlighting how well received our runner-ups AK-xolotl and Aloft were. Want to know more? Well luckily, you can learn more about all three games right here.
1st Place - Nomori by Enchanted Works
Coming from Dutch studio Enchanted Works, Nomori is a mind-bending puzzle game played from a third-person perspective. Within the game, players have to rotate portals in order to alter the perspective in which they view the beautiful world they find themselves in.
That's not all though. On top of controlling the world, players will also have to learn how to master the flow of time in order to effectively manipulate a variety of objects and solve the puzzles that prevent their progress. All in all, what with the unique approach to gameplay, and the stunning presentation, it's easy to see how Nomori won.
2nd Place - AK-xolotl by 2Awesome Studio
Ever wondered what would happen if an axolotl took up arms to hunt their prey, instead of using their amphibian instincts? Ok maybe not, but if AK-xolotl is anything to go by, then perhaps you should. As AK-xolotl is a glorious top-down roguelite. One filled with weapons, frantic action, addictive gameplay, and glorious retro-inspired presentation.
From surviving the waves of enemies in order to collect your next meal to nurturing baby axolotls, to even enjoying the spoils of your hunt by cooking delicious meals, AK-xolotl hopes to offer a unique and memorable experience that players will keep coming back to time and time again.
3rd Place - Aloft by ASTROLABE Interactive
Set within the heart of a never-ending hurricane, Aloft is an atmospheric and cooperative sandbox survival game. One in which players must construct their base before traversing the heavens in order to not only discover new islands also trapped in the storm, but also fight back against the fungal corruption caused by the storm.
As you might imagine given the sandbox approach, Aloft is a game that rewards aesthetic construction and creativity and encourages the sharing of this creativity through a range of community tools such as a photo mode and island editor. That's not all though, as for those looking to adventure rather than create, the game offers a range of challenges to overcome. Finally, all of these features can be tackled either solo or cooperatively with up to 8 players in a P2P setting. As such, Aloft hopes to offer something for everyone brave enough to explore the skies.
Want to show off your exciting new game? We host Big Indie Pitch events throughout the year, so make sure to regularly check our upcoming events page over on BigIndiePitch.com.
