I passed by the booth for Crossing Souls a half dozen times during the day before our scheduled appointment to see the game. The game’s publisher Devolver outdid themselves putting together a play space to match the game’s aesthetic. The screens were housed in frames to make them look like CRT televisions. Cassette tapes and Nintendo Entertainment systems were stashed in shelving units...
This weekend we got to spend some hands-on time with Songbringer, the brainchild of solo indie developer Nathanael Weiss, AKA Wizard Fu. He’s live streamed the coding, art, music and testing of the game five days a week for well over two years. If you’re interested in game development, you should check out his Twitch channel. Or if you’re curious about the evolution of the game, and...
When we’re setting up appointments for games at PAX East, we try to pick titles that haven’t been released yet. The only exception to that this year was Loot Rascals. So much about this game checks off boxes on my list of favorites. It’s a light-hearted roguelike with a dry sense of humor and over the top art/animation. There’s even a unique feature for players connected over Steam and...
I’ve been lucky enough to attend every PAX East since they moved it to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in 2011. It’s strange how long ago that feels now. A lot has changed over the last six years (for better or worse). We’ve got a list of five trends we were excited to see at this year’s convention. 1. More Games When we first attended, the back of the main hall was...
American Dream is pitched as a World’s Fair ride created by a US gun manufacturer, predicting what life could be like if only we were more attached to our guns. As a full blooded American, I was right at home strapping into a campy Disney-esque ride through Charlton Heston’s deepest fantasies. Coming from an Australian development team which includes zero Americans, I couldn’t wait to...
One of the standout booths on the show floor this weekend belonged to the team over at Sumo Digital. Adorned with palms, cozy bean bag chairs, and inflatable serpents, the developers were all set to show off their upcoming puzzle game, Snake Pass. The demo had us playing an early level as Noodle the snake, with trusted hummingbird companion Doodle joining to help. There are 15 levels...
Apparently, I wasn’t welcome on their rainbow-lined streets without the same carefree strut and characteristically creepy face paint.
I knew very little about STRAFE coming into PAX this year. Joey was kind enough to send me the 90s themed trailer ahead of time to get me ready for our first appointment of the weekend. I wasn’t ready for what I was about to watch. Feel free to search for that trailer at your own risk. Check out STRAFE’s official website, the setup they were running on the show floor, and their other...
The first time I set eyes on Capybara’s upcoming game Below was at PAX East 2014. I so desperately wanted to grab hold of a controller and become the tiny unnamed adventurer wandering through the dark and mysterious levels shown off on the show floor. Two years later, I finally got my wish. Capy had three levels on display this year, only two of which I was able to work through in the...
We checked out the cooperative mode Pit People will offer at PAX East. It was fantastic.
Devolver Digital continues to have one of the strongest collections of games to show at PAX East this year. 2015’s crop continues to impress us as we work our way through the indie booths. I was able to corner creator Tomasz Waclawek for a chance to see his game, Ronin. Like other games we saw from the Devolver booth, Ronin started out as freeware, with a playable demo of the original...
Blizzard has a penchant for developing highly polished titles. This is the first time either of us played Overwatch, and it felt pretty darn fantastic.
Drinkbox Studio, the minds behind Guacamelee and Tales from Space: Mutant Blob Attacks, are taking a swing at making the touch controls for the PS Vita the centerpiece of their upcoming game Severed. In keeping with their previous titles, Severed is chock full of gorgeous visuals and addictive gameplay. Drinkbox caught me completely off guard with the darker tone and masterful use of...
PAX East is always a whirlwind of sights, sounds and smells. It’s easy to get lost in the grand melee of the show floor. Weather delays had me feeling pretty down leading up to our trip to Boston, but stopping by Devolver Digital’s booth was the shot in the arm I needed. The first game we tried out was the top-down western themed shooter, A Fistful of Gun. Lone developer Paul (also...
For a game that’s only been in development for five months, I was really impressed with what Masquerada had to show. There’s a lot to look forward to in this 2.5D isometric RPG. Developer Witching Hour Studios wants to create a compelling game, drawing on influence from classic RPGs and story-telling heavyweights like Bioware. Throughout the demo, the developers and I were frequently...