We reached out to the minds behind these five games - which, combined, make up a full half of the total indie entries - to ask them for their feelings on being nominated to the Indie Showcase and the indie scene in general.
Yesterday, we featured 232 Studios and today we're catching up with Guus Hoeve of Mango Down! - the studio behind the silver award winning Catch-22 on sister site Pocket Gamer.
Pocket Gamer: How does it feel to be a part of Develop's Indie Showcase?
Guus Hoeve: It's always exciting to get nominated for an award, and we're very happy to see three Dutch games being finalists this year.
We're very proud and thrilled going to the UK to show everyone our game and mingle.
This year, a full half of the ten games nominated in the Indie Showcase are mobile titles. Is it easier for indie games to find an audience on mobile?
I think many perceive that mobile is a really good option for indie studios, but the reality is much different. It's not about finding your audience on mobile, it's more about reaching your audience on mobile.
Mango Down is not a known studio and Catch-22 is our debut title, so we had to build up the attention around the game ourselves.
We really owe a lot to the community and the press. Without them this game would have never gotten as far I assure you.
Each of the five mobile games featured in the showcase offer vastly different types of gameplay. Have any of the other games in the line-up - mobile or not - caught your eye?
They really picked some great gems that would otherwise might go undiscovered! They all have one thing in common which I believe is most important about a game; personality and a signature from the creators.
I know Momonga and Ibb & Obb and have played both extensively. I already played Ibb & Obb during the very first Control Gamelab in 2010 where we both were showcase games - not with Catch-22 - and noticed its great potential when I tried it for the first time.
The game I personally enjoy the most watching is Icycle. I'm really digging the jolly British humor this game has, as well as the vibrant art and animation style.
But That Dragon, Cancer is the one I anticipate the most since after reading the He's Still Alive review, and stopped reading when I read "I burst into tears".
Jenn Frank wasn't expecting anything from this game, yet it was so intense that after reflecting on her thoughts about this game with Josh Larson she cried.
How will being featured in the showcase impact your studio?
You always meet a great bunch of people at every event; fellow indies, people from the press, publishers, public speakers and - of course - players.
It's inspiring to hear people talk from a different point of view about your game, or games in general no matter if they're professional developers or not.
It's great for networking too and catching up with people from the industry who you haven't seen for a while. So it becomes an impact for your studio after these events, both personally and professionally.
Are you looking forward to Develop as a whole?
I really I hope I find some time to attend some of the keynotes and lectures, as well as to play the other games!
Funny enough, the people at those events hardly see any of the event itself.
