The last 12 months have been one heck of a ride for our regular Big Indie Pitch competition. We’ve seen some incredible games and given the judges some very tough decisions to make. In fact, the most recent winner at Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2018 was only crowned after one of the most intense and divided judging sessions we've ever seen.
So when it comes to the impending Big Indie Awards - the annual celebration of the year's best - those judges are going to have a tough decision on their hands. The remote judging for the first round of the Big Indie Awards begins at the start of next month. And you don't have to have been in a Big Indie Pitch competition before to throw your name into the hat now!
Thanks to a deadline extension, developers have until September 30th to put their game forward. So hurry hurry hurry! Even if you've never entered before, we'll judge your game alongside all our 2018 winners, if you sign up now. Your game could join all of our 2018 season pitchers in being considered for a free trip to South Korea to attend the awards. That's alongside a feast of other prizes, including cash and the right to be called the best indie game of 2018. More details on how to enter can be found at the end of this article.
The best of the last 12 months
What better way to prepare ourselves for the grand finale than by taking a look back at all of our winners since the last Awards? The whole season of international pitches was sponsored by our partner G-STAR itself, and stretches back to November.
Next up in our global indie tour is our first ever South Korea pitch, which took place in Busan, South Korea, as a part of the 2017 G-STAR conference. This pitch was incredibly insightful, as we saw a range of unique and interesting ideas from one of the world's fastest growing and most important regions for mobile gaming.
At this event, one game stood out above the rest...
Defenoid by MMZZUU
Developed by MMZZUU, Defenoid appears a rather simple game where players use one-touch controls to avoid fire and destroy enemies, all without leaving the boundaries of the small stage. But once the bullets start flying, this game is anything but simple, and is incredibly fun to play.
It also turns the normal idea of gaming on its head, by having your main focus to be on defending yourself and using the enemy's power against them, rather you going on the offensive yourself.
Defenoid impressed the judges and was a worthy winner. You can find out more about developer MMZZUU in our interview with the lead developer from February.
However, Defenoid wasn't the only game that drew the judges' praise. You can read about all the games which entered in South Korea on our sister site PocketGamer.co.uk. Who knows? One of the top three there could be taking away a prize this November when we return to South Korea for The Big Indie Awards 2018, in association with G-STAR.
Enter The Big Indie Awards 2018!
Entering couldn’t be simpler. All you need to do to get your game in front of our judges is to head over to our REGISTRATION FORM by the extended deadline of September 30th, 2018. Fill in all of the required information, including details about you and your game, alongside a link to a video of your game and some screenshots, please. You'll need to register to the Pocket Gamer Business Network, but it's quick and easy!
(Been a part of the Big Indie Pitch before? The form is exactly the same.)
These entries will then be filtered into a longlist through a provisional remote judging process. This process will include a crack team of experts, including games journalists, influencers and experienced developers, all of which have acted as judges for the Big Indie Pitch in the last 12 months.
Who’s behind all this?
The Big Indie Awards 2018 is once again brought to you by the Steel Media team (the firm behind Pocket Gamer, PG.Biz, PG Connects, the Global Connects Parties and of course the Big Indie Pitch itself) but it wouldn’t be possible without the support and love of the lovely folks at G-Star.
What is G-STAR?
Launched in 2005, G-STAR is the annual South Korean computer and video game trade show. It’s a one-stop, accessible gateway to the Asian market and it sees the biggest players in publishing, development and investment gather every year to do business and set the industry trends. G-STAR is open to both trade visitors and consumers, and it takes place on November 15-18 at BEXCO, Busan. In 2018 a focus for G-STAR will be the international scene so national pavilion participants will be strongly welcomed. As well as booths from representatives around the globe, 2018’s G-STAR will be heavily promoting the indie game scene. That’s where you come in. For more information about the conference, visit the official site.
More information about The Big Indie Awards in association with G-STAR can be found both over on our event page and on the Big Indie Pitch website.
Entries must be mobile, portable (including Switch), mobile VR or AR games. Teams that enter will need at least one member with a valid passport who could travel to South Korea between November 15 – 17, 2018. Please send other questions to the award coordinator at support@bigindieawards.com. Terms and conditions apply, see details at http://www.bigindiepitch.com/event/the-big-indie-awards-2018#rules.
