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 retrospective of the global indie tour is our flagship bumper edition Very Big Indie Pitch, which we hosted as always at Pocket Gamer Connects London 2018.
As with past years, this pitch saw a record number of entrants, making those who made it to the pitching stage already worthy of our judges' attention. Those who did make it to the pitching stage didn't disappoint either, as we saw over 20 of the most exciting indies on the planet battle for the crown.
A crown won by...
Too Many Cooks by FINIFUGU && friends
Too Many Cooks is a three-to-six player co-operative party game in which you and your team work together in order to run a kitchen restaurant. You’ll have to learn how to chop, steam, wash, and of course cook, all while working together as a team as you constantly pass items and food backwards and forwards
That’s not all though, as the game looks absolutely gorgeous and is filled with life and character. It’s also great fun for all ages too, whilst also being really intuitive and easy to pick up and play. This is definitely one that fans of co-operative party gaming should keep their eyes closely peeled for.
Too Many Cooks impressed the judges and was a worthy winner. You can find out more about developer FINIFUGU && friends in our interview with the lead developer from June.
However, Too Many Cooks wasn't the only game that drew the judges' praise. You can read about all the games which made it to the pitching stage in London on our sister site PocketGamer.co.uk. Who knows? One of the top three there could be taking away a prize at The Big Indie Awards 2018, in association with G-STAR, this November.
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 15th to 18th 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 15th to 17th, 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.
