Gamescom is one of the biggest gaming events in the entire world, and unsuprisingly, this means that when the Big Indie Pitch heads over to Cologne every August, it always ends up being one of the most competitive pitches of the year. In fact, 2018 proved to be even more competitive than previous Gamescom pitches and as such, the top 3 more than earned their plaudits.

For those not in the know, the Big Indie Pitch is a regular event run by the makers of PocketGamer.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, more importantly, the coveted Big Indie Pitch bat.

We’re more than halfway through the year, and there are already some incredible names that will be looking to make even more of a mark come our annual Big Indie Awards, which this year will take place at November's G-STAR conference in Busan, South Korea.

That's not all though, as we'll also be returning to Helsinki on Spetember 11th for Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2018, and we'll be bringing our bumper Very Big Indie Pitch with us too. Those shortlisted to pitch will even receive free tickets for the show.

Back to Gamescom though, and as mentioned earlier, this year’s Big Indie Pitch at Gamescom was certainly a hard-fought competition. One in which 18 developers from all over the world competed to be crowned the Gamescom Big Indie Pitch 2018 champion. A prize ultimately taken away by Blindflug Studios and their game Airheart - Tales of Broken Wings.

Read on to learn more about Airheart - Tales of Broken Wings alongside the two games that walked away with our prizes for second and third place.

First place - Airheart - Tales of Broken Wings

Airheart - Tales of Broken Wings is a twin-stick aeroplane adventure set in a dieselpunk world that exists above the clouds. Within the game, players can customise and configure their plane just to their liking, before setting off into a colourful and engrossing world filled with life. One in which every level is built on top of the last one. From battling sinister sky pirates to catching flying fish, Blindflug Studios is promising quite the sky-high adventure.

Second place - Horizon Chase Turbo

Based on the successful mobile title, Horizon Chase Turbo brings all the retro racing fun to the Nintendo Switch, alongside other leading consoles and Steam. Described by developer Aquiris Game Studio as a homage to classic 16-bit racers that defined a generation of high-speed, frenetic arcade fun, Horizon Chase Turbo certainly lives up to that description. Horizon Chase Turbo presents gamers with that instant retro design and nostalgia feel, blended with catchy contemporary chiptune music and modern gameplay. There's even traditional local multiplayer and live challenges alongside more than 109 tracks that cover a plethora of real-world locations.

Third place - Pic-It-Up

Coming by way of Funster Games, Pic-It-Up is a multiplayer game that literally promotes face-to-face group interaction. The concept itself is based on real-time picture quests in which players must explore their surroundings to solve real-time quests and win real rewards. Players' real-life energy (steps) is rewarded with digital hints during the game as well. All in all, Funster Games believes this could be the next generation of outdoor games and based on their success at this year's Big Indie Pitch at Gamescom 2018, there's a very high chance they could well be correct.

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Want to show off your exciting new game? We host Big Indie Pitch events throughout the year, so be sure to keep an eye out on our events page for an event near you.

Upcoming BIPs include:

• Sep 11th to 12th 2018 - The Very Big Indie Pitch at Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2018
• November 2018 - The Big Indie Pitch at G-Star 2018

Also Upcoming:

• November 2018 - The Big Indie Awards at G-Star 2018

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