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Crispr Crunch's virus-busting puzzler wins The Big Indie Pitch at PGC Digital #6

Winner breakdown

Crispr Crunch's virus-busting puzzler wins The Big Indie Pitch at PGC Digital #6

It feels like an age since we began hosting digital pitches in response to the global situation.

However, despite the circumstances that necessitated this move, our digital pitches have only gone from strength to strength.

Allowing us to host an ever-increasing range of diverse brand new gaming experiences from some of the world's most exciting indie developers.

Most recently that meant hosting our Mobile Big Indie Pitch at Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #6 sponsored by Kwalee. A hotly-anticipated pitch given the continuing overwhelming demand from talented indie developers for the previous pitches.

All the madness from our last Digital Big Indie Pitch.

This time around we saw even more exciting and interesting indie developers pitch their latest works to some of our most established judges and journalists, with 13 battling it out for the crown. As always, the competition was extremely tough, and we even had a tie-break for the crown.

Nevertheless, the judges did, in the end, settle on the top games from the pitch, with the winner finally being settled on. That winner was Crispr Crunch, a mobile puzzler in which players must defend bacteria from deadly viruses, all whilst using real science and gene-editing technology.

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 opportunities to promote their game.

Of course, Crispr Crunch, as you already know, was the winner, but if you want to learn more about not only Crispr Crunch but also our runners-up from The Big Indie Pitch (Mobile Edition) at Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #6, then simply read on.

1st Place - Crispr Crunch by Play Curious

You'd be forgiven for being sick of viruses, bacteria and all things related given the year we've had, but that fact alone speaks to how engaging and interesting Crispr Crunch is. Despite this, the game was able to grab hold of the judge's attention and not let go thanks to a range of new and exciting ideas that are seamlessly blended with some of mobile gaming's most established mechanics.

As such, players can look forward to a free-to-play and mobile-first tile-matching puzzler in which players must defend their bacterial cell against waves of attacking viruses by matching their DNA sequences. This isn't all though, as the game also looks to immerse the player in a fascinating world of microbiology and real science. Finally, through the aforementioned Crispr, players will even be introduced to ideas such as gene-editing and the potential to alter life itself.

2nd Place - Giants: Feats of History by Pocket Sun

In this collectable card game, players will be able to collect and then battle with an array of powerful and influential figures from the history of humanity which have all been stylishly redesigned. That's not all though, as this is done whilst travelling through the ages and achieving amazing feats, such as toppling kingdoms, the foundation of philosophies, or even the creation of items we now take for granted such as the lightbulb and the internet.

In fact, these feats aren't just for show, as each of them will grant players powerful bonuses that will assist their progress, and the first to achieve three feats will ultimately win the game. Additionally, in Giants, you will also be given the opportunity to choose a powerful, life shattering-event, such as the fall of Rome, in order to completely refresh the game and turn the tables in your favour. Through the game, Pocket Sun seems to be in a perfect position to create an engaging and exciting game that shines a light on humanity's past, whilst also introducing new and refreshing mechanics to the collectable card game genre.

3rd Place - HIX by Gamedia

In this charming puzzle game, players must assist Hix in his quest to restore a range of islands after a destructive event caused by his brother Dix. You see, Hix and Dix aren't usual brothers, in fact, they both have God-like powers. These powers have always been used for the good of the islands, that is until something caused Dix to use them for destruction, specifically, destruction of the beautiful islands they inhabit.

As such, it's now up to Hix to restore order. To do so, players will take control of Hix and utilise his powers in order to swap land tiles and ensure all roads lead to where they once led. This in turn will allow the citizens to slowly return to their normal lives and help in the rebuilding process. Of course, that's not all though, as along the way you'll also be able to recover some of Hix's most valued possessions from Dix all whilst visiting a variety of different island across 180 levels in a quest to hopefully mend your broken brotherly relationship.


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

Upcoming Big Indie Pitch Event Pages & Registration

May 19, 2021 - The Digital Big Indie Pitch (Mobile Edition) #7
July 12-13, 2021 - The Very Big Indie Pitch (PC+Console Edition) at Pocket Gamer Connects London 2021
July 12-13, 2021 - The Very Big Indie Pitch (Mobile Edition) at Pocket Gamer Connects London 2021

More coming soon so make sure to regularly check our upcoming events page here and over on BigIndiePitch.com.

Developer Evangelist & Big Indie Pitch Manager / Special Features Writer

Queen of all things Indie. Sophia is Steel Media’s Big Indie Pitch Manager and Developer Evangelist. She’s also a global speaker and lifelong gamer with a fanatical love of all things Nintendo and Japan. So much so that she’s written a thesis on one and lived in the other.