After two years, it was finally time for the Big Indie Pitch to return to live in-person pitching, and what better place than our flagship show Pocket Gamer Connects London 2022!
This also meant the return of The Very Big Indie Pitch, this time sponsored by Agora and Lion Studios, with additional support from Kwalee. The Very Big Indie Pitch is our bumper edition competition where even more developers can pitch an ever-increasing range of brand new and diverse gaming experiences from some of the most exciting indie developers, not only from the UK but all across the globe.
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 receive valuable feedback and the opportunity to win great prizes such as promotional packages and opportunities to promote their game.
As always, the competition – with 19 games pitched – was extremely tough. In fact, it was so tough that the judges actually ended up with a joint second and an honourable mention, alongside the overall winner.
All in all, one thing is for sure: all of our finalists, which you can learn more about below, are more than worthy of highlighting, and the pitch marked what can only be described as a fitting return to live events.
1st Place - TAP TRICKS by Gesinimo Games
TAP TRICKS is a one-button skateboarding game in which each level becomes your very own personal skate park to mess around in. Going for an approach that favours accessibility and simplicity, what developer Gesinimo Games has done is create a game that can be enjoyed by all either in short fun bursts or repeated sessions.
Skateboarding game fan or not, the judges loved this game and thought it worked it so many ways making it an easy recommendation for all types of players. Simple, addictive, cute, and filled with creativity and possibilities. What more could you want from a game?
Joint 2nd Place - Billionworlds: Kingdoms by Billionworlds
Billionworlds: Kingdoms is a light Civilization-inspired game that places the focus squarely on multiplayer. Whilst many turn-based strategy games support multiplayer, their main focus is often on the one-player experience, as such Billionworlds saw this as an opportunity to take the deep and complex strategy games and make them faster, more intuitive, and much more multiplayer-friendly.
With support for 5v5 matches, simultaneous friendly moves, multi-platform crossplay, and asynchronous multiplayer game support with notifications, Billionworlds has created a game that they think fits their aims. Namely being a game that works around the player and their lifestyle, but without sacrificing any of the things that make turn-based strategy gaming what it is.
Joint 2nd Place - Our Last Halloween by Hamdo Games
Our Last Halloween is a thriller/mystery game that simply oozes the feeling of an 80s horror classic, as three teens attending a Halloween house party discover that not quite everything is as it seems. Within the game, players will take on the role of all three teenagers as they encounter a variety of supernatural events, all unique to that character.
As you can imagine, once the spooky occurrences begin it becomes a battle to see who, if anyone, will survive the night and uncover the truth. Survival is not a guarantee, though thanks to a range of options and possibilities players can uncover a variety of ways to make it to the sunrise in one piece thanks to the replayable experience.
Honourable Mention - MORSE by ALJO Games
In MORSE, players must use timing, tactics, and telecommunications in order to contribute to the war effort and hopefully turn the tide of The Great War. Throughout the game, players will step into the shoes of Ida Brockett, a woman working at a top-secret facility in the British Countryside, as she learns a lost language in order to send covert messages and intercept enemy orders.
That's not all though, as in between shifts, players will be able to wander the top-secret manor house and get to know a whole cast of characters within a deep narrative filled with secrets and intrigue. Do you have what it takes to change the course of human history and save the lives of millions all with the push of a button?
Want to show off your exciting new game? We host Big Indie Pitch events throughout the year, so make sure to regularly check our upcoming events page over on BigIndiePitch.com.
Once again, a huge thank you to our sponsors. Without them, we couldn't highlight all of the amazing indie talent above. If you'd like to find out more about each of our amazing sponsors, then simply click the logo below.
