SXSW Sydney returned this month, bringing the tech, movie, music, and video games pageant again to Australia for its second 12 months. This time SXSW Sydney’s online game showcase came about on the College of Expertise, Sydney, the place builders gathered to indicate off indie titles each from inside Australia and overseas.
Instances are undoubtedly robust within the online game business, which has struggled by numerous layoffs this 12 months. Fortuitously, there are nonetheless some builders persevering with to work on thrilling new video games that the remainder of us can stay up for enjoying quickly.
In no specific order, listed here are a few of the coolest indie video games we checked out at SXSW Sydney 2024.
SEDAP! A Culinary Journey
As a fan of meals in video video games, and Asian meals specifically, I have been following SEDAP! A Culinary Journey for some time. This “cooking-combat adventure” from Singapore’s kopiforge options scrumptious Southeast Asian meals equivalent to teh tarik, nasi lemak, ondeh ondeh, and even strays additional north to incorporate Taiwan’s bubble tea.
SEDAP! has clear similarities to Overcooked, with cartoonish characters working round to organize quite a lot of delectable dishes. Nevertheless, moderately than acquire substances from allotted storage areas, SEDAP!’s cooks should collect them contemporary from the supply. This might imply plucking a pineapple, nevertheless it might additionally imply utilizing your chef’s knife to battle a rooster, including the hazard of fight to its culinary equation.
You will not need to battle alone both, with SEDAP! supporting two-player co-op in addition to solo play.
SEDAP! A Culinary Journey is scheduled for launch in March 2025.
Winter Burrow
Who amongst us has not wished to be a bit of mouse dwelling in a tree hole and knitting themselves jumpers out of grass? Pine Creek Video games’ Winter Burrow lets you fulfil your Beatrix Potter goals, albeit with a survival bent.
Billed as a comfortable survival recreation, Winter Burrow positions you as a mouse restoring their childhood residence after returning to find it in ruins. You additionally need to seek for your lacking aunt, who was tasked with caring for it, in addition to give the residents of your area people a serving to hand.
The climate’s fairly chilly although, so first you will want to collect sources and restore your furnishings, hold your self fed, and knit your self some hotter garments to put on in your journey. Winter Burrow‘s storybook-like illustrations give the sport a definite allure, and take the darkish edge off risks equivalent to freezing to loss of life.
Winter Burrow is scheduled for launch in 2025.
Mashable Prime Tales
Wabisabi Sushi Derby
Of all of the video games I attempted at SXSW Sydney, Wabisabi Sushi Derby was the quickest to seize my coronary heart.
Developed by Japan’s ITAMAE STUDIO, Wabisabi Sushi Derby has you play as a sushi chef creating cute little bites and coming into them in races. These lovable morsels robotically run round a sushi prepare observe, avoiding hungry clients and dashing up once you cheer for them, however will finally lose freshness if they don’t seem to be eaten. You possibly can even prepare your sushi to enhance their stats, which is fairly satisfying. I might completely eat up a sushi elevating sim.
Although the gameplay was comparatively easy, Wabisabi Sushi Derby‘s cheerful sushi pixel artwork and enjoyable idea simply held my consideration — I might fortunately simply sit and watch them run round a observe for some time. I am curious to see whether or not the complete launch will proceed to maintain participant curiosity.
Wabisabi Sushi Derby is scheduled for launch later this 12 months.
Dungeon Inn
Whereas your conventional enterprise administration sim won’t ever get previous, it is all the time fascinating to see builders strive one thing new. Developed by South Korean studio Cat Society, Dungeon Inn is exclusive in that moderately than immediately specializing in constructing and working an inn, gamers will spend most of their time arranging signage to direct the circulation of company.
You play because the commercially-minded proprietor of a brand new inn, strategically positioned close to a preferred dungeon. Mentioned dungeon is a frequent vacation spot for the members of two rival adventuring guilds, offering two streams of potential clients on both facet of the inn. The catch is that you will need to serve each guilds with out letting both discover out that you just’re additionally enjoying the opposite facet.
Whereas Dungeon Inn does will let you construct new services, the first focus is on erecting short-term roadside installations. These can alert potential company to your inn, promote them snacks to change their velocity of journey, and even cease them on the highway, stopping opposing guilds from working into one another and catching on to your scheme.
Dungeon Inn is scheduled for early entry launch on Nov. 14, with the complete launch anticipated in 2025.
Identifile
Identifile was one of many extra artistic video games at SXSW Sydney’s showcase, positioning you as an antivirus combating off malicious intruders on a pc. Developed by Singapore’s Gearbyte Video games, Identifile utilises a procedural folder-based dungeon system on a duplicate PC desktop display, with each file appearing as a brand new room. Open a file, and you’ll find cash for upgrades, keys to open zipped subfolders, and, after all, malware.
Gamers’ assaults rely upon the cursor they select at first, with every possibility providing totally different stats. One could require you to repeatedly click on on the evil pixellated representations of malware overtaking your display, whereas one other offers injury by circling them. Simply bear in mind to play in brief bursts to forestall RSI.
I did initially have bother determining why I used to be shedding well being, because the construct I performed did not clarify that you’re your cursor and should dodge assaults accordingly. It is probably Identifile will likely be making some tweaks to handle this although, with the sport nonetheless below growth.
Identifile has not but introduced a launch date.
Demonschool
Increased training is tough sufficient with out coping with gangsters, demons, and “big weirdos,” however at the very least Demonschool offers you a squad that will help you by it. From California-based Necrosoft Video games, Demonschool is a turn-based tactical roleplaying recreation that attracts inspiration from Italian giallo horror in addition to Shin Megami Tensei (sans collectible monsters).
Described as having a “light horror narrative,” Demonschool thankfully is not too horrifying — particularly since you’ll be able to punch demons within the face. Going through off towards supernatural denizens who don’t have any enterprise being wherever close to a college, Demonschool has you propose your 4 social gathering members’ assaults on a battlefield grid, then hit a button to execute all of them concurrently when you sit again and watch the carnage.
You additionally have to plan your faculty schedule to construct your characters’ expertise, and befriend folks so you’ll be able to take them in your demon-punching adventures, identical to actual life.
Demonschool is deliberate for launch in early 2025.
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