IndieCade – the premiere international festival of independent games – has announced the 2018 nominees for its 11th annual festival, hosted October 12-13 in Santa Monica. This year’s festival will feature an international selection of the most innovative independent titles available for play on PC, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Oculus Rift, Google Daydream, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation, as well as virtual and augmented reality installations, escape room puzzles, tabletop games, performances, sports, card games and live action role-playing.
In addition to featuring this year’s nominated games, IndieCade will showcase
more than 100 of the newest emerging titles during 2-days of gameplay, tournaments, workshops, sessions and networking. Festival highlights include the return of Night Games on Friday evening, transforming IndieCade into the ultimate live arcade and gaming playground. Keynote conversations with luminaries will explore a range of gaming and interactive entertainment topics, including theme parks, immersive theater, virtual and augmented reality, escape rooms and live action role playing. Additional sessions and forums throughout the festival will include Artist Talks with panels of developers and Think: Indies – town hall-style conversations on current industry hot topics, including activism, diversity and games and labor. Surprise Flash Jams will combine flash mobs with game jams and be announced sporadically throughout the festival, providing attendees with the opportunity to create unique games on the spot and try them out with other players. A new Gaming Everywhere exhibit will survey gamification in other fields using new technologies and platforms for non-traditional gaming audiences. In addition to indoor exhibits, outdoor games and entertainment will feature a selection of experiences and media from the IndieCade community.
more than 100 of the newest emerging titles during 2-days of gameplay, tournaments, workshops, sessions and networking. Festival highlights include the return of Night Games on Friday evening, transforming IndieCade into the ultimate live arcade and gaming playground. Keynote conversations with luminaries will explore a range of gaming and interactive entertainment topics, including theme parks, immersive theater, virtual and augmented reality, escape rooms and live action role playing. Additional sessions and forums throughout the festival will include Artist Talks with panels of developers and Think: Indies – town hall-style conversations on current industry hot topics, including activism, diversity and games and labor. Surprise Flash Jams will combine flash mobs with game jams and be announced sporadically throughout the festival, providing attendees with the opportunity to create unique games on the spot and try them out with other players. A new Gaming Everywhere exhibit will survey gamification in other fields using new technologies and platforms for non-traditional gaming audiences. In addition to indoor exhibits, outdoor games and entertainment will feature a selection of experiences and media from the IndieCade community.
“We’re kicking off our second decade of festivals with a truly innovative selection of the most creative and thought-provoking indie games in a brand-new location in Santa Monica said Stephanie Barish, Chief Executive Officer of IndieCade, “We strive to reflect the diversity of indie game developers, players and fans across the globe and look forward to bringing the community together annually at IndieCade.”
The IndieCade 2018 festival nominees were selected by an international jury comprised of past IndieCade finalists, indie and mainstream game developers, artists, researchers, academics, curators, game writers and journalists. The initial list is of nominees is provided below, including games from the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, China, Turkey, Slovenia, Germany, Denmark, the Czech Republic and Italy. Additional titles and festival selections will be announced in the coming weeks. More information on all titles is available here: https://www.indiecade.com/2018-games/
IndieCade 2018 Festival Nominees
— A Memoir Blue by: Kevin Zeng & Shelley Chen
— Accounting+ by: Crows Crows Crows
— Anyball by: Hang Ruan, Laurenz Riklin & Paolo Salcedo
— ASTA GRANDE by: Pietro Righi Riva
— Blindfold by: Tom Ackerman
— Bluebeard's Bride by: Magpie Games
— Drawkanoid by: QCF Design
— Escape from Godot by: Mister and Mischief
— Exposure by: The Sheep's Meow
— Fire Escape by: iNK Stories
— Flight Simulator by: Hosni Auji
— Forgotton Anne by: ThroughLine Games
— Guildlings by: Sirvo Studios
— IO Interloper by: DANG!
— Just Shapes & Beats by: Berzerk Studio
— Kleptocrat by: How to Hide Dirty Money by: The Mintz Group, in conjunction with BumbleBear Games
— Laser Mazer by: Mighty Coconut
— Little Bug by: Buddy System
— LossWords by: Local No. 12
— Macdows by: Yunus Ayyildiz & Kubra Sezer Ayyildiz
— Ministry of Broadcast by: Petr Skornok, Petr Melicherik, Dusan Cezek & Sanja Cezek
— Mulaka by: Lienzo
— Nishan Shaman by: NEXT Studio
— Octopad by: Patrick LeMIeux
— One Hand Clapping by: One Hand Clapping Team
— Pixel Ripped 1987 by: Pixel Ripped Inc. Core Team
— Puppet Pandemonium by: Terence Tolman, Nicky Breshon, Dustin Harris, Simon Manning & Kathleen Kamali
— SPY EYE by: The Marino Family
— Stress Express by: Stress Express by Pornsima Duangratana
— Tale of Ord by: Published by PostCurious & Designed by Rita Orlov
— Tendar by: Tender Claws
— The Distance by: Team The Distance
— The Game: The Game by: Angela Washko (artist & designer) & Xiu Xiu (music)
— The Klaxo Radio Hour by: Haunted Ephemera
— Tiny Trees by: Michael Perce & Joanna Yu
— What's The Golf by: Triband
IndieCade 2018 will be hosted at the Center for Media and Design at Santa Monica College, a new, state-of-the-art facility opened in 2017 and the home of local NPR station KCRW. The new venue is central to prominent games and entertainment industry companies, accessible for students and creative professionals, and conveniently located near the 26th Street/Bergamot Station on the Metro Expo Line for easy transit. One-and two-day passes are on sale now starting at $25.00. For more information, visit: http://www.indiecade.com/
