Dumpling's Mr Traffic conducts itself all the way to the first ever Big Hypercasual Pitch crown
Discover all the indie games pitched at our first-ever Big Hypercasual Pitch
The mobile games industry has long been known for all of the unique and different independent games that can be found around every corner within the various app stores. From the likes of Florence, to former Big Indie Pitch winners like What The Golf!?, we’ve seen many go from breakout hit to stardom. Nevertheless, with the potential next big thing hidden behind every corner, it can sometimes be somewhat hard to discover that next indie gem.
Well, this problem is exactly why we set up our regular international competition for indie developers, The Big Indie Pitch, around 8 years ago. From San Francisco to Hong Kong and everywhere in between, we currently run around 20 of these global events a year in order to showcase all the amazing new indie games in development. Of course, there are prizes and international recognition, but the reward is the chance to show all of you readers some of the latest games in development.
It’s 2021, and whilst we’re still keeping socially distant, that doesn’t mean that The Big Indie Pitch can’t continue to grow and evolve in order to showcase even more amazing indie games. Most recently that meant hosting our first-ever Big Hypercasual Pitch at Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #8 sponsored by Sunday and Kwalee. An event we hosted to celebrate this unique and growing field of the mobile games industry.
Much like with our previous digital pitches, the demand for our next digital pitches was as high as ever, with 10 of the most exciting developers battling it out for the crown. Nevertheless, three games rose to the top, with previous winner Dumpling's brand new Hypercasual title Mr. Traffic being crowned the winner.
Of course, Mr. Traffic, as you already know, was the winner, but we always award prizes for the top three. So read on to not only find out more about Mr. Traffic, but also our runners-up and all the other amazing games we saw, then simply read on.
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1st Place - Mr. Traffic by Dumpling
Mr. Traffic is a brand new one-touch arcade game from former Big Indie Pitch winner Dumpling. Inspired by Chinese traffic conductors, in this game players must tap the cars in order to musically conduct the traffic and avoid car accidents. Of course, this might sound simple, but when the cars turn into Dinosaurs and Ghosts, and procedurally generated traffic events start to take place, the difficulty swiftly starts to increase.
Nevertheless, thanks to these crazy events alongside the fun and simple gameplay, Dumpling has ensured that not only is failure fun, but you'll be wanting to jump instantly back into the action. What's more, with leaderboards, achievements, the ability to tilt the device to explore and much more planned, there's more than enough to keep players conducting until their musical masterpiece is a reality.
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2nd Place - 3D Reconstruct - Jigsaw Puzzle by LIVA Interactive
In this 3D Rubix Cube inspired puzzler players must master simple mechanics in order to make the 3D models complete. Of course, this means dragging, twisting, rotating, and some clever thinking in order to see what was once hidden.
All in all, the game is planned to contain 50 handmade challenges with increasing difficulty alongside a wealth of other features. As such, this simple and intuitive casual puzzler promises to offer more than enough to keep hypercasual and casual puzzle fans alike very happy.
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3rd Place - Dance Army by JollyLabs
Dance Army is a fun hypercasual game in which players must become a dance coach before leading the skilled to great success, and comically punishing those with poor skills. Infused with comedy and personality, this is a game that promises to offer something new into a very busy market thanks to the fun and refreshing concept that lies at its core.
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Honourable Mention - Cow Stacking UFO by Digi Learnnials
Much of Cow Stacking UFO is currently under wraps, and as such we should hopefully be able to share more with you in the future. However, it's safe to say that the judges were impressed with the accessibility and one-touch nature of this game. So much so that they wanted to award it with an honourable mention even if we can't yet share all the details.
Nevertheless, for those eager to stack a variety of different cows as high as they can within a comedy filled game, then this is definitely one to keep your eyes peeled for.
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Treasure Toucan (Tiny Tiles) by Gbanga
Also known as Tiny Tiles, Treasure Toucan is a game in which players must connect tiles whilst collecting as many gems as possible. As with all good hypercasual games, it's bright, inviting, and a whole lot of fun. Gbanga has also built a strong metagame and core gameplay loop around the game too, so players can look forward to hours and hours of connecting enjoyment.
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Jigscore by Moonjump
Jigscore takes two of the oldest and most understood tabletop experiences in the form of jigsaws and dominoes and blends them together to make one incredibly unique puzzle game. Within the gameplay players will be tasked with slotted puzzle pieces together, all whilst matching the dots that appear on each side.
Obviously, this alone sounds simple enough, however, each level will have a target score to hit. Not only that but by building the jigsaw you’ll also activate multipliers and other bonuses, meaning every connection counts. The final game is made up of several of these missions, combined with battles against AI opponents and other challenges too.
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Kanso by Dave Sapien
Kanso can is something of a cross between a game and a mindfulness app. One that hopes to bring players of all skill levels into a meditative state of flow. Within the game, players must avoid obstacles whilst tracing around circular forms all in the hope of finding themselves within a deep state of Zen. What's more, Kanso promotes a space for reflection, focus, and freedom of flow, alongside a calming original soundtrack and soothing graphics. So, if you're looking to relax, then this is potentially the game for you.
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Adventures of Iso by Gbanga
Adventures of Iso is a game that looks to blend retro gaming sensibilities with the accessibility of hypercasual game design. As such, players must bounce and hop across 30+ cubic stages in order to plant seeds and collect beautiful flowers such as roses and dandelions. Of course, it's not just about the gameplay though, as it's also a game filled with personality, charm and cuteness in abundance.
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Babble by Schmutza
In Babble players must utilise every word in the dictionary in order to build, throw, and stack words, all with the aim of buildest the tallest Tower of Babble possible. Of course, as you would expect, this game includes a comprehensive multiplayer mode and social integrations to go alongside its deep word game mechanics. On top of this, the game also features language optimisation to make the game as accessible as possible alongside a well-built reward mechanics retention system making it more than a tantalising prospect to any word game fan out there.
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Rapid Parity by Vinkisoft
Want a game that is easy to jump into and understand whilst also being challenging and unpredictable at the same time? Well if so then Rapid Parity might just be the game for you, as Rapid Parity provides players with an assortment of rapid-fire puzzles that require strategic thinking under a strict time limit, but at the same time can be solved with just the use of one finger. The developer hopes that not only will Babble help engage and entertain gamers looking for something a little different but that it will also help to improve concentration and eliminate stress.
