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27 Indies Showcase as part of the flagship Very Big Indie Pitch at Pocket Gamer Connects London 2020

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27 Indies Showcase as part of the flagship Very Big Indie Pitch at Pocket Gamer Connects London 2020

We reveal all the indie games that entered out Very Big Indie Pitch ar Pocket Gamer Connects London 2020

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In many ways, it could be argued that the heart and soul of mobile gaming lie within those unique and different games being developed on a daily basis by the indie community. We’ve seen many of them rise to stardom, such as Monument Valley and former Big Indie Pitch winner What The Golf?. However, as the number of indie games being developed continues to grow exponentially, it can be hard to discover the next big indie hit.

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 London to Busan 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.

In fact, only this January, we at Pocket Gamer held our flagship Big Indie Pitch at Pocket Gamer Connects London 2020. This pitch saw more than 25 developers take to the floor and showcase their game to our expert judges.

All in all, it was close, and this meant we were left with some amazing finalists and a prestigious honour for our winner, as Mousetrap Games joined the exclusive club of developers who have won twice with two different games.

Of course though, with so many games on show, there’s so much more than just the top 5, and you can find out more about every single one of them below.

Oh and if you want to take part yourself. Then all you have to do is check out the Big Indie Pitch website for a list of all the upcoming pitches, and find out how you can get your game in front of our panel of judges.

Click Here To View The List »

First place - Rocat Jumpurr by Mousetrap Games

What happens when you mix cute cats with explosive weaponry? Well, you get Rocat Jumpurr of course. Rocat Jumpurr is a 2D platformer where your goal is to use all your explosive might to take down the many enemies of the cute and cuddly felines, such as mice, cucumbers, and of course the common pigeon.

Designed with simplicity and random fun in mind, players must utilise the bazooka weapon itself to help with movement, as the recoil will send you flying in all sorts of directions. That's not the only challenge in the gameplay though, as alongside navigating the level via the explosions, the game also utilises a randomly generated roguelike style of level design to keep the game constantly fresh.

Second place - Save the Zacks by Bytesize Technology

In Save The Zacks you must use your finger to carve a route to safety for all the adorable little Zacks. Unfortunately though, as you navigate the puzzles ahead, it may be necessary from time to time to sacrifice one or two of the Zacks for the greater good as you look to save them before the planet is destroyed.

Despite this, Save the Zacks is definitely a relaxing game and one that can be enjoyed by everyone, thanks in part to its soothing sounds, beautiful environments and, of course, its cute characters.

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Third place - Forge Quest by Fun Punch Games

Forge Quest takes the deep and immersive RPG genre and squeezes the experience into pocket form whilst also combining it with common mobile gaming mechanics. In Forge Quest, players must carefully merge materials in order to craft new weapons and gear, before suiting up and heading out to take on a range of enemies.

Additionally, players will also be able to create unique and different teams on their adventure. All in all, when combined with the game's high polish, this never before seen blend of mechanics is something that certainly caught the judges' attention.

Fourth place - Wreckout by Huey Games

Wreckout is a game that mixes air hockey, Speedball 2, Arkanoid and Rocket League into one glorious retro-inspired multiplayer battler. In the game, players must fling the ball at their opponent's end section in order to destroy all of their blocks.

Of course, it's never as simple as that, as players can stop shots mid-flight, utilise the environment, and even ram their opponents. The game may still be in development, but it already looks set to be a perfect couch multiplayer title.

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Fifth place - Hexlords: Quantum Warfare by Tantanmen Games

Hexlords is a resource management and tower defense-style title that looks to combine elements from iconic strategy games such as Red Alert and StarCraft, with modern simple and accessible gameplay from the likes of Clash Royale. As such, players will have a lot of flexibility not only in the creations but also in the way they battle, as they craft and create their bases and units, before taking them into an all-out battle for domination.

That's not all though, as the game also includes a deep and engaging premise - one in which players are thrown into an alternate reality where a United Global Government has broken down into 4 warring factions. Each of which has its own set of unique skills and personalities for the player to choose between.

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Honourable Mention - Edge Flip by Lume Studio

Awarded one of our special honourable mentions by the judges, Edge Flip is a slick and stylish puzzle game. One that adds some unique new ideas to the puzzle genre, whilst not compromising its open and accessible nature.

At its core, Edge Flip requires players to slide panels in order to help the hero safely traverse a mysterious landscape. Throughout this quest players will also have to make use of booster powers, collect gems, take down monolithic bosses, and ultimately escape the maze at the heart of the adventure.

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Cricket Umpire's Call by Impact Unified

Cricket Umpire's Call is a game that takes one of the world’s most popular sports and puts an addictive physics prediction system over the top. To be more precise, in Cricket Umpire's Call take the role not of the player or manager, but of an Umpire. One who is on a quest to put together the longest streak of correct LBW (leg before wicket) decisions by predicting the game’s built in physics system.

Throughout the game players will have to put together longer and longer streaks of correct decision, something which not only will help with levelling up, but also with acquiring new umpire skills. There’s also multiplayer options, an achievement system, and even the chance to gain extra kudos by making riskier and riskier decisions at competitions such as the World Cup. All in all, Cricket fans should definitely keep their eyes peeled for this unique twist on a much loved sport.

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String Theory by Lunar Games

String Theory is a geometric physics puzzle game one in which players must manipulate strings in order to help Eva escape the second dimension!

Simple, yet rich and intuitive, String Theory boasts far more than just strong gameplay. As this new title for all platforms also holds a deep sci-fi narrative, one which is told primarily through abstract visuals, alongside an all-star cast of developers who have worked previously on the likes of Ori and the Blind Forest and Horizon Zero Dawn.

Those who love simple yet deep gaming should definitely keep their eyes peeled as development progresses on Lunar Games' latest title.

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Krystopia by Antler Interactive

The first thing that you notice when you see Krystopia is just how stunning it is, and thankfully the game’s quality doesn’t stop there. Offering players an exciting puzzler with deep and varied mechanics all wrapped around an exciting story.

This story will see players take on the role of Nova Dune, an intrepid space explorer who follows a mysterious distress signal and is led to desolate desert filled alien planet. However, in good mystery fashion, not all is as it seems, and the planet holds more than one secret as you discover the fate of the island’s inhabitants.

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Zombie Rocks! by Deluxe Pixel

Just imagine Dig Dug, but this time you’re a zombie digging around the landscape looking to devour as many brains as possible. Still with us? If so then you’ve got a good idea of what Zombie Rocks is all about.

Aside from the classic retro gameplay, Zombie Rocks! Also features one screen multiplayer across all devices, even including mobile phones. There’s also a range of secret bonus levels to find, puzzles to solve, power ups to use, and more things yet to be revealed.

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Home Stray by Why Creative

Home Stray isn’t just a cute and loveable puzzle game with simple and intuitive gameplay. It’s also a game with a lot of heart. This is because not only is the game heavily focuses on telling stories of strays and abandoned dogs, it’s aim is also to shine a light on a very worthwhile cause.

Of course, this is only part of the story, and as good as the cause the game still needs to stand out. Luckily for everyone, Home Stray does exactly that by featuring phenomenal presentation, a narrative that tells the true stories of strays and abandoned dogs, and of course engaging gameplay. Honestly, it’s hard not to find Home Stray appealing.

FIVE by SPECTRUM48

Is there anything better than hitting the road with some of your best tunes? Well SPECTRUM48’s aim is to take this to the next level by having the music literally dictate the course.

Yes, you read that right. Here in FIVE not only do you have the ability to choose the music, but the music you select to play will be used to generate the course that you and 4 others will race on. Described by the judges as neon Wipeout, this definitely is a game that racing and music fans alike to keep an eye on.

Dish Life by Pocket Sized Hands

Dish Life is a management game in which you throw on a lab coat and get some first hand experience as a stem cell scientist as your custom avatar goes from fledgling student all the way up to tenured professor.

However, here in Dish Life, the inner workings of the stem cells isn't the only important aspect that players will have to manage, as unlike in many other games here the laboratory and your social world is just as important. As such, players must not only look after the science, but also their colleagues, and the demands at large that are placed on the laboratory, its inhabitants, and the all important research.

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Zero? by Greg Sharpe

Fancy yourself as a numbers master? Can you calculate if the numbers on screen add up to a multiple of ten all against the clock? Well if so Zero? could be the game for you.

Offering something new and innovative to the mathematical puzzle genre, Zero? sees players begin with 3 numbers to add up, before gradually increasing this amount every time you level up. It’s simple, but a lot of fun and hugely challenging. Of course, the core game isn’t all this is to do though, as the game also features head to head pvp, a stress free mode that removes the timer, and even a zen experience,

SumW0rdZ by GKR Games

Keeping with the educational theme, SumW0rdZ is a game that mixes arithmetic and spelling skills, before throwing in a little general knowledge for good measure. Aimed at both children and adults, SumW0rdZ makes no bones about focusing on the educational benefits of gaming by offering a scalable and varied experience.

With words chosen from a wide range of different themes, including celebrities, history, and science, players must take their word, each of which had a number attached to every letter, before using the randomly selected dice rolls to calculate these numerical combinations together. It may sound confusing on paper, but before you know it you’ll be spelling and calculating like a professor.

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Sky-Towers by Mikael W Bergene

Sky-Towers is an isometric platformer in which players have to traverse and explore a variety of danger filled sky towers as they look to find and save their friends. Within the game, players control a robot character that automatically moves forward and can only turn in 90 degrees. As such, more than anything else players must look to master their timing and planning skills if they want to avoid the dangers that await within the sky towers.

Of course, this isn’t all though, as alongside these skills, much of the game’s challenge and adventure is focused on the self-contained themed sky towers, each of which requires advanced exploration in order to discover all of the secrets it holds.

BUTTONS iO by Nelson X Creative

Filled with gorgeous artwork and strong game design, BUTTONS iO is an innovative puzzle game in which players are required to tap button after button in order to complete patterns and sequences set by an angry AI robot called 'iO'.

twist&shoot by Moonjump

As the name hints, twist&shoot is a fast paced psychedelic shooter. One that utilises an easy to jump into single finger control mechanic across 200 unique levels. The game is still very much a work in progress, but the developer Moonjump promises particle effects, a high level of polish, a plethora of different enemy types, and even revisions to the enemy AI all before launch.

Rumble Arena by BitCake Studio

Rumble Arena is a competitive PvP mobile battle royale. Within these battles, up to ten players must acquire weapons located on the map before using these in a last man standing fight to the end.

Obviously battle royale as a genre is a highly competitive one right not, but with the game’s skill focused simple and intuitive controls, alongside the mobile focused portrait perspective, developer BitCake Studio hopes to offer something different to one of the world’s most popular gameplay mechanics.

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Zeus Genesis by LOTIS

What do you get when you cross Greek mythology with the early years of life? Well in this case, you get Baby Zeus and a baby led mythological action-adventure for mobile devices. As such players can expect to crawl, fly, and utilise God-like powers as they fight their way through a rogue-lite developed platformer filled with unique twists and turns.

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The Door by ARblox

Described by the developer as Portal meets Alice in Wonderland with a touch of The Room, The Door is an AR/VR puzzler that will see players explore a digital world led by a ruthless and controlling AI system. However, within this system lies one renegade AI who wants to help free the player from this maze.

Currently under development, the game is set to feature 4 hours of gameplay, a fully realised and engaging story and universe, alongside a scaling difficulty that even takes into account physical player movement.

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Pixel Pirate by Seawolf Studios

Inspired by the greats of casual mobile gaming, such as Temple Run and Flappy Bird, Pixel Pirate is a reaction, memory and timing based endless game. One in which the player will be tested on their memory skills as endless hordes of enemies swarm the screen at the player.

Featuring 3 different game modes, a wealth of unlockables, and competitive high score chasing, Pixel Pirate hopes be the next big game that you find yourself sitting there and saying “just one more go”.

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CULUR by Stone Dolphin

CULUR is a game all about creating colour in a world where none exists. To do this, players must solve the puzzles and mix the colours in order to bring life back to the universe.

It sounds like a simple puzzler, but Stone Dolphin have taken inspiration from the likes of Reigns, and plan to create a fully formed story that will explore a dystopian world that has been fundamentally affected by the lack of colour. Through this players can expect to meet a range of characters, objects and situations, all of which will find their existence made a little bit brighter over the course of the story.

Castle Ramble by Chorrus Games

Castle Ramble is a beautifully presented pixel art rogue-lite platformer in which you must do whatever it takes to recover and then defend your castle from the invading pig army. It won’t just be you and your raw skills though, as you’ll also be able to use a range of different skills to take down your hog enemies.

Of course, that’s not all though, as the game also features procedurally generated levels, meaning that every level is completely different in both landscape and in terms of enemies. It also has a cracking soundtrack too.

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Hyperhop by Force Of Habit

Built as a homage to one of the greatest mobile games of all time in the form of Super Hexagon, Hyperhop is a stylish, precision based minimal rotational action rhythm game built by a solo developer. The final build is set to feature four game modes that feature difficulties ranging from hard to hyper extreme, alongside psychedelic visuals, and an intense soundtrack.

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Panik Flip! by Panik

Mixing simplicity with complexity is often a very hard task, however it’s one that this developer is looking to achieve through Panik Flip! As such players can expect to find simple and functional design aesthetics inspired by the likes of Kami2 or Dots, mixed with a variety of gameplay mechanics all revolved around the concept of flipping colours. It also looks absolutely stunning too.

Goal Revolution by Freeverse

Goal Revolution is a multiplayer focused football management game in which you can train up and sell on your players to other players in the game. That’s not all though, as of course, your performance as a manager will also determine the speed in which you and your team can rise up the leagues, and in turn improve your players’ skills and give you access to even better players in the market. Finally, there’s a scouting mechanic, and even the ability to cash in your entire team and take home all that hard earned cash.

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Sophia Aubrey Drake
Sophia Aubrey Drake
A 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. She's also currently on a quest to catch every last Pokemon.