13 of China's most exciting indie mobile games you can play very soon
Not even the Great Wall can stop these going worldwide
China is home to Tencent, makers of Arena of Valor, PUBG Mobile, and many, many more fine mobile games - but it's also got a thriving indie scene, as you're about to find out.
It's always a joy to be the first to see a new indie game, to get your hands on an innovative title from a small studio way before it becomes the next big thing. Imagine being the first person to play Reigns or Florence.
That's why we set up the Big Indie Pitch. It's our regular international competition for indie developers. We run about 20 of them a year, all around the world, and they're a chance for local studios and individuals to show us what they're working on. There are prizes, sure. But the real winner is you, dear reader, who gets an exclusive glimpse at the underground hits of tomorrow.
Not so long ago, we held one of these much-celebrated BIPs at ChinaJoy, an enormous conference held in Shanghai and home to more brilliant mobile games than you can shake a stick at. It felt like a natural fit for us, and the perfect place to sneak a peek at the biggest indie games that the country had to offer.
The clear winner was Pirate Code, a mobile PvP pirate battler with enough ships, cannons, and plank-walking to make even the most seasoned sailors cry "avast!".
But there's so much more than that, covering a wide genre of games to boot. Expect hardcore MMORPGs thrown in with evocative, emotional simulations about air pollution, and, of course, a mobile battle royale looking to take on Fortnite and PUBG.
Click through the list to all 13 indie surprises. And if you're a small developer, remember to register your projects for PGC London where we'll be running the next pitch!
1
First Place - Pirate Code
Ever dreamed of sailing the high seas on the go? How about with other players in PVP battles? If yes, you’ll likely be merry to know that we’ve got quite the swashbuckling adventure for you, and it’s called Pirate Code.
The team over at Codex7 Games didn’t just stop at putting pirates in their pirate game though - no sir - because Ramses is also in there, and a ninja called Hanzo too. This one looks like a lot of fast-paced fun, with the cartoon aesthetic masking a competitive core.
2
Second Place - Big Ear
If, like me, you’ve tried and failed to use any sort of music production software over the years, you might just find this next one to be pretty intriguing.
Big Ear is perhaps best described as a mobile music learning game which sets out to teach the universal language of music.
Players will, in theory, gradually learn to create their own tunes using the game, all whilst having fun. It’s certainly accessible, and could well help to reignite your dreams of musical stardom.
3
Third Place - Hexland Heroes
Ever found that 4X strategy games were just a little too tricky for you? Well then, Hexland Heroes has you covered. Niebla Games’ title takes the core of those lengthy strategy games and condenses it into accessible, but still challenging, mini-levels.
This one looks like a really good entry point for potential new fans of the strategy genre, and its colorful presentation is sure to draw anyone in.
4
Causa, Voices of the Dusk
This one offers up a story-based collectable card game where you’ll be playing as a series of powerful leaders struggling under the shifting political dynamics of a fantasy world.
For those more interested in multiplayer, Causa also has you covered with its challenging 1V1 matches. However, the real meat of the title would appear to be those impressive PVE campaigns, and the game’s unique narrative approach.
5
Hero
Hero is a cute RPG title revolving around chibi characters who set out on an epic fantasy quest.
It’s from the team over at Game Factory who’ve got a fair few RPGs under their belt now, so we can perhaps expect this one to be a high-quality culmination of their earlier work.
6
Mini Battlegrounds
PUBG and Fortinite aren’t for everyone. Some might wish their battle royale games to be a little blockier; others might prefer an isometric viewpoint.
Mini Battlegrounds is all set to please both pernickety parties whilst offering up a more accessible experience, but losing none of the tension or tactical thinking inherent to the genre.
7
Goryo Monogatari: Long Night
This one is an interesting mixture of a tactical card game and a rougelike, with four story chapters for players to work their way through. In addition to the single-player portion, cards collected in PVE can be used during intense PVP battles with other players from all over the world.
It’s visually vibrant, with visual flair to spare, and a sizeable amount of story content for players to sink their teeth into.
8
Fitness RPG
It’s been 12 long years since dark forces took over Fitland, and it’s up to you and your team of heroes to exercise, defeat enemies, and ultimately relieve Fitland of its tyrannical oppressors.
You’ll do all of this by walking around, which will then give power to your heroes. If you’ve got any sort of fitness paraphernalia like a Fitbit, then that can be used to sync up your daily steps. The addition of an arena mode where you can take on other players is also a pretty nice touch.
9
Alice in Spiritland
This one is a single-player RPG which demands tactical thinking from its players. The world of Spiritland draws inspiration from the likes of Middle-Earth, with plenty of dangerous creatures for you to take on in battle.
In terms of narrative, this one sounds pretty impressive as stories intertwine across 7 main chapters, a prologue, epilogue, and 5 additional chapters. On top of that, there’s also an in-depth multiplayer component for players to delve into - sounds like one we’ll be revisiting for some time to come.
10
Elemental Dungeon
Elemental Dungeon offers up a rouge-lite experience, with some really nice visuals and randomized dungeons. It’s looking pretty accessible, or at least more so than your usual rogue-lite.
The simple but challenging controls combined with a generous offering of unlockable skills and upgrades will hopefully entice genre newbies into giving this one a try.
11
Hazy Days
Hazy Days is perhaps the world’s first “breathing simulator”. It’s set in China and follows the story a young girl who, over the course of seven days, struggles to deal with the city’s dreadful levels of air pollution.
The developer is seeking to humanise this very important issue by offering up an affecting narrative experience - this is definitely seems like one to look out for.
12
The Adventures of Itzel
If you’re a big fan of exploration in your platformers, then this one might well be up your alley. Adventures of Itzel looks to Super Mario 64 as its inspiration. Levels are big, full of charm, and packed with collectable items for players to seek out.
The visuals are pretty colorful, and it’s looking like we’ll get to encounter some fairly charismatic characters as we zip our way around the world.
13
Edge of Dream
This one looks like a fast-paced RPG Roguelike, with an intriguing world to explore and secrets aplenty to uncover.
Combat is a visually vibrant take on turn-based titles of yore, with plenty of skills and power ups for players to utilise.
