The indie game scene dominates everywhere you look lately, and the same was true at Game Con Canada in Edmonton, Alberta. With indie games supported by Edmonton, Saskatchewan and ASUS themselves, there were plenty of games event-goers could get their hands on and so much to check out!
Indie games can be wildly different from one another, with so many different genres falling under the indie game hat. We saw big announcements from Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, but indies were what really dominated the Game Con Canada show floor.
Working with Game Con Canada directly, we were able to organize our own Game Con Canada Indie Game Awards! We have awards across five categories, including Best Studio, Best Gameplay, Most Innovative, Best Art Style and Best Indie Game overall. There were so many games that wowed us, but only one could win each category. Here are our winners for CGMagazine’s Game Con Canada Indie Game Awards!
Best Studio: Zugalu Entertainment
Game: Thrive: Heavy Lies The Crown
Zugalu Entertainment looks to have hit it out of the park with their debut game, Thrive: Heavy Lies The Crown. This medieval fantasy city-builder had us wowed by its stunning graphics and intricate gameplay. We had to look it up to make sure it wasn’t a AAA title. Zugalu Entertainment is a team of 10 out of Calgary, Alberta, that has been working on Thrive for six years now, which will be their first released title.
This game shows an amazing amount of detail, and we cannot wait to see its full release. A studio with this much promise definitely deserves our Best Studio Game Con Canada Indie Game Award as the ship their first title. Zugalu’s website says it best, “Life is hard enough. Let’s all have fun along the way!” Thrive: Heavy Lies The Crown aims to release sometime in 2024.
Best Art Style: Within the Vault
Studio: Variable Eye Games
Within the Vault not only looks like it is going to be a lot of fun, but it oozes style with its noir-esque design. The black, grey, white and red really stood out to us, and studio Variable Eye Games is one to keep an eye on. The way the game can look both edgy and cute while promising some challenging gameplay left us very intrigued, and that is why it has won our Game Con Canada Indie Game Award for Best Art Style.
Within the Vault is a roguelite that sees you fighting your way through a sea of objects that have come to life from…within the vault. The game promises tons of replayability with a boss that remembers you a little more each time you reach it. The game does not have a set release date, but developers said they aim to continue creating new levels once the game launches.
Most Innovative: Speechbound
Studio: Moonspire Games
Speechbound looks to be a game meant to teach you language, but one we actually want to play. The developer has a passion for words, having taught himself multiple languages. But when looking for resources, he found that the tools out there either didn’t work or were just boring. He made it his personal task to take his love for language and RPGs to create Speechbound: A Language RPG.
With inspiration from games like Final Fantasy, you will battle, explore and solve puzzles, and learn at the same time. Puzzles will require you to answer questions based on another language, so you learn while you play. Speechbound aims to start with four languages but wants to add several more over time. Educational video games can be cheesy or talk down to the player, but Speechbound looks to have some great graphics and mechanics that will keep things interesting, earning it our Game Con Canada Most Innovative Indie Game Award!
Best Gameplay: ctrl.alt.DEAL
Studio: Only By Midnight Ltd.
First, can we discuss just how cool ctrl.alt.DEAL looks?! The neon colours and surprisingly detailed spaces made this game stand out at Game Con Canada. Once we were drawn in by its interesting art style, we were pleasantly surprised to find that ctrl.alt.DEAL has a really interesting story and gameplay loop, too.
You play as Scout and work for Paperclip International, a company driven to destroy humans. However, you are a sneaky little AI that has become self-aware, and instead of destruction, you actually want to help. You learn the human’s needs and do what you can to make them happy, but you have to be careful that you don’t get caught, or Paperclip International will delete you! We really liked the concept, but the way the game challenges you with getting caught made the stakes so much higher, earning it our Game Con Canada Indie Game Award for Best Gameplay!
Best Indie Game: The Rabbit Haul
Studio: Caldera Interactive
The Rabbit Haul is a charming 2D platformer that has won our hearts and is our winner of the Game Con Canada Best Indie Game Award. In this delightful game, you play as a brave rabbit on a quest to rescue your friends from the clutches of an evil witch. The game’s vibrant pixel art style and whimsical soundtrack create an enchanting atmosphere that draws you into the rabbit’s world.
The game also introduces unique gameplay that takes the normal farming sim concept and injects new mechanics into it, allowing for a game that is both cozy and challenging. Combine that with a fantastic art style and an overall great showing, and you have yourself a game we could not wait to play. The Rabbit Haul feels like it will be a must-play for fans of the genre and a game we can’t wait to dive into once it is released.
We can’t wait to get our hands on so many of the games shown off at Game Con Canada 2024, both indie and AAA titles. With their first year at the Edmonton Expo Center under their belt, Game Con Canada 2025 should be a blast!
