Report: Everything about the Amsterdam Indie Showcase
Dutch glory in a series of unique titles
After two years of COVID vicissitudes, the Dutch game development industry is slowly coming back to life. Of course, not only the big names are active. For many indie studios it is high time to share their passions and work with the world again. A cellar in Amsterdam-North Last week on the initiative of Thomas van den Berg (Noio) and Robin Ras (Style Lake & Second Maze) to an atmospheric Indie Showcase with more than enough to fill a good afternoon.
The basement of the A-Lab in Amsterdam-Noord is bursting with creativity. The practical use of blacklights and the retro arcade style create an unmistakable gaming atmosphere. Combine that with sofas, tables, chairs and beanbags and the effect is an almost homely whole where, in addition to the unique games, there is also a lot of fun in the load. No formalities of procedures – just enjoy the indies and the people behind the games at your leisure during the Indie Showcase†
The past inside
Teamwork, atmosphere and surreally creepy – developer Rusty Lake is clearly familiar with these terms based on The Past Within. In the game you use a series of puzzles to find out the mysteries surrounding Albert Vanderboom. You can only solve these puzzles – you are focused on the skills of your fellow player. For example, you have to adjust a clock, move pieces on a chessboard, or enter codes based on the tips of your fellow player.
As you explore the world, the mysteries form and unravel around you. At first procedures, there doesn’t seem to be anything strange going on, but play five minutes later (from half an hour if you’re not good at it like me) and the situation has completely changed. The power of this point-and-click game is in the deeper and surreal things that happen around you, so I can’t give too much away. In any case, the urge to unravel the mystery makes every successfully solved puzzle feel tremendously good.
Robo Maestro
Robo Maestro is a godsend for anyone who wants to sit down for a few hours and compose music in peace and without pressure. The artificial intelligence is not necessarily a traditional game, but more of a practical song editor. When you can start the software you can have a simple starting point, which you can choose organically to expand. For example, add a nice bass line or remove the net! Or give your song a power boost with a BIG sound.
In this sense Robo Maestro is pure authority† Without knowing about music you can go crazy with your own melodies. However you decide to change the melody, the editor is designed so that you can never compose a misshapen cacophony. In addition, you can also practice advanced options, adjusting measures and chords. As an aspiring musician, you can also export the songs you compose for further editing in other programs, so who knows, the software may be the hub of your future career as a composer.
Indie Roundup I
So many beautiful games full of passion, so little space. The Indie Showcase was bursting with unique and fascinating content, including the following games.
Milo & the Magpies is an atmospheric point-and-click adventure. Milo goes home through puzzles through a series of Dutch backyards. The biggest attraction of the game is the Johan Scherft, which causes you as a player to get a nice insight into the daily lives of different people.
The Fair Grounds, by the art project De Koude Kermis, is a full VR experience in a traditional Dutch fair. From the merry-go-round to the grab claw that many a child lost too much money to – in this experience you even imagine yourself in a whole other world where time seems to stand still. The makers arise for an interest combining a high-tech world with traditional culture, which comes into its own in virtual reality.
Whirler’s 2D world requires complementing that a game doesn’t necessarily have a lot of complex mechanics. The style of the world resembles the world of Limbo. In this dark whole you have to manipulate your way through yourself and various objects. The whole game revolves around growing shrink objects to slim down the world and the monsters in it. The interaction you can interact with the world, the controls and the art style make Whirler a pretty picture.
Once upon a time there was a fool
Most of the games on the Indie Showcase had something eccentric about them, but Once upon a time there was a fool takes the cake anyway. In the small village of ‘Dorptown’, the two main characters, Jester and Sok, try to take their theater career to the next level. It’s your job to figure out with Jester what kind of show your audience wants to see, create beautiful promotional posters, and act like stars!
The structure of this game provides a healthy dose of hilarity. What makes the game even better is the wonderful amount of dry humor in the actual dialogues. While you talk to the villagers to find out what they want to see, the dialogue never bores you. The performances are also brilliant. You get various options for dialogues that quickly make the display chaotic and therefore hilarious. The drawing style, conversations and voice acting work very well together to achieve an immersive realization.
Email time
Mail Time is a soothing game of nature with an abundance of positive vibes. In this charming game you deliver letters to forest animals that live in all corners of the world. Fortunately, this game isn’t just about being sent from pillar to post – there are sidequests and collectibles everywhere. The residents all have their own interests.
While you deliver letters and assist forest residents, you get the chance to explore the wonderful world. You’re even smaller than a mushroom, so there’s more than enough to explore in the forest. Using smooth controls, you run, jump and float across the world to admire the beautiful surroundings. You have plenty of time and space for that, since there is no timer and you cannot go off.
Indie Roundup II
After ten years of development, Pocket Quest is finally out! In the game, you must use the cards in your possession tactically to build the ideal team of knights, wizards and monsters and outsmart other players. The further in the game you get, the more hectic the rounds get, so be tactical with the resources at your disposal.
Dance with no one watching! Or no, actually not. In Secret Shuffle, everyone dances to the music in their ears, but not everyone dances to the same tune. The game includes a mode where you have to find the person who dances to the same tune as you, and a mode where some people don’t hear anything, and have to fake their dance moves. This Jackbox-like party game can be played by up to sixty people, so it is ideal as a party game.
Eating steel in a sleepy Italian beach village. And then also as an opossum! Pizza Possum is the type of game that you start up on a quiet summer day. This game hardly requires no explanation: collect food and stay out of sight of the guards. You can hide in clumps and when you have enough food started the next day. Go for that high score!
We were here forever
We Were Here Forever is the fourth installment in the popular We Were Here series from developer Total Mayhem Games. In the game you have to work together to work your way through visually spectacular puzzles. The puzzles are the best challenge, so luckily both the controls and communication work great. The gameplay is complete – you’ll want to complete the mission successfully!
The game is graphically impressive. For example, one of the puzzles is a large cosmic space in which five spaces must be attached to each other. By working together, add more pentagons, until you end up on the inside of a twenty-sided die. The cutscenes also look smooth – it looks like the fourth installment of the series has a lot in store for fans as well.
They were, the beautiful games from the very first Indie Showcase in Amsterdam! May many more follow. Which games do you think are interesting to play? Let us know in the comments!