In addition to lectures, game versions of mainly Czech and Slovak independent games, which were presented at the event by the developers themselves, became an integral part of the Game Access Developers Conference. Below you can see a selection of the most interesting projects that appeared this year on Game Access. You can find more detailed information about the event itself in our separate report.
Jan Urbanchik
Scarlet Deer Inn
For me, one of the most interesting games in the Brno exhibition center was Scarlet Deer Inn, which I have been looking forward to since the announcement. It is backed by a two-man Attu Games team that includes Navrátils. You can recognize them thanks to the 2019 Feudal Alloy metroidvania, which stood out primarily for its very specific styling and character designs. The same applies to their new game, whose characters are first embroidered and then digitized. Due to this, the game also attracted the attention of foreign media.
The Scarlet Deer Tavern is basically divided into two parts. The first one is purely adventure and reminded me a lot of last year’s Pentiment by Obsidian. He is very talkative, exploratory, and you complete tasks and requests from some of the villagers. Leaving aside the bug that forced me to restart the demo, the only complaints I had were the (un)pleasantness of certain features, such as when the player has to click on a given person again after a dialogue is over to get to the conversation they wanted to start from the beginning. Otherwise, this part looks very promising, and the fact that a game from a two-man studio can evoke the atmosphere of Pentiment is great.
The second part of the game is somewhat more action-packed, in which you go underground, where the beam and its light play a key role. Accurate platform jumps and solving light-related environmental puzzles are also important. Unfortunately, I didn’t get very far because I got stuck somewhere at the very beginning. The developers told me that they just made this part too difficult for the demo and of course they will change it in the final version.
However, despite some issues, I’m looking forward to the Scarlet Deer Inn a little more. The game is coming to PC and Nintendo Switch. If development goes well, it could be released by the end of next year. A public demo should be available this October as part of the Steam Next Fest. If you want to receive development updates, I recommend subscribing to the official Accounts a couple of developers on Twitter.
WITH @electricman37cz we visited the booth @Attu_Games and tried the embroidery game @ScarletDeerInn. You can look forward to creative visuals and complex platform passages. pic.twitter.com/By00HVqb0i
— Daniel Yarotsky (@RucniCZech) June 3, 2023
Daniel Jaroki
Artificial
Artificial by Slovak developer Ondrej Angelovic is one of the games that you would think was created by just one person. The author of the game does not hide his inspiration from series such as Half-Life or Portal, which are characterized primarily by an emphasis on logic puzzles and work with physics. By genre, this is a logic adventure game that will take you to the underground colony of the asteroid 2031 XT.
On Game Access, independent developers from Slovakia also traditionally present their games in large numbers. One of them @ArtificialGame it even won an award for the best game of the show! Congratulation @OndreyAngelovich. pic.twitter.com/zjUHEpZvrn
— Daniel Yarotsky (@RucniCZech) June 3, 2023
A 3-5 hour story awaits you, during which physics and interaction with the environment await you. But you can also look forward to platforming and stealth playthroughs. Artificial is due out on Steam this fall. The qualities and interest in this venture are well illustrated by the over 16,000 players who have added the game to their wishlist on Steam. It’s also worth noting that the game won the top prize for best indie game on Game Access this year.
Wind Rider
When something starts to be talked about as Czech Death Stranding, it is sure to grab your attention. Although the developers of the game Wind Rider confirmed to me at their booth that this is certainly an exaggeration, at least in terms of the environment, their title is quite close to the work of Hideo Kojima. At its core, this is an ambitious project that should offer an open world divided into several islands and inspired by dieselpunk.
The game deserves attention too. @GameWindRider, in which you can travel through a world inspired by dieselpunk and Death Stranding. The authors promise much more in the future. #gameaccess pic.twitter.com/BE8bdrGBgf
— Daniel Yarotsky (@RucniCZech) June 3, 2023
Although it will be possible to move on the ground, you will mainly use a vehicle in the form of a flying bicycle. The developers have indicated that they would like to add the possibility of visual enhancements or performance improvements to the game in the future that would distinguish individual scales from each other.
However, it must be pointed out that the development of the game is only at the beginning, and the presented game version was a prototype focused on demonstrating the mentioned flying wheels. Although the developers still have a lot of work ahead, this project is worth attention.
Worm!
In the title WormUp! you try to work in a fast food store. In addition to finding and mixing the necessary ingredients, you will find an open area where you can move freely. An important part of the game should also be the story and the worm, who acted as a mentor and narrator in the game demo.
A game with stylized graphics similar to, for example, High on Life. Both titles mentioned also have an emphasis on humor. In addition to collecting and preparing raw materials, I also tried a fun racing mini-game. The game has been worked on in spare time for several years by a team of four, whose members told me that they are currently considering funding options for further development, which would allow individual participants to devote more time to the project.
The silence of the siren
The Siren’s Silence game could be of interest to fans of the Heroes of Might and Magic series, to which it is relatively close in genre and visual processing at first glance. Behind the name are the developers from the Oxymoron Games studio, who signed the Project Hospital game in the past.
Silence of the Siren belongs to the turn-based strategy genre in which you will collect resources, build an army, expand various bases and fight against opponents. Unlike the aforementioned Heroes of Might and Magic, the title has a sci-fi setting that takes you to a chaotic universe where multiple civilizations are at war. The developers received the award for the best gaming experience on Game Access. A release date for Silence of the Siren on PC (Steam) has yet to be announced.
Other games that caught our attention in Game Access:
HeistGeist (Doublequote Studio)
A story-driven cyberpunk RPG with a very beautiful style. The game is due out on Steam later this year. Free demo available. The title brought home the award for best visual/artistic experience.
Polylithic (polyperfect)
A third-person survival game that takes you back to the Paleolithic/Neolithic period. The game will enter the Early Access program on Steam on September 26th.
Magna Regna (Hammer Games)
A medieval real-time strategy game in which you explore history from the 7th century to the end of the Age of Knights. In addition to the campaign, among the main modes will be Skirmish, which you can play in both single player and online play. The release date of the game on PC (Steam) is still unknown.
Omnibullet (arbitrary combination)
The title combines the mechanics of puzzle games and tower defense games. Developers are mainly focusing on challenging gameplay with higher difficulty that more experienced players will enjoy. Omnibullet will be released on PC (Steam) later this year. You can try the game as a free demo.
Rove – A Wanderer’s Tale (Viron Games)
The developers themselves from the Viron Games studio characterize the game Rove – The Wanderer’s Tale as a mixture of Diablo and Monkey Island. The authors entice with a rich plot and thoughtful character development. In terms of gameplay, the title is based on the aforementioned Diablo series. But the game also boasts a number of humorous moments. The authors would like to release the game on Steam, the date has not yet been determined.
Gray Man (Ghost Studio)
A surreal first-person adventure game that tells the story of a serial killer. The game will be released on Steam in September. The demo version is already available for free.
Space Reign (Propulsion games)
A space strategy with simulation elements in which you will manage your own private corporation. However, you can not avoid the battles of individual spaceships or entire fleets. The game is already out on June 12 in the early access program on Steam.
Source :Indian TV
