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Getting recognized as an indie developer is a difficult task, with literally millions of apps available in the Play Store that greatly hinder the visibility of your product, for very good to be. So when Google prepared a indie game contest for its platform of apps, it was opened a unique opportunity. The Google Play Indie Games Contest started last year, with almost 1.000 games submitted from 15 European countries, and now they have announced the 20 finalists
To present them, a showcase will be held at the Saatchi Gallery in London, the next 16th of February For a month, your games will be exhibited on billboards and developers will win Playtime tickets , a fair specializing in applications and games, and also, a Google Pixel XL for each one.
There is still one more round before the final, which they can only reach 10 games Those who arrive will be able to opt for premium positions in the Play Store, advertising campaigns with Youtubers,tickets for other fairs and more.
The list with the 20 finalist games is the following: Blind Drive, Casu alty, Crap! I”™m Broke: Out of Pocket , egz , Ellipsis, Gladiabots, Happy Hop: Kawaii Jump, Hidden Folks, Lichtspeer, Lost in Harmony , Mr Future Ninja, Paper Wings, PinOut, Power Hover, Reigns , Rusty Lake: Roots , Samorost 3 , The Battle of Polytopia , twofold incand Unworded
As it is a very large list, we have decided to take a look at all of them and select the ones that we have found mostInteresting Most of them are available in the Play Store, so if you are convinced of any, in a moment you can download
Happy Hop: Kawaii Jump
The happiest of the games in this selection, this game takes us to the world of lollipops, where we find theMiimos, some creatures that seem to always be wearing those animal pajamas that Primark sells and that jump between pink clouds and rainbows .
With different Miimos to choose from (some are unlocked with the game, reaching a total of 70) and with accelerated electronic music in the purest anime style, the player will be able to climb the more than 20 vertical phases collecting hearts, just by hitting the left or right part of the screen.Eye! It is not as easy as it looks.
Developed by Platonic Games, the game is free and It already has 100,000 downloads, with an average score of 4.8. Happy Hop: Kawaii Jump will especially entertain the little ones, as its colorful and their music draws a lot of attention.
PinOut
We continue with games that make simplicity their main asset. In PinOut, the team at Mediocre (that's the name, we swear) has developed a retro-futuristic pinball, set in a neon world that could well be that of the movie Tron
With fluorescent colors and music that sounds like something out of the soundtrack of Drive, We enter a simple game of pinball in 3D that engages due to the immersive experience it offers.With each shot at the ball, we quickly cover a board that seems to have no end and that engages from the first play. 1 million people have downloaded it already, so something will have Oh, and it's free, although there is also a premium version.
Lost In Harmony
This spectacular game designed by DigixArt Entertainment already alerts you at the beginning of the game: better put on headphones to enjoy the experience 100%. And it is that in Lost in Harmony, music plays a fundamental role.
With anime-style graphics, in a futuristic environment similar to that of Akira , we accompany Kaito and his girl on a devilishly fast skateboarding trip through all kinds of circuits, perfectly synchronized with the music that is playing.Anticipating the beat of the songs we can avoid obstacles that become more and more difficult to avoid, or pick up balls of lightthat give us points.
We played with the horizontal screen, and we must say that the gameplay suffers a bit, because you have to place your finger on top of the figure to move it, making mobility difficult, and also, positioning yourself in the center requires extend your finger too much Otherwise the game is great, the graphics are up to par and the music, a reinterpretation of hymns of classical music passed through the filter of Dubstep , make the gaming experience intense It's also free
The Battle of Polytopia
This game is free, developed in Sweden by studio Midjiwan, transports us to a cubist world where different tribes fight for dominance of the territory .In true strategy game style, the player will be able to expand his tribe through mining and fishing, in addition to converting virgin land into populated land. Playing in turns against one two or up to three opponents who are artificial intelligences,The Battle of Polytopia It's almost endless as the new maps are leaving generating automatically.
You can choose between 10 tribes, although originally only four are unlocked, the Xin-xi (samurais), Imperius (Romans) , Bardur (Vikings) and Oumaji (Arabs). There are two game modes, one is Perfection, where the strategy is carried out in turns until reaching 30 turns , and the other is Domination, no time or turn limit, until the other tribe disappears
A Warning: The Battle of Polytopia Is Only Suitable For Patient Players and lovers of strategy, this is not a game to spend time on the subway on the way to work.
Samorost 3
Samorost 3 is the only game we have chosen that is paid, 5 euros , but we have to say that after taking a look we have included it. With absolutely spectacular graphics, which seem to have been taken from Tim Burton's sketchbook.
Its protagonist, a space gnome, will use the powers of his magic flute to travel through space, trying to discover the mysterious origins of his instrument. In nine levels, which correspond to nine elaborate alien worlds, the player will have to carry out tasks of exploration and fight , as well as solving puzzles amidst enormous artistic beauty.
Amanita Design is behind this game, which is the sequel to Samorost and Samorost 2, also of independent type. Even with the economic barrier, the game already has over 10,000 downloads
Paper Wings
We finish with the simplicity by flag, and it is that this Paper Wings conquers by the simplicity of its operation and the placidity and calm that is breathed when playing it. We take control of a paper bird and we are in the middle of the field, in what looks like a pond, trying to grab some kind ofballs of light before they hit the water.
With a very good gameplay, if we manage to reach all the balls of light without touching the water, we can goPassing a level and unlocking different breeds of birds, always made of paper, yes.The game is free, it's entertaining, it's relaxing and above all, it's simple. Perfect for relax for a while and forget about everything.
What did you think about the selection? Have you wanted to download some? If you have done it and want to tell us about your experience, don't hesitate to leave us a comment.
