The India Game Developer Conference 2019 – Games Round-Up

We headed to Hyderabad for the India Game Developer Conference last week, and honestly – we had no idea what to expect.

We were asked to attend so we could judge a series of eleven games, but they didn’t really give an idea of the full range of titles being developed in the country.

So here’s our complete summary of every single game we saw at the event – from simple playable arcade titles to ones driving a environmental message. Oh and there was a match-3 game too…because of course there was.

Lights On (Seven Summits Studio)

A game that it was very easy to warm to, Lights On was clearly a passion project and that shone through (if you’ll excuse the pun). Focused around simple circuit puzzles that asked you to power up various types of power plant, it had an environmental message and charming presentation. It’ll launch on mobile in 3 months.

Demolition Derby 2019 (Appsoleut Coders LLP)

This is an incredibly simple title, but not one without a certain charm. You basically go around arenas smashing your car into other cars. There are variations on this theme – including races – but make no mistake, destruction is always the aim. If the name didn’t give it away.

There’s not much else to say, other than this is a title that does what it can to keep your attention – mainly via an enthusiastic but repetitive voiceover – but ultimately won’t hold your attention for long. Unless you really really like smashing into cars. It’ll be out on iOS next month and Android soon.

Blob and Magnet (Tricky Triad Interactive)

A PC puzzler that sees you control a pair of characters at the same time by using two sets of buttons – a blob and a magnet – this game is very rough round the edges. It lacks a lot of polish and the puzzles aren’t tightly designed enough to make use of the intriguing set-up. It’ll launch on Steam in January.

Cursed Arena (Street Lamp Games)

Terrible name aside this is a very fun and accessible action title. You control a group of animals – from chickens to sheep – around small self-contained arenas where the only objective is to survive.

What really makes this game are the controls, which are awkward but in an intentional way. It feels like you’re literally trying to herd a group of unruly animals around, but it doesn’t feel as frustrating as that sounds. It’ll launch on iOS in February.

Meteora (Big Boot Games)

This is a trippy PC title that reminded us of Tempest, and that’s a good thing. You control a comet hurtling into the screen and have to pick up power ups to keep moving – as well to help you take down other comets you encounter.

It is not the most intuitive title, and it was hard to understand exactly how certain aspects worked – but it was beautifully presented so we were eager to play more. It’ll arrive on PC soon, with Switch and mobile iterations planned.

Gravity Shooter (Smash Head Studio)

Another simple but well-made title, Gravity Shooter asks you to clear small stages of enemies by blasting them away. The catch is that you can only move your character by shooting – using the walls, ceilings, and floors to bounce off of.

The controls are solid as a rock, which is why it works so well. The only concern is that it won’t have enough content to keep users engaged – but the development team promised more levels were in the works, as well as other modes. It’ll be out on Android soon, with an iOS version to be released next year.

Bonfire 2 (Xigma Games)

The sequel to the much loved 2D city building title Bonfire: Forsaken Lands, this takes the series in a 3D direction – but arguably loses a little something in the process. It’ll be out on Steam soon.

Dragon Master (YesGnome)

A match-3 game that does little to separate itself from the pack – although it’s slick and we don’t doubt it’ll find an audience. It’s out on some platforms we think.

Devil’s Eyes (Red Apple Technologies)

A mildly disappointing fixed-perspective shooter where you blast away at endless waves of zombies. The developers are focusing on the game coming to VR – including Oculus – but the gunplay doesn’t feel anywhere near satisfying enough to justify the slight gameplay. It’ll arrive on iOS in December, and Android later on.

Hoops Clash and Cricket Clash (YesGnome)

Two more casual titles from YesGnome, these both have a strong PvP focus – something increasingly prevalent in Indian games because of the low cost of data. Hoops Clash is a 2D game where you attempt to throw the ball into your opponents net, whereas Cricket Clash is – no surprises here – a cricket game which just focuses on the batting. Well presented and solidly designed, they’ll both arrive on iOS and Android in the coming weeks.

Raji: An Ancient Epic (Nodding Heads Games)

Probably the star of the show, this is an overhead 3D action game that has hints of Prince of Persia – but with a focus on Indian mythology. Gorgeous to look at and boasting a good mix of combat and puzzling, it’ll arrive on PC in March 2020 and consoles soon after.

All Star Cricket (Deftouch)

Cricket is immensely popular in India, if you didn’t know. This is a game trying to cash in on that with simple controls and a PvP set up – it’s currently in beta but has half a million users already, all Indian naturally.

School Bus Rush (Bubbbles Gaming)

A casual title but a solidly made one, School Bus Rush asks you to guide a bus around a circle catching children and stopping them from getting crushed by various objects. A film tie in may be green-lit any day now, but it’ll arrive on iOS in December first.

Vir’s Destiny

A very basic but ambitious title, Vir’s Destiny is a narrative driven adventure which guides you through a part of Indian mythology. Developed by a husband and wife team, it boats hand-drawn visuals and some simple if well through out puzzle sections. It was heartening to see such a game being created next to so many more basic casual titles. It’ll arrive on Steam and mobile next year.

Mystic Pillars (Holy Cow Productions)

Going against the grain this is a premium title for mobile, focused around the African board game Mancala. It sees you pushing gems from totem to totem, and does take a while to get used to – but it’s worth making the effort. It’s already out on iOS, but a launch on Android is imminent.

BotRods (Holy Cow Productions)

Technically hugely impressive, this sees you racing around tracks in robots – and as they move on legs there’s opportunities for some platforming amongst the racing too. This is one definitely worth keeping an eye on, it’ll be out in March/April for PC, Xbox One, and Switch.

The Missing Wife (Flying Ants Studios)

Playing a developer’s game in front of them is never easy, but this one took the biscuit. A narrative title combining BDSM and parapsychology, The Missing Wife is an intriguingly ambitious game that is only 10% complete at this stage but does show promise – it has some solid hand-drawn art and a unflinching adult sensibility. To say the least.

It’ll likely be out on Steam before the end of 2020, but its adult content means a mobile release is unlikely.

To learn more about The India Game Developer Conference visit the official website right here.

Simon Reed

Simon has been playing portable games since his Game Boy Pocket and a very worn out copy of Donkey Kong Land 2, and he has no intention of stopping anytime soon. Playing Donkey Kong Land 2 that is. And games in general we suppose.