Weird Worlds Wind-down: Develop Brighton ‘26
Welcome to Weird Worlds Wind-down!
Welcome to Weird Worlds Wind-down Develop Brighton ‘26 edition, our touring meetup and showcase where we figure why not bring together folks who make games that are a bit different, oddball ideas, unpopular or dead genres, genuinely interesting use of strange, controversial, or emerging tech, achingly indie “I made everything” production, open source games and engine usage, alt controller hardware hacks, demo scene, table top, unusual (age appropriate) subject matter, and more broadly “Weird Worlds”.
Effectively it’s just weird, interesting, and experimental “stuff” that fits in the games context, no gatekeeping, no judgement (as long as PG-13 enough for a public space) the aim is to be a big tent to give folks who are maybe slightly outside of industry norms a place to show why their work is artistic and interesting. Come join us, play something new, and even share a weird idea of your own if you want!
So what’s the format?
A micro hybrid unconferencey / expo thing (truly tiny, a casual thing at the bar) where old friends and new folk alike will have tables, and (a limited amount of) screens to demo their work at (with some rotation depending on demand) and a more central area where people will be able to present / give a lighting talk if they want to go deeper than a demo!
We’ll line up a few projects to present and demo, but also allow for and make space for adhoc walk-in presentations of new things if you want to swing by on the breeze and decide you have something weird you want to share. Slots will be limited / first come first served, so if keen then make sure to shoot us a message to book a slot to present or demo. We’ll also have a sheet to sign up on the day if you are habitually analogue, so there will be a space assigned for ad-hoc walk-ins if you just turn up too!
Open Call!
As always we are on the hunt for anyone making something that fits the very broad remit above to bring their games and demo, please feel free to sign up and drop me a note on:
weird-worlds [at] semaeopus [dot] com
with:
TITLE,
CREATOR NAME,
A ONE/TWO LINER DESCRIPTION,
A LINK TO A SITE/SOCIALS/GAME PAGE AND A CALL TO ACTION IF YOU HAVE ONE
and a couple of screenshots or image of your choosing, ideally one with the game name in it / a title page and then a couple others showing gameplay.
This way I can add you to the schedule, drop you in here www.semaeopus.com/weird-worlds and give your game a couple of shout-outs as part of the promotion of the event.
On another note, if you have brought a game to a Weird Worlds in the past then please make sure to send the same info over (even if you can’t make it to this one). I want to do a bit of a retrospective and get all the weird worlds that have shown in the past some promotion as well as giving them a nod as part of the newsletter we are starting (more on this soon!).
Sponsor! Sheridans Games & IP Department
A huge thank you to Sheridans Games and IP department for their help making Weird Worlds a reality. They’ve been a fantastic partner in growing this into its own 'thing', with a newsletter, more consistent videos and livestreams on the way! To celebrate, I’ve put some of that support toward a bar tab and snacks from the Loading Bar kitchen. Make sure to arrive on time so you don’t miss out on the treats!
If you happen to be looking for legal advice as a games or IP business then I highly recommend you get in touch with Alex Tutty and the team: [email protected]
For more info head here:
https://www.sheridans.co.uk/sector/computer-games/
The Sheridans Games practice is one of the industry’s longest standing games specialist teams and its lawyers are consistently recognised as some of the leading legal specialists advising at the forefront of interactive entertainment.
From indie developers to household name studios and talent, the Games team has extensive experience working with a broad range of businesses and stakeholders operating across multiple levels in the expansive and evolving games industry.
Sneak Peak:
As of now we have:
Demos to play
Remote Control by Canteen
An old school ish text parser/adventure where you do a day job remote controlling human beings from the comfort of your desk. It's an anti-corporate sci-fi narrative game that mixes the vibes of Severance and Alien Isolation.
Ink Strings by Tom Sheldon (Tombobulus Games)
Ink Strings is a relaxing, satisfying and mind-teasing puzzle odyssey about making connections.
Unravel a touching narrative by piecing together dozens of beautiful watercolour paintings, each revealing a fragment of the island’s story.
Kinesis by TechSupport
A Multiplayer game of mind fusion
Know what your partner is thinking before they do...
A casual tabletop game for 3 or more players using their mobiles to find synergy of thought between each other.A game by TechSupport!
Best of Humanity by Of Humanity (Pontus Schönberg, Nils-Erik Ekblom, Lassi Vapaakallio)
A short interactive fiction game, with a looping narrative that unfolds bit by bit every playthrough.
You are the Custodian, escorting the BEST OF HUMANITY to the colony ship Juchola Prime. It is your duty to handle any deviations threatening the crew's health routine and make sure all systems remain nominal throughout their historic journey.
Wedding Planic by Chaos Beans
Nobody wants to throw a boring party. Wedding Planic! is a roguelike, deck builder about managing a wild wedding plan. Arrange a deck of neurotic guests, set wedding favours and create synergies with surprising and sometimes explosive results.
YOUR GAME!
Still space for more! Drop me a line at weird-worlds [at] semaeopus [dot] com (with the details noted above) if you are looking to show your weird world, and I can add it to the list here and make sure there is space for you and everyone else coming to show!
Looking forward to seeing you, please make sure to sign up to attend so Alice and the Loading Bar team have an idea of numbers.