Weird Worlds Wind-down: London Games Festival
Welcome to Weird Worlds Wind-down!
Welcome to Weird Worlds Wind-down, 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, booths, 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
We’ll curate 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 rich [at] semaeopus [dot] com with TITLE, CREATOR NAME, A ONE LINER DESCRIPTION, and a screenshot or image of your choosing, so I can add you to the schedule, and give your game a couple of shoutouts 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
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.
Big Fish by 180 Studio (2 friends, Nic in London, Matisse in France)
A pixel art darts roguelite where you bust past zero to shatter the board, guided by a fish barman in a London pub.
Sum'n Col by rawmoose (Ose Pedro)
A two-player, simultaneous turn-based Columns/Tetris-like, in which you build blocks for your opponent while destroying the blocks that they've built for you.
Initially developed in one weekend, in time for the first Weird Worlds, but didn't quite get finished in time, Sum’n Col is a bit of a Weird Worlds home coming that we are excited to see!
https://rawmoose.com/
MARBLE SOULS™ by Stuffed Wombat, Rollin'Barrel, and Fynn Levy
Trapped inside of a marble, you travel through a vast world, frozen in time. Find souls, level up and build out your own movement set in this unique platformer RPG.
Rhythm Towers by innoloop
A music-driven strategy game where building towers creates the soundtrack and playing in rhythm powers your defenses.
An achingly indie “I made everything” production… ❤️
More info at: https://rhythmtowers.com
[UNNANOUNCED TITLE] by Semi/Opus (Us!)
A sneak peak at our unnanounced grid based tactics style strategy game with inspirations rooted in the ancient tafl games of Viking and Saxon heritage!
www.semaeopus.com/viking-chess
- And more on the way... maybe your game?
Lightning Talks:
"The Future is Solarpunk - creating aspirational worlds"
Flo Minuzzi from Tea-Powered Games, creators of Elemental Flow, which has demoed at both Weird Worlds and Bonus Stage in the past, will be giving a talk that dives deep on solar punk and aspirational world making and how this has shaped their work.
**A SURPRISE guest doing a fireside chat! - more info soon!
Still space for more! Drop me a line at rich [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 Jimmy and the Loading Bar team have an idea of numbers.