Did you guys know that I went to PAX this year? Did you know this? I feel like I haven’t talked about it that much (a lie) but David and I went to PAX this year and went truly bonkers in the PAX Rising area.
The PAX Rising area of this year’s convention was packed to the brim with incredible local talent showcasing their new and upcoming games. It was an opportunity for all sorts of indie developers to get their games out into the spotlight for the odd gamer to give a red-hot go.
While I, unfortunately, didn’t get the chance to play every game on the floor this year (there were a lot, and I am simply one weird little woman), there were a handful of games that I did get to try my hand at as well as games that I stood in front of and watched for far too long.
In saying that, I’ve got a few titles here that I really, really enjoyed and think you should keep an eye on if it sounds like your cup of tea!
A Halloween Valentine
A Halloween Valentine is a puzzle adventure game made by Melbourne-based studio Things For Humans, and doubles as an ‘interactive album’ of sorts by the studio’s founder Jacob Leaney. I also did an interview with Leaney about the game and studio, which you can check out here.
The demo takes you through a mysterious amusement park populated by silly little talking pumpkins and involves solving puzzles to the beat of the music that accompanies them. The music is, of course, catchy as hell, and the graphics fit right into the synth-pop vibe of it all.
You can wishlist it on Steam here.
Amazing Chicken Adventures
Amazing Chicken Adventures is a 3D puzzle-platformer made by Melbourne-based developer Piotr Rochala. You are a chicken! You are a funny little chicken that can wear a hat, and you gotta save your freakin’ eggs!
While I didn’t get the chance to play this one at PAX, I saw it from afar and ended up buying it afterwards (it’s available now), and it is a real treat. If you’re a fan of silly ideas, classical music, and thrilling adventures with a poultry-based theme, this one’s for you.
You can buy this one now on Xbox and Steam.
Box Knight
Box Knight is an action RPG roguelike made by Adelaide-based studio We Made A Thing. The game sees you slashing through your office, where your co-workers have become ugly little beasts set on killing you (to death!).
It’s hard for me to not love a game filled with yucky freaks. The designs of the goblins and ghouls present in this game filled my heart with such delight, and the roguelike elements were genuinely a welcome challenge. Heaps of fun, very funny, and an incredibly accurate look at what it’s like in the average office.
You can wishlist it on Steam (and download the demo) here.
Darkweb STREAMER
Darkweb STREAMER is an occult horror simulation game made by Adelaide-based studio We Have Always Lived In The Forest. As the name suggests, you must surf the dark web, talk to uniquely AI-generated NPCs, and become the best darn streamer on the most cursed part of the internet.
This was another title that I watched over the shoulder of another PAX Rising-goer as they played, and it gave me all sorts of World of Horror vibes in the best way. The AI, which was developed in-house, was truly something to behold. Very nice, very spooky.
You can add this one to your Itch.io collection here.
Gubbins
Gubbins is a word-puzzle roguelike made by Melbourne-based Studio Folly. The mobile game tasks you with creating words (real ones) on a board with a deck of letters with the help of some weird little guys, although some of said weird little guys might also be out to hinder your progress.
If there were an award for best-looking booth at PAX Australia, Gubbins would win by a landslide. Outside of that, the game is ridiculously fun, a major head-scratcher, and a visual delight. It’s rare that a mobile game really takes me, but this is a word game clearly made with a lot of love.
The Many Deaths of Lily Kosen
The Many Deaths of Lily Kosen is a horror visual novel made by Melbourne-based studio Too Many Teeth. You and your friends take a nice and relaxing camping trip, except it’s not nice and relaxing at all. It’s spooky and scary, and it’s up to you who lives and dies.
I’m a big fan of horror visual novels, especially when they’re done right. The character art of this game is great, and the mystery of it all really hooked me in. Also, Victoria is the best girl. We stan a hot-headed, foul-mouthed woman.
You can wishlist it (and download the demo) on Steam here.
RITE
RITE is a 2D platformer made by Adelaide-based one-man studio Pond Games. The game consists of 160 carefully-crafted levels to run and jump through, and you will probably die a lot.
Although RITE did come out in 2020, it was great to see it getting a new set of eyes on it at this year’s PAX. If you’re a fan of the mechanics and level design of Celeste, you’ll love this game. RITE made me feel like I was bad at video games until I beat a level, which then made me feel like the master of video games.
You can buy RITE on Steam here.
Schrodinger’s Cat Burglar
Schrodinger’s Cat Burglar is a puzzle heist adventure made by Brisbane-based studio Abandoned Sheep. You play Mittens, the world’s greatest cat burglar, and must make your way through a puzzling research facility using the new quantum powers that have accidentally been bestowed upon you.
This game is the cat-focused gameplay of Stray meets the science-focused puzzle mechanics of Portal, and PAX Rising was also the first time it was shown to the public. It’s all sorts of cheeky with puzzles that really require you to stop and think, and the mechanics of ‘observed’ and ‘theoretical’ are cool as hell.
While they haven’t got a Steam page out yet, you can keep up to date on their Twitter here.
Spiritwell
Spiritwell is an adventure game made by Melbourne-based developer David Chen. You play as a young child that has fallen into the Spirit World, and must now find a way home with the help of new weird friends.
I’ve been excited about this game for a while now, so it was a real treat getting to see it in the flesh. While very much inspired by games like Undertale and Earthbound, Spiritwell is notably non-violent, feeling like a pacifist route of a Studio Ghibli-like game. Love it.
You can sign up for the Kickstarter here.
Tempopo
Tempopo is a rhythm-puzzle game made by Brisbane-based studio Witch Beam. Your goal is to use the many different tools provided to guide the Tempopo sprites to musical victory.
After the hint at Tempopo‘s existence in Witch Beam’s previous title Unpacking, I couldn’t wait to give this one a go. Not only is the Jeff Van Dyck-composed music simply delightful, but the gameplay gave me the essence of Captain Toad’s Treasure Tracker, a game that I love dearly.
You can keep up with updates for the game here.
And that’s my list! It was a pleasure getting to see these games in action, as well as getting to give the Steam Deck a go with Tempopo. Now all I can think about is how desperately I want a Steam Deck.
Yes, there is absolutely a good chance that I missed a game or two here that were present! I wish I could’ve played them all, but I was unfortunately very busy being a menace.
However, I’d love to hear your thoughts! If you went to PAX Australia this year, let us know if there were any games on the PAX Rising floor that I didn’t mention that you really enjoyed.
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