My goal with Indiepocalypse Roundups (as opposed to Double Features) is to present a collection of games around much broader themes such as this case with the very broad theme of a shared continent of origin. My last Roundup was an appropriately timed collection of games nominated in the IGF Nuovo and this time around it's games from South America!
Highlighting games from all around the world is a core goal of Indiepocalypse, and while far from comprehensive, having contributions from (a reported) 32 different countries is pretty good! (i think) The game industry focuses heavily on US (and some Europe) based events that are, to be honest, inaccessible to plenty of people who live in the US. But luckily this is the internet and you can (basically) publish things no matter where you are!
CONURBATION (@casa) - Brazil
CONURBATION is of the earliest entries in Indiepocalypse and one I go back to most frequently when I'm asked for an example of an "Indiepocalypse game" or a game to look at first. Singularly focused and intentionally abrasive, places you in the center of urban encroachment.
Distant Memories (Mer Grazzini) - Argentina
Applying the procedural generation so commonly found in games to poetry, Distant Memories presents itself as a self-styled "Procedural-poem-catch ‘em up™". Can you have a "run-based" game without a clear objective or fail-state? Distant Memories presents its own approach to both what it means to be a game and poem.
Available in both English and Castellano.
hlina (sukinapan) - Chile
It's a simple job, help someone by looking around their house for their lost pets. Just unfamiliar enough without being completely alien, hlina conjures a surrealist world much like our own but does so without an interest in explaining why. Art often exists in a non-literal world open to our personal interpretation (or even just feeling), and games are no exception to this. And with hlina, sukinapan provides a 5 minute jaunt into such a world.
GUACUCO (@futureruins) - Venezuela
A short exploration of a beach and memories. GUACUCO is self-described as an interactive diorama and was for a time, an actual live art installation. It's core of recollecting and discarding memories inside of seashells demonstrates beautifully the conversational heart of art that exists in art even in the absence of a mechanical challenge. Never underestimate the emotional challenge presented by art.
Skate RPG (Daniel Dante) - Brazil
As it's name implies, Skate RPG is beautiful introduction of a skateboarding trick system into an RPG framework. And with the skating comes a fierce anti-authoritarian attitude. As you travel though the city meeting it's residents and learning new skate tricks, you are also assured the rich do not exist to help you and probably shouldn't exist at all. Frankly more in-game shopkeepers ought to remind of the soul-crushing nature of the 8-hour workday befor presenting you with their wares.
Available in Portuguese and English
CONURBATION was featured in Indiepocalypse #3
Distant Memories was featured in Indiepocalypse #30
hlina was featured in Indiepocalypse #39
GUACUCO was featured in Indiepocalypse #30
Skate RPG was featured in Indiepocalypse #14
(if any of the other developers have cohost handles that i missed let me know!)
