The PAX Aus 2023 indie showcase winners have been announced, showcasing unique game development, storytelling and characters!
What do a hilarious mud-crab Dungeon Master, an anthropomorphic wombat, a lonely stray cat, and an alien species leading a world invasion all have in common? They’re all winners of the PAX Aus 2023 Indie Showcase! And it’s our pleasure to announce that this year, we’ve been invited to be on the Indie Showcase panel on Saturday 7th of October at PAX Aus!
I’ll personally be joining the panel to showcase the creativity that’s been bursting out of the screens and across the tabletops in Australia. This showcase will feature four tabletop and six digital games selected as part of this year’s Indie Showcase, all of which have been created by independent game developers from across the country.
Last year we got up close and personal in our PAX Aus 2022 Indie Game Showcase – now it’s time to discover the next set of games that are going to delight players later this year!
PAX Aus 2023 Indie Showcase – Digital Winners
Copycat
Developer: Spoonful of Wonder
Genre: Narrative-driven heartfelt adventure game
Find out more: https://spoonfulofwonder.com/
Copycat by NSW’s Spoonful of Wonder is a beautiful, narrative game about rejection, belonging and the meaning of home. The game sees a newly-adopted shelter cat become the victim of an elaborate plan when a jealous, stray copycat steals her place in the house. The game follows our heroine cat as she searches for a real family and cherishes the human-pet bond.
The Dungeon Experience
Developer: Bone Assembly
Genre: First Person Comedy Narrative
Find out more: https://www.dungeonexperiencegame.com/
The Dungeon Experience Game by Bone Assembly sees a hilarious (and handsome and symmetrical), mud-crab turned entrepreneur play the role of Dungeon Master in this first person quest. Players are taken on a guided tour by their crabby Dungeon Master, where they get to meet the various dungeon inhabitants. Weird and hilarious, this game will have players gripped by the game and by the giggles.
The Drifter
Developer: Powerhoof
Genre: Adventure
Find out more: http://thedriftergame.com
The Drifter by Victoria’s Powerhoof is described as a pulp adventure thriller that sees protagonist Mick Carter witness a violent murder, pursued by mysterious men and killed. And that is only the beginning of Mick’s problems. Visit the Indie Showcase to play the game and discover the dark twists and turns that follow Mick’s murder.
Crash Course Builder
Developer: Wombat Brawler
Genre: Arcade, Rhythm, Racer
Find out more: http://crashcoursebuilder.com
We recently got hands-on (wheels on?) with Crash Course Builder at the Queensland Games Festival. Now it’s back again in the PAX Aus 2023 Indie Showcase! Crash Course Builder by Wombat Brawler is a crazy rhythm racer that sees players able to fast twitch race their way through unique and wonderful different courses as well as being able to build their own courses and share their courses with other players on the platform.
Primordials Legends: Hollow Hero
Developer: Toybox Games Studios
Genre: Action/Adventure
Find out more: https://www.toyboxgamesstudios.com/hollow-hero/
Primordials Legends: Hollow Hero by Vic-based Toybox Game Studios is a short series game featuring fantastical creatures living in the fantasy world of Eridol. Hollow Hero tells the tale of Brunt, Oak-Hide, an anthropomorphic wombat, who journeys into unknown lands to save her people.
This legend is narrated by “Eldar”, Leader of the Dreg and Brunt’s adoptive father. Eldar is an ancient lore keeper who holds a wealth of knowledge in Eridalian history. This epic, Lord of the Rings-esque storytelling game features exceptional graphics that will surely transport you into another world.
darkwebSTREAMER
Developer: We Have Always Lived In The Forest
Genre: RPG/Simulation/Horror
Find out more: http://www.darkwebSTREAMER.com
darkwebSTREAMER is a psychological horror RPG streaming simulation game. Play as an occult streamer on the dark web, exploring the internet for the weirdest and creepiest things you can find in order to bring them back to your stream and impress your audience enough to gain those sweet, sweet likes and subscribers. Unfortunately for you, the supernatural is real — the more you engage with the darkness of the web, the more it will engage with you.
PAX Aus 2023 Indie Showcase – Tabletop Winners
Boba Master
Developer: Quokka Games
Genre: Family, Party, Casual, Memory
Find out more: https://www.quokkagames.com/
Boba Master by Queensland-based Quokka Games celebrates the team’s love of bubble tea, tying nicely in with their PAX Aus 2022 Indie Showcase winner, Yum Cha. Boba Master is an engaging card game about making bubble tea. It’s full of action, easy to pick up and gets rowdy very quickly. Steal from your opponents and force them to make mistakes. Stir up the game by swapping hands or even swapping bubble teas. Be the first to complete your bubble teas and become the Boba Master!
Alien Frenzy
Developer: Comet Squid
Genre: Science Fiction
Find out more: www.alienfrenzy.com
Alien Frenzy is a wildly chaotic and competitive card game that plunges players head first into an alien invasion. Players are in charge of recruiting a team of crazy characters to help them fend off various aliens as they wander the Earth creating havoc. Who will be the last player standing amidst the frenzy of the Alien Invasion? Only the most strategic and resilient will emerge victorious.
Kingless: Festival of Explosions
Developer: Two19
Genre: Party Game
Website: www.kinglessgame.com
Once a year, Surge RumbleBoom’s Festival of Explosions draws the dwarves from the Hammer and Crown, trading indoor quarrels for festive fun. A wild extravaganza, the Festival of Explosions is the perfect cover for plotting in the shadows to win the crown, but even the best laid plans can falter amidst the merry chaos of feasting, fireworks, and games. Combine tried-and-true schemes with 52 new cards packed with fresh mechanics, characters, items, events, and something truly different to win the crown!
Saltfish & Almanacs
Developer: Storybrewers Roleplaying
Genre: Storytelling, RPG
Find out more: https://storybrewersroleplaying.com/salfish-almanacs/
Sell your wares on a seasonal journey full of wonder and self-discovery. Saltfish & Almanacs is a storytelling RPG about a merchant company embarking on their yearly journey through new and familiar places. You and your fellow merchants travel your trade route, experiencing life on the road, before visiting bustling port towns and quaint inland villages.
As you buy and sell goods, you’ll craft your own story of discovery, love, passion, and what it means to be parted. How will your journey change you?
PAX Aus 2023 takes place October 6-8 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and we’re delighted to be a part of the PAX Aus 2023 Indie Showcase panel!
For more information and badges, visit the official website and join us on the Qualbert Discord for more updates closer to the event.
