Running just over an hour, the Latin American Games Showcase spotlighted more than eighty indies in a wonderfully paced presentation. It didn’t hurt that the show had the most dramatically beautiful background, Panama’s sparkling blue waves and golden sands. The games did the impossible, though, in overshadowing the spectacular locale with a marvelous range of genres, mechanics, and art styles. So kick back, claim a beach chair, and prepare to be served the choicest indie offerings.
Listing every game would overwhelm rather than inform, I suspect. So, I’m taking a slightly different route for this creative showcase. I’m grouping all my highlights into categories that I have completely just made up and will, perhaps, only make sense to me.
Indie Art
Now, I’m not trying to get into the argument of if games are art (because they obviously are), but there were quite a few games in LAGS’ presentation that exemplified the word. Canvas Infernum, a hell-crafting strategy game, would be a dream come true for sixteenth-century painter Hieronymus Bosch. ARTIUS: Pure Imagination earns a place here for literally having art in the title. Already wishlisted, Colorbound makes puzzles of your palette. Bunraku brings the titular artform to life. And every frame is really a painting in the aptly named Charming Hill.
Order’s Up
Turns out? You can make food in a lot of different situations. Sometimes in a restaurant, sometimes in a dungeon. If this showcase is to be believed, a lot of times in a dungeon. So, of course, I have to kick this category off with Deep Dish Dungeon and then roll straight into Dungeons & Desserts before turning it over to Final Flavor. Seriously. They’re all chef’s kiss in-dungeon dining options. Meanwhile, we’ve taken one step out of the dungeon for Farmageddon, but the enemies seem to have followed anyway. Thank goodness for Fourleaf Fields for giving us a peaceful snacking space.
Just A Lil Guy
Indies love an underdog, especially if it’s an actually little puppy. Today’s showcase was no exception and took time to celebrate the great and small. Torii: Beyond The Gates‘ protagonist may not be a puppy, but a fire-tailed critter will do just as well. Crownwarden may actually have a normal-sized hero, but the isometric view certainly makes his task feel enormous. Desktop Explorer will make you miss good ol’ Clippy — or maybe make you deathly afraid of him. Nimble, stealthy, and loyal to the end, Luna the cat takes center stage in Bruma. And I know you can’t resist the lil guy in Toada Brava.
Just For Me
This last group highlights the games that LAGS seems to have put in the show just to appeal to me. That was very kind of them. Stamperor! The Jester’s Decree appeals both in setting and absurdity. Block Block Block looks like the absolute coziest time. Fast-paced action meet secretive Metroidvania in Magical Blush. I never can seem to pass up the kind of beautiful apocalypse Ghostless is promising. But what would my gaming agenda be without a detective noir frog game like Croak and Solve?
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