The independent videogame production is gaining more and more visibility, even outside the context strictly linked to the entertainment industry. Therefore, it is no longer just a niche reality known by “experts”, but which is breaking through the doors of public interest like a battering ram. This happens thanks to more and more frequent occasions of meeting with gamers. One of these is offered byindie dungeon present every year at Milan Games Week.
Without forgetting all the other smaller but no less important events. There is no shortage of opportunities in streaming, like the one that is taking place in these days. Let’s talk about Indie X Online 2022, an event dedicated to indie videogames that aims to promote the best titles currently offered, in a selection of international projects. It is therefore the largest showcase of indie games initially launched at a fair organized in Portugal. This time it is online and completely digital. Let’s find out in detail what was presented during the current 2022 edition, and what were the different steps in organizing the festival!
Indie X Online 2022, when a festival for indies is born, with indies
How do you start this experience? Each summer, the applications of the various teams are opened, and then carefully selected about 50 indie games in total, to show at an event that usually takes place in November. The selected finalists were offered a free stand, when the event took place in physical mode, to show their games and qualify in the “Best Of” category. To address any potential limitations due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the headlines are presented in livestream. There is also no shortage of interviews with the creators during the digital online event on Steam. There are also several offers dedicated to the titles of all the finalists of Indie X this year and past editions.
This year’s Indie X edition comes hosted again on Steam, thanks to the renewal of the festival’s partnership with Valve to launch a digital event. Recall that this opportunity is configured as both showcase to give streaming visibility to the various developers present, both to favor the indie gaming market. Currently the list of finalists is really substantial and full of titles.
We have already crossed some of these, including Italians, previously within the our monthly dedicated insights right to the best indie video games. We remember in particular Trifox, Batora: Lost Haven (here our review), Greak: Memories of Azur among others. Let’s find out together in this video the list of the finalists of Indie X 2022. Not only will they get awards and cash prizes, but they will also receive a special position in the dedicated showcase on Steam.
How to select a compelling (and winning) indie
The games are definitely tasty and interesting, but how is the selection made? All games deemed eligible are those still unpublished or less than 12 months old from the release date, starting after November 2021. It is therefore possible to send games with early access or in development and currently playable, by sending the corresponding set of keys or links to access the game. And i mobile games? They can be included, although it is mandatory that the final builds be playable on PC, to stream them. Mobile builds are eventually evaluable if made on platforms like Testflight.
In addition, each developer team can submit up to a maximum of 2 IPs. If both games are selected, they can still be included in the Indie X schedule, resulting in two streaming sessions. Conversely, publishers can submit as many titles as they want, but as long as they are still 2 games per dev team.
Waiting for the official winners of Indie X Online 2022
The previous editions of the festival are not to be forgotten either, for the results obtained. Till today, more than 200 indie games are featured in the official archive to see the entire catalog. The previous editions, of which the oldest dates back to 2018, show how in so few years and also going through various organizational difficulties related to the events, it was still possible to present and promote independent productions with success and giving them the deserved visibility.
Per find out what happened before November 10th, livestreams with finalists and developers were recorded on Twitch Rubber Chicken and RTP Arena channels. The videos will then be collected in a dedicated section. We just have to wait for the official winners of this 2022 edition, to find out together who managed to reach the Olympus of the indie world!