PAX Australia 2015 Wrap-up

Published: November 2, 2015 11:00 AM /

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Pax Australia

So PAX Australia has come and gone, and as I lie in my bed, nursing my sore feet, I thought a short wrap-up article was in order. This isn't a comprehensive wrap of everything there was to do at PAX, as there was just so much on display, but the indies are what stick out to me most.

I had no idea Australia had such an indie development scene, but man, they are killing it. They have been doing such a killer job in the shadows, and I am going to do my best to give them the credit they deserve. Game after game was new, innovative, and just fun to play. The majority of my PAX was spent trying to go through all the games that they managed to cram into the indie booths, and it was an impossible task. My only wish is that I could have gone to more booths than I did. I would be remiss if I didn't mention a few stand-out titles, but the following is by no means a complete list all the cool stuff I got to play at PAX. Stay tuned for further game previews and interviews with developers coming in the next couple of days.

First and foremost, I have to give a shout out to Craftven and their game, Lupinball. Not only were they super awesome, but their game was great fun. They are currently on Steam Greenlight and most certainly deserve some raptor love, so make sure to give it to them.

Hacknet was a game I really was excited to play, and even though I wasn't fortunate enough to play it at developer Fractal Alligator Games' booth, they did provide me with an interview and a demo. I am happy to report the game was definitely as good as I hoped it would be. Matt Trobbiani from Fractal Alligator Games - which he claims to be the most frightening animal but he ain't got anything on the TechRaptor - created what can basically be described as a custom operating system for a very well put together terminal hacking game. Hacknet is currently 10/10 on Steam with just over 1,300 reviews, so they may not need a big push from me, but they deserve it either way.

Next up is Rogue Continuum, which is the game I wish Tango Fiesta was. It is a 4 player, couch co-op, shoot-em-up rogue like that is fun, hard, and fun. Yes it is actually fun enough to say it twice. There is a great combination of RPG elements, with twin stick shooting, looting and co operative madness. If you can get some friends together, I highly recommend checking it out on Steam early access.

I want to give some love to some awesome university students, so the next game is Hyper JamHyper Jam is a fast paced competitive shoot-and-beat-em-up, with a persistent perk system, which allows you to produce a unique character build every game. This game was a university project from Melbourne locals at Swinburne University, and it is super polished, and more importantly, super enjoyable. They do not have a Steam Greenlight campaign, or a Kickstarter or really anything except for this footage right here, but definitely like their Facebook page and keep track of it, because it is a genuinely great party game.

Finally I want to mention two games who currently have Kickstarter campaigns active, and could really use a friendly push over the finish line. Firstly, Party Golf, a 4 player simultaneous golf game with enough different game modes that it will never get old. We were lucky enough to play the game with the devs and had an absolute blast with it. Secondly is Infectonator: Survivors, a game that is hard to say as it is to play. Survivors is a randomized perma-death survival simulator that combines RTS, tower defense, roguelike, and management-simulation gameplay, and is currently available on early access.

As I mentioned before, this is not a comprehensive list of everything I had the pleasure of seeing at PAX. These are just some off the cuff games I wanted to get out there while it is still fresh in my mind, to hopefully drum up some interest for the indie talent that is hidden in Australia. 

I would like to say a big thank you to PAX for having me, and I hope to see you again next year. I had a blast, and I have the badges to prove it!

PAX Aus Badges

Were you guys at PAX? Do you think I have got it right? Let me know in the comments below.

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| Staff Writer

Gamer, Programmer, TechHead, Australian. If I'm not here, I am probably knee deep in the dead somewhere, or the dropbears got me.