7 Swiss made games to follow
The Zürich Game Show opened its doors this weekend and this year, a much more important place was dedicated to games “made in Switzerland”. Did you know that the Zurich region is home to 35% of the video game development studios in Switzerland? But the Lake Geneva region has nothing to be ashamed of either, with 20% of Swiss gaming studios. It was therefore high time that the “local” games were put in the spotlight a little more for the German-speaking public.
I had the opportunity to attend the opening of the Zurich video game fair and I now offer you my small selection of the best Swiss games to follow in upcoming releases. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Swiss Game Developer Association for organizing and inviting me to this event.
01. Hyperspeed Fragfest
An ultra-fast FPS mixed with puzzle game elements, all in a procedurally generated universe; it’s a bit much, but it works! Well almost; the game is still halfway between a prototype and an alpha version. But the mechanics are very well thought out and I had a great time on the few levels I could play.
Hyperspeed Fragfest is developed by Interaction Ideas and has its Steam page (you can already put it on your wishlist), but does not yet have a release date. So let us be patient.
02. Return to Nangrim
Of all the games I’ve ever played, Return to Nangrim is by far the one that has the most potential to make a difference in the global video game industry when it comes out. The game developed by Sycoforge Games, a team of Zürich developers of only 4 people, is not lacking in ambition with this title which takes us into a universe of dark fantasy that is reminiscent of the likes of Dark Souls or the Elder Scrolls. Taking the shape of an adventure/exploration game mixed with puzzle game elements, Return to Nangrim offers an ultra-immersive experience (no less than 6 freelancers work on sound and music) that is even compatible with virtual reality headsets.
Return to Nangrim is announced for 2021 and already has its Steam page if you want to “wishlist” it. It should offer a first playable demo available to the public very soon.
03. Helvetii
Recently successfully funded on Kickstarter (I backed the game myself), Helvetii is a 2D action game with first class animations. But what makes the game so special is its artistic universe, unbelievably beautiful. Regarding the gameplay, you will be served with a very dynamic and easy to handle combat system and a plethora of enemies in every corner of the map.
Developed by KwaKwa Team in Lausanne, Helvetii is scheduled for the end of 2020. You can already add it to your Steam WishList at this link.
04. Devader
Released in early September on PC/Mac/Linux, Devader is a real tribute to the “bullet hell” shooting games genre from the 90s where dozens of ships, turrets, machines and other organic monsters shoot at you at a very fast pace. That’s about all I could see during the demo at the show, but it’s already a lot. The game can be played alone or in cooperation and requires serious reflexes to achieve one of the 19 available ends. A demo is also available if you are just curious to try it out.
Devader is developed by the Falkenbrew team and is available on Steam for a modest fee of CHF 15.50 (less than a movie).
05. Kukulcan
And not Ku klux-clan (the devs assured me that they were working on a new name to avoid unintentional racist connotations). Kukulcan is actually a god of the Mayan mythology, and it is this feathered dragon that we control through the levels of this mobile/tablet game. Filled with ingenuity and visually very shimmering to the eye, Kukulcan surprised me with its mechanics that forced me to think in a three-dimensional space. In this puzzle game, it will be necessary to find the exit of each of the pieces using the advantage and the constraint that is the tail of the dragon god.
Planned for iOS and Android, Kukulcan is being developed by Black Spoon Studio in Zurich and is expected to be released under a new name in early 2020. If you want to follow the game and be informed of its release, you can subscribe to the newsletter on the devs website.
06. Answer knot
I must admit that I was attracted to Answer Knot because it stood out for its graphic qualities. The game turns out to be a little narrative adventure available for FREE on Steam. We play as Zach, who is locked in his house, and tries to solve paranormal Stranger Things style mysteries. If you are fond of first-person narrative games such as Gone Home, Answer Knot should please you and perhaps also scare you with its atmosphere. In any case, it takes around an hour to complete the game, according to the excellent reviews on Steam.
Answer Knot is developed by Naraven Games in Lausanne and is available for free, and I will repeat it again because I find it hard to believe myself, for free on Steam right now.
07. Letters, a written adventure
Last game of the selection, Letters, a written adventure is a rather unique platform game in which you control a small character who literally uses the power of words. The game invites us to read letters, chats and other written documents to which the main character of Sarah Frei has contributed at several moments in her life. The words can then be used by the character to trigger various actions. In the first level that I played, Sarah had to gather and use words to progress through the story. The concept was interesting for the little bit that I have played, I am now curious to see how the game looks over time.
If you are interested in Letters, a written adventure, take note that it is planned to release 2020 on Steam. The game is being developed by 5AM Games in Zurich.
About TheJRGame:
Hi there and thanks for reading me. I am a gamer on a quest to find and get the hidden indie gems of this world out there, and make sure everyone has the chance to play them as well. If you’re a game developer working hard to create some beautiful games, just know that I am a huge supporter, no matter what.
