Two video game programming teams from Redmond-based DigiPen Institute of Technology are finalists for the inaugural Indie Game Challenge and big cash prize.
There are 12 finalists — six non-professional and six professional. The two teams from DigiPen are part of the non-professional finalists. Each team can receive $100,000 if they are named the winner. Winners will be announced Feb. 19 at the DICE (Design, Innovate, Communicat, Entertain) Summit at the Red Rock Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
The game Dreamside Maroon, led by Redmond resident Matt Anderson, “is a unique exploration game that follows Aster, a timid maroon on his journey to the moon. For travel, he enlists the aid of a hearty vine, which can grow indefinitely in all directions — almost like flight. The landscape, dotted with floating islands, lanterns, hidden lights, and fireflies, is free to explore. The more of the world Aster investigates, the more experiences he will collect, told in a poetic, storybook manner. Similarly, the world will change as the player progresses: The music will shift, islands will move, swarms of fireflies will spawn. The sky is a canvas, and the player may paint it however they choose,” the Web site said.
Anderson said the game “is a pretty convenient metaphor for most life experiences, and with the vine angle, especially growing up.”
The game Gear, led by Joshua Maiche, “is a two-dimensional puzzle-platformer in which the player controls a robot with the ability to change his hand into a gear. The player will have to swing around sockets, ride on rails, swim, and even rotate the world in order to get through ten unique levels and beat the boss,” according to the Indie Game Challenge Web site.
“Our game is about having effortless fun,” said Maiche, who admitted he “unleashed a stream of excited swear words,” when he found out Gear was one of the finalists. “I hope that the spotlight cast down on our game will allow more people to find and enjoy Gear.”
In addition, both teams are eligible to win the Gamer’s Choice Award, based on Internet voting. Go to www.indiegamechallenge.com to check out the six non-professional and six professional finalists and then vote for your favorite game. The winner will win $10,000 and a prize package from G4 Studios in Los Angeles.
Gear is the “underdog,” in the non-professional contest, according to Benjamin Ellinger, Game Department Chair at DigiPen.
“They have to be considered the underdog because they are a 2D game and don’t do anything really flashy or impressive, but the game is so fun to play, and has such a charming look, they definitely have a chance.”
As for Dreamside Maroon, Ellinger said it is more a “digital interactive work of art” than a video game — Anderson did say the game was inspired by children’s books.
“The visuals set the mood perfectly and the audio enhances it,” Ellinger said. “I give them at least a 50 percent chance of winning.”
Maiche, along with Brian Lee, Mike Halbrook, Ben Frazier and Andrew Hall spent 14 months designing Gear.
Anderson, with the help of Justin Whitney, Hamza Hutchinson and Ian Eller spent nearly two years creating Dreamside Maroon.
“I am excited to just be a finalist,” Anderson said. “It feels like a whirlwind. We all worked very hard on this, and it great to see that paying off.”
The Indie Game Challenge is sponsored by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, GameStop Corp. and The Guildhall at Southern Methodist.
