The 2019 Game Developers Conference is just months away, and today organizers are excited to debut the 20 games selected to exhibit at alt.ctrl.GDC, the on-site showcase of alternative control schemes and interactions in games.
One of these games will win the alt.ctrl.GDC Award -- which includes a $3,000 prize plus a special trophy handmade by game maker (and former alt.ctrl.GDC participant) Robin Baumgarten -- at the IGF ceremony during GDC, with judging taking place on-site.
No matter who wins, all GDC 2019 attendees who stop by the alt.ctrl.GDC exhibit will have the chance to play all of these inventive and innovative games using unique, one-of-a-kind controllers. You could, for example, take hold of a genuine household toilet plunger and put its proven functionality to a new use: playing the unique mini-games of Plünge.
You could also try your hand at guiding a flock of mechanical birds with the mechanism of a cuckoo clock in Koo-Koo, or cooperatively explore the dreams of a physical robot dozing in front of an actual TV in Roambot.
If you want a more immersive experience, you can try actually climbing inside Neon Nemesis, a normal-looking arcade cabinet with room for four players to compete in a 2D platformer -- as well as a secret hidden chamber into which a fifth player clambers to play the Nemesis, cranking on dials and pulling levers to put obstacles in the players' path.
As always, it promises to be a fantastic showcase. This year's roster of alt.ctrl.GDC finalists is as follows:
Cathode Mk 1 (Public Games) - Using multiple CRT monitors, Arduinos, Unity and a bunch of cables and soldering, Public Games' Ryan Mason was able to build a game console prototype that offered an entirely new space for game design. He launched the project with three of his own games, designed for the system, (That Night, Long Pong, Cube's Quest) and have since had other developers build their own projects for this unique machine,
The Book Ritual (Alistair Aitcheson) - Because The Book Ritual is played using a book and shredder, players must do something that no purely digital game could ask them to do: permanently destroy something. The game uses this to confront the player with how they feel about that destruction, reflect on other things they may have lost, and lets them play out the idea of growing after a period of grief. The book that they damage becomes a unique and personal object - their destructive acts become creative. Using a physical book to act out the emotions behind a story helps players feel what that means to them on a physical level.
Guitar Wizards (Ben McInnes, Adoné Kitching, Jason Sutherland, Luc Wolthers) - Guitar Wizards is a unique take on a rhythm game that lets players make music together. It can be played competitively, as players try to out-maneuver one another or it can be played cooperatively, as players settle into a groove and find a flow. By taking away the screen, Guitar Wizards brings players face-to-face in an epic battle, and creates space for a crowd to form around their performance. The LED battleground also creates the feeling of being a badass rockstar wizard, casting flashing spells that travel towards an opponent.
Plünge (Darryl Feniquito, Gavin Nelson, Jackson Lanaus, Sebastian Scaini, Sprite Man Vuk, Xin Zhang) - This game is designed to be controlled via the unique motions and functions of a household toilet plunger. Interesting one-button game design keeps the mini-games fresh and exciting, while short play sessions allow people to come, plunge and leave without much commitment.
Table44 (Alon Adda) - Table44 is a table designed for a number of participants, who play either as opponents or in collaboration. The game does not make use of conventional means of control such as a mouse or keyboard. It is played by touching sensors located on the table. In addition, the game also does not include a screen. The progress is conveyed visually via LEDs. The game requires physical movement and promotes a special interaction among the players, an experience unparalleled by any computer or console game
HOT SWAP: All Hands On Deck (Peter Gyory, Clement Zheng) - HOT SWAP: All Hands On Deck is a two-player cooperative arcade survival game were players must swap out and trade inputs on their controllers survive the onslaught of approaching enemy ships. Each controller consists of two input slots and corresponds to one side of the ship, port or starboard. There are five actions in the game, each executed with a dedicated physical input: a crank to raise and lower the sails, a wheel for turning the rudder, a hatch for loading the cannons, a wick for firing the cannons, and a flame button for dousing the fire. Each input is a shared resource. Players must consider the physical space around them as they trade parts of their controllers to stay afloat for as long as possible.
Koo-Koo (Overtimers) - In Koo-Koo you control a flock of mechanical birds with the mechanism of a cuckoo clock. The birds all move in their own tempo, which encourages the player to jump from clock to clock to give new commands. The interaction contains visceral pulling on weights and finely setting the hands of the clock. The gears inside the mechanism resist pulling and rattle along with the movement of the birds. All in all this creates a frantic multiplayer game where you are never really in control.
ReLeap (Orbit Break) - ReLeap is a casual 2D arcade runner game where you leap over rooftops and dodge obstacles to complete the level. The controls in ReLeap focus the player’s experience by capturing the game’s intended aesthetic goal: anticipation and release. When anticipating a jump, the player pulls back their body and Feng reinforces that feeling by preparing herself for a leap. The longer the bar is held in, the more the leap becomes charged thus emphasizing the sensation of anticipation. When ready, the player releases their energy and pushes the bar forward, sending Feng soaring through the sky capturing that moment of airborne weightlessness and freedom.
OVERTIME (Josh Delson, DePaul University) - Based on the positive feedback from Extra Credits (YouTube channel), the team challenged themselves in creating an accessible alternative controller from a basketball toy. Partnering with the Idea Realization Lab in Chicago & DePaul University, OVERTIME was able to implement hardware the recorded player's movements with the alternative controller.
Machinaria (Black Mamba Studio) - This game was designed specifically to be played in a retro-futuristic console studded with text readouts, knobs, buttons, and flashing lights. With this device, Machinaria is meant to give players the feeling of being an operator in charge of manipulating information to influence the public opinion.
Roambot (Jack Ford) - A robot has fallen asleep in an armchair, and by adjusting his slumbering shell (including his twin antennae) you can explore his dreams via a nearby TV. It's designed to be played as a two-person cooperative game, with one player handling the antennae and the other the robot's arms and legs.
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