So, although I have been a part of Finger Guns for nearly 5 years now, for some reason, I have never managed to get my butt to an EGX. This was my first time going with the team and it did not disappoint. I was really nervous because it’s been clear since Covid that EGX has gotten smaller and since merged with Birmingham Comicon. I will admit, this is worrying. It shows the shrinking of what was once a bustling arena full of AAA’s and Indie games. Now Rezzed and EGX have come together alongside Comicon. Whilst a lot smaller in area, it was however, a pleasure to see how busy it still was.
Rossko, Miles, Josh and I took to the stages and floors of the NEC in Birmingham and divided and conquered what we could. You can hear from all of us, and what we’ve been come away excited about this EGX/Rezzed/Comicon.
I was able to check out a few games below amongst the hustle and bustle (and amongst the giant hole TUBBZ has made in our bank account).
#1. Ascend by Miami Avalon
Ascend is a zodiac puzzle adventure where you’ll solve ancient puzzles, collect tarot cards and complete trials all in the theme of the zodiac signs. I had some time with Ascend and I can see this being a hit in the cosy genre. The art style is whimsical and had me drawn in immediately. The puzzles aren’t too challenging but still fun enough that you will be up to doing different things as you explore. You can uncover secrets, shift time and change the daylight to dusk. From what I played I enjoyed. This is available now on Steam at the low price of £4.99, or you can check the demo out for free. Ascend Demo on Steam
#2. Project Lexa by Ward Games
Another puzzler in the midst of Project Lexa. In Project Lexa you have crash landed and ended up marooned alone, your entire colony is missing and the only thing you need to do now is find them. You stumble upon a mysterious language that seems to have some of your team tangled. You can explore various locations, meet various teammates and uncover this alien language in a story-rich side-scroller. From what I played it seemed funny, yet intriguing. You can’t play this game just yet, but you check it out on Steam. Project Lexa on Steam
#3. Soup For The Consumer – by MegaMelone (David Gadelkarim)
Soup For The Consumer is at first, very unassuming, but actually entails a lot of depth. Whilst you’re adrift in space, you are suspended by the ‘imagined’ and ‘the forgotten’. Soup isn’t soup but actually your expression, your thoughts and your perception of the world. ‘The Consumer’ asks you to create, although he will not judge. There is no winning, losing, points or jump scares, just simply your imagination.
The consumer will ask you to make a soup, the soup will be a phrase of anything. For example, I got told to make a soup of ‘having everything whilst feeling nothing’. Bloody deep right? How on earth do I ‘express’ this? After the consumer has asked you, you will enter a room of many objects, almost a bit like the room of requirement. Items from utensils, buildings, objects and fauna are at your disposal to put in. You can pick up as many or as little as you feel necessary, even changing the colour of your soup to fit your expression. Once you’ve completed this, the consumer will try to understand you. That’s it. That’s the game. Whilst I said earlier this seems simple, it is. However, it can be as deep as you like, I could have easily got lost in creating many different types of expressions.
I love the psychology of this game, the expression through art or through objects, it can be so very healing or thought provoking. Good news too, it’s completely free on itch.io. I actually met the developer, David, and we had a great conversation about his interests in making this game. You can check it out here: Soup for The Consumer by MegaMelone
#4. A Very British Campaign – 1-1 Studios
Whilst not a game, it WILL eventually be a game, A tabletop one. It has been exactly 48 hours since my first ever proper DnD experience (other than a guest spot one time a few years ago). This felt like FATE to walk past. A Very British Campaign is currently on Kickstarter as a whimsical 5e DnD Campaign. They’re inspired by Britain and that becomes your story. Baking, Tea-brewing, sugar goblins, the lot. They report its messy, frantic, and very British.
This seems like such an exciting project and I will be following these guys. If you check them out on social media, they have put a call to action out to give them details of where you live! I very excitedly told them I was from Somerset, and to my joy they had nothing from Somerset yet. I can’t wait to see what’s included (probably tractors and cider to be honest). The devs were lovely and you can tell a lot of passion is going into this project. You can back it here: A Very British Campaign – A 5e Campaign Setting by World1-1 — Kickstarter
#5. Good Boy – Observer Interactive
Good Boy was a lovely heartwarming adventure to enjoy today, think Wall-E but more nature. You take control of this little guy who is a space rover pup, capturing cargo and exploring the world around you. I was uncovering secret caves, exploring hidden waterfalls and catching bugs for testing. The art style was simply delectable and I had a lot of fun with what I experienced. I was unsure at first, but after a few minutes I could see the time that may be spent on this. It’s considered a casual Metroidvania and this will be one to watch, published by Team 17 and developed by Observer Interactive.
#6. Thingy Paint – SIGTRAP Games
Okay, saving the best till last maybe? I had my eye on Thingy Paint the moment I saw the poster, I knew it was a bit of me. However, it was reasonably busy when I had come by so I bided my time and came back later.
I am so glad I did because, man, I was IMMERSED. Think Powerwash Simulator but with cuter, cosier Warhammer-like figurines. I jokingly said it was almost like a ‘Stardew Warhammer’ and I have it on good authority that may make future descriptions upon release! It was LOVELY. It was painting without the stress of being in the lines. You can change the time of day and lighting, you can showcase your figurines and even change the colour pallete. You will go through a mixture of techniques such as spraying, dry brushing, creating colour and finally texture. You will not need to worry about getting anything wrong as Thingy Paint has you covered, and if you’re missing any you can highlight any bits to go back over. I chose to paint the most adorable cactus and dare I say he was super cute. They plan to add so much more to choose from too, from Frog Mages to fruit keyrings. It will be a ‘brain in the jar’ delight.
The audience is so broad too, whilst they don’t have a target audience in mind just yet, they really can see this being aimed at anyone who loves relaxing, cosy, and satisfying. Whilst I played, I also was a complete idiot and didn’t put the headphones on but the lovely dev at SIGTRAP told me that the music and soundbites add to the satisfying brushstrokes you will do. Currently, SIGTRAP are overhauling their website, but I have a feeling you’ll all know when this guy gets close to release.
Well, that’s me and the words from my first experience of EGX. I had a blast, I do hope it doesn’t continue to shrink over the years because this area was so much fun and I met so many lovely people. Long live EGX and good luck to all of these games for their releases. Don’t forget to check out the rest of the team’s highlights and the podcast covering everything EGX.