The Only Tremor That Mattered: Indie Creativity Shook the Room The Very Big Indie Pitch!

The Very Big Indie Pitch (VBIP), a high-energy, speed-dating-style pitching competition held alongside Pocket Gamer Connects, returned to San Francisco for its second post-COVID edition. Developers had just five minutes to impress a room full of expert judges with their games: Refining their pitches and gaining invaluable feedback. But the biggest shock of the day wasn’t the earthquake that rattled the venue, but the sheer creativity and innovation on display from a diverse group of indie developers.

With over 100 entries spanning open-world adventures, fast-paced arcade games, and competitive multiplayer battlers, this year’s submissions covered an astonishing range of genres. The winners stood out for their bold, fresh takes on gaming:

• The first place went to Hawk Shaw: Private Eye by Exit 73 Game with its point-and-click adventure game with unique artwork inspired by Pink Panther. The judges praised the well organised pitch and stylized pitch deck.

• In second place came Purrfect Employee by Second Way Studios for its unique VR game concept where players act as a cat trying to cause chaos in an office while not losing one’s job. The joyful concept really impressed the judges.

• In third place was Blocks for Babies by BunkSoft Interactive LLC a merge of Tetris and Doom made for a new and completely different mash-up of two classic games, proving that indie games continue to push boundaries.

The judges also praised NAME OF THE WILL for its stunning Hong Kong-style artwork and unique story as well as Detective Dotson. A unique storyline about a detective who wants to be a Bollywood star.

“The Very Big Indie Pitch had a fantastic showing this year!” Said Jupiter Hadley, The Big Indie Pitch lead and Staff Writer. “There were so many indie games, all taking the time to pitch their projects and see what our judges said. In the deliberation, the judges spent a lot of time giving positive feedback and commented on how strong this year’s showing was.”

The winning teams earned press packages, expert feedback from judges across PR, journalism, publishing, marketing, and live ops, and valuable industry recognition; giving their games a powerful visibility boost.

 “One of the things I liked best about the VBIP is it was a chance to “battle test” our deck,” said winner Greg Lane, Exit 37 Games.  “If you’re emailing it out to people, you never truly know if your deck is telling the story you intend. It was very exciting to have an event where you got to the heart of what the game is and could explain it in person.”

This year’s Very Big Indy Pitch combined Console, PC, Mobile and rare VR entries, showcasing the vibrant diversity of indie development. The earthquake may have been a fleeting surprise, but the aftershocks of creativity will be felt for a long time.

Steel Media and Big Indy Pitch are already gearing up to deliver even more developers and experts next time for even more insight and excitement.

“We loved doing the Very Big Indie Pitch! Not only was it a great challenge to pare down our pitch to the essentials, it also helped us prepare for a week of quick introductions and elevator pitches.” said Noah Ritz, BunkSoft Interactive LLC