Events: Develop:Brighton Expo and Brilliant indie treasures
What did I get up to at the conference expo and indie gaming event?
Disclaimer: I am currently not working in the industry but I used to and was also job hunting while at the expo… I know, it is not good time.
The Expo
Develop:Brighton is a video games conference for people in the industry. The talks and tracks are specific to disciplines within in the industry.
The Develop:Brighton conference has something for everyone - 13 tracks covering every discipline of game making, including the new Performance track plus free Roundtables and Indie BootCamp. Our main focus is practical take-away and vocational content giving you the chance to “skill-up” and do what you do even better.
The conference has been going for many years and I have always wanted to go. Last year I went for the first time, when I was job hunting … spoiler … I didn’t get a job in the games industry.
This time around I am employed but with a fixed term contract so I thought I’d build on my experience from last year and meet more people and ask better questions. It was a lovely mix of local and international studios, and despite the definite less hopeful vibes this year, it is always inspiring to be around so many creatives and hard working people.
The expo is a free event, consisting of several stalls ranging from studios, to unions and also this time around the lovely Patch magazine.
I also met a few lovely people, that I have been chatting to online and it is nice to see each other in person. It is hard making friends in adult life and video games has definitely brought new connections. :) *waves*
Brilliant Indie Treasures
In the afternoon I went to the Brilliant indie treasures event. I managed to get a ticket this time around so could be there from 4pm. Last year they also ran the event but I was too slow to join in.
What I love so much about this event is that it celebrates indie developers in a time when loads of people from the video games industry are in town, and lets them show off their work. Also as a non drinker they are hosting it as an alcohol free event, which is rare and welcome.
Having been an organiser for tech events, it can be hard to create a safe space and making it alcohol free was definitely something that made me feel safe to go on my own.
You can read more about the team and their mission here.
We deliberately set out to celebrate games that hadn’t had their moment in the spotlight, games that had interesting, fresh aspects, and games that you likely hadn’t seen or had the chance to play before.
The event was very busy and buzzing, which was great to see. I also loved the camaraderie between the different developers, sharing each others’ skills to help each other. It was so nice to see. As someone who is all about community and uplifting each other, I really enjoyed the event.
I mostly spoke to developers and only played a handful of games, which I will call out below but the full line up can be found here.
The Games
Ascend - A zodiac puzzle
Solve ancient puzzles, collect tarot cards, and complete the zodiac trials to climb the mountain and save your people in Ascend, a 3D puzzle adventure. Shift between Day, Twilight, and Dusk with your Time Turner to reveal secrets, alter the landscape, and discover hidden paths. Will you ascend?
This was a beautiful puzzle game. I liked the zodiac signs theme and it looked magical. It was definitely a chilled out puzzle game, and the developer said their goal was to make it a “tea and biscuit” game. One to chill with and enjoy a biscuit. We agreed that our biscuit of choice would be a milk chocolate hob nob. Yours?
The Calcium Crusader 64
Next was Sam’s new game. I loved the vibes here. He described the game as inspired by Zelda and Monty Python. I straight away felt thrown back into like Spyro the Dragon, era with the graphics and Sam’s sense of human was shining through the bits of dialogue I got to see during the demo. The style and vibes were very nice and I loved the back story too. I could have chatted with Sam about his projects and creativity for ages. Give him a follow and support him.
The actual game is not on steam or so yet, but it will be launched there on Halloween 2025 with a release date the following Halloween in 2026. In the meantime you can check out his other work and play some of his games in itch.io.
Creatures Like Us
Creatures Like Us is a narrative life sim about squatting, solidarity and surviving capitalism together. Follow a group of friends as they make homes in abandoned buildings. They forage, fix stuff, hold meetings and figure out how to live alongside each other with care, conflict and humour.
I actually didn't get to play this one but the premise and art style really appeals to me so I added it to my steam wish list to keep an eye on it.
Lost and Bound
Join Historian Errol Locke in his perilous quest to rescue his kidnapped Sister Clementine.
Having discovered her hidden journal and deciphered the cryptic notes within, Errol has arrived at the Lost Cemetery. A decaying graveyard that conceals the secret base of The Hallowed Order.
Clementine’s journal indicates that a symbol or letter has been hidden at the graves of the Order’s founding members. If he can find the letters they should give him the combination to the lock that protects the entrance of the Order’s hiding place. Can Errol crack the code in time to save Clementine?
This is a playable novel and puzzle style game with a lovely art style and gothic theme. I spoke to the developer a little bit and watched someone play it. They got really into it. I liked the premise and if you follow the link you can actually give the game a go too on itch. :)
Nanuka: Secret of the Shattering Moon
An exciting action-platformer inspired by the style of 90s animation. Fight your way through a handcrafted, pixel art world, recruit allies to power up your gameplay and enjoy cool combat moves in a thrilling adventure packed with action and charm.
Did someone say pixel art side scrolling platformer!? Well this is right up my street and it looked and smooth and felt great so far. The people behind the game are doing regular development vlogs and there is a feature in the magazine debug about this game too. I think it is really impressive to share the journey so openly. I wish them all the best, especially as it is the sort of game I love playing.
Prison of Husks
A nostalgic souls-like set in a painted afterlife. Awaken as a doll and seek your beloved. From parries to pistols, tune your build to overcome adversity. Explore dense, interconnected levels full of secrets and shortcuts as you battle pigment-hoarding bosses and seek your lost love.
This game was also demoed on the steam deck, which instantly caught my eye. It his essentially a souls like and in true souls-like style, it is difficult. It was inspired by Demon’s souls and Dark souls. The art style is nostalgic, and bleak. I think this has great potential for handheld gaming and you can also play the demo on steam right now.
Remnants of Yore
A cozy rogue-like adventure about spirits, spellcraft, and second chances. You are the proud new owner of a once thriving, now dilapidated antique shop! After your arrival, it’s quite obvious that something is wrong… but none of the remaining town folk can figure out what...
And the game I got really in to and so excited about. It looks really cute and combines a lot of my favourite games, and my favourite elements of those games. Essentially this is a mix of Stardew Valley and Moonlighter.
You play as a cat wizard, to help uncover what is wrong in the new town, and you get to do rogue like style runs in the forrest for items to sell in your shop. You also have a farming element, growing plants for potions. The art was lovely already and I am excited to try it. They have a bit of a play test on steam at the moment that you can check out now.
What are new indie games you are excited about?
This sounded like a very enjoyable event. I wish I had events like this near me. I thinking events like this showcasing indie devs is such a great idea. It allows everyone to see how many creative people are out there just waiting to be discovered. Those seven games you listed looked great and fun. It makes me want to play even more indie games.
I had no idea about Brilliant Indie Treasures thanks for sharing this! Been following Calcium Crusader dev for a little bit now and happy to hear its progressing well!