After three long days, PAX East 2015 has finally come to a close! Twinfinite was down in the trenches this year playing everything from AAA mega-titles to single dev indie gems. This year we’re offering up two awards that highlight the games that stood out as being the best of the best and worthy of hype going forward.
There were SO MANY indies this year at PAX East. So many that we decided that they needed their own award! It’s too bad; having to pick just a couple of indies from all the great ones out there is like trying to decide who your favorite child is. Alas, there can be only one!… And maybe a couple of honorable mentions.
Without further adieu… our PAX East 2015 Indie Best of Show!
WINNER: Mayan Death Robots (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Of all the wonderful indie games at PAX East 2015, Mayan Death Robots descended from the heavens and stood tall as the supreme alien ruler of the Indie Megabooth and is well deserving of our Indie Best of Show Award. I had an absolute blast with Sileni Studios’ fast paced strategy title that stars killer alien robots fighting over who gets to rule the Mayan civilization. I watched three rounds and then got to play one myself and it was crystal clear by the end of my time with Mayan Death Robots that it has the potential to be a mega indie hit.
Battles are tense, strategic, but also silly fun and should be great material for streaming. Whether you want to be a troll and mess with your friends in good fun or want a serious strategy title to test your wits, Mayan Death Robots has you covered. I would have been satisfied with just two evenly matched aliens but there’s going to be at least ten. Mayan Death Robots exudes charm and I can’t wait to spend more time with the it and try out all the different possible playing styles. And before I forget, there’s also going to be a full on cooperative/competitive campaign mode as well.
Well done, Sileni Studios!
Although Mayan Death Robots is our undisputed champion, these next two games also had excellent PAX East 2015 showings as well and were VERY close runner ups.
Honorable Mention: Move or Die (Windows, Mac, Linux)
The first of two great party games from PAX East 2015 on this list, Move or Die is comprised of Mario Party style mini-games (the fun ones) distilled down and delivered directly to you and your friends. And the best part is your friends won’t need to be right next to you as online party play as well as support for mods are in the cards. In the email I got letting me know of Move or Die’s presence at PAX East 2015, developer Those Awesome Guys, told me to look for the booth with the big crowd of people yelling “OOOHHHH” every now and then. This was 100% accurate. The mini-games were short, fast-paced, and had a close call ending almost every time. This game will ruin friendships. Oh and, by the way, if you don’t move, you die.
Honorable Mention: Knight Squad (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Chainawesome Games’ party game, Knight Squad describes itself as part SNES Bomberman and part Gauntlet. I’d say it’s more of the former and a dash of another amazing indie, BombSquad. The game really boils down to being a bunch of knights whacking each other with some kind of objective guiding the madness. For example, I played “Capture the Grail” and Soccer. There’s nothing complicated about it or really much to explain here. It’s just good ole’ fashioned organized chaos done flawlessly. There’s only move and attack, so literally anyone that can at least hold a controller straight can figure out how to play. With an Xbox One release looming as well, Knight Squad will be a hit with your friends whether they regularly game or not.
Congratulations to all of our winners and the hard working developers that made them! There were plenty of great indie games this year at PAX East, so picking just a couple was a tough task.
Satisfied with our picks? Do you have some indie game suggestions for us or your fellow readers? Let us know in the comments!
About the author
