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Spirit World by Cozy Game Studio took first place at the Very Big Indie Pitch at Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2024.
The conference celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, providing networking opportunities, fantastic talks and, of course, a host of fringe events. With over 1,800 individuals taking part in this two-day event, it was a packed conference. One of the fringe events that took place at the event was The Very Big Indie Pitch, both Mobile Edition and PC + Console Edition.
If you aren’t familiar with event, it’s a speed-dating-style format pitch that challenges indie developers to quick-fire pitch their game to our panel of expert judges from all corners of the gaming industry.
Teams who pitch gain valuable feedback on their games and pitch style, as well as experience in pitching quickly to a bunch of industry experts. Winners also receive prizes like promotional packages and the golden Big Indie Pitch baseball bat.
For this pitch, we saw over 20 indie developers come together to pitch their games, showcasing them to our judges. We saw a variety of games from competitive party games to games that promote a healthier lifestyle to games that were inspired by Hindu mythology.
Though there were many fantastic entries, our judges worked hard to debate it out and come up with their top three games of The Very Big Indie Pitch Mobile Edition. Let’s get into the top three games from this pitch:
First Place – Spirit World by Cozy Game Studio (iOS, Android)
Spirit World is a relaxing, casual farming adventure game that features mindful rituals in its gameplay. You play as a young woman fixing up her grandmother’s farm. Through clearing items and gathering resources, you will use up your energy. To gain it back, you need to participate in mindfulness exercises; things like breathing or writing worries on paper and burning them within the game.
As you explore your farm, you’ll be able to craft magical items for townsfolk and meet mythical creatures that have been living on the land. It’s a fantastic world to immerse yourself in. Cozy Game Studio hasn’t previously released a game, but its experience on previous titles has clearly helped the team polish and shape its pitch, creating a unique and impressive farming game.
Second Place – Jamland by Record Games (iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch)
Jamland is a social music game where you can play fantastic instruments and jam out with your friends. Inspired by games like Pokémon and Music with Friends, you can collect a bunch of instruments, create original songs, and jam out with your friends.
AI judges can rate your music and you can level up in Battle of the Bands competitions while you play. Jamland is a game where you can play with your friends, master your skills when it comes to creating songs, and use generative audio for infinite instruments!
Third Place – Walkscape by Not a Cult (iOS, Android)
Walkscape is a fitness RPG, where walking in real life is what progresses you within the game. Inspired by games like RuneScape, you can find yourself grinding to gain experience, completing quests to help you progress, and finding legendary items on your travels, all within a magical fantasy setting.
Walkscape encourages a healthier lifestyle by providing rewards for walking, but it does not track your GPS location and instead just tracks steps giving players the privacy they might desire.
Want to show off your exciting new game? We host Big Indie Pitch events throughout the year, so make sure to regularly check our upcoming events page over on BigIndiePitch.com.
