Indie Triumph at Insomnia Gaming Festival: Unveiling the lucky winner of a £10k marketing prize!

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Insomnia Games Festival and it was nothing short of gamer-heaven. But amidst the bustle, one event truly stood out: 'Pitch Up.'

Pitch Up gave indie developers the chance to pitch their creations to a panel of industry names. The stakes were high, with the grand prize being a 10k marketing package awarded by Game on Loop. In addition, the lucky winner would receive a ticket to the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco 2024, with flights and accommodation provided. And to top it all off, they would get the golden opportunity of monthly mentoring sessions with Phil Elliott, CEO of Modern Wolf.

Beatka from Chaos Cookie, who participated in Pitch Up, shared their thoughts on the experience. "I really liked the Pitch Up. It's one thing to have an idea where you're going, but getting feedback from industry veterans takes it to another level. For me, being able to get that feedback and validation on the game was a reward in itself."

The atmosphere was electric as players crowded around the Indieverse, entertaining themselves with the brilliant and broad selection of games. It was evident that the panel had a very challenging task ahead of them in deciding the winner. 

Phil Elliott himself had some words to share about the event: "This year's inaugural Pitch Up perfectly summed up why the indie development sector is such an interesting and important part of the industry, with a range of team shapes and sizes plus a really diverse mix of project types… After tough deliberation, we were delighted to award the prize to SCHiM - finding a new angle on platforming games is no easy task, but the charm, attention to detail, and clever mechanics make the game really stand out."

The victorious indie developers, Extra Nice, and their game SCHiM, not only secured the GDC ticket but also gained access to valuable business and marketing support. It's not just a win for them; it's a triumph for the entire indie community, proving that innovation and creativity can still shine in an industry dominated by giants.

Whilst I myself had a blast trying out all the different indie titles, Pitch Up, and the Indieverse as a whole, wasn't just about the games. It was about developers getting the recognition they deserve, and about the celebration of what indie games are capable of achieving today.