What a wild week it has been! EGX was a blast and I’m so glad I went. In my last post I discussed what it was like going as a developer, and now I can tell you what it was like attending as a general public member. (Although I knew what to expect, it was still different from my previous experience.) This post will have a ton of photos, and if you missed my constant outpouring of Instagram Stories, I saved them all on my profile, so feel free to look through and watch me slowly forget to post about what I was doing. One day I’ll be brave enough to go live or record videos but that was not the time because the music and announcements were too loud (not to mention my spotty service…)
Getting to EGX, I think I can officially say I am over coach rides. There was no space to move around and the ride there, every seat was filled so it was way too hot and stuffy. (Not as bad as the ride home, just wait for that rant…) Ok I’ll rant right now, WHY would you take a phone call on a crowded bus and put it on SPEAKER PHONE?! No! I don’t want to hear your conversation, I want to sleep. And the amount of coughing going on in that bus… I’ll keep you updated on my Covid tests. (Ok, rant over… but message me if you want the full rant.)
I don’t mind the London underground, I find it easy to move around, especially if you have planned the trip and you’ve been there at least twice. I know my way around Victoria Train station and Coach station. Some of you may not know that I’m American so I used to take the coach to and from Heathrow airport when traveling home and coming back. I have spent many cold winter days in the terminal, sitting on the metal chairs, and freezing my butt off whenever the doors opened for passengers. I’m so glad that part of my life is over and I’ve invested in a longer coat that covers the metal seats.
If you did see my Instagram photos, you probably saw that I had a sprained ankle. Well I thought it was sprained, I had been having bad ankle pains leading up to EGX and decided to wear my ankle brace the whole ride there and the first day of EGX. For some reason the brace made everything a lot worse. So I didn’t even wear it near the end and endured the spasms of pain I had, but yea, my ankle is doing much better. My lower back will never recover from the constant standing and walking around though, I have accepted that. (I will not subject you to any photos of my swollen ankles)
We had a lovely trip into London on Thursday. We stopped by Forbidden Planet and oh my gosh, if I knew I didn't have to carry them home, I would have purchased 4 large "The art of..." books. Then we stopped by the Lego store and everything in there was impressive. I am also that one person to take a photo of the lamps on their staircase instead of the Lego Gringott's Dragon. And then we had Korean Barbeque which was delicious. But our side trip was amazing! Lots of walking but worth it!
The games this year were really unique. There were a lot of Indie Games and VR, not a lot of big name games like Sony or Nintendo, but I think that was nice, it gave the Indie studios more chances to talk with the public instead of having the public play their games while waiting for their time slot for the big release game play-footage. It was small, but after 2 years of Covid shutting events down, canceling at the last minute, and even being the host of a super spreader event, I think the turn out was amazing. It was very clear that the fear of Covid was still in the air, for many people who are introverts, attending a huge convention and trying to showcase the work you’ve been doing during lockdown and talking to people face-to-face was a big accomplishment. Honestly, every single person I met was amazing! I didn’t feel like I was annoying them with too many questions, they were engaged, and excited to discuss their game, and I didn’t feel like I had to push the conversation along.
I was most impressed with the VR and the Transfuser games. Every time I went to the Games Talent Wales booth there were hordes of people lined up to play all their games, a massive “YAY!” to everyone there, that says a lot! The VR games were incredible, very smooth and easy to play, and really fun. Most of them were multiplayer which is really nice to see, it can get tiring to play VR games alone and trying to explain the game-play to someone just watching on the monitor. But there are several games I can’t wait to be released! Same with the Transfuzer games, they all had amazing games! Several times I went back to re-match with my friends. I’m always impressed by the level of commitment and talent going through EGX, when I think “What could people possibly make a game about next, it’s all been done,” 10 new game ideas come out and I want to buy them all to play. Which is saying something considering I don’t play a lot of games.
House Flipper 2 was amazing! Still in Beta but I’m really excited for that release, everything I wanted in that game is now included in the game! Someone must have heard me talking about it and sent them an email or Tweet or whatever you do to talk to big studios. (Probably Twitter, right?)
I didn’t attend many of the talks, like I said, I had spotty service so I missed all the notifications the EGX app was sending me about talks. The VR Showcase talk was impressive, most of those games were available to play, which I’ve already said I want to buy all of them. As well as the talks I did attend, the Cosplay was great! So many dedicated fans out there! I’ve never been one to do Cosplay myself, but I always admire how much time and effort others put into it.
I won’t lie, EGX was difficult. I had terrible ankle pains, the standing and walking inflamed my back pains I’ve had since I was a ballet dancer, and it was exhausting. Waking up early to stand in line and ending the day at 7 pm only to fall asleep around midnight, definitely something I couldn’t do every day. The loud music and commentary gave us all migraines at one point and we did get on each other's nerves a little, but that’s expected when you’re spending a lot of time together and everything aches. It’s a big change from lockdown and from all the mask mandates. The crowds of people waiting to play a game, everyone brushing up behind you as they pass you at the merchandise stalls, is very disheartening to do for 4 days. But it is worth it. You meet the most amazing developers and artists. If anyone is unsure of attending an EGX, just go for the weekend pass, Sunday’s are always super chill and relaxed, but Saturday’s are busy, so you get to experience the thrill of everyone in there playing games and having fun, but then you can enjoy the event while no one is around and watch the venues pack up slowly (and even get free stuff, they hand out a lot of free stuff on the last day near the end of the day.)
All-in-all, EGX was amazing. I was able to attend with 3 friends and play some amazing new games. I met some amazing developers and cosplayers and made some great memories. I feel this is the part where I should say I had Wendy’s for dinner and it was amazing! Exactly how I remember it and makes me a little less homesick. But wow do I want a Wendy’s in Cardiff now.
I hope if you’re reading this, you have the inspiration to go make a game and enter it into EGX next year. It really is a great way to get your skills out there and to show others what you can do. EGX changed my outlook on the gaming industry in 2019 from “I don’t fit in here” to “I belong”. And now, this past experience has reassured me that my company is going to do great things. There are so many talented young professionals out there who deserve a chance to work in the industry and I only hope I can help them achieve the confidence, portfolio, and experience they need to land that first job in industry. I’ll definitely be going back to EGX, either as a developer or part of the public, and I cannot wait!
Game shoutouts!! Fool’s Gold by Pixel Puffball Games: This game was a great party game, quit the challenge and was full of laughs. Highly recommend this for group gatherings. (Ok, I’ll be honest, I was rubbish at the game, but it was really well done, I love a challenge.)
Skera VR by Team Skera…. : This game is gorgeous! The puzzle were really fun and the creatures designed for it really match the aesthetic. I could have easily played for much longer but many people were lined up for this.
Kingdom Run VR by Alarming Ladder: If you’ve played Temple Run, you’ll love this game. It was easy to pick up and an exhilarating run, I kept getting hit by the swinging hammers and they scared me every time, but really well made.
Finding Bentley by DogBox Games: This game was so much fun and a good one for kids. You use farts to fight off evil ghosts in a haunted house. The colours, art, story were all beautiful and it was fun to step into a new, imaginative game.
Color Connect by Sandford Tech: This game is on the top of my list to buy. It’s a relaxing puzzle game set inside gorgeous environments. You bet I was ignoring the puzzles to admire my surroundings for a good 10 minutes. How could I not.
Broken Edge by Trebuchet: This game is an impressive online multiplayer VR game. The idea is to joust with your opponent, but you’re made out of glass so it’s about strategy and skill. It was incredibly fun to play and had stunning visuals!
you can find all the Transfuzer Teams for 2022 here: https://tranzfuser.com/tranzfuser-teams/