Here are some promising indie efforts from around the world that we reviewed at DevGAMM Gdańsk –

Last month we were able to interact with the indie gaming industry during the DevGAMM event in Gdańsk, Poland. Besides talking to major studios and publishers, at this conference, organized at the AmberExpo and made possible by InvestGDA, we interviewed several developers who are looking for a publisher or who want to make their project known to a wider audience.

After the interactions we had with the various people who make up the development teams (sometimes one-man armies), we at Gamereactor noticed an interesting shuffle of genres and rather peculiar combinations. We’ll have to see how they perform upon release, but there are some promising titles in the pipeline. As we did at DevGAMM Lisbon 2024, in this report we present a selection of developers we had the pleasure of speaking to at the event.

From Poland: Dungeons of Amber Griffin

Dungeons of the Amber Griffin is a title in development that takes players to the mystical region of Kashubia, Poland, inspired by its language, mythology and folklore. In the adventure, they lead a group of four characters with unique abilities to explore dungeons, defeat legendary creatures and unravel secrets of their ancestors. The solo developer, Frozengem Studio, wanted to combine elements of CRPGs from the 1980s with modern mechanics to give a more polished experience. “We want the best exploration experience with the latest technology, and characters like metahumans change every aspect of the game’s quality.” says Tomasz Rozynski, lead developer of the game. In addition, they had the help of the band Percival Schuttenbach, famous for their work on The Witcher, to add depth to the project. The studio wants to release it on PC this year, but they want to release it well-polished because they have a lot of confidence in the title, so we will have to wait for them to take the plunge.

From Romania: Tearscape

Tearscape is a video game that wants to focus on exploration and combat and leave the story in the background, but without neglecting it. “There is some lore, some NPCs, different dialogue and things like that, but the story is not the most important thing,” explains solo developer Tudor Prodan explains. It is a 2D, 8-bit adventure game inspired by The Legend of Zelda and FromSoftware titles such as Dark Souls or especially Bloodborne. The plot centers on a hunter who must explore dungeons to track down a group of beasts to collect their tears. A demo is already available on Steam so you can play the first dungeon and the final boss, and the Romanian solo developer, while talking to publishers, plans to release the game by the end of the year.

From Germany: Detective of the Dead

Despite its German origins, Detective of the Dead is a project centered on the Mexican culture of death, giving the player the role of a detective who must solve cases in the other world. Combining adventure elements with RPG, and even a little Metroidvania, with an isometric camera, you must search for clues to solve mysteries before a great enemy ends the world. “There are minigames, you have coins…. A lot happens in the game, but the focus is on strong stories.” explains Michael Geidel, producer at Actrio Studio. It is already available to add to the Steam Wishlist, but they are looking for funding to finish it.

From Sweden: Keep Driving

Keep Driving is an already released title that focuses on a young person who just got his driver’s license and wants to go visit his friends. During the adventure there will be different missions and will be able to end in different ways. It has elements of RPG and stock management, with great attention to detail. Sweden-based studio YCJY Games has taken inspiration from the Swedish countryside for the scenery and vehicles. “A lot of people came up to me today and said, oh, it feels like I’m in Latvia or Belarus or something.” told Olle Tibblin, the title’s quality assurance manager. The game, full of pixelated nostalgia and cars from the 80s, as we mentioned, is available on Steam (with Steam Deck support) and there is no official word on consoles yet.

From the US: Call from Elyndra

Call of Elyndra is a game in development that combines various elements of simulation and adventure, reminiscent of titles such as Stardew Valley and classic Zelda. In this project, players can farm, explore dungeons, solve puzzles and take on multiple enemies. All this combined in a pixel art world inspired by the iconic Game Boy Advance aesthetic, although there are indications that this could undergo a major change in the near future. “We want to offer a nostalgic yet modern experience, with in-depth mechanics and thoughtful storytelling that will keep players engaged for hours.” says Jakub Mamulski, representative of Quorum Games. The game offers about 30 hours of story and differentiates itself from similar titles by focusing on a deep story. A demo of the title is currently available for testing on Steam, although there is no word on a final release date.

From Poland: Verho

Verho is set in a country where the Curse of Faces has taken most of the world’s life. This curse means that when two people see each other’s faces, they immediately die and therefore wear masks. The player will have to find the source of this downfall in a world with hints of King’s Field and Skyrim, with low-poly graphics and in first-person. “The world is divided into 20 levels and you can play four of them in the Steam demo. It takes about three to four hours and the final game will take between 33 and 40 hours.” explains Sebastian Solczak, lead developer at Kasur Games. The title will be released on PC by the end of summer as the first platform, although it will appear on Switch, Xbox and PlayStation in the future.

Among everything that could be sampled at DevGAMM, there are many interesting projects left out of this compilation that also deserve an honorable mention. For example, we are talking about An Amazing Wizard, from the Tiny Goblins studio, or Dark Trip, from the iTales VR studio. Both have their special piece, in case you want to know more at their respective links.