The 6th annual PAX South gaming festival came and went, bringing with it a new wave of previews, exhibitions, tech, and other geeky goodness. Ever since Penny Arcade Expo’s founding in 2004, the convention has grown into a well-loved event series held around the world. PAX South was added to the lineup in 2015 and, continuing with tradition, took place in San Antonio, Texas. Luckily, I was able to attend this year and have you covered in case you missed out. Here are my favorite highlights from PAX South 2020.

Indie Games Galore

The most peculiar aspect I noticed about this year’s PAX South was that there were no unrivaled show-stoppers. In fact, the entire convention ended up identifying as a playground for under-the-radar projects. I stumbled upon small yet impressive studios that I’d never heard of before, such as Dot Dream, Grand Demon, TurtleBlaze, and Fishing Cactus.

Towards the end of the weekend, I strolled through the exhibition hall and jotted down a list of 2D-Platformers/Sidescrollers — a favorite genre among indie developers — and there were a striking amount of entries. If you are interested in the genre, check out the full list of exhibitors and search around.

Some of my personal favorites from tiny teams at the show were KUNAI (3-person team from the Netherlands) and Brave Eduardo (duo from Cali); KUNAI is a stylish Metroidvania taking place in a world populated by computer screens, its stand-out art defined by limited color-use. Brave Eduardo is inspired by a very different time period, the Victorian era, following conventions from Hollow Knight but with its own twists.

PAX Together

Continuing along the same vein, convention organizers set up a section called PAX Together, a “showcase area for games developed by individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds, and highlighting various community groups active in the space.” Some of the games that caused the most buzz came from the modest exhibit.

I overheard multiple PAX attendees laughing over the ridiculousness of An Airport For Aliens Currently Run By Dogs, a bizarre first-person puzzle game that is doused in surrealist humor and wacky visuals. Another standout was Garden Story, a Zelda-inspired sim adventure game where players undertake the role of Concord, and aptly-named grape in cozy world of interesting characters.

Tabletop Haven

Although I admit that tabletop games are not my specialty, simply strolling through the convention center revealed how significant its culture is to PAX as a whole. There were an impressive amount of game-designers and enthusiasts alike in San Antonio; Not only was there a massive tabletop play-space set up and reserved for attendees, many of the expo hall’s booths were taken by new tabletop creators. I found myself enamored with the creative energy and passion that creators had. For those interested, a full list can be found here. If tabletops are your jam, any PAX festival is a must-attend.

Arena Events

The PAX Arena was a large section on the floor devoted to casting staged events and competitions. Despite what looked like a fluid production setup and professional casters, I never noticed much buzz around the arena — save for Fortnite’s debut of the new “Liferun” game mode.

Liferun is a collaboration with the International Red Cross which aims to both raise money for the organization and bring attention to the heroic efforts of their members. The game mode focuses of saving lives rather than taking them, a bold deviation from Fortnite’s combat-centric identity. Twitch streamers DrLupo, ONE_shot_GIRL, and Lachlan brought a decent amount of attention to the stage when they introduced the new gameplay to the public.

Blue Mammoth Games’ Brawlhalla ended up as a big hit at PAX South. The studio’s booth was right beside the official PAX Arena, and I’d wager that more yelling and excitement stemmed from their much smaller setup. Serving as a Super Smash Bros alternative, Brawlhalla proved to have a dedicated player base — challengers arising from the crowds to combat the game’s developers in order to win prizes if victorious. The studio’s team also commentated the matches with a PA system, adding to the hype around their mini-arena.

VR & Experimental

The festival didn’t house a large Virtual-Reality showcase in the expo hall, but Rebellion Developments (their team coming all the way from England) did manage to impress with demos for their upcoming Sniper Elite VR. I chatted with a team-member named Dave, who kindly walked me through the basics of VR Nazi-sniping. After getting the hang of aiming, I admit that taking shots at various opponents quickly became addicting. Additionally, the game utilizes a satisfying slow-motion replay feature when a snipe is executed, akin to Fallout.

Another experimental VR setup that caught my attention was from Andromeda Entertainment. One of their projects, SoundSelf: A Technodelic, is a meditative experience that encourages players to use their voice to explore reactive visuals and sounds. As a side note — patrons laying in the “Vibroacoustic Sound Lounge Beds” looked like they were hooked up to The Matrix.

I’m leaving out plenty, of course, as even the full weekend didn’t seem to allow enough time for me to explore the range of activities offered. Publishers YSBRYD, tinyBuild, and Annapurna all had fantastic games on display; There were plenty of forums to attend, each a treasure trove of game industry advice; The B.Y.O.C. and freeplay sections were as busy as ever too.

All-in-all, PAX South 2020 felt like a festival made especially for indie developers; Its sheer diversity contributed to the overall appeal. Many heavy-hitters were absent and nothing earth-shattering was announced, yet PAX South proved that the near future is bright in the realm of tinier games.

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