This year, the storied Tribeca Film Festival will expand their video game offerings into the Tribeca Games Official Selections. Much like the Tribeca Film Festival, the Official Selections highlight games that are destined to be talked about for years to come.
This roster of eight indie games includes some of the most anticipated titles for gamers everywhere and spans a variety of consoles. Whether you're looking for a charming point-and-click, a gripping murder-mystery or a classic action-adventure title, there's something for everyone, and they all stand out in their own way.
Harold Halibut
In the far-out underwater space adventure Harold Halibut, developed and published by Slow Bros, the titular Harold interacts with the surviving members of society in a strange tale about life after life on Earth. Rendered in a gorgeous claymation style, the game sees Harold trying to make sense of life in a massive spaceship that resides underwater on an alien planet.
According to Ole Tillmann, Art Director at Slow Brows, "Harold Halibut had so many influences, from stop-Motion in general, ranging from the classical Czech animation films, Aardman Animations' Wallace & Gromit, Wes Anderson, 90's sci-fi-fantasy films like E.T. or The Abyss, Pixar, Wong Kar-wai, Japanese cinema and animation, including Miyazaki, Satoshi Kon, Katsuhiro Otomo, Mamoru Oshii etc."
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
A showstopper at Sony's Future of Gaming event, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, developed and published by Ember Lab, has players explore a massive world to collect spirits known as The Rot to battle enemies and restore the world to its former glory.
According to Josh Grier, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at Ember Lab, "We were inspired by many of the adventure games that have come before us, most notably, Zelda. Additionally, our time living in Japan exposed us to the works of Miyazaki and other cultural influences that have shaped the themes of many of our independent projects."
Lost in Random
In the world of Random, everything is left up to chance. Will fate rule you, or will you take control of your own life? Lost in Random, developed by Zonk Games and published by EA, has players fight side by side with an anthropomorphic six-sided die, Dicey, to take back their lives.
According to Klaus Lyngeled, CEO and Creative Director at Zoink, "The macabre, beautiful, and highly visual Kingdom of Random was inspired by the works of those such as Shaun Tan, Tim Burton, and Alice in Wonderland."
NORCO
NORCO is more than a throwback game. Developed by Geography of Robots and published by Raw Fury, NORCO is a point-and-click adventure with a Southern Gothic atmosphere and sci-fi tone. The vintage graphics are an incredible, stylish throwback, and the text-based narrative hearkens back to a better time.
According to Geography of Robots, "NORCO draws from a wide range of sources: Southern Gothic authors such as William Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor, or Cormac McCarthy, and many urban theorists and environmental justice scholars including Robert Bullard, Eyal Weizman, and Mike Davis. Additional influences include New Orleans-based visual artists Max Seckel, Hannah Chalew, and Pippin Frisbie-Calder, the early visual text adventures of Hideo Kojima, many sound artists and musicians including Laurie Spiegel, Coil, Ghost Box Records, Bohren and Der Club of Gore, and Plone. And we can't forget the beautiful indie games by developers like Sonoshee, Yames, or Jessica Harvey."
Sable
Developed by Shedworks and published by Raw Fury, Sable is a stunning cell-shaded adventure, wherein the titular Sable must complete her rite of passage. Explore a dangerous desert, either on foot or hoverbike, and search fallen spaceships to unravel the mystery of the world around you.
According to Gregorios Kythereotis, Creative Director at Shedworks, "French and Belgian artists using the clair ligne style from the 80's/90's and movies created by Studio Ghibli like Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind."
Signalis
A survival horror game at heart, Signalis, developed by rose-engine and published by Humble Games, places players in the shoes of a Replika named Elster. Trapped in a dystopian cyberpunk world, Elster must recover her missing dreams...or die trying.
According to rose-engine, "Nothing can be created in a vacuum free of inspiration - naturally, many artists and their bodies of work have left strong impressions on us and subtly influenced the way we approach our own work. For Signalis, the works of Tsutomu Nihei, David Lynch, Stanley Kubrick, and Mamoru Oshii have been a strong influence."
The Big Con
Hailing from a different era, The Big Con, developed by MIghty Yell and published by Skybound Games, drops players in '90s America as a teenage con artist. Pick pockets, disguise your identity, rip people off, do whatever it takes to make your fortune in this slick and stylish adventure.
According to Dave Proctor, Game Director at Mighty Yell, "In making The Big Con, we were heavily inspired by the '90s including Nickelodeon, Ghost World, Monkey Island, Toejam & Earl, and movies like The Wizard, Blank Cheque, Matchstick Men."
Twelve Minutes
Twelve Minutes has been known for nearly six years now, but it wasn't until E3 2019 that the game really blew up in the public consciousness. Since then, Twelve Minutes has blown up, most recently adding the star-studded cast of James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley and Willem Dafoe. Developed by Luis Antonio and published by Annapurna Interactive, Twelve Minutes confronts players with a repeating 12 minute time loop that sees your wife accused of murder and you beaten to death.
According to Luis Antonio, Creative Director, "Twelve Minutes pulls inspirations from films including Memento, Rear Window and The Shining."
Those looking to experience the Tribeca Games Official Selections first hand during the Festival may register for a timed experience via the Tribeca Film Festival official website.