Optimistic enough to book a hostel, but realistic enough not to book flights, MEGHANN O’NEILL had to cancel her plans to attend PAX Australia for the second consecutive year, due to Covid-19. She invited Australian and New Zealand developers into her living room for Zoom interviews, and was impressed by the breadth and quality of what was on offer in 2021. This year’s assistant, MAE UDARBE, documented around 40 games over six hours and (somehow) wants to come back for more (hopefully in person) next year. In this collection you’ll find that no genre is repeated. Many of the games are unique, hybrid or uncategorisable, in terms of genre, too. Keep up the great work, ANZ developers!
BLUEBERRY
DEVELOPER Mellow Games PRICE TBA AVAILABILITY TBA WEBSITE https://mellow-games.com/games/blueberry/
I’m sure I’ve said this before, but I’m bad at platformers. Blueberry is a comfortable, no-fail experience. You respawn at your last position, rather than at a prior checkpoint. I’m tempted to say that platforming isn’t what this game is about, but it can be. Failure is too. Imagine being four years old and hungry. The kitchen benches and shelves loom above, ready to be navigated by weak jumps and placement of large pots and pans. If you can’t make it, the world loses its colour, the memory becomes especially sad, but the story and action will progress, regardless.
You’re piecing together a troubled past. In the preview build, you’re also a teen. There are many decisions to make. Will you help
