Strange things were afoot in downtown Culver City this past weekend. Zombies relentlessly pursued unsuspecting humans through Main Street. Giant space invaders planted themselves in front of the Culver Hotel. Strange huts made of giant cardboard puzzle pieces popped up in front of Culver Studios. An epic duel involving colored glowing balls was waged inside Fire Station One, where big red fire engines were replaced by dozens of computer screens, each surrounded by eager players sipping energy drinks.
Not to worry folks, what occurred this weekend in downtown Culver City was not a strange zombie-alien invasion but was, in fact, IndieCade (the International Festival for Independent Games).
Since 2009, Culver City has been the home of IndieCade, a conference and networking extravaganza for independent game developers and enthusiast from around the world. Thousands of game makers, designers, marketers, game lovers and experts gathered in Culver City for three days, turning the “Heart of Screenland” into a giant indie game arcade.
Dubbed “The Sundance of video games,” IndieCade celebrates the artists and developers currently pushing the boundaries of gaming. This year’s festival included 3D video games, games played on holographic boards, games for smart phones and tablets, video games involving physical movement or sounds and even a racing game controlled by a kissing couple.
“IndieCade brings together the community to check in on what people have been up to over the last year, celebrate our successes, honor creativity, innovation, get inspired and see what is in store for the year to come,” said Andy Nealen, co-creator of the hit “Osmos” and IndieCade conference co-chair.
As the only stand-alone festival for independent games open to the public, IndieCade’s reputation as the premiere place for new and innovative games gives indie gamers from around the world an opportunity to meet with each other, share ideas and showcase their games to possible financial supporters. Events were held in Culver City at Fire Station One, NextSpace office space and Gregg Fleischman Studio, with panels and conference talks held at the Ivy Substation and Foshay Lodge.
Other conferences tend to be about professional development, with people from their nine-to-five jobs to learn about what they need to do better, according to Michael Lewis, IndieCade finalist and developer of “Miilk.” “But here, it’s where people are coming to talk about what they love, what they care about and share ideas and make the whole industry better as a whole.”
Danny Day, developer of the game “Desktop Dungeons,” praised IndieCade for celebrating international innovators such as himself. “Because I’m from South Africa, we can’t hang out with [fellow game developers] on a regular basis. So for us, [IndieCade] is a big deal, being around people who are doing the same thing we are.”
With this year’s festival a success, many of the festival’s participants are looking forward to returning to Culver City next year.
“Being that it’s a Culver City thing… it’s sort of special for me because it really transformed Culver City,” said David Leonard, a native Angeleno and an IndieCade finalist and game developer. “You really feel that games have arrived, that they are important here. I just love that.”