Here are the 5 best games we checked out at the Level Up KL 2019 show floor
We went hands-on with a bunch of really interesting games at the event.
Level Up KL 2019 is a massive games festival that ran from 6-10 November last week. There were lots of talks, toy-selling booths and esports matches - but I made a beeline to the colourful variety of indie games featured at the event.
I spent a lot of time getting hands-on with these games, which were created by developers from all over Asia, and boy, there was a LOT of talent on display. It’s hard to even cram them all into one short list of highlights, but here are the ones I really enjoyed:
Retrograde
This game is developed by Freemergency Studio, a team based in Indonesia. It’s a twin stick shooter of sorts, with some slick retro-based visuals. Bullets don’t kill in this game though, they are simply used to push other players into various obstacles. The game takes this simple concept and runs with it, in a variety of multiplayer and solo modes.
This was probably one of the most popular games I observed at Level Up KL - it took me a while to break through the queue just WAITING to get their hands on it. I could see why almost immediately, though. It’s an insanely fast and fluid brawler that just gets more fun when you’re competing with other players. Don’t take my word for it though, download the demo here and check it out!
VALZ
VALZ is another game by an Indonesian developer - Klappanome. This is a mobile rhythm-based game, much like Guitar Hero and Beat Saber. The twist here is that this game comes with several RPG elements - namely, party customisation. In VALZ, you’re using music to fight off violent monsters that have invaded your hometown. Different party members you pick up along the way can help you out, giving you different stats and abilities.
I don’t usually go in for rhythm games, but this one just felt fresh and addictive - not to mention, difficult. A match won’t end when the song ends like most rhythm games - you either defeat your enemy or it defeats you. It’s also worth noting that VALZ won a SEA Game Award in the Best Audio category - so take that how you will. You can get this game on the App Store.
Echoes of You
Echoes of You is just my kind of game. I adore walking simulators (like What Remains of Edith Finch) and melancholic story-based games (like Life is Strange) and this game just mashes both of these genres together. This is a Malaysian game made by students from KDU University College as their final year project. You play as a father unwinding everything that went wrong between him and his daughter over the years, in their little house.
Examining various objects in the environment will get you Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture-like flashbacks on key events in their lives. Each flashback allows you to read a full page from the dad’s journal and gain context on what exactly happened to the family. You can actually play this game right now by downloading it from itch.io.
King’s League II
Man, this game has some beautiful art. King’s League II is a strategy simulation RPG, where you recruit and manage fighters to join your up-and-coming league. See, your character lives in Kurestal and has dreams to climb the ranks to create the best and most prestigious League in the region. The story mode has a bit more to it than that - with cutscenes and a couple interesting characters to meet.
I didn’t play this game for ages, so I can’t say for sure how the story ends up beyond the first half hour, but I really liked its core gameplay loop. Time management is key here. Activities like training take a couple of in-game days to execute, so you have to pay attention to how much time you have left before the next battle. Battling doesn’t actually require any input beyond clicking on special abilities once in a while - but it’s still pretty fun. King’s League II is already out, and you can get it on Steam.
Chinatown Detective Agency
This was my personal Game of Show. I really, really loved Chinatown Detective Agency. It plays like a point-and-click mystery game à la the Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Games. You play as a Singaporean private detective in 2032, unravelling a deep conspiracy while solving mysteries for your clients. The game doesn’t just take place in Singapore though - you can travel all around the world to various locations during the story.
Personally, I got as far as booking a flight to London before breaking the game - whoops! Still, this game is shaping up to be something really special. It’s got brilliant pixel art and witty writing in equal amounts, with a unique concept to boot. Often while playing, you’ll have to dig up real-world information however you can - for example, by finding out who said a certain quote via Google. How cool is that? General Interactive Co. is developing this, with a planned release date of Winter 2020.
Indies, indies, indies
This list is a tiny, tiny slice of all the games featured at Level Up KL 2019, of course. There were tons of other really interesting games like Giga Bash, DeLight, When the Past was Around and Ano: Journey Through Tattoos that really caught my eye. Personally though, these games weren’t even the best part of the whole event. Meeting their creators and sharing their excitement for the industry - THAT’S what made Level Up KL memorable this year. No, I’m not just being cheesy!
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