Still

Still is a 2D side-scrolling stealth game with a horror theme set in an abandoned fictional warzone in winter. The player takes on the role of a young woman in her twenties searching for answers about her father’s fate during a past conflict. The narrative unfolds as she explores haunted bunkers and plains, encountering the ghosts of deceased soldiers. Some spirits offer guidance, while others pose a threat and chase her. The player must constantly manage the character’s breathing throughout the game to survive, keep calm, and hide from enemies.

Still at the Gotland Game Conference 2024

Still was awarded Best Audio Design and The Innovation Award at the Gotland Game Conference 2024.

Team Sword Dog Studios:

  • Nicolas Hammar
  • Alisa Kontorovic
  • Melika Haghikia
  • Benjamin Svensson
  • Max Marshall

Krax Ca-caw’s Concoction Chaos

A physically interactive game with tactile inputs, where the player(s) add physical ingredients into a cauldron or stir it in the right direction according to a recipe they must find. After adding the appropriate ingredients and stirring the pot, the players shows Krax the potion. The player will be given points depending on their accuracy with the recipe. The more steps of the brew that are in the correct order, the higher the score. However, there is a limited time and players compete in who can make the most potions the most accurately in the given time! Krax himself serves as the player’s teacher and judge, reacting to the input of the player throughout the entirety of the game.

Krax Ca-caw’s Concoction Chaos was awarded Best Arcade Experience at the Gotland Game Conference 2024.

Team Krax’s Interns:

  • Anna Hoffstedt
  • Manuel Obermayr
  • Malin Braad Sernbo
  • Oliver Österlund Stare
  • Meike Lenting
  • Isabelle Boström

The Social Grip: Llama Drama

The Social Grip: Llama Drama is a second-person perspective stealth game and is a continuation of last year’s The Social Grip. Almost every part of the game has been given a close look and is being updated. In each level players will have to switch between the security cameras to move the main character Dan around. Players, will have to think carefully on when and where to move and how to avoid the guards patrolling the levels. The original grid-based movement has been replaced with more responsive point-and-click movement. Our art team has also taken a close look at last year’s art style and are working on an improved art style. Finally, we are planning to introduce new mechanics and goals such as collecting evidence and hacking into elements of the environment.

The Social Grip: Llama Drama was awarded The Almedalen Library Award at the Gotland Game Conference 2024.

Thesis on DiVA:

Player Onboarding in a Low-Complexity Game Favouring Implicit Instructions: A Case Study of the Game The Social Grip

Team Chonk Cats Productions:

  • Rens van Eldijk
  • Daniel Mardunovich
  • Lukas Wolf
  • Ottilia Hedberg
  • Anna Hatzl
  • Bozidar Jankovic
  • Dylan Kühl
  • Ilias Keramidas
  • Disa Nordström

SHOWDOWN

The game is in essence Dance Dance Revolution with martial arts dummy and anime battles. The dummy will be placed in front of a TV screen, short enough to not obstruct the players’ view. Players interact with the dummy by striking its 2 arms and leg, as well as punching the chest when given the opportunity. These strikes will be picked up by the dummy’s built in sensors and correspond to parrying enemy attacks while in game, as players navigate what’s essentially a cinematic first person music video with a certain degree of interactivity. At certain points of the level, players will be given an opportunity to retaliate after blocking a special attack, allowing them to strike back at the enemy by punching the dummy’s chest. A special retaliation window is presented at the end of each level, where players are given the window of opportunity to finish the enemy off with a barrage of punches. The game consists of multiple levels, each featuring its own music, enemy and corresponding difficulty. The levels are all scripted, and players need to hit specific points of the dummy at specific times in order to finish a level. However, the game does not tell players how to hit them, allowing players to develop their own styles freely. The game is very much inspired by anime and cinema, and will pay homages to popular franchises such as “The Matrix” where a portion of a level can be played using a single arm, just like Neo and Agent Smith. Well, what else can I say… It’s SHOWDOWN time.

SHOWDOWN was awarded Best Art Direction at the Gotland Game Conference 2024.

Team Dreamers’ Guild:

  • Jintian Meng
  • Nils Eriksson
  • Mikael Söderman
  • Yunhan Wang
  • Emilia Nyström
  • Guo Yu