Here are the Honorable Mentions of FGJ14 (in no specific order):
DIRTY ART AWARD
DR TURNER
YouTube video
Dr Turner is in the core of game jams. It is experimental and slightly cuckoo, yet simple and polished. The design choices and selected audiovisual techniques tie well to the game mechanics, and fit perfectly to a bus jam production – Dr Turner manages to create an atmospheric experience with scarce assets. And like a great piece of art, it has a lot of hard to define personality. A strong focus on the central character makes the experience whole and well-defined.
DOUBLE VISION YRTEOP AWARD
Mielen peili – iliep neleiM (Mind Mirror)
YouTube video
Mielen Peili – iliep neleiM (Mind Mirror) succeeds and innovates on several fronts. It is presented through an AR system fashioned out of Oculus Rift, 2 webcams and Legos, giving the viewer “a first glimpse of the reality in full 3D”. For many, this would have been enough, but the game has also lot to offer content-wise. The minimalistic gameplay has the player search his surroundings for ominous piece of poetry put together procedurally. Slowly but surely the player slides towards hallucinations and madness, which are cleverly realized by rendering the cameras in Unity video textures and custom-made shaders. The growing feeling of schizophrenia is also amplified by whispers coming seemingly out of nowhere. This thought-provoking experience actually manages to induce a mild hypnotic effect.
COLORBLIND CANDY AWARD
Rolling Gecko Buddies Saga: Sweet As Candy Edition
YouTube video
Rolling Gecko Buddies Saga: Sweet As Candy Edition has a true game jam flavor in it. With its ridiculous yet sweet 80’s inspired interactive title screen, engaging and competitive gameplay – the game challenges the players to match their gecko’s color to the background by using DJ Hero controller’s Red, Green and Blue buttons. The game is an action-packed 2-player game complete with YEA BOE! and Airhorn -spam buttons to ensure the enjoyment of the players and spectators alike. This game is not recommended for the casual colorblind players.
THROUGH THE EMPATHY-GLASS AWARD
Virtual Blindness
YouTube video
Virtual Blindness offers a chilling experience of escape, danger and enemies, but doesn’t settle in that. In addition to the claustrophobic feel of going through the unknown corridors, it strips the player from one of the most vital senses: the sight. Through Oculus Rift and Razer Hydra player is successfully sent into the world of the blind, “seeing” only things that are touched or heard.
SOCIAL CUDDLY MECH AWARD
Super Mecha Siblings EXTREME
YouTube video
Super Mecha Siblings EXTREME’s concept and arrangement is an example of good party game design – the simple rules are just enough and not too much to amplify the social interplay of friends crammed in front of a single keyboard. The game provides a platform for different kinds of social play and inevitably the main game is played outside of the screen space. The cherry on the top of SMSE is its cuddly and warm take on mechs.