The 2017 Bit Awards

In 2017 Playcrafting showed the merit of indie gaming and their dedication to indie game design. That all was displayed at The 2017 Bit Awards. One dedicated to giving indie creators and industry innovators recognition for their work. It displayed upcoming must-have games and discussing how through Playcrafting’s courses anyone can walk in as gamers and leave a game designer.

And I loved every second of it.

Hosted by Ruffin Prentiss (actor and voice actor for Marcus Holloway of Watch Dogs 2), the show was fun all the way through. With live band The Bits starting up the event, the show offered interactive fun with moments where the audience and viewers watching through Twitch played a round of Quiplash 2, were made to help destroy an astroid together, took selfies, and voted on the outcome of a round of The Meta Game. It was a unique experience that spoke volumes in showing what Playcrafting is all about.

When it came to the awards, each made sure to spotlight each game nominated well and the winners are all games I consider must-haves.

The winners:

Tabletop game of the year –
University of Dope by Vance Hall LLC

PC/Console game of the year –
Perception by Deep End Games

Mobile Game of the Year –
Calculator: The Game by Simple Machine

Best XR Game –
Panoptic by Panoptes

Best Student Game –
Sumer by Studio Wumpus

Best Style –
Yi and the Thousand Moons by David Su

Player’s Choice Award – The Ultimate Clap Back by Mot & Dot LLC

And like I said before not only games awarded but so were up and coming creators in the form of the Rising Pixel awards, one for each of Playcraftings hubs.

Rising Pixel New York City
MaryMartha Ford-Dieng – The Ultimate Clap Back

Rising Pixel Boston
Ryan Canuel – Petricore, Inc

Rising Pixel San Francisco
Sorob Raissi – Spreadshot Studios

And one legendary figure was rewarded for a lifetime of work. Industry icon Warren Spector, known for his work on titles like Ultima, Deus Ex, and Epic Mickey, received the 2017 Game Changer award.

Spector gave inspirational words for the upcoming devs to strive to “not settle” and that the capabilities of modern game design makes for all kinds of possibilities. Great words from a legendary creator.

With that said, plenty of game previews were given, and while I do plan to highlight them all, here are some early favorites of mine.

Neon Krieger Yamato by LIONPLEX

Doors to the City by Looking Glass Factory

Next Up Hero By Digital Continue

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8BXLF3H2EA
So overall the entire event was amazing. Playcrafting continues to showcase the love they have for indie game industry creators. With 2018 upon us we will make sure to inform you of their upcoming classes, courses, and events.

For those who want to watch The 2017 Bit Awards, you can check it out on YouTube.