In an out-of-the-way booth I met up with Pawel Miechowski, Senior Writer for 11 Bit Studios. At this year’s PAX East, the company was showing three very different games – Anomaly Defenders, Spacecom, and This War of Mine.
Anomoly defendersAnomaly Defenders is a DOTA-style tower defense game where you defend your alien platform from humans. Over the course of gameplay you will salvage materials and resources from defeated machines to fortify your own defenses. Over time you will need to repair and upgrade your weapons to fend off increasingly more difficult enemies. As you defeat the human invaders, they will drop energy spheres that can be used as currency to use functions and reenergize your units.
SpacecomSpacecom is a multiplayer tactical strategy game that was created in conjunction with 11 bit launchpad. What it lacks in fancy graphics it makes up for in tactics. The soundtrack adds to the “meditative” experience of the game and allows you to focus on your strategy. There are no skill trees or game mechanics to figure out, simple strategy and a great plan for decimating your opponent is all that is required. The game was Greenlit on Steam in December of 2013 and looks like it will be an interesting addition to the gaming world.
This-War-of-Mine-1Last on the list is the game This War of Mine, a game that tests your decision-making as you and a band of civilians try to survive the scarcity that comes in times of war. You must scavenge resources and make critical decisions that may mean life or death for the people with you. Will you sacrifice food to keep one person from dying of sickness? Will you sacrifice sleep for safety?
There are four characters that were shown at PAX East with each having different skills such as persuasion, lock picking, etc. Depending on the scenario, one may be a better option than another to handle it. Yet, if you made a choice that killed that character early on, you may face challenges later in the game. You will face the elements as well, so if the war starts in Winter, you’re going to want to find some heat and shelter pretty fast.
My conversation with Pawel about This War of Mine is pretty deep for this article, so I will include it in a future article that discusses how video games are artistic expression and comment on serious issues. The game is early in its development but I think it will make an impact on how you see a game. I’ve never been in a war zone and hope I never am, but it is a story that  needs telling and I am looking forward to the final game when it comes out.
~The Myrrick