Alas, we have come to the end of another PAX Australia and another showing of stellar upcoming indies in the PAX Rising zone. Here are a few of the upcoming stars I had the pleasure of experiencing amongst an overwhelming galaxy of gaming indies.

Hissy Fit

Back in the day, I remember playing Snake religiously on a good old indestructible Nokia 3310. Oh to feel the satisfaction of being a snake chomping on anything in my path again. In slithers Hissy Fit, a game by Panda Arcade for mobile and tablet devices, where you’re basically, you’re a gigantic snake in need of a snack.

In this case, that snack is civilians, buildings, and for some reason, zombies. I cannot overstate how satisfying mercilessly chomping down everything in sight was, especially once I discovered I could wrap around buildings and crush everything inside. Facing a timer and the risk of my tail being cut off was worth it for a taste of everything this addictive game has to offer.

Letters to Arralla

An indie title that markets itself on vegetables with butts and jiggle-physics is bizarre in all the right ways. Brought to us by the Australian team Little Pink Clouds, you play as a turnip with a plump badonkadonk, travelling to Arralla to assist the local “Delibery” service.

Naturally, on arrival, you become the newly employed mail person, or in this case, turnip, tasked with delivering letters to residents. This role is more complex than it seems, and to find the recipient, our well-endowed civil servant must decrypt clues to deliver letters to the correct sentient produce. Letters to Arralla looks like it’s ready to deliver a bizarre yet charmingly good time.

Tavern Keeper

Another stellar venture from Greenheart Games into micro-management comes from the devs that brought Game Dev Tycoon – Tavern Keeper. Your role is to oversee a tavern in a quirky fantasy world and to keep it all running smoothly. You can manage your inn however you desire, whether it be leaving staff to their own devices or scheduling shifts based on each employee’s preferences.

If you want a more low-key foray into hospitality, you can spend a decent chunk of your time in the build mode, taking your time while setting up your lovely interior design. A Tavern Keeper is the real hero of the story, for as long as the questing patrons have their grog, the fantasy world is at peace.

Cuisineer

I’ve had my eye on this one from Battle Brew Productions for a while. A roguelike RPG where I can be a cute cat-girl is already pretty high on my wishlist, but add in some dungeon-delving and cooking? Perfection!

My favourite part of the demo was using a giant spatula to whack giant chickens, taking on spicy hostile chilli peppers, and collecting all my foes remains. Adorable and enjoyable, I can see Cuisineer bringing a mix of a slice of life and adventurer tale into a recipe for sweet success.

While this list barely covers the massive line-up of highly anticipated indies, these were a few I had the joy of experiencing that I’m keen to get back into the moment they release.