Highlights for Game Off 2018

Game Off just wrapped up with over 300 games submitted making it our largest event yet! This year’s theme–HYBRID–proved to be both fun and challenging.

Here are the winners as voted on by the game developers themselves. You can also view all of the entries’ ratings on itch.io.

Overall Winner: Singularity

Singularity puts you in control of a robot exploring the planet, where economy and industry have collapsed and humans are facing extinction. The code deep within your neural network urges you forward, but your robotic parts are easily damaged. Destroy and hybridize parts of other robots to repair yourself. The creators Kendall Breivogel, Sean Collins, Alexander Runnels, and Alexandre Thorp want you to try to become the ultimate AI—do you accept this challenge?

► Play (Windows, Linux) · View source (Unreal Engine, C++)

Best Gameplay – MIX UP

MIX UP is a colorful and polished match three puzzle game from @guoboism. If you liked the challenge of 2048, you’ll love this!

► Play (Web, Windows, macOS) · View source (Unity, C#)

Best Graphics – Fire of Kala

Defend your base against the enemy horde in Fire of Kala—a beautiful, unique hybrid platform and tower defense game.

► Play (Web) · View source (Unity, C#)

Best Audio – Home

Home is a delightful game from @sharpfives, where you have to help your hybrid hero find a way off of an abandoned planet. What adventures await your hero? There’s only one way to find out!

► Play (Web) · View source (Phaser, JavaScript)

Innovation – Lens

Point, click, and drag your way to victory in Lens—a unique Window manager meets physics puzzle game from @notexplosive. You’re sure to have a nostalgic time playing this one.

► Play (Windows) · View source (Lua)

Theme Interpretation – Blow the Shark Down

Hybridizing both game characters and genres, Blow the Shark Down is a remarkable turn-based combat game featuring hilariously animated Sharkmen. This gang of beasts will entertain parties of up to four!

Note: At least two controllers required ? ?

Controls: ↑ ↓ ← → – move · A – hook · B – cross punch · Y – headbutt · X – uppercut · RB – block · BACK – taunt

► Play (Windows) · View source (Unity, C#)

Staff picks

While we can’t list all 330 games, here are a few that kept us entertained.

Editor’s note: Lee actually did try to list all 330 games with screenshots and videos in this blog post!

D-Tac

D-tac is a prototype for a Doom, turn-based tactics game that allows you to load Doom-compatible .wad files. Think Doom meets X-COM in your browser (while using a .wad from Freedoom).

https://gfycat.com/orangeshockingcarp-githubgameoff

► Play (Web) · View source (three.js, JavaScript)

Did you know? Doom just celebrated its 25th anniversary! Get lost in the original Doom source code, a Doom renderer written in Rust, a handy little Doom editor, or a roguelike version. You also finally have an excuse to play with machine learning and train some bots to play better than you with Arnold or ViZDoom :godmode:

GRIMCURSE

GRIMCURSE is a fast-paced gallery shooter and top-down RPG hybrid. Think Duck Hunt + Pokemon + Time Crisis…hard to imagine? Give it a go and see for yourself.

► Play (Web, Windows, macOS) · View source (Construct)

Three Course Meal

Three Course Meal is a cooking-based rhythm game that will get you in the mood for some festive cooking, baking, and eating.

► Play (Windows) · View source (GameMaker)

Jack of Spades

What happens when you cross an RPG and a card game? Jack of Spades!

► Play (Web) · View source (PICO-8, Lua)

Monster Pong

Monster Pong is a Pong / Breakout hybrid with monsters. Defeat them, steal their body parts, and win the game—it’s that easy.

► Play (Web) · View source (JavaScript)

Machinaria

Manipulate public opinion with Machinaria, a game where you can collect and organize news material to favor one of the candiates in the presidential election.

► Play (Web, Windows, macOS, Linux) · View source (Godot, GDScript)

Lettris

Lettris from @bamsarker is Tetris with letters. Make WORDS and score POINTS!

► Play (Web) · View source (Phaser, JavaScript)

Ouro

Ouro is local multiplayer game combining elements of Pong and Snake. Can you get a high score? Try it out with this classic.

► Play (Web) · View source (Phaser, JavaScript)

Blank Bit

Jump, dash, boost, and erase your way to victory in @pfail’s Blank Bit—a very challenging, but very fun game combining elements of a card and platform game.

► Play (Web) · View source (Unity, C#)

Until next year!

There are lots more to play. Over 300 to be exact! Check them all out on itch.io and let us know your favorites! Share your screenshots, highscores, faux pas, and everything in-between with #GitHubGameOff!

Game Off will be back in 2019! Thank you again, everyone who participated. Thanks for playing. And thanks to itch.io for providing a great platform for indie game developers and jammers! Happy holidays <3

Written by

Lee Reilly

@leereilly

Developer / Marketing / Community at GitHub. Twitter: https://twitter.com/leereilly.