IndieCade Brings 'Zombies,' Players and Game Developers to Culver City

Downtown Culver City will transform into a world of virtual reality this weekend for the fifth-annual International Festival of Independent Games, otherwise known as .

Newcomers and veteran game developers, hobbyists and professionals can expect to have the opportunity to play the latest independent video games as well as meet the creators. Those interested in exploring larger-than-life sculpture can take a peek at , the oversized sprites that have popped up near the Pacific 12 Theatre downtown. Attendees who want some adult-sized playtime can join in on Humans vs. Zombies, Ninja or Meatspace Invasion and take the video game world to the streets of Culver City. And those who want more information on the world of gaming itself can attend classes hosted by the IndieCade conference that will be running in conjunction with the festival, from Oct. 7-9. The festival begins on Oct. 8.

Keynote speakers from past IndieCade conferences have included talks Sims creator Will Wright, world-renowned video artist Bill Viola, That Game Company’s Jenova Chen in addition to area/code co-founder Frank Lantz.

This year’s keynote speech is titled “Beauty and Risk: Why I Love Indie Games,” featuring Richard Lemarchand, the lead designer of the award-winning blockbuster Uncharted series. Other key speakers will include Jonathan Blow, mastermind behind the indie hit Braid; Steve Swink, co-creator of Shadow Physics; and Canabalt luminary Adam Saltsman, according to an IndieCade press release. 

In addition to attending the conference, developers can meet potential funders as well as publishers during the exclusive pre-conference event IndieXchange, which brings together emerging games and developers looking for new work with publishers.

“Last year our conference was so successful that people said all year that it was the best festival that they had ever been to,” said International Festival of Independent Games CEO Stephanie Barish in an interview with Patch. “I hope that we have the same sentiment this year, especially with the big games and the workshops.

“I hope that everyone is astounded and has a great experience learning about how far games can go.”

Said IndieCade Conference Co-Chair Andy Nealen in a press release: “IndieCade brings together the community to check in on what people have been up to over the last year, celebrate our successes, honor creativity, innovation, get inspired and see what is in store for the year to come.”

Registration is open through Brown Paper Tickets and the IndieCade website at www.indiecade.com. While the Festival’s “Game Walk” is open to the public, the full conference costs $195 in advance and $250 at the door.

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