Society Ball: Games and Cocktail Preview!
There’s a chill in the air and the leaves are trembling on their branches, but there’s still one hot-ticket thing standing between now and the winter months: that’s right, it’s the Hand Eye Society Ball, our fancy videogame party coming less than three weeks away to a Masonic Temple near you! To get you all jazzed, here’s a taste of about half the games that will be showcased at the fall ball. Get to play games yet to be released or play them with a controller custom-made for the Ball! Last year we sold out so if you haven’t bought a ticket yet, find out more quick!
Chesh
Creator: Damian Sommer (Toronto, Canada)
Website: http://www.chesh.club
WORLD PREMIERE
The history of chess is over a thousand years old, so it’s about time it got a makeover! Played with cryptic, insectoid pieces and randomized movesets, the game forces players to wipe clean and then reconstruct their short-term strategic memory every round.
SOCIETY BALL SPECIAL! To celebrate the launch of Chesh, the game will be housed in custom-built SpriteBox indie arcade cabinets. These classic cocktail tables are being made by Nik & Megan Stewart — get in touch if you’d like to see your game on a SpriteBox in the future!
Donut County
Creator: Ben Esposito (Los Angeles, United States)
Website: http://donutcounty.com
UNRELEASED ~ IGF FINALIST
Donut County puts the player in the shoes of a decidedly unique character — or, it would if bottomless, inexplicable holes had shoes. With gently bizarre internal logic, every puzzle manages to evoke both delight and alarm in equal measure.
SOCIETY BALL SPECIAL! We are also excited to announce that Louis Roots from Perth Australia — a peripherals artist with a half-car controller, plush cats and skateboard/trackball under his belt — stopped by Toronto this week and built us a custom controller for Donut County. Now you can move the all-consuming void around by putting your hand into an actual hole: Immersion on a wHOLE new level. Yes, we went there.
Mushroom 11
Creator: Untame (New York City, United States)
Website: http://mushroom11.com
UNRELEASED ~ IGF FINALIST
You are a faintly glowing green blob with the ability to squish, split, and morph on a cellular level. Collect mushrooms and ponder the mysteries of your own existence as you ooze your way across an industrial wasteland that offers more puzzles than answers.
Runbow
Creator: 13AM Games (Toronto, Canada)
Website: http://runbowgame.com
An unconventional 9-player side-scroller where, if a platform’s colour matches the background, it doesn’t exist! Lots of cameo appearances by other indie titles (including Toronto games!), and it comes packed with more gameplay modes than there are colours of the rainbow.
Shoot Shoot Mega Pack
Creator: Jon Remedios / Gavin McCarthy / Ryan Roth (Toronto, Canada)
Website: http://www.ssmpgame.com
UNRELEASED
Like its oft-abbreviated title, SSMP dispenses with frills in favour of thrills in this minimalist multiplayer shooter. Originally a prototype for Global Game Jam 2014, it has since evolved into a nimble party game with rounds that can last fewer than five seconds, depending on the tools of (self-)destruction at your disposal.
Cocktail Previews!
Society Ball mixologist Adam Axbey is furiously concocting some delightful drinks named in honour of our generous gold sponsors: on the left, the Globacore-inspired “Core Concept”, and on the right, the Ubisoft Toronto-inspired “Assassin’s Kiss”.
That should give you a tantalizing taste! The rest of the lineup and other treats will be announced later this month. In the meantime, check out ticket information and details on the October 9th event or the FAQ and volunteer opportunities.
