RT’s First Pax AU: The Experience Round-up

PAX: The Geek Mecca

2004…what a year. President George W. Bush won his re-election, the Olympics returned to Athens, Martha Stewart went to prison for insider trading or… something like that, Janet Jackson’s infamous wardrobe malfunction happened at the Super Bowl, and my goddamn brother was born. Three peaceful years I had, and then he came along… GOD DAMN IT… anyway…

In 2004, PAX (originally the Penny Arcade Expo) was founded by Penny Arcade webcomic creators Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins as a fan-centered gaming convention, unlike industry events like E3 (R.I.P.). PAX catered directly to gamers with panels, tournaments, and opportunities to play video and tabletop games. This year, PAX celebrated its 20th anniversary, and it was also my first time attending PAX AU – so a big day for everyone!

On our first day, we met up with fellow Nickbait.com contributor Caitren, which involved big hugs all around. Since they had a media pass, they got to skip the queue, while we had to arrive at 9:30 in the morning with the rest of the ner—um, participants. Ready to get wet and wild for the day.

Speed-walking in with the crowd set the tone: everyone was just excited to be there. It was a bit overwhelming, with mini panic attacks here and there, but overall, the vibe, the people, and the physical atmosphere of PAX24 were amazing.

My goal for the next three days was to interact and play all the video games with the indie developers. Here are some of my favorite games from PAX24.

Frogreign

The first indie game I got my hands on was Frogreign by Arkanpixle, a 2D side-scroller with stunning pixel art. The graphics caught my eye right away (and I also love frogs, so yeah). The game features a fun tongue mechanic where you can swing and grapple with your frog tongue on surfaces, even enemies, which is a blast to use! The level we played was set in an abandoned temple, where we had to collect five magical items scattered around the map.

It wasn’t too easy, but it wasn’t overly hard either. The game was forgiving, respawning you only a short distance from where you died, which was a nice change from hardcore 2D scrollers like Blasphemous.

Blood Reaver

Next up was Blood Reaver by Hell Byte Studios. According to the devs, Blood Reaver is “a dark fantasy, co-op, round-based, first-person shooter where four unlikely heroes must restore an ancient order, harnessing the powers of blood magic to stop a demonic invasion.” Imagine Doom meets COD Zombies.

The Hell Byte Studios devs were super chill and easy to talk to. In the game, you shoot demons with your right hand (which you can swap for better weapons as you go) to collect blood points. You can use these blood points for heavier attacks, unlocking doors (just like in COD Zombies), and other mechanics. Gameplay was smooth, and just mowing down waves of demons with 2010-style graphics and a fitting soundtrack really brought me back to the days of playing COD Zombies at my friend’s house after school.

Blood Reaver is available to wishlist on Steam, and the devs are hoping to release a small beta test early next year.

Dungeons and Dining Tables

Almost right next to Blood Reaver was Dungeon and Dining Tables by Catalyst Games, also available to wishlist on Steam. The game caught my eye immediately when I saw “cozy” and “RPG” in the same sentence. It’s a cozy RPG that combines interior design with aesthetically pleasing furniture and fast-paced 3rd-person combat. You play as an axolotl overcoming insecurities and building a supportive community in a dream-like world.

The levels are procedurally generated across a fantasy world of giant furniture mountains, filled with mischievous creatures out to ruin your day. In each dungeon, you fight enemies and collect smaller furniture items. At the end of each dungeon, you defeat a boss and earn large furniture items like tables or beds. You can then take these items back to your house and decorate it. Each furniture item gives you buffs, making you stronger with every addition, like a “Lamp of Strength” or “Bed of Healing.” It’s a fun, creative way to mix cozy and RPG elements.

You can also rescue NPCs who join your little community, building a lively neighborhood. The combat is simple but fun, the world is beautiful, and exploring it is easy to get lost in.

Paraglock

Last up was Paraglock, a student-made game by JMC Academy. JMC Academy is one of Australia’s leading Creative Industries institutions, offering degrees in Music, Songwriting, Audio Engineering, Film & Television Production, and Game Design. This game was the developers’ end-of-year assessment, and it’s great to see them get a booth at PAX.

Paraglock was interesting—and hard! It’s an FPS where you go from arena to arena shooting enemies to unlock the next stage. The style and graphics are all 80s/synthwave-inspired, with killer music to match. Here’s the twist: some enemies drop guns that, when picked up, split your screen in two, creating a “paradox” of sorts. You now have two “games” to play simultaneously. You shoot both guns at once on either side of your screen. If you kill an enemy on the left but miss on the right, they’ll still be there, attacking you while new enemies appear on the left. Your movements and shots mirror each other, but you might have different guns, enemies, or locations on each side. There’s even a hard mode with up to four “games” running at once. It’s either an ADHD dream… or nightmare. But it’s super fun and very original.

I played a lot more indie games at PAX24, but these were the standouts. Besides gaming, PAX was great overall. I attended two to three panels per day. The most memorable was “But I Can Fix Him,” a court-style panel where three panelists argued for various video game villains, trying to prove they’re “fixable” because “they’re hot.” Another panelist acted as the judge, deciding if they were redeemable. It was hilarious, and the crowd loved it.

I also enjoyed the TTRPG section of PAX, where I checked out new card and board games. I played a quick one-to-two-hour D&D one-shot with my partner, brother, and other players. The DM was fantastic and great with my brother and another new player.

I can’t wait to go back next year. It was amazing seeing so many people who love all sorts of games come together to celebrate.