The finalists of GDWC are out! Discover our top 5 for the best prototypes of the season

The Game Development World Championship is an annual competition for indie game developers, game development students and anyone interested in the industry, designed to celebrate outstanding games across 12 categories.

With the submission phase now closed, let’s already give a round of applause for all the participants who have entered the competition this season. Following careful consideration and evaluation, the competition has narrowed down to the top five finalists across each category.

As Machinations is sponsoring the best prototype of this winter season – we will reward the two best prototypes with a Machinations Essential license – Let us explore the games that have made it to the final as the best prototypes of the Championship. 

Forbidden Redemption

Forbidden Redemption is a game centered around Ronin, a warrior expelled from a temple, seeking redemption and revenge after an emperor destroys his honor. Determined to reclaim his lost prestige, Ronin embarks on a quest to return to the temple, facing numerous warriors in his way. 

Swappy World

Swappy World is an experience that takes the player into a randomly generated explorable world composed of cards that come to life. The key to survivability is to tactically manage energy consumption with each interaction: choosing when to gather resources, where to move, and what to build or create. The goal of the game is to prepare to overcome the difficulties of each biome and defeat all the bosses, all while unraveling a mystery-filled story.

Light Odyssey

Light Odyssey is a boss-rush action game that merges elements of the roguelike genre with permanent death. Players explore a long-lost civilization and must face fatal boss attacks, having a limited number of lives. The goal of the game is to constantly challenge the fragile light against colossal beings.

Half Sword

Half Sword is a fully physically simulated medieval combat game that puts you in the shoes of a commoner-turned-knight, fighting tournaments in 15th-century Europe. The game offers an innovative gameplay experience by allowing players to control their sword with precise mouse movements, creating a fully physically simulated medieval fencing environment.

Watcher Of The Abyss

Watcher Of The Abyss presents a mysterious abyssal vortex which suddenly appeared in the world, with countless monsters crawling out of the abyss, intent to destroy this world. The game’s purpose is to prevent the abyss’s expansion, defeat countless enemies, conquer the Boss, and defend the homeland.

To all the finalists, we wish you the best of luck in the final stage of the contest. Stay tuned for the GDWC 2023 Winter awards ceremony, which will take place on 23rd of February at Erinevate Tubade Klubi in Tallinn, Estonia. If you can’t join physically, you can follow the event on live stream.