Slamdance Announces 2006 Gamemaker Finalists

The organizers of Slamdance, one of the "alternative" independent film festivals in Park City, Utah alongside the better-known Sundance festival, have announced the finalists for the show's 2005 Guerilla Gamemaker Competition. The Slamdance festival will run from January 21-24, with a presence in both Park City as well as Salt Lake City. The judging will be divided between four categories for the 2006 contest: the Grand Jury and Audience prizes return from 2005, when the first GGC was held, and new to this year's awards are the Student prize for Physics and Philosophy. Games eligible for the Grand Jury and Audience prizes are: Cloud, from Cloud; Disaffected!, from Persuasive Games, Façade, from Procedural Arts, Guardians of Kelthas, from Battlement Studios; Joboo's Gems, from Gem Jocks; N, from Metanet Software; Narbacular Drop, from Nuclear Monkey Software; Ocular Ink, from Pistachio Productions; Rumble Box, from Insert Coin; Wildlife Tycoon: Venture Africa, from Pocketwatch Games; and Whom the Telling Changed, from Aaron A. Reed. A shorter list of titles is up for the Student Physics and Philosphy: Cloud, from Cloud; Guardians of Kelthas, from Battlement Studios; Narbacular Drop, from Nuclear Monkey Software; Ocular Ink, from Pistachio Productions; and Rumble Box, from Insert Coin. Cloud and Ocular Ink are also up for the PopCap Casual Game award, alongside Joboo's Gems; The Odyssey, from Liquid Dragon Studios; and PuffBOMB, from Sykhronics Entertainment. "Our 2006 finalists show the growing focus on gameplay and innovation in the independent gaming scene," said Slamdance games competition manager Sam Roberts. "Games are focused on specific, well-developed engines. They center on specific ideas that are explored in depth, and are used to provide maximum entertainment value."