A banner displaying screenshots from games featured at Drop in and Play.

News

Games announced for Drop in and Play

Coming Sat 12 October

We're delighted to share the full list of developers who will be joining us for our Drop in and Play event, in partnership with Ninja Kiwi. It's our biggest event yet!

Taking place on Sat 12 October, this free event will showcase the work of 24 local game developers and will include brand new titles, along with favourites from previous Drop In and Play events. Drop in to DCA between 13:00 and 16:00 to be among the first to try these new games and meet the creatives behind them.

Joining us for the first time are...

Published

Tue 17 Sep

A screen shot from the battle RPG game Heldritch Rush

Sloth Doctor Games: Heldritch Rush

Sloth Doctor Games, a team of Abertay students who formed for DARE Academy, will be presenting their game Heldritch Rush, a 90s-inspired isometric rail-shooter with added accessibility features.

Heldritch Rush

A hand holds a phone with the fantasy sport app Crowd Legends on it.

532 Design: Crowd Legends

532 Design creates sports games for mobile and web platforms, and are seeking feedback on their latest mobile game Crowd Legends, a fantasy sports app which lets users build their dream football team.

Crowd Legends

A drawing of a devil tormenting a small man on a plate. Text says 'Braise Satan'

SplatterCow Studios: Braise Satan

SplatterCow Studios from Abertay University’s DARE Academy will be showcasing Braise Satan – a first-person cooking game set in Hell. Create dishes to impress Satan while psky imps try to steal your ingredients!

Braise Satan

A screenshot of the game 'Konfronto' shows two spaceships fighting each other.

Flaming Fowl Studios: Konfronto

Konfronto is a new sci-fi themed auto-battler from independent game studio Flaming Fowl Studios. Take command of an intergalactic carrier, outfitting it with new technologies and fighting against other players.

Konfronto

A screenshot from the game 'The Baby in Yellow' shows a large creepy baby with a yellow jumper on and big red eyes.

Team Terrible: The Baby in Yellow

Founded in Dundee in 2021 by ex-AAA developers Aaron Baumbach and Greg Lee, Team Terrible have created The Baby in Yellow, a Lovecraftian comedy horror which boasts over 250 million downloads worldwide.

The Baby in Yellow

A computer generated image of a ruined tower.

Mark McGinty: Clan Lost

Independent developer Mark McGinty will be bringing along Clan Lost, a cozy physics building game, which he has developed for his MSc project at DJCAD. Players can retreat to the Highlands and help restore a ruined village to its former glory.

Clan Lost

A screen shot of the duelling game Enchanted Duels

Astro Cat Entertainment: Enchanted Duels

Abertay University student team Astro Cat Entertainment are pleased to present Enchanted Duels, a 2D two-player competitive dungeon race. Players can scavenge magic weapons to prepare for the final fight against each other.

Enchanted Duels

A pixel drawing shows two people standing on a cliff looking at a sunset.

Ross McRitchie: Cairn: Mathair's Curse

Independent developer Ross McRitchie has spent the past four years developing Cairn: Mathair’s Curse, a heartfelt Scottish roleplaying game which explores themes of love, loss and family.

Cairn: Mathair's Curse

A screenshot from the game 'Sight Unseen' shows two panels, one that says 'left eye' and one that says 'right eye'. The 'right eye' panel is more detailed, with blue lasers.

Pretty Interesting Experiences: Sight Unseen

Pretty Interesting Experiences, a game development team composed of Abertay University students, are bringing Sight Unseen, a virtual reality stealth game that breaks the boundaries of the medium by allowing players to see from multiple positions at the same time.

Sight Unseen

A pixel art drawing of an arcade game which says 'Zombie Arcade' on it.

OnBoard Games: Zombie Arcade

Indie studio OnBoard Games are presenting Zombie Arcade, a survival shooter with an arcade theme. Jump into arcade minigames in order to gain powerful abilities and keep up with the zombie hoards.

The title screen for the game 'Waulking Simulator'

Kayleigh MacLeod and William Kavanagh: Waulking Simulator

Kayleigh MacLeod and William Kavanagh were inspired by the traditional Scottish art of waulking tweed to create Waulking Simulator, a rhythm game which features authentic Scottish Gaelic waulking songs and pays homage to the craft.

A computer drawing of a fox and a toad standing in an autumnal forest.

Oblation Studios: The Shepherds

Oblation Studios consists of Abertay University graduates and current students. They will be showcasing their monster-catching game The Shepherds , which combines pixel art sprites with a 3D environment. A must for fans of Pokémon!

Dice and counters sit on a piece of paper with a map drawn on it.

Niall Moody: making it up as we go along

From artist, game developer and lecturer Niall Moody comes making it up as we go along, a tabletop game about changing the rules and inventing new ones. All of the rules of making it up as we go along are invented by the players, creating an ever-evolving game.

making it up as we go along

Our returning game developers are…

A screen grab of the game Springpong. Two pinball machines, with control instructions next to them.

Andrew Murdoch and Robin Lawrence: Springpong

Andrew Murdoch and Robin Lawrence will be bringing along their new game Springpong, a fast-paced, multiplayer competitive pinball game. Pick from a variety of plant-based teams and enjoy the Claymation aesthetic while taking on rivals in the World Cup.

Springpong

A pixel art image of a little witch on a broomstick in a house.

Yellow Crow Games: For Hexposure

Yellow Crow Games are returning to Drop in and Play with For Hexposure, a fantasy-styled pixel art crafting game which one Abertay University’s DARE Academy competition in 2022. Play as an adorable witch who runs a business creating and selling potions.

For Hexposure

Ryan Scott: Battlemaps AR

Ryan Scott will be showcasing Battlemaps AR, which combines augmented reality with tabletop roleplaying games to enhance the player experience. Make your own 2D scenarios using physical cards, then scan the cards with a smart device to see them come to life with 3D animation.

Battlemaps AR trailer

A screen grab from the game Deadlocked. A robot shoots a space ship in an orange and red background.

Cognitive Games: Deadlocked

Cognitive is a new studio founded by Abertay University student Dominik Gawron. They’ll be bringing Deadlocked, a surprisingly cute top-down shooter where you can destroy spaceships while also unlocking pet companions and customising your character.

Deadlocked

A computer-drawn image of a Mancala board.

Melonleaf Industries: Bean to Me!

Indie studio Melonleaf Industries will be showcasing their new game Bean to Me!, which offers a new take on one of the world’s oldest board games, Mancala. Mancala involves moving beans around a dimpled board, and Bean to Me! gives this a twist, with special beans that add new rules and possibilities.

Melonleaf Industires

A screenshot from the game Strata. Purple rectangles fall from the ceiling in a 2D platforming world.

Leon McArdle: Strata

From solo developer and music producer Leo McArdle comes Strata. This deceptively simple platforming game showcases a set of movement mechanics that, once mastered, allow you to fly through the level at impossible speeds.

Strata

Screengrab from the game Into the Restless Ruins. A dark maze in purple.

Ant Workshop: Into the Restless Ruins

Ant Workshop, a small indie studio based in Edinburgh, will be showcasing Into the Restless Ruins, a roguelike deckbuilder where you build the dungeon you fight through. Succeed, and The Harvest Maiden will grant your wishes – but be careful not to wake up The Warden.

Into the Restless Ruins

A screen grab of the game Book of Abominations. Small fantasy creatures fight in a green forest. A health bar at the top of the image says 'Miasmoth, the Befouled'. A book is open at the bottom of the page with other characters names on it.

Studio Catloaf: Book of Abominations

Winners of the 2023 Dare Academy at Abertay University, Studio Catloaf will be returning with Book of Abominations, a Lovecraftian pixel art monster collecting RPG inspired by the likes of Pokémon and Final Fantasy.

A computer generated image of two white figures standing in a graveyard at night.

Afterfire Studios: Shovel & Swindle

From Afterfire Studios comes Shovel & Swindle, a fun co-op game where players make a living by graverobbing as Scotland’s notorious Burke and Hare. Explore locations and uncover the graveyard’s secrets by solving puzzles – just be sure to avoid the guards.

Afterfire Studios

A screen shot from the game 'Still Life' shows a block of jenga and a magazine.

Bit Loom: Still Life

Dundee-based indie studio Bit Loom will be showcasing Still Life, a relaxing game in which you can be the artist and arrange still life scenes. Choose from classic or unusual objects, add your creation to the gallery and take requests from your neighbours

The title card from Bloons TD Battles 2 shows a group of monkeys in costumes.

Ninja Kiwi: Bloons TD Battles 2

Ninja Kiwi will be bringing their latest head-to-head smash hit 'Bloons TD Battles 2' for players to prove their strategy prowess against their friends and family.

We can't wait to welcome all of these developers and their games to DCA on Sat 12 October. Pop along between 13:00 and 16:00 to get involved.

Ninja Kiwi has been making awesome games since 2005. Developers of the hit Bloons series of games, Ninja Kiwi are always striving to make the most enjoyable experiences for audiences across the globe from their offices in Dundee, Scotland and Auckland, New Zealand.