It has been a good while since I have attended a gaming convention, with my last one being EGX back at the tail end of 2022. This has been due to being too busy with real-life work stuff so naturally I have been excited to get to something as soon as possible. WASD Live is an event that was set up after the demise of EGX Rezzed with some of the original EGX team at the helm of the organisational logistics of this fairly new attraction. It may not be common knowledge to many, but as I understand things, Reedpop purchased the rights to the EGX event and along with the hits of COVID-19, decided to make a lot of important staff redundant. Alongside this, EGX Rezzed was scrapped which was a shame as this event was solely aimed towards supporting the Indie Game scene and supporting smaller developers.
A Little About WASD Live
I decided to make time in my schedule for WASD Live 2024 and whilst it would be brief for me with a 5-6 hour window of time in London, it would be enough to get my teeth stuck into the meat and potato of the event. Taking place at The Truman Brewery in London, tickets went on sale many months ago and came at really reasonable prices with a weekend ticket coming in at around £53, a day ticket at £22 and student offers for as little as £10. Kids under 10 can go for free with a paying adult. Accessibility is fantastic and with London Liverpool Street station only a 10-minute walk away, it isn’t difficult to access and locate.
You may be wondering what kind of event it is and what to expect and whilst I had a rough idea, I wanted to see everything with my own eyes. I’m a massive fan of the Rezzed sections at EGX and always spent 80% of my time in that area. WASD Live reminds me of a slightly larger version in scale and retains real intimacy with industry experts, creators, press, developers, publishers and more. The vibe was warm and friendly, everyone here was up for a great time, everyone was willing to engage with each other and venue-wise it wasn’t as dark as a giant convention hall.
Who Was There?
There were so many games showcased at WAD Live, that to list them all would take some time! All of the titles were neatly packed into a large and smaller room with other areas to be discovered. Devolver Digital had a very impressive and vibrant area tucked away in the corner of the arena with some special treats for everyone. A big highlight was some purchasable beer in limited edition Cult Of The Lamb pint cups that were yours to keep with refills at a reasonable £5 which isn’t too bad for London. There were some great characters in cosplay showcasing some of DD’s games such as the brilliant Anger Foot and the already mentioned Cult Of The Lamb. You can see from the Floor Plan below the exhibitors who were there for this event across the three days.
Some Special Mentions From Around The Show
Anger Foot Is Fantastic!
I always try and pick a favourite game from every convention I go to and I always try and make it a title that I haven’t looked into much or considered. The crown for this event goes to Anger Foot for me. Developed by Free Lives in Cape Town, South Africa and published by Devolver Digital, it has been in development for a good few years now and whilst it doesn’t have a scheduled release date at the time of writing, 2024 seems to be on the cards. I had an absolute blast kicking and blasting my way through the demo and trying to keep going for as long as possible. Sadly it appears to only be coming to Windows PC at launch, but I am crossing fingers for a console release in future.
Cricket Through The Ages
The first game I played at the show also at the Devolver Digital stand was Cricket Through The Ages. It’s hilarious two-player fun as you have round-based cracks at hitting each other with cricket balls, bats, horses, legs and whatever else. I probably played this way longer than I thought I would and spent the entire time laughing. For sure one to check out if you like to play games with others from the comfort of your home.
Arcade Paradise VR
I reviewed the base game of Arcade Paradise when it launched and you can read that HERE. I have to admit I haven’t had a great deal of experience with VR as I don’t own one but I was properly blown away with this experience. If you’ve played Arcade Paradise then you’ll know what kind of game it is, and to feel like I was actually inside the launderette and interacting with the washing, rubbish and everything else was super realistic. The team on the stand were super friendly and engaged with any questions. You also got a lucky dip at the end for some merchandise and I received a goody bag which is always a plus point!
Paper Trail
One game that properly surprised me which I hadn’t seen before was Paper Trail. There is a wonderful story told and you have to unfold or refold the story yourself to progress. The game has some deep puzzle elements which involve manipulating the game screen like a piece of paper to figure out how to keep going through the storyline. Afterwards, I had some great conversations with the team manning the stand and hopefully will be picking this one up for a review on Xbox shortly!
NanoApostle Is Hard As Nails Yet Addictive
It was surprising to see PQube there with only one title on the show, they always have a busy presence at EGX. It is always great to see the team as they are always so accommodating. NanoApostle is a dark sci-fi boss rush action game featuring intense reaction-based combat and the unique “Destruction Point” system. Play as Anita, a child augmented with lethal nanomachines, as she battles against twisted cybernetic experiments to escape a top-secret facility (description from the Steam Store). Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be any plans for consoles with this game as yet, but it will launch on Windows PC at some stage in 2024.
Grapple Dogs Cosmic Canines
I loved the original Grapple Dogs title and whilst I didn’t cover it for a review, I purchased the game as I loved it that much after playing a demo. As soon as I glanced at this I instantly wanted to get hands-on. When I asked when it was releasing I was told it was “Coming Soon” which indicates that we can anticipate a launch sometime in 2024. Pablo is now joined by companion Luna is more of what made the original so great! Also at the Super Rare Originals stand was Tiny Terry’s Turbo Trip which grabbed my attention straight away with its witty dialogue
Final Thoughts
I had my heart set on going to WASD Live this time as real life has always got in the way since the event was first established, so I was so happy to have finally made it. It was a long day with a 578-mile round trip from Penzance, Cornwall to London leaving at 5 am. Was it worth it? The answer is a resounding big YES, absolutely it was and whilst I wish I had a couple more hours on the Thursday to stay till the very end of the day, I enjoyed my time massively.
The organisers need a massive pat on the back as I imagine it was no easy feat to create a whole new gaming event from scratch and grow it into what it is today. The Truman Brewery is an ideal location and venue for WASD Live, but I would love them to grow even further in scope if that is what they would like.
Whilst previous WASD events have attracted the likes of SEGA and some other big names. It would be great to see some large names coming into play in the future. I did feel that 90% of the games I saw were PC only and being a console-focused writer and reviewer, it was harder for me to uncover as much as I’d like to show for our audience. But this isn’t a negative really, they were kind enough to grant me a press pass and I am forever grateful for that opportunity.
Sometimes as press, we take these things for granted but what we have here is a thoroughly fantastic comfortable, family-friendly show where anyone is welcome. I’ll be a regular attendee in the future that is for sure and hopefully commit to at least a couple of days next time! Cheers to that!
