• Rendezvous in Kyoto: 1000 Deaths at BitSummit DRIFT

    Tuesday, August 6th 2024

  • Pariah Interactive’s experience showcasing 1000 Deaths at the 13th edition of BitSummit, Japan's largest and oldest independent gaming festival.

  • cached_326de23279f3283e59a90ade882d31c5.jpg
  • cached_50ed79c2aba75cdf748f7cb0121e885c.jpg
  • cached_0826da61e6c13ab43a574410450e7b69.jpg
  • cached_2ea2cec37c9cf622ec4c5d58289f4515.jpg
  • cached_cadc96c5c3d6b7c865d4321b38b022e8.jpg
  • cached_bd3e3059f82ea4dac64c56c2b686db52.jpg

Recently, the Pariah team headed to Kyoto to showcase 1000 Deaths at BitSummit DRIFT. BitSummit is Japan’s oldest and largest indie game festival and it has always been on our bucket list of must-attend festivals. This year we lucked out and got to participate in the festival's 13th edition: BitSummit DRIFT!

For The Love of Indie

Right away, we felt at home in its bustling environment. It was indie games galore, with a staggering display of creativity! Many of the games presented were off the beaten track; riskier ventures than popular AAA titles. This was probably the reason BitSummit attracted such large crowds.

Our founder and director, Prashast Thapan gave an interview at BitSummit, delving into the inspiration behind 1000 Deaths. He talked of his fondness for 3D platformers and how 1000 Deaths is a product of his love for movement, storytelling, and making decisions in games. Watch the full interview as he presents 1000 Deaths to The Mix, Famitsu, and New Game Plus (AU).

image

Time Attacks and More

On the remaining days of the festival, we welcomed the public to the 1000 Deaths booth with a time attack competition. It is always amazing to meet new fans, and we were looking forward to interacting with a new demographic. The competition featured groups of friends contesting for the win and individuals trying to beat their own best times. The contest proved to be so popular that soon, all our devices were occupied, and we even had to set a 50-death limit on the participants!

The last day brought an unexpected highlight: 1000 Deaths was nominated for the Visual Excellence Award! This recognition and appreciation meant so much to us, not just because of the time and love we spent on the game’s visuals, but also since 1000 Deaths was chosen from among 300+ titles. The icing on the cake— we bagged the Media Highlight Award from Dengeki Online! We didn’t even know we were in the running for it!

image

We’ll Be Back

What made this trip truly memorable was the ethos of BitSummit, which celebrates indie games on a large scale to showcase innovation in the presence of the right— eager, curious, and informed— audience.

We can’t wait to return for the next edition of BitSummit!