Mad Games Show at Matadero, Madrid: A Rewarding Experience
Subtales Studio, my one-man studio, was selected by the Portuguese Association of Videogame Producers (APVP) to represent Portugal, with three other studios, at the Mad Games Show, in Madrid. This initiative was part of Gamiberica, a collaboration between the Portuguese Indie X event, APVP, and Indie Dev Play from Spain.
It was an honor for me to represent Portugal in Madrid, and I had the opportunity to showcase an updated build of Gloomy Juncture. This version features numerous quality-of-life improvements, refined gameplay mechanics, enhanced puzzles, and visual upgrades.
Matadero is beautiful!
Matadero, a former slaughterhouse turned cultural center, is a breathtaking blend of industrial architecture and modern design. Its vast spaces and artistic ambiance provided the perfect set for the gaming showcase.
The Day Before: Setting Up the Booth
The Portuguese delegation all setup
Upon arrival, I took a moment to explore the venue, marveling at its transformation and the buzz of excitement as other developers prepared their booths.
A nice poster prepared by the Indie Dev Play organization
Some pretty, pretty, pretty good flyers!
These were the older flyers I brought to the first edition of Gamiberica, which took place in November 2023 in Porto, Portugal. I didn't notice the incorrect release date until I arrived... 👍
The Event: Highlights and Interactions
I felt inspired and also challenged! I met a lot of folks with peculiar tastes that 'clicked' with this weird game at the booth. It was heartwarming to see people catching references and nuances during the prologue and even wanting to discuss the narrative and throwing guesses about the plot 💙
Lots of weirdos enjoying Gloomy Juncture!
Madrileños are Incredible!
Dozens of people tried Gloomy Juncture, and it received an enthusiastic reception. The cultural engagement by visitors blew my mind! Everyone was eager to discuss my influences, movies, creative process, concept, and art style.
People were curious about the challenges faced by a solo developer and how I conceived this peculiar art style, and wanted to know more about the concept of a first-person point & click game. Madrid features a very warm and friendly audience that was a huge pleasure to interact with.
A Cozy Space in Matadero
The showcase extended across two floors
The event also had cool networking spots where I met some passionate potential partners. Congratulations to the peeps at Indie Dev Day for a great event!
Post-Event Harvest: Awesome Contacts
To all who stopped by, played the prologue, praised my work and chatted for a bit: ¡Muchas gracias por la calidez humana! 🙏
