Well, just like that, PAX Aus is done for another year, reminding us of the inevitable entropy of the universe and our immeasurably insignificant place in the world as we whittle down our finite time on our path to the grave…
On a lighter note, PAX being over means we get to run down some of the surprises of the convention that I would never have imagined would be up my street (figuratively, not literally; my area hasn’t undergone significant development in years).
PAX Aus 2024, for most people, will be focused solely on the video games shown off on the show floor, both small indie games and the bigger juggernauts from your typical big publishers. However, as those who have attended a PAX before would attest, almost half of the show floor is dedicated to board games, tabletop games, and other games that don’t need an expensive box and TV to play. Exploring this section of the convention introduced me to a couple of awesome games – The Score and Glade. Even the games that weren’t my vibe still had something that I found interesting.
Complexity isn’t always the best thing in life. Internet security, you want more complex systems but in terms of love… yeah, not so much; keep it nice and simple. What I’ve found from this PAX is that some of the games I’ve had the most fun with are ones that have a nice, simple gameplay loop. One of the standouts for me was a game I played late yesterday, Pluto Lost Its Colours, where all I had to do was move a ball around platforms using jumps and dashes. Needless to say, after five minutes, I was hooked and spent the next twenty minutes berating myself, which I normally only save for my nightly pre-sleep ritual. The Score, while a card game with a bunch of rules, was simple enough that a group of randoms could work together and improvise a heist movie more entertaining than whatever the next Oceans film is about.
There’s nothing better than getting to watch a game develop from an initial concept to a fully-fledged game on the market. A couple of my favourite games from the previous year have returned, mainly Spies and Soldiers and Dolven, and the extra years have made them even better to play. Spies and Soldiers especially has had a giant leap with a new campaign mode and a few more features to keep me wanting to play again and again to master it, or at the very least, not shitting the bed. Unfortunately, not all games from PAX Aus 2023 made it to storefronts or stayed in development, which is a shame every time.
I’m happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised by PAX Aus this year and can’t wait until next year!
What revelation surprised you the most? Did you miss out on PAX Aus 2024? Let us know in the comments and check out Couch Soup for all the PAX Aus coverage.
