Indie Game Development student shortlisted at national game awards

MA Indie Game Development online student Patricio Land was nominated in the Best Entertainment Game category at the 2021 Swiss Game Development Awards (SGDA) for his point and click graphic adventure Sol 705.

The SGDA celebrates projects that have helped put the Swiss game industry on the map. The awards honour innovation in the form of novel and disruptive ideas in the digital media sector.

Being recognised at a national awards ceremony is one of Patricio’s most prestigious achievements to date. He first started programming as a hobby in the ‘90s, and wanted to channel the feelings of joy and madness that his early game programming days brought him into his latest creation. 

Sol 705 is the result. And given that the indie game’s trailer involves aliens, playground hypnosis and a cat setting off a rocket with matchsticks, we think he might have just pulled it off. 

Patricio’s game has been two years in the making. It’s his tribute to the golden age of gaming – the '90s, where 2D point and click adventure graphics games ruled the day.

Sol 705, which is set in a small Argentinian town in the 70s, features a motley crew of high school dropouts looking for challenges and adventures. 

The user’s biggest enemy is their own ‘boredoom’, second only to Meeno, a brother who will quickly task you with finding a replacement bass player so that his band can play at the town music festival.

Patricio even managed to get indie bands to create an original soundtrack for Sol 705, as well as calling on friends to help translate the game into six languages.

Patricio was thrilled to see his work shortlisted at the event.

“During the making of this indie game I put in countless hours of passion and fun, but also long journeys of stress and despair. Now I know that most of the troubles could have been avoided by applying some of the great lessons I learned in just a few months on Falmouth’s Indie Games MA with Jamie and Giovanni as mentors. 

“I can't wait to put all this new knowledge into my next title!”

And Jamie White, course leader for MA Indie Game Development online, believes that this could be the start of something special for his student.

“It is clear to me that Patricio boasts a significant level of talent underpinned by a strong passion for the subject area”, Jamie told us. 

“I’m very pleased he is studying with us and I look forward to seeing him expand his portfolio further. Congratulations on your achievement Patricio!”

Sol 705 is now available to play via Steam and Itch.io.
 

Explore Indie Game Development MA Online