"Michael Cook, a brainy type over at Imperial College’s Computational Creativity Group, has been researching and developing unique Artificial Intelligence systems for his PhD project. The culmination of his work is an ‘autonomous games designer’ known as Angelina, which is capable of unassisted creativity in game mechanics and level design. A Puzzling Present is a playable fruit of these labours, and has just been released as a free download for PC and Android platforms." - Matt Suckley
These aren’t nostalgia grabs or gimmick-laden throwbacks. They each bring something genuinely fresh to the table, mechanics that feel baked into the exploration and combat, not just tacked on.
Play as Dik, a nimble acrobat exploring the depths of Hell to rescue his brother from the Devil’s hands. With no weapons to rely on, success hinges on mastery of physics-driven movement, and quick adaptation to deadly obstacles.
GDC 2025 has revealed the finalists for the 27th annual Independent Games Festival (IGF).
