BALAM, THE NON-SHOOTING BULLET HELL, GETS CROWNED AS THE BEST SPANISH INDIE GAME OF 2022 AT THE 9TH PLAYSTATION AWARDS
Last night, Sony Interactive Entertainment España (SIE España) hosted the 9th edition of the PlayStation® Awards — an awards ceremony where the company showed its support to the local development scene and independent, original, quality-driven games. The main prize, Best Game of the Year, was awarded to Balam: Bounce Hell, a non-shooting bullet hell developed by Wicked Games, where players will have to use the bullets aimed at them to finish their enemies. The event featured SIE executives such as Jorge Huguet, CEO of SIE Iberia, and Roberto Yeste, Head of Communications for PlayStation® Iberia.
In Balam: Bounce Hell, defense is the best attack. The action will take players through a fictional Pre-Columbian kingdom inspired by all the cultures belonging to this period. Balam, a born acrobat and fighter with almost feline-like abilities and unparalleled dexterity, will have to use all the attacks thrown at him to progress in the story. The game aims to be released on PlayStation consoles and Steam in 2024.
Thanks to this award, the studio will have at its disposal its own office to develop the project for 10 months at one of the PlayStation® Talents Games Camp locations in Spain, as well as a monetary award of €10.000, PlayStation® development kits, mentoring from the PlayStation® Spain team and a marketing campaign.
THE OTHER PLAYSTATION®TALENTS AWARDS WINNERS
The 2D puzzle platformer Khemia won the Best Original Idea. The Tsar’s Secret, an isometric stealth adventure was awarded the Best Original Story award. Howl of Iron, a third-person action adventure that blends hunting and combat, got the Best Design Award. NOX, a horror puzzle adventure, got the Best Art and Best Pitch awards.
Other games that received awards at the PlayStation Awards gala were the 2D family-friendly platformer MeteoHeroes: Saving Planet Earth (Games for Change Award), the cozy casual puzzle title Spooky Hat Shop (Best Soundtrack), the survival horror The Manor’s Legacy (Best DualSense Implementation), the first-person escape room Escape from Ithara (Best Idea for PlayStation VR), and the metroidvania Barbarian Saga (Press Award).
MORE THAN 900 STUDIOS SHOWCASED SINCE 2014
Since its creation seven years ago, more than 900 studios have opted for the PlayStation®Awards. Year after year, a jury composed of relevant figures in the Spanish and worldwide industry, such as Shuhei Yoshida, head of Indies Initiative at SIE, as well as journalists and celebrities has chosen the more innovative, creative and best games of the year. The goal of these awards is to give studios the opportunity to publish their games in PlayStation® thanks to the support and partnership of PlayStation® Spain and the PlayStation® Talents program.
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