Level Up KL 2020 is happening and it’s somehow bigger amongst all this pandemic. While we won’t be getting the expo IRL all the major Level Up events will still be taking place virtually. Which some us prefer, because you know, people… From the 10th to the 31st of October we’ll be having the SEA Game Jam, the Business Expo, Conference Talks, Masterclass Workshops and of course the SEA Game Awards.

Like last year Unpause will be one of the judges for the SEA Game Jam which is a 48-hour competitive sprint to produce the best game. We had a blast last year and judging from the livestream last weekend some of the teams have been especially creative this year. But next to the SEA Game Jam the next big game competition at Level Up KL 2020 is the SEA Game Awards. This is the fourth year that Level Up KL has held it and it’s a great way to recognise and celebrate some of the most amazing games we have in the region.

The award categories are divided by – The Grand Jury Award, Audience Choice Award, Best Technology, Best Visual Art, Best Game Design, Best Audio, Best Storytelling, Best Innovation, Best Rising Star and Best Student Game. The final SEA Game Awards 2020 will be held on the 20th of November 2020.

As usual we’re going to be highlighting the games by country. Here are all the top finalists from Malaysia!

 

Bake ‘n Switch by Streamline Games

Bake ‘n Switch is a local and online couch co-op and PvP party brawler for 2-4 players. It might look cute, but it plays tough, as you must sacrifice adorable living dough creatures to the oven. Pick up these sentient buns, throw them in a nearby oven or punch out the other bakers in either co-op or pvp mode. Hey, it’s a breadful task, but someone’s gotta dough it! Since we last saw Bake ‘n Switch at last year’s Level Up KL 2019 the game has launched on PC -Steam and the Nintendo Switch to mixed reviews. The team has announced they’re working on some fixes but in the meantime, it sure looks cute.

 

Blood Moon: Genesis by Project: G

Blood Moon: Genesis is an action, boss battle game set in the Underworld. You play as Aiko, the physical body of the Solar and Lunar foxes that have bonded together. Their task is to seal the “Drunken Demon” that has escaped due to the effects of the Blood Moon which has made him stronger.  Use the power of the Sun and Moon to defeat the Drunken Demon and prevent his escape to the overworld. Swap between the heavy damage dealing Solar mode and the fast agile Lunar mode to take on the Demon.

Blood Moon: Genesis was made by 7 students from the University of Wollongong KDU Malaysia as their final-year project. You can check out their itch.io here.

 

DeLight by DreamTree Studio

The winner of last year’s SEA Game Awards ‘Best Storytelling’. DeLight is an episodic storytelling game that puts you in the shoes of a wartime civilian. Play as Sammy, a little girl who is determined to reunite with her parents despite her blindness. With the world becoming unkind, keeping her going is her unlikely companion: a stray dog named Deli, her only delight left in this world. Throughout this journey, the duo will explore a battered city in search for a way out. Together, they will face many challenges: sneaking through danger zones, learning about new characters, and facing tough dilemmas.

DeLight is slated to be released sometime this year on PC and mobile.

 

Don’t Stop The Party by Avalon Systems

Life is exhausting, isn’t it? Putting up a facade, pretending to be someone you’re not? Enter: Avalon. An endless party, where you can be whoever you want to be. A perfect paradise, for your perfect self! But perfection always has a cost, as our three new challengers will soon find out.

Honestly an endless party is the one that sounds exhausting but this one looks fairly promising. A multiplayer brawler, Don’t Stop The Party is a fun 4-player dance brawl. That looks unfinished, which is to be expected of a student game but I’m digging the concept around it. Just keep an eye on that music copyright infringement alright?

Don’t Stop The Party was made by 7 students from the University of Wollongong KDU Malaysia as their final-year project. You can check out their itch.io here.

 

Ejen Ali: Agents’ Arena by Common Extract

Is it even a Southeast Asian Game nominees list without an Ejen Ali game? Taking a step in a different direction than their previous action-puzzle adventure Ejen Ali: Emergency, Agents’ Arena is a 3v3 MOBA game. Featuring all the characters that I’m sure someone in your family knows and loves you’ll be playing tower defence with your friends. In this 3v3 game, you have 3 lanes leading towards the enemy’s base. Work together with your friends, utilise your unique attributes and coordinate your way to victory! Ejen Ali: Agents’ Arena is currently in closed beta if you want to be part of their testing group you can sign up over here.