2021 was a huge year for the Brazilian indie scene. The Brazil Games organization went all out with big game releases like the VR bullet hell roguelike YUKI, from ARVORE, and the punishing tactical rogue-lite, Evertried from Lunic Games. Brazil also climbed its way to the top of Latin America’s gaming market, becoming the largest in that region of the world — due to the quality, consistency, and downright determination of the Brazil Games organization and the incredible studios under their umbrella. Today we take a look back at 2021, a year that pushed the Brazilian scene into the spotlight and showed the world why they’re now top-dogs in the Latin American gaming industry.
Brazil Games (the Brazilian Games Export Program) is a partnership between Abragames – Brazilian Games Companies Association and Apex-Brasil – Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency.
Brazil Games (the Brazilian Games Export Program) is a partnership between Abragames – Brazilian Games Companies Association and Apex-Brasil – Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency.
BIG Festival 2021:
Brazil Games came ready to rock with Brazil's Independent Games (BIG) Festival 2021 — and what an achievement it was. There were some “big” names at this year’s event; iconic brands like Capcom were on hand with big announcements, along with Amazon, Xbox Game Studios, and Nintendo, and more. 545+ companies from 64 countries presented at the event along with panels from some of the industry’s biggest names and veterans. An astounding 40 million estimated users accessed the games of BIG Festival across the Microsoft Store, Google Play, and App Store, and the panels at this year’s event were viewed more than 790,000 times! The B2B side of things also saw some fantastic results, including a whopping 5,642 business meetings and the launch of a new Job Portal — where companies could seek qualified labor and aspiring industry workers can find opportunities for work — that saw more than 1,000 registered professionals sign up.
Events:
In the gaming industry, it’s all about making those vital connections with future business partners as well as the consumer — after all, they’re the ones buying the games. In order to do that, attending festivals and conferences is an absolute must, and in 2021, Brazil Games made a concerted effort to make their presence known at a variety of events throughout the world.
- GDC: July saw the Brazil team head to Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2021, an annual event that welcomes programmers, artists, producers, game designers, audio professionals, and business leaders from across the industry. Brazil Games showed up with 21 studios that represented every aspect of game development, including survival horror games like Kriophobia from Fira Soft, co-op VR games like Laser Storm from Venturion, and even licensed games based on smash-hit IPs like Flux Games’ Cobra Kai - The Karate Kid Saga Continues.
- Devcom/Gamescom: In August, the Brazil Games delegation took part in Gamescom — the world's largest event for computer and video games — and Devcom, for the business side of the event.12 of the hottest Brazilian indie studios attended, including ARVORE Immersive Experiences, Flux Games, Mad Mimic Interactive, and PETIT FABRIK. Brazil Games also brought a staggering 35+ studios for Devcom’s Meet-to-Match with the goal of exploring business partnership opportunities with publishers, investors, and developers.
- XDS 2021: Making your own game in-house is one thing, but External Development is also a crucial role in the game development process. The Brazil Games group has a variety of top-tier XD studios, and in Sept. they brought six of them — Diorama Digital, DX Gameworks, Flux Games, Gameplan.gg, Plot Kids, and PUGA studios — to the only annual, international games industry event with a primary focus on external development, XDS21 Adapt.
- Tokyo Game Show: One of the most iconic and legendary events in the industry, TGS is a pretty big deal, to say the least. For this four-day event, Brazil Games went all out, sending an astonishing 40 game studios to the event — including a MeetToMatch Tokyo delegation. Not only that, but six studios were selected to participate in TGS’s Trial Play roster, where event Attendees are invited to try out some free demos for games like Tetragon, from Cafundó Creative Studio, and Sky Racket, from Double Dash Studios.
- Nordic Games: In early November, the Brazil team took a trip up north...way up north, for the Autumn edition of Nordic Game 2021 — Scandinavia’s leading game conference. Brazil Games brought ten studios to showcase at the event, covering every genre under the sun, from VR to mobile, original IPs to world-famous brands, and of course, studios that specialize in external development and porting.
- GIC Poland: The Game Industry Conference (GIC) 2021 in Poland this year featured an entire day dedicated entirely to the Brazilian Market! Multiple talks and panels took place over the course of the event, like “Brazil: A New Territory for Game Development and a Vibrant Market to Untap!” that featured some of Brazil’s best and brightest indie studios including ARVORE Immersive Experiences, AIYRA, and Rockhead Studios.
- Brazilian Game Week: the first annual Brazilian Game Week took place this September, with the participation of embassies and consulates across 20 countries. To spread the word about the Brazilian video game industry’s impact at home and on the global stage, the delegation shared the games, companies, and technology of the country’s video game industry with a global audience over five days. Topics covered included virtual reality, the blossoming Brazilian esports scene, health, education, and more.
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Studios Featured this year:
2021 was a fantastic year for the Brazilian Games team of studios, and saw the launch and reveal of some very cool titles. From kart racers and Formula 1 legends to innovative 2D puzzlers and their VR counterparts, the depth and breadth of the Brazilian indie scene is near-endless. While it would be impossible to fit them all on this list, here are a few highlights of some of the best to come from Brazilian studios in 2021:
- Lunic Games: Selected as part of the “Best by Brazil” selection during Brazil’s Independent Game (BIG) Festival 2021, Evertried, by Lunic Games, is a challenging rogue-lite tactics title that tasks players with ascending a tower of 50 floors jam-packed with enemies and a staggering variety of skills and modifiers to boost their abilities during each run.
- Rockhead Games: Creators of the popular Starlit series, Rockhead did what any good studio with a roster of loveable characters would do after several successful titles — put them in a kart game! Starlit Kart Racing is Rockhead’s twist on the classic “kart” formula, with special items, weapons, and a host of wacky and colorful tracks to enjoy.
- Cafundó Creative Studios: This year, Cafundó launched the brain-bending puzzler Tetragon, which finds players in a square-shaped world where the walls can suddenly change position and alter the direction of gravity. A touching tale of the bond between father and son and some brilliant puzzle design makes a perfect example of what a small but dedicated studio can accomplish.
- BitCake Studio: A studio located in Rio de Janeiro, BitCake makes titles for PC, browsers, mobile devices, consoles, and most recently, virtual reality with DeMagnete — released in July to positive reviews. A gorgeous VR title, DeMagnete challenges players with a series of physics-based puzzles using the power of magnet gloves — positive attracts, negative repels — within a mysterious world run by an enigmatic AI.
- PetitFabrik: One of Brazil’s brightest up-and-coming indie studios, PetitFabrik wants to bring players back to the golden age of 3D platformers with Kukoos - Lost Pets, a title filled with bright, colorful environments, super cute characters, and a light, heartwarming story headed to PC and consoles next year. Nominated for Best Console Game at the Game Connection X Chinajoy 2021 Global Game Development Awards, Kukoos - Lost Pets is reminiscent of classic Nintendo and Rare titles like Super Mario 3D and Banjo Kazooie.
- Aquiris: Following hot on the heels...or wheels, of the smash hit Horizon Chase Turbo, Aquiris recently launched an expansion that paid tribute to a Brazilian legend and one of the most revered Formula 1 drivers of all time: Senna Forever. This DLC puts players in the racing boots of Ayrton Senna and follows his illustrious career, along with bringing new features to the game like a first-person view!
- Electric Monkeys: Located in the thriving Brazilian city of São Paulo, Electric Monkeys prides itself on their commitment to developing innovative, original IPs that stand out against the competition. This year, the studio launched Gravitational, a VR puzzler that will not only force players to think about gravity in new and clever ways, but also how it feels to navigate a world built by able-bodied people from the perspective of a wheelchair user.
2021 was a huge year for Brazil — and 2022 will be even bigger. With Brazil now leading South America as the region’s largest gaming market, the country’s burgeoning indie scene will continue to grow and shine under the international spotlight. Not only will 2022 see more fabulous games and exciting launches, but Brazil Games is also looking forward to next year for reasons we can all relate to — the return to in-person events. While BIG Festival experienced fantastic growth and attendance with its digital iteration, nothing beats going hands-on with the games and meeting the studios, publishers, and industry icons face to face. With pandemic restrictions easing and borders opening up, the country cannot wait to welcome the world to its shores for BIG Festival 2022, which will make its triumphant return to the Frei Caneca Convention Center in São Paulo as a hybrid in-person and digital event from July 5 through 10, 2022.
Brazil Games has worked tirelessly for the past decade to support thriving Brazilian game studios internationally — funding their attendance at international video game events and connecting them with partnerships and financial backing opportunities. As the 12th largest gaming maker in the world, Brazil’s local industry has a current growth rate of 13.5% annually and accounts for $2.3 billion USD of the world’s video game-related revenue. Through their work with their affiliate studios, Brazil Games is an integral part of their success.
If you’d like to chat with Eliana Russi, Executive Manager of Brazil Games, or any of the fantastic Brazilian studios, please shoot us a message and we’d be thrilled to set that up for you.
Thanks for a great year!
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About Brazil Games
Brazil Games is the export program created by the Brazilian Independent Game Companies Association, ABRAGAMES, in partnership with Apex-Brasil, the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency. Our goal is to promote the Brazilian Indie Game industry internationally, developing new business opportunities for our companies. The Brazil Games Program also promotes Brazil as the hub for business in Latin America and invites buyers, investors, and publishers for BIG Festival, Brazil's Independent Games Festival, the most important international indie games festival, and the hub for international business in Latin America.
About Apex-Brasil
The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) works to promote Brazilian products and services abroad and to attract foreign investment to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. The Agency's efforts comprise trade and prospective missions, business rounds, support for the participation of Brazilian companies in major international trade fairs, the arrangement of technical visits of foreign buyers and opinion makers to learn about the Brazilian productive structure, and other select activities designed to strengthen the country’s branding abroad. Apex-Brasil also plays a leading role in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) to Brazil, by working to identify business opportunities, promoting strategic events, and providing support to foreign investors interested in allocating resources in Brazil.
PRESS CONTACT - BRAZIL GAMES
Lisa Mior | Brendan Quinn
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1-646-844-8983
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