B y now we’re used to online showcases from publishers and platform holders, packaging a tranche of new games (or at least new trailers) into a single YouTubefriendly broadcast. But one from a single developer, with seven games squeezed into less than 15 minutes? That would have grabbed our attention even if the face of the presenter on screen hadn’t been hidden behind a balaclava. “We can’t afford to work on just one game,” she says, her voice distorted as if to protect the innocent, “because – what can I say – we just can’t seem to stop coming up with cool ideas.” This is The Brainwash Propaganda.
The brash presentation suits the games of Madrid-based development collective Brainwash Gang rather well. The titles on show range from sidescrolling shooters to slice-of-life musicals, but they all share a certain swagger. Grotto is a broken-telephone narrative game in which you can communicate only by drawing in the stars. Friends Killing Friends is a 1v1 FPS with a built-in card game. Laika: Aged Through Blood gives you a motorbike and a gun that reloads whenever you backflip.