LudoNarraCon debuted in 2019 at a time before COVID-19 prompted a re-evaluation of physical proximity. Image: Fellow Traveller via AFP Relaxnews
If you like video games, stories and online meetups, April 24 to 27th’s LudoNarraCon could be the weekend internet hangout for you.
Two days of panel talks and presentations streamed over a four-day event, LudoNarraCon 2020 boasts over 40 individual titles, more than 20 playable demos and a sale featuring over 50 games.
Taking place from Friday, April 24, to Monday, April 27, LNC 2020 is organized by indie game publisher Fellow Traveler (though it does not focus exclusively on the label’s roster) and hosted by online computer game store Steam.
The first round of talks will be live, recorded over the first two days, for replay over the last two days.
They include a discussion about transformational experiences, featuring (among others) the developer of anonymous pen-pals service “Kind Words,” a look at how games can tell stories without any dialogue at all, and how to make the most of games’ interactivity through branching narratives.
Many developers will also livestream their own games for around three to four hours, the results then going out on a loop as with the talks.
The LCN roster includes joyfully light-hearted mystery “Frog Detective 2,” royal court drama “Yes Your Grace,” anthropomorphic action game “Boyfriend Dungeon” and stylish sci-fi “Chinatown Detective Agency.”
Among demos for well-anticipated upcoming releases queued up to go live over the course of the event, there’s the delightfully odd island exploration “Welcome to Elk” and family camping trip “Wide Ocean Big Jacket,” as well as samplers for recent releases like barista tale “Coffee Talk” and taxi driver journey “Neo Cab.”
Where some of the year’s biggest games expos have been opting for full, partial or unofficial online events to replace annual conventions canceled because of COVID-19, LudoNarraCon had already anticipated the trend for different reasons.
Its 2019 debut enabled fans and developers to congregate without the costs, noise and health issues associated with traditional convention hall formats.
After LNC 2020, Steam will be hosting another preview and playable demo event on June 9 to 14, after The Steam Game Festival: Summer Edition staked out dates in the video games calendar previously occupied by the canceled Electronic Entertainment Expo. CL /ra
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