Vampspire Wins Game Jam!

When NeoPangea isn't crafting lush interactive experiences for clients, some of our creative superstars enjoy lending their talents to niche, underground side projects. NeoPangea's animator and video game aficionado, Ryan Paxton, has taken to the world of indie game development in his free time, leading a team of developers to indie game greatness.

Ryan's most recent endeavor was participating in the 2013 Develteam Game Jam, a two-week-long competition to create a video game from scratch that aligned with a specific theme which was only revealed at the start of the contest. When the veil of secrecy was lifted, "Dual Mode Retro" was the theme on everyone’s mind. The game had to have an "old school" aesthetic, meaning 3D graphics were out of the question, and it had to feature two distinct modes of game play rather than focusing on one.

The race was on to come up with the best creation possible in just 14 days. While some other teams had all the time in the world to devote to the competition, Ryan continued performing his daily magic at NeoPangea, then retreated to his secret lair every night to work on this project away from prying eyes.

Two exhausting weeks later, VAMPSPIRE was ready for the world to play. This ambitious half shooter/half stealth platformer drew from inspirations such as the ill-fated Nintendo Virtual Boy console and classics like Castlevania and Galaga. In the end, its quality execution won over the Develteam community and won first place in the competition.

While Ryan and his team scored an extensive list of Steam games for their efforts, the game itself serves as springboard into future developments. VAMPSPIRE is a perfect example of what can be completed just by experimenting with new technology, coming up with a creative solution, and having a blast with fellow creatives.