I ask you dear reader; is there a better way to spend a Saturday in London walking around a big, bustling building filled to the brim with brilliant video games? Brobably – er – I mean, probably not! In my humble opinion at least. Which is why I spent a full 24 hours travelling to, attending, and then coming back from WASD Live 2024 at The Truman Brewery in London. The day in question – Saturday 27th April. Hold on readers, it’s going to be a rollercoaster of a ride!
Time for WASD Live 2024!
Before we start – full disclosure. This is not my first WASD. I’ve attended pretty much every single one since they started. And every time I’ve been sent a Creator Pass so that I can attend each event for free. Including this one, although I could only attend on the Saturday. Which may make you think that I’m a little biased in favour of these events. Well, maybe I am. But they are genuinely good events. So much so that I’m willing to make a 24 hour trip. Having said that, on to my diary for the day!
00:30 – National Express, a traveller’s friend?
And so it begins…with a six hour coach journey. As much as I enjoy living in the South West, it can take ages to get anywhere. Especially when you are as thrifty (cheap) as I am. But that’s fine. I’m used to long journeys. Once you’ve spent over a day travelling to the other side of the world, a few hours on a coach is nothing. Put some earphones in, shut your eyes and hope your snoring doesn’t wake up the rest of the coach. Job done. Kinda sucks that the coach was nearly a half hour late picking everyone up.
06:05 Good Morning, London!
Ah NODNOL, not exactly my most favourite place in the world. Travelling to it is a necessary evil for a few things, so I just have to grin and bear it. The coach drops me off near Earl’s Court where a McDonald’s and a London Underground station is just a quick walk away. After a few hours of fitful yet oddly satisfying sleep, I’m craving two breakfast hash browns. Mmmm greasy.
06:30 – Going deeper underground
Every time I use the London Underground, I always remember that scene from An American Werewolf in London. The one where a transformed David stalks and mauls an unsuspecting salary man trying to get home. It’s an incredible scene in an incredible movie. Made by a director then most known for comedy films. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes. Earl’s Court to Aldgate East via the District Line. Not long now!
07:15 – Costa time
Oh boy. I’ve majorly overestimated how long it would take me to get to my destination. I anticipated hitting traffic, factored in for my coach being late. And even though the coach WAS late picking me up, it actually arrived into London early. Ah well. At least I’m not rushing about. Luckily, the closest Costa Coffee is already open, so I’m gonna camp out here for a bit. A nice hot chocolate to fight back against the cold, and free Wi-Fi so I can do some writing. These blog posts ain’t gonna write themselves.
09:40 – The queue. It’s growing.
After wasting a bit of time in Costa (and Pret A Manger – oh la la!) it’s finally time. I join the growing queue outside the main entrance. It may be overkill to leave for an event a full ten hours before it opens but right now, I don’t care. For the next few hours, I’m gonna be in my element. An innumerable amount of games to try out. Loads of people to talk to.
As I anticipate that a lot is going to end up happening in a short amount of time, I’ve decided to lump everything into hourly slots. Alright. Bag checked. Ticket scanned. Wristband attached. Lanyard claimed. Camera out. I’m finally at WASD Live 2024!
10:00 – Showtime!
I always dedicate a portion of the first hour after getting in to collect myself. Bathroom break, make sure my equipment is ready. That kind of stuff. I’m glad I did. Right from the start, it feels busy. So busy that it makes me worry that I’m not going to be able to try all the games that I want to. Spoiler warning – I didn’t. Time is even more precious than I previously thought.
Bioframe Outpost
The first game I found was Bioframe Outpost. A charming little 2D sci-fi romp that includes a camera-based mechanic. Taking photos of the enemies uncovers weaknesses and in turn helps them to be avoided and/or defeated.
Starship Troopers
Next is Starship Troopers: Terran Command, a returning game from the previous WASD. I still haven’t gotten around to buying it, so I decided to play another round of the tutorial mission. It’s a great little RTS game set in the Starship Troopers universe. Fun for anyone who enjoys that particular satirical universe, myself included.
Lil Gator Game
I’m always a fan of a cute little 3D platformer, and Lil Gator Game is a great little addition to this genre. The controls feel very responsive, something which is so important in a platformer. Plus, he looks so dang adorable when he’s swimming about!
11:00 – Diving headfirst in
Kadomon
What if monster collecting was crossed with an autobattler? The answer to this question seems to be Kadomon. Not a particular answer that really appeals to me, but a cute and appealing game none-the-less. It’s also really funny putting the game at its fastest speed and seeing those critters hyped up like they are on some kind of illicit substance.
Cult of the Lamb
Indie darling Cult of the Lamb made yet another appearance, along with the absolutely massive mascot that seems to have appeared at every single WASD event since the dawn of time. Regardless, it’s always a delight to see him lumbering up to someone for a photo opportunity.
Green Again.
Coupled with Horticular, Adapt, and Ecosystem, Green Again is part of a strong environmental-themed line-up by publisher Slug Disco Studios. I only had the chance to play Green Again, and it’s a lovely chilled city-building experience. Horticular was a stand-out from a previous WASD, and it was good to see it featured once more.
Meeting Kinszilla.
Although playing lots of games is the one of best thing about being at WASD Live 2024, a chance meeting is even better. As I was wandering around the Atari booth, I happened across Kinsey Burke, otherwise known as Kinszilla. She was over from Japan doing some filming for the event. It was absolutely lovely meeting her!
12:00
This year, WASD was roughly split into two areas. The larger main area had all the larger games on show, along with all the individual booths. And the smaller area had the smaller, more niche games, alongside a bunch of Steam Decks that had playable versions of most of the games on them. I think this is a great idea! More opportunities for people to sit down and play the games, as the booths were very busy.
Crow Country.
Horror is probably one of the most interesting genres when it comes to Indie games. An abundance of kooky ideas and bizarre scenarios. And when combined with a retro aesthetic, it’s one of my favourite niches to explore. Enter Crow Country, the latest game from the folks who created Snipperclips of all things. A retro survival horror set in an old and abandoned theme park. Optional tank controls. Slightly clunky gameplay. Fuzzy graphics. Otherwise known as a recipe for a good time.
Thank Goodness You’re Here!
One of the great surprises of the WASD Live 2024 was Thank Goodness You’re Here! Looking back, it wasn’t advertised as a game being shown at the event. It didn’t have its own booth. It was just sitting on one of the Steam Decks. Set in the fictional Northern town of Barnsworth, this game really speaks to me. I am originally from “Up North” of course. Plenty of local tropes and references on hand. One I’m definitely keeping an eye on.
Giveth Taketh
The winner of the latest UKIE GameJam, Giveth Taketh is a simple concept. Pilot a spaceship to various points of the map. Choose between taking the matter picked up at said points as fuel, or giving it away to the nearby planet to help sustain it and gain points. However, you don’t directly control the ship, and the direction of each engine burst is random. Plus, the almost cosmic horror design is refreshing, as opposed to something featuring futuristic chrome and glass.
13:00 Hardware galore
Playdate.
Ever since seeing the Playdate when it was first announced, I have been stupidly fascinated by it. A bright yellow body housing a black and white screen, tactile buttons and a little hand crank. Sounds perfectly magical. I was sceptical about it though. Until I had a go with one at WASD. Now I am a true believer. And I am very much tempted to buy one. Maybe. Probably.
Bib Goes Home.
After releasing well-received games such as Tapeworm Disco Puzzle and Flea, Lowtek Games have followed up with a daring concept. A playable pop-up book adventure called Bib Goes Home. Brought to life through a combination of projection mapping and paper engineering, this short but sweet concept blurs the line between the digital and physical.
Arcade Paradise VR.
Probably the most exciting thing I got up to during the day. I’ve been a huge fan of Arcade Paradise since the day I discovered it way back when I attended the first WASD, and getting to use the VR version was absolutely incredible. Best feature? Being able to put the cabinets in the real world thanks to the AR features. They would look great next to my real-life arcade cabinet! Also, one of the reps decided to photobomb the video I was filming of myself at the time. Absolutely hilarious and I had no idea it had happened until long after the fact.
14:00 Curios-er and Curios-er
At every WASD event there is a few games that are deemed just weird and wonderful enough to be included in a special curated line-up. Otherwise known as the WASD Curios Indie Game Showcase. The previously mentioned Giveth Taketh and Bib Goes Home are included in this year’s selection. The next few are all part of that collection.
Summerhouse
Another chilled out experience, Summerhouse allows the player to build a 2D pixel house in various gorgeous locations. Each part of the house can be chosen from a few premade parts. There’s quite a bit of variation thanks to how well those parts all fit together.
Microtopia.
Imagine a real time strategy game but with ants. And then imagine that they are robots ants instead of the regular kind! This is Microtopia in a nutshell. Some great techno visuals abound here, and the gameplay mechanics are extremely solid.
15:00 The end is nigh
And all good things must come to an end. I had to leave the show early to catch a coach back to where I came from. Again, I left way too early and probably could have stayed longer but I REALLY didn’t want to miss my coach. Don’t want to spend an inpromptu night in London. I found some pretty sweet graffiti on the way back though. And also picked a Burger King up on route.
17:00 – Goodbye for now
And just like that, it’s time to say goodbye. Back on the coach at Victoria Coach Station. Surprise, surprise, the coach was late again! Despite the growing sense of drowsiness overtaking me, I spent some time quickly drafting up a few articles I want to publish, and sorting through the footage I took throughout the day. My time at WASD Live 2024 may have ended, but the real work had just begun!
19:30 – Switch Deck
I finally get bored of doing some work and decide to play Pikmin 2 on my Switch Deck. What’s the Switch Deck you ask? Technically called the CRKD Nitro Deck, this awesome item is a controller that a Nintendo Switch sits snuggly into. It’s pretty awesome and makes the Switch feel like a brand new console.
22:16 – Diaster strikes!
Sooooo the coach has stopped. Apparently the windscreen wipers have stopped working and because it’s throwing it down in rain, we can’t carry on. Luckily, a coach is already inbound and we can get that one. So close yet so far!
23:00 – Back where I belong
Alright, I’m back in the coach station a half hour late. Very hungry. Decided to stop off at Taco Bell before it closes to eat some spicy stuff. Gonna catch the last bus home from the city center so I don’t have to pay for a taxi (thrifty). Definitely feeling tired now though.
23:45 – Crash and burn
So yeah, I fell asleep almost as soon as I got in. What an amazingly hectic day! Dang, I ate way too much fast food junk that day…
Final thoughts
For the average event-goer there is plenty of value in going to WASD for a single day. Especially for the price. Although it may even be a little bit overwhelming if you plan to experience everything in just one day. There is just so much to see and do. But as for the entire three day experience? I tend to tap out around midday on the final day. In part because I’m feeling a bit weary and am anticipating the journey home. But mostly because I’ve done all the things I’ve wanted to do.
Did I enjoy WASD Live 2024 though? Absolutely! It was a massive shame I couldn’t go all three days and there was a real feeling of FOMO this time around. I didn’t have time to create the content that I usually do. I tend to collate my top games of the event, as well as conduct an interview or two. In short, it felt a little overwhelming. Especially as I had travelled so far in one day. It felt as busy as ever, despite there being no standout AAA headliners to draw those crowds in. Previous shows have featured the likes of Dead Island 2, Tiny Tina’s Wonderland, and more. Does the lack of bigger titles signify a drop in interest from the bigger fishes in the gaming industry pond? Hopefully not. I really feel that WASD Live is coming into its own.
If you want to see a highlight video of the day, I’ve linked it below!
