Tribeca Festival Announces the 2023 Games Lineup
Tribeca Festival announced today the games program.
This year's lineup features seven games illustrating "potential in phenomenal storytelling and innovation through interactive experiences." All seven games are eligible for the Tribeca Games Award, celebrating a game before release for its storytelling.
The seven games include A Highland Song, from UK-based developer inkle Studios, Chants of Sennar from French studio Rundisc, Despelote from Julián Cordero, Sebastián Valbuena, Gabe Cuzzillo, Ian Berman, Niall Tessier-Lavigne, Goodbye Volcano High from KO_OP, Nightscape from Mezan Studios, Stray Gods from Summerfall Studios, and The Expanse: A Telltale Series from Deck Nine. Each of these will world premiere during the Festival.
“This year, Tribeca’s games selections showcase creators who explore identity, emotion, and a sense of place through their games. We are proud to highlight a range of cultural perspectives with exceptional artistry and storytelling from voices all around the world that will captivate audiences and stay with them long after the experience is over."
-- Tribeca Vice President of Games & Immersive Casey Baltes
In addition to these games, there are two events taking place. One is Hideo Kojima: Connecting Worlds, a documentary about Hideo Kojima that features interviews from Guillermo del Toro, Nicholas Winding Refn, Grimes, George Miller, Norman Reedus, Woodkid, and Chvrches, and attempts to give insight into his creative process. Following the screening, Kojima will take part in a Q&A. Telltale Games is also hosting a panel about adapting The Expanse TV show called "Exploring Deep Space: How Telltale and Deck Nine created Expanse Stories in an Interactive Medium" at the AT&T Untold Stories Lounge on Saturday, June 10th at 4:30 PM Eastern.
Another event taking place during the Festival is the Tribeca Games Spotlight, a showcase designed to show off this year's selection of games alongside new footage and interviews from the creators of the selections as part of this year's Summer Game Fest for the third year in a row. If you don't have a ticket to Tribeca and aren't familiar with Summer Game Fest - don't worry. You don't need a ticket to watch the Tribeca Games Spotlight on Friday, June 9th at 3 PM Eastern. You can watch the Tribeca Games Spotlight on Tribeca's YouTube channel, and watch all the free events on Summer Game Fest's YouTube channel, Twitch page, Twitter, TikTok, or Steam.
As was previously announced, Tribeca’s Games & Immersive Experience will take place in person at Spring Studios at 50 Varick Street, featuring playable demos for this year's lineup of games.
The Tribeca Festival runs from June 9th to June 17th
Tribeca's 2023 games lineup is detailed below.
2023 Tribeca Festival Games Selection
A Highland Song, (United Kingdom) - World Premiere. Moira McKinnon has never seen the sea. Living with her mum in a small house in the Scottish Highlands, she receives a letter from her Uncle Hamish urging her to come to the coast. And so Moira runs away. Control Moira as she scrambles across the mountains, and through valleys filled with echoes, stories, ghosts and songs. Find maps that unlock hidden paths while collecting the stories of the hills... and of Moira's past. Developer: inkle Studios
Chants of Sennaar, (France) - World Premiere. The Peoples of the Tower no longer speak to each other. But it is said that one day, a Traveler will find the wisdom to break down the walls and restore the Balance. Explore an enthralling world in a colorful, poetic setting inspired by the myth of Babel. Travel the endless steps of a prodigious labyrinth and unveil the mysteries of this fascinating universe where ancient languages are both the lock and the key. Developer: Rundisc Publisher: Focus Entertainment
Despelote, (New York, Ecuador) - World Premiere. Run, pass, and dribble as eight-year-old Julián in this slice-of-life game all about football. Explore the streets and parks of Quito, set against the backdrop of Ecuador's first qualifying run for the World Cup in 2001, and meet its community through funny emergent interactions. Developers: Julián Cordero, Sebastián Valbuena, Gabe Cuzzillo, Ian Berman, Niall Tessier-Lavigne Publisher: Panic
Goodbye Volcano High, (Canada, United States) - World Premiere. Just Fang’s luck: they finally figure out what they want out of life, and now the world’s about to explode. In this story-driven, choice-based cinematic adventure game about personal growth, acceptance, and the power of community, what will you do at the end of an era? Goodbye Volcano High is a cinematic adventure game, a coming-of-age rhythm game, a hand-animated interactive cartoon, and a choice-based, narrative-driven, interactive movie experience. Developer & Publisher: KO_OP
Nightscape, (Qatar) - World Premiere. When the sun mysteriously causes the stars to fall to earth rendering the sky completely dark, the world is thrown into chaos in this 2.5D atmospheric adventure game rooted in ancient Arabian stories. Layla, a lost stargazer, reluctantly embarks on a quest to restore the stars to their rightful place. Using her father’s magical astrolabe, she awakens the power of the stars as she explores the mysteries of both earth and sky. Developer: Mezan Studios
Stray Gods, (Australia) - World Premiere. In a modern fantasy world, college dropout Grace is granted the power of a Muse - power she’ll need to find out the truth behind her predecessor’s death before time runs out. You'll decide who Grace allies with, who she can trust, and who may betray her through original, fully interactive musical numbers & choice-based gameplay. Fully orchestrated and performed by an all-star cast, you’ll feel as though you’re right there on the stage. Developer: Summerfall Studios Publisher: Humble Games
The Expanse: A Telltale Series, (United States) - World Premiere. The Expanse: A Telltale Series serves as a prequel to the popular Amazon TV series and much of the book series. In The Expanse: The Telltale Series players take on the role of Camina Drummer (played by Cara Gee, the actress who portrays this fan-favorite character in the TV series), the leader of a ragtag scavenging crew on the hunt for a mysterious treasure on the edges of The Belt. Drummer will square off against mutinous crew members and a savage pirate captain, Toussaint, who forces Drummer to grapple with her own violent past. Ultimately, Drummer must sacrifice her personal ambitions and rediscover the larger purpose that she is fighting for. Developer: Deck Nine Publisher: Telltale Games
2023 Tribeca Festival Games Special Events
Hideo Kojima: Connecting Worlds (United Kingdom) - World Premiere. A journey into the creative mind of the most iconic video game designer in the world. Featuring appearances from visionary artists Guillermo del Toro, Nicholas Winding Refn, Grimes, George Miller, Norman Reedus, Woodkid, Chvrches, this visually captivating documentary gives a rare insight into Hideo Kojima’s creative process as he launches his own independent studio. Directed by Glen Milner. Produced by Ben Hilton.
A Tribeca Games special screening including an extended Q&A with Hideo Kojima.
Location: Spring Studios
Date/Time: Saturday, June 17 at 5:00 PM
Exploring Deep Space: How Telltale and Deck Nine Created Expanse Stories in an Interactive Medium The dangers of space, complex characters, narrative design that crackles with tension, player agency, tough choices with life or death consequences, zero-G, and Cara Gee. These are just some of the elements that play a crucial role in bringing deep space scavenging to life in The Expanse: A Telltale Series. Stephan Frost, game director at Deck Nine Games will be joined by Jonathan Zimmerman, narrative director, and lead designer Christopher Sica for an in-depth discussion of the key factors in capturing the right feel and tone for their highly anticipated prequel to the popular TV series. They’ll reveal the biggest challenges and advantages of crafting fresh experiences in a well-established universe using an interactive medium. And they’ll talk about how two powerhouse names in narrative games partnered to evolve the genre and tell an exceptional story.
Location: AT&T Untold Stories Lounge
Date/Time: Saturday, June 10 at 4:30 PM
To purchase passes and ticket packages, visit tribecafilm.com/festival.
Stay tuned for further Tribeca 2023 coverage leading up to the festival in June.
The festival is curated by a team of esteemed professionals, including Cara Cusumano, Frédéric Boyer, and Sharon Badal, among others.
Until next time!
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