“the joy of seeing people play your games and appreciate your work makes it all

• The Big Indie Pitch gives indies five minutes to pitch their games to a panel of press, publishers, and industry pundits, each receiving invaluable feedback before the judges pick three winners
• The event just gets bigger and bigger as we take it all over the world

The Big Indie Pitch, a regular event run by the makers of PocketGamer.biz, sees indie developers engage in a rapid-fire pitching competition for fame and those sweet promotional packages.

The event gives indies five minutes to pitch their games to a panel of press, publishers, and industry pundits, each receiving invaluable feedback before the judges pick three winners.

The indie view

The Big Indie Pitch is getting bigger and bigger as we take it all over the world. We’ve sat down with a number of past BIP contestants to offer their views on the event, its attendees, and the games on show.

Today, we’re speaking to Chirag Chopra from Lucid Labs, who created and pitched Bloom, at The Very Big Indie Pitch at Pocket Gamer Connects Dubai 2024 and walked away as the runner-up.

Sophia Aubrey Drake: Tell us a little about yourself and your indie studio – who is on the team, and what are their inspirations?

Chirag Chopra: Lucid Labs is a small but passionate all-remote indie studio from New Delhi, India. We’re a tight-knit team of three full-time storytellers who love crafting unique and meaningful experiences. Our inspirations are as diverse as our team, ranging from classic puzzle games like Tetris, modern interactive art like The Journey, animated films like Studio Ghibli’s works, and even the vibrant colours and patterns observed in Indian heritage.

Tell us about Bloom, which you pitched at the competition.

Bloom is a casual puzzle adventure where you follow the journey of Arya and her trusty dog, Bo. They’re on a quest through beautiful landscapes filled with quirky characters. The puzzles are easy to pick up but can get pretty brain-tickling as you go along. What’s really special about Bloom is the in-game Levels Hub, which enables you to create your own levels and share them with other players.

What do you think are the most unique and interesting aspects of Bloom that gamers may never have seen before?

Bloom’s most unique aspect is how it seamlessly weaves together a novel yet intuitive puzzle mechanic with a quirky narrative and a vibrant world brimming with life. We also take pride in our UGC feature, where players can unleash their creativity by crafting their own levels and sharing them with the community. It’s a bit like playing a puzzle game that’s constantly evolving and expanding.

What made you choose to make this type of game, and what do you think you bring that may not have been seen before?

We chose to make Bloom because we love puzzle games and felt we had something unique to offer. We wanted to create a puzzle game that felt more than just a series of challenges. Additionally, we’ve been toying around making a dead-simple level maker with a robust online community to expand our team’s technical capabilities further, and Bloom fits right in.

How did you come to choose the platforms that you would develop Bloom for?

We chose to release it on mobile primarily because we’ve been making mobile games for a decade now, and when it comes to crafting an equally intuitive and immersive experience we just understand mobile. Furthermore, by choosing the mobile platform, we can reach a broad audience of players, making the game more accessible to a wider group of people.

Looking at the studio a little more now. How hard is it to survive as an Indie developer?

Honestly, it’s tough. The indie game scene is incredibly competitive, and resources are often limited, especially in a market like India, where the focus is often on free-to-play games. It takes a lot of passion, perseverance, and a bit of luck to make it. But the joy of seeing people play your games and appreciate your work makes it all worth it.

Are there any tips and advice you would give to an independent developer out there who is just starting out?

Find your niche, focus on quality over quantity, don’t be afraid to experiment, and create games you are passionate about rather than chasing trends. Don’t be afraid to start small and iterate. Get your game in front of players as early as possible and listen to their feedback. Most importantly, don’t give up. Building a successful indie studio takes time and dedication, but the journey is worth it.

How did you find your experience pitching as a part of the Big Indie Pitch?

Pitching our game to a panel of industry experts was nerve-wracking yet incredibly exciting. We received valuable feedback and made great connections with notable people from the industry.

What do you feel you have gained from the experience, and what do you still hope to gain?

We gained a lot of exposure for Bloom and learned a ton about a new market (MENA). We also met some incredible people in the industry who have been incredibly supportive. We’re still hoping to grow the relationships made at the event to help us bring Bloom to an even wider audience and continue to grow as a studio.

What are your hopes for this game in the future, and do you have any plans for any future projects?

We are working on adding new levels and features in Bloom, intending to polish it even further while providing crucial QoL updates. As for future projects, apart from exploring new ideas, we are working on bringing our beloved former Apple Arcade title, Possessions, to more platforms in the coming months, along with exciting *new* ways to play.

Wantto show off your exciting new game? We host Big Indie Pitch events throughout the year, so be sure to keep an eye out on our events page for an event near you, or even our new Digital pitches.

All our upcoming pitches including how to enter can be found on our upcoming events page on BigIndiePitch.com.

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