GDEX 2018 Was an Awesome Time!

Living in the midwest, we’re not exactly known for being the driving force of technology and gaming. That being said, we aren’t without our super talented creators, and GDEX, a gaming and creative technology expo in Columbus, Ohio, was a perfect place to showcase that talent. From Luckless Seven‘s Deckpoint Studios, located in Columbus, Ohio, to Multivarious’ beautifully illustrated No Mercy to Mega Cat Studios, who continues to develop their games on classic cartridges, there was so much to be excited about at GDEX 2018!

Awesome cosplayers, like Princess Morgan‘s Boosette and Meerami’s Monster Hunter Blastoise, and artists, like Rachel Kozy and Weejapeeja, are some of the coolest creators in the Midwest region. So, GDEX 2018 definitely has a little something for everyone to enjoy. However, the games stole the spotlight. Multivarious’ No Mercy was one of the first games we encountered, and it set the bar high.

“No Mercy follows the story of six characters, Elliot, Ray, Belle, Orion, Elowyn, and Kevin as they work to cleanse the forest and restore balance.” At the start, that’s all you know about the beginning of the game, as the developers preferred to let the story unwind organically. This successful Kickstarter project is just as fun as it looks and beautifully illustrated as well. If this wasn’t on your radar already, it should be now! Pre-orders are live now, but an official release date has not been announced.

That being said, Mega Cat Studios might have taken the cake. Not only did the Pittsburg-based studio bring some fun, quirky titles, like Creepy Brawlers and Little Medusa, but they program their games onto cartridges that actually work on your NES, Sega Genesis, SNES, or other classic consoles. Their cartridges are true collector’s pieces, and their newest Kickstarter project, Log Jammers, come on a wooden NES cartridge. Aside from being cool as hell, their newest project was a total blast to play. Don’t believe me? Check out there Kickstarter, and see for yourself!

Finji made an appearance, hosting demos for Tunic, Overland, and Night in the Woods, and PlayStation had Marvel’s Spider-Man and PSVR ready for players to try out. Extra Life and Able Gamer’s Charity also made an appearance. Sadly, there just isn’t enough room to highlight all of the amazing games shown at GDEX. But, Hounds of Valor, a stylized hack-n-slash with an adorable pup at the lead, MageQuit, a co-op brawler that puts you in the shoes of wizards with different powers, Thrushbriar Hall, an interesting horror game on itch.io right now, and many, many others are all worth checking out.

Were you at GDEX? What were some of your favorite moments or exhibitors? Let us know in the comments below, and keep coming back to The Nerd Stash for all of your nerdy news and needs!

Shelby Royal

Shelby loves all things horror and anything even remotely nerdy. She has been playing games for as long as she can remember, and one of her first memories of gaming comes from playing Super Mario World on the SNES with her aunt. She has a real passion for literature and the indie gaming community.