G-STAR 2024 | Light Odyssey & Indies Galore

I recently had the opportunity to attend the G-STAR Games Expo in Busan, Korea, as an Interactive Sound Designer and Audio Engineer on Light Odyssey (Steam) with Ssun Games. Holy cow, the indie community, the gamers, the team, and the culture were incredible.

Some of the crew on Light Odyssey. From left to right: Michael (insta), Ssun (discord server for Light Odyssey), Me.

Part 1. The Gamers

G-Star sign outside of the Bexco convention hall.

G-STAR is a global game exhibition that takes place annually at BEXCO in Busan. This year, it saw a little over 200k attendees. The gamers, the indie community, my team, and the unique charm of Korean culture made this an extra special games expo.

The fans were incredible. Even with our language barrier and the understanding that I was ‘the audio dude,’ they were eager to chat about our game and provide invaluable feedback, and just share this difficult to describe Positive gamer enthusiasm.

Selfie with cool gamers who stopped by.

It was not only a wonderful opportunity for direct feedback, but hugely insightful in other ways; for example, I discovered one of the greatest sounds in the world - When someone cheers with glee or shouts with emotion while experiencing something you have helped create.🤘🤘

The crowds were patient and excited, with gamers lining up to try out our demo. While the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, our team of perfectionists took it as fuel to push the game even further. With the energy from the expo still buzzing, we’re motivated to level up our work and make Light Odyssey truly unforgettable.

Our Hall A and B booths were packed all four days.. And 700 people filled out feedback forms for us! 📊📈

Part 2. The Indie Community

The indie scene in Korea is vibrant. The games are striking and unique, but what struck me most was the openness and camaraderie among developers. Teams didn’t hesitate to share ideas, “talk shop,” and support one another, which had me feeling this strong sense of community.

I only managed to try a few games, but every single one left me wanting more time to explore. Here are a couple of standout titles I’ve wishlisted or plan to revisit.

Featured in this image from Top->Left. Asteroid J (super cool dev who created Ninja Issen.. He brought a CRT TV for gamers to play his upcoming game Shadow Zero!). The Strange City, (Super eerie Korean Horror game), ZXC, Lone Chef, Kona & Snow Rabbit, Starship Battle Titan, Goodbye Seoul, Pick me up, Metal Suits: Counter-attack, Starcade Factions, Bylina, Keyboard Key Character Key Cap, Color Lim, Synapse, Vapor World, Mono Wave (our neighbor in Hall B whose music got stuck in my head for a week!)

Part 3. Ssun Games

I couldn’t ask to be a part of a more professional, driving, and skilled team. They’re also just cool people, and as dedicated as can be. Despite me personally being in jet lag hades; and other the team members stretched thin from set up, expo obligations and other duties, everyone was energized by the excitement of the fans.

To give you an idea of what I mean; get this, our composer, Michael, helped staff the booth even while he had the premier for a musical he scored one evening after the expo and shows on following nights. After those performances, we dove into an enjoyable afternoon and full night discussion about audio for the project. Dedication like this, and that it is shared among the entire team, is what makes this a truly exceptional crew.

Part 4. Korea

Obligatory snapshot of the incredible food. Shout out to Jihye for the Picard-John TNG Cake Gift.

From what I experienced, Korean culture is an inspiring mix of politeness, efficiency, and warmth. Everything—from the tidy organization of the expo, cleanliness of the sidewalks and roads (oddly with no trashcans in sight – turns out everyone just takes care of their own trash), to the hospitality of everyone I met left a lasting impression. And the food? Absolutely phenomenal.

Truly, I would recommend the conference to Indie teams if they can make it happen. It was a 10/10 experience.

It was an unforgettable experience to connect with fellow industry professionals, showcase our project, and immerse myself in the vibrant Korean gaming scene.

And that's a wrap. This dude, Ssun (Seonho Kim), is the director and lead programmer for Ssun Games. He's a cool dude and a total powerhouse.

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