Czech & Slovak Games Week Is in Full Swing

Celebrate the second year of this event Week of Czech and Slovak GamesThis is it. The unique Czech & Slovak Games Week event kicked off on the occasion of the national holiday of November 17,  offering discounts on locally produced games.

Now, let’s get back in history to understand why Czech and Slovak games matter so much. People on the east side of the Iron Curtain had limited opportunities to play or make games before the fall. The first generation of developers coming from the lands which used to form the federation of Czechoslovakia until 1992 didn’t get a chance to play most of the titles considered as classics or industry standards. The console market had virtually disappeared by the turn of the millennium. This resulted in Czech and Slovak games being very different – believe it or not, mostly in a good way.

We’re looking to build on the huge success of last year’s Czech & Slovak Games WeekWe have some great news. Some of our favourite regional games will be sold during the event. We’ve highlighted a few just for a taste of what’s in store.

How does the experience of games from Czech Republic or Slovakia studios differ from the usual? It is first the unmatched focus on realisticity and high but fair difficulty that has led to the phenomenal success of games such as Space Engineers. Here’s a look at the latest DLC pack in this one-of-a-kind sandbox space sim:

A second factor is Amanita Design’s artistic talent, which can be seen in games like MachinariumOr their most recent title Creaks.

Amanita’s games are unique in many ways: Hand-drawn animation makes you feel like you’re in a (sometimes scary) fairy tale, their games also don’t usually have any written dialogue which makes Amanita’s games very accessible.

 Another great example is the work of the studio Circus Atos and the titles like Under LeavesOder Little Mouse’s Encyclopedia. The games are accompanied by soothing music. They allow children to have fun learning and can also be used as relaxation tools for adults.

International success can only be achieved when these two attributes are combined perfectly. It is this story that has led to games such as VaporumOder Remembered.

The Czech Republic and Slovakia have been able to claim the top spots in the gaming world thanks to the talented creators and titles cited above. Indie development has risen quickly without any of the historical burdens that impacted the older generation. Every year thousands of new games are published, from simple platformers to full-blown indie titles like Feudal AlloyOder YesterMorrowTo more ambitious Indie titles such as DexOder Blackhole.

In the past decade, it was common to find three to four titles from the Czech Republic on any platform’s list of top-sellers. This is a remarkable feat by creators from a nation with roughly the same population as North Carolina. If you haven’t played some of the Czech and Slovak classics yet, this is a chance you don’t want to miss. If you can’t make it this year, mark your calendar for next year and check out the game page to see what’s going on. Everyone else: See you all on the floor!