BIG Festival 2021: Five Latin American Indie Games to Watch
The video game sector in Latin America is on the rise, employing upwards of 4,000 individuals in Brazil and over 2,000 in Argentina, according to a report by the Inter-American Development Bank from 2019. Gustavo Steinberg, who directs the BIG – Brazil's Independent Games Festival, highlighted a growing enthusiasm for local games and investment opportunities. The 2021 edition of the BIG Festival took place online from May 3 to 9 and drew more than 110,000 attendees, with 47,000 participating in conferences and 545 companies from 64 nations engaging in 5,000 business meetings. Established nine years ago, the festival seeks to position the region as a hub for game development, showcasing titles like Arrog, Cartomante, Hidden Lands, Tunche, and Wind Peaks.
Key facts
- Latin American game industry employs over 4,000 in Brazil and 2,000 in Argentina (2019 IDB report).
- BIG Festival 2021 was held online from May 3 to 9, 2021.
- Over 110,000 virtual visitors, 47,000+ conference attendees, 545 companies from 64 countries.
- Five games selected: Arrog, Cartomante, Hidden Lands, Tunche, Wind Peaks.
- Arrog is a black-and-white puzzle game inspired by Latin American folklore.
- Cartomante is a branching narrative game about tarot reading.
- Hidden Lands is a digital spot-the-difference game with low-poly graphics.
- Tunche is a roguelite beat-'em-up set in Peruvian folklore.
Entities
Artists
- Gustavo Steinberg
- Matteo Lupetti
Institutions
- BIG – Brazil's Independent Games Festival
- Inter-American Development Bank
- LEAP Game Studios
- Hermanos Magia
- indienova
- Garoa Studios
- Avix Games
- HypeTrain Digital
- Actoon Studio
- Artribune
Locations
- Brazil
- Argentina
- Latin America
- South America