Sticky Stone Studio from Freiburg made its second appearance in the Home of Indies Area at Gamescom 2023. CEO Philipp Degasper shares his experiences.
At Sticky Stone, we know the journey of an indie studio is full of challenges but incredibly rewarding. It’s an amazing feeling to see hard work pay off and a vision come to life. As passionate developers, our goal is to captivate gamers with our creations. To achieve that, we constantly strive to improve, and the best way to do this is through honest feedback, which you can get nowhere better than at Gamescom. We’ve been regular participants since 2019, showcasing our latest features to the public, and we couldn’t imagine a better partner than Home of Indies by our side.
The homey feeling at Home of Indies is truly special. It’s so much fun to be part of a big family where everyone supports each other.
Philipp Degasper – CEO Sticky Stone Studio
Professionalism with a Family Feel
Our first game, the 3D puzzle adventure “Memorrha”, received a lot of positive feedback and helped us gain recognition as a developer studio. With our second project, “M.O.O.D.S,” an action shooter, we aim to demonstrate our versatility. We’ve been developing this roguelike multiplayer game since 2020 and showcased it at Gamescom in 2022 and 2023, both times with Home of Indies after a pandemic-induced break.
We first encountered Home of Indies in 2019 when we presented “Memorrha” at the Indie Village. We applied immediately and received a callback from Chris just a few days later, who provided all the necessary information. Since then, we’ve been inseparable. Our recurring participation and our plans for 2024 are a testament to the excellent collaboration and the professionalism and family atmosphere we appreciate so much.
Perfect for Business Contacts and Networking
The planning phase for our 2023 exhibition began in February. By then, we had already booked our hotel and started considering our build for Gamescom. We also ordered our merchandise, which arrived just in time a week before the event. This reminded us that even with the best planning, delays are inevitable. At Home of Indies, we booked an M-Booth with 4 m² and two gaming stations, plus a TV with a stand as an add-on. We brought the rest of the equipment ourselves, which in hindsight, we wouldn’t recommend. Transporting furniture and setting up the technology was very time-consuming. Booking furniture and hardware packages would have saved us a lot of stress.
Upon arrival, our first task was setting up. Chris from Home of Indies greeted us and provided assistance with any questions or issues. That evening, we had an internal team meeting at the hotel to discuss our plans. We were nine people and had created shift schedules to manage appointments effectively. Despite meticulous planning, schedule conflicts were unavoidable, making flexibility essential, especially for business matters.
We had great conversations with publishers, influencers like HandofBlood, and many other interesting people. We participated in cool events, including the exhibitor party and the political tour, a fixture at Gamescom organised by the German Games Industry Association to foster dialogue between politics and the gaming industry.
Invaluable Visitor Feedback
During visitor days, we eagerly gathered feedback from players. We felt the Indie area was even busier in 2023 than the previous year, filled with people who shared our passion for gaming. This enthusiasm and the connection with like-minded individuals make Gamescom a unique experience. Receiving direct appreciation for our work is incredibly gratifying. The positive and diverse feedback we received was immensely helpful, confirming we are on the right path.
There were challenges, as is natural for indie developers. Our primary task was ensuring the game ran smoothly and bug-free. Given the complexity of the software, this isn’t always fully achievable. However, our learnings from the previous year allowed us to improve in 2023. We implemented several cheats to reset screens if players got stuck, which proved extremely helpful. We highly recommend this approach to other indie developers.
With each Gamescom appearance, our experience grows. We continually gain new insights and improve with each iteration, whether through a larger booth or better time and appointment management. For 2024, we have more events planned and have already scheduled meetings with publishers to position ourselves optimally.
Gamescom Only with Home of Indies
Our Gamescom exhibitions have always had a significant impact. Feedback from players is crucial for stepping out of our development bubble and subjecting our new features to a reality check. Community feedback helps us ensure our features work as intended and provide real value to players. Publisher feedback has also been helpful, and our network has grown significantly through our exhibition presence. We even met our previous publisher at Gamescom, leading to our current publisher.
All of this was made possible by the flawless organisation from Home of Indies. Chris ensured everything ran smoothly and made us feel welcome with her warm, supportive manner. It’s reassuring to have such a reliable partner and so much fun being part of a supportive community. That’s why Gamescom for us means Home of Indies!
