#01 - PIXELATL 2025

hello! this is my first actual blog post here. I've tried to write things before but it's always been cut short by my own insecurity regarding how I write, soooo I decided that for this! I will! just shut up and write. :)

PIXELATL 2025 AND MY COOL FRIENDS

to start off this blog, I wanted to talk about my experience going to Pixelatl, a videogame, animation and comics festival in Guadalajara. It's one of the few events that's in my country, and I've attended five years now! (2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025). It's really weird to think about that, especially since I've been working in games professionally for that amount of time- so I've been going since I was a student! Weird to think about.

a picture I took of the iconic Pixelatl letters, in Cuernavaca, 2019.

This year I wasn't planning on going, but that changed once I joined a Discord call in INDI-ES and my friend Fayer asked me "hey are you going to Pixelatl?". And my answer was "uhhm I don't know but I think I will?", which prompted me to buy my plane tickets later that night. It was not even peer pressure, that requires someone being like "waittt why aren't you going". This time I was just like "oh uhm lol I think so lol buys tickets". He also gave me a free pass, so thank you Fayer!!!! <3

I was frankly only expecting to hang out and vibe with my friends, which I did the first day, but that all changed when my lovely friend CalixJumio (please check him out he's the coolest ever) sent me the following chain of texts:

Calix telling me there's a free TV, me telling him they're gonna kill me but that I'm still omw

It was really funny because I was eating Chinese food with my friends and I was like "well I might get kicked out from Pixelatl cause I might showcase there. goodbye" and I had to go back to our apartment to get everything for the showcase.

You see, Pixelatl has a showcase called VMX Showroom, where Mexican indie developers can showcase their game for all the attendees to play. You apply, there's a selection, and you get some cool stuff for participating. For clarity, I did not apply, as gyrium and I weren't done with WHODUNNIT?'s first chapter and I did not feel confident going in. However, here was a great opportunity to showcase the game, a big ass TV, and a room full of devs that I was worried were gonna hate me for being next to them as I did not apply. Even more- I was showcasing a FVN???? I kept saying "lol I will be crucified", but it was lowkey a real fear.

THE SHOWCASING, AND A FEW TIPS

Well! I set up shop, a laptop and a dream, and had people go at it. It was the first time people that weren't friends played WHODUNNNIT?, and it was... positively refreshing! Surprisingly, everyone received it very well, I met some awesome VN readers, furries, and even folks who did not like any of these things but still connected with the game. <3 It made me so happy, and honestly, it was one of the coolest things I've done all year!

Me showcasing WHODUNNIT? in the festival!

I learnt a few things about what drove people's attention to us, and what made them excited. Here are some things people really responded to:

• The UI: People really liked the UI of WHODUNNIT?, and kept trying the game to experience it. Even if it was just a little, they were interested to sit down, play, and talk to me about the interface.

• The art: All the credit to gyrium! People really liked the characters, especially the designs. The fact that we have all hand-made art I think is major- people really responded to the environments, sprites, CGs, etc. They felt excited about them!

• The pitch: I practiced a pitch for when I had to tell people about WHODUNNIT?. Here's what I told people about the game:

  WHODUNNIT? is a mystery visual novel with point and click and puzzle elements. You play as Howie (point to Howie on-screen), you went to a party, had a good time, hooked up with someone...and realize that you don't remember who it was with. This is the WHODUNNIT- who the hell did you hook up with? (Go into explaining the mechanics alongside a video)

People laughed a lot with the premise, which I was happy about. Some people asked questions, but were satisfied with my answers which I was happy about. I think my main tip would be to have a good hook, especially a punchline. Be quick when talking to folks, make it snappy, but also make it fun! I loved talking to everyone, asking them what they liked, and changing the pitch's tone a bit based on who I was speaking with. Fun times!

In the end, we got around 35+ people to join our Discord, I got a bunch of cool connections, some job offers (?!) and mainly, a lot of confidence back. We've been sitting on this game for almost 8 months now, and it's been taking a toll in how we see the game. So seeing people respond so well to it has been amazing, and has filled both of us with a lot of motivation! Hope you all like the game when it comes out!

THANK YOU VMX FOLKS, YOU HAVE AWESOME GAMES!!

I have to highlight the social aspect of Pixelatl, especially, the VMX Showroom folks + all my new friends. Again, I was not supposed to be showcasing, and that made me feel really nervous and weird. But everyone in the showroom was so cool, we hung out, went to eat, had fun together... they were all so welcoming, despite the fact that I kinda snuck in there. <3 You were all the coolest! Check out their games:

This year's VMX selection!

• Pancito Merge, a beautiful merging suika game based around traditional Mexican baked goods! So beautiful, satisfying, and it makes me very hungry. This was such a treat to play!
• Colorless Game, a 2D platformer with really pretty art, a big team of really talented folks and nothing but good vibes! Looking forward to it!
• Kingdom's Deck, a very solid card-based city builder strategy game. THIS ONE'S OUT AND IT'S GREAT! The developer, Ivan, is also one of the coolest folks ever.
• Donut Riders, an open world racing game with really cute art too! This is the team's first game, and they're already rocking it! Super professional.
• HELLBOUND INC, a hectic sokoban platformer dripping with style! They won the VMX Showroom award, and it was well deserved. So, so good!
• Running Fable Petite Party, a party game full of minigames that is a spinoff of one of the studio's games! It looked so dang fun, and people had a blast with it. Shoutout to Seashell!

Please go ahead and check em out if you can! :] They're fucking awesome.

SOME MORE THINGS

Uhhh. the party was fucking cool and I danced so hard. I reached the high note from Golden and my voice was fucking dead after that lmao. I want to shoutout some friends I knew before and some new friends, so!

SHOUTOUT to Mochi, Camila, Franco, Yisu, Ivan, Ivan F, Calix, Fayer, all the great staff, Dylan, Rafa, Andrea, Richie, Isa, Gabba, Dayan, Renato, Ian, Chuy, Chucho, everyone I got to dance with during the party, the team that wrote Patricio for chatting, Humberto for being funny, and everyone else I might've missed!

Lastly, I just wanna say thanks for everything! I can't wait for WHODUNNIT? to come out, and for folks to play more. I would love to showcase the game more and to go to more events, so perhaps... one day... and gyrium can come with me!

Join the WHODUNNIT? Discord, And follow us in Bluesky. thank you! bye!!!!

Oh also the place I stayed at had a lucha libre theme and my bed was an actual ring. My friends kept making sex jokes. Help

My fucking bed bro it was not for sex I swear I just wanted to feel like a luchador and shit