The first ever Now Play This ran from 4-6 September 2015. We showed about forty games; ten of these are below.
This game recreates the imagined last minutes of the life of the artist's grandfather. It's bright and strange and beautiful and exhilarating - some people would play for a minute or two, some would sit down and explore over and over again. (New commission for the festival.)
Panoramical is enigmatic and alluring - a game that's also a tool for exploring landscapes and sound and pattern. We showed it in a tent, projected on the ceiling, with a MIDI controller for players to use - but it's fascinating and lovely not in a tent as well. Or, y'know, put up your own tent. This would be the game to take into it, if you do.
Beeswing is such a personal game - personal in the sense of autobiography and home and tiny stories about the past, but also in the sense of clearly made by a person. It's constructed from sketches and watercolour and plasticine; every scene reminds you that someone made it. Have a play. Walk around a small town. Talk to people. Listen to things. Have a wander and a think.
If you'd rather wander out and about, rather than in a videogame, then Casual Games for Casual Hikers is for you. It's a set of small, charming, peculiar games to play while you're walking around the countryside, whether on your own or with other people.
inflorescence.city presents fragments of an unknown city - shown here as a collection of artefacts. The version shown at Now Play This was navigable, in a way; but it was a very oblique way, with secrets and hints. Players started leaving each other notes, suggestions to the future of things to try and paths to consider following.
It's raining. It's sinister. This game is a prolonged moment of apprehension; at Now Play This it was shown as a VR piece, but for players of a nervous disposition who don't like things to be sinister, it might be better just on a screen...
This is the most adorable date anyone has ever been on.
Any adorable dates that you've been on that you're now thinking about are much less adorable than this date.
Whereas this is a really pretty tricky puzzle game. But also adorable! But also, tricky.
Fish Fly is a two-player game of swimming and cooperation and colours. It makes for an extremely charming collaborative mini-expedition through strange jewels and bubbles. We showed it with a custom controller by Louis SK, with a toggle to switch between normal mode and SECRET MODE, but you'll have to figure out how to do it for yourself. (I mean, I think it's in the readme.)
Sagittarius is a turn-based game for two to five players, who battle against each other, and also against some very awkward gravity. Of course, if you lose, that means you just have to do better next time.
The cries of anguish with this one when an arrow just misses, or swoops off-screen and is then pulled back by the gravity of a particularly enormous planet, are wonderful.