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Dare ProtoPlay: 5 exciting mobile games made in Scotland

From Speccy-inspired visuals to resurrected dying stars

Dare ProtoPlay: 5 exciting mobile games made in Scotland
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I travelled up to Dundee the other day to attend Dare ProtoPlay. Put simply, I was on the lookout for the hottest new games emerging from the indie scene in Scotland.

If you haven't heard about it before, Dare ProtoPlay is the city's games festival. And it's filled to the rafters with yet-to-be discovered gems.

Dundee also plays host to Dare to be Digital, a competition run by Abertay University in which students and graduates attempt to make a complete game in ten weeks. After the competition ends, the competing teams demonstrate their titles at Dare ProtoPlay.

It was tricky to whittle down the full list of mobile games on show at the Dare ProtoPlay event to just five because there was so much creative talent in one space.

After much deliberation, though, I'm confident that the following quintet of mobile games are the best of the best.

Size DOS Matter
By Team DOS

There are two reasons why Size DOS Matter has made it onto this shortlist.

Firstly, the controls are spot-on for a rhythm-action game. They're simple to pick up but are mentally taxing when required at high speeds.

Swipe up and down on the left of the screen to shift a set of constantly moving blocks up and down so that they fit through the gaps hurtling towards you. Swipe on the right of the screen to increase or decrease the number of blocks in that previously mentioned set. The catch is that fitting the perfect number of blocks through the oncoming walls is the only way to raise your score.

Secondly, the head-bopping collection of independent electronic dance music at the heart of this game is sensational. All told, this is one of my most anticipated music games in development.

Size DOS Matter will be heading to tablets, mobiles, and (hopefully) Vita in the not-too-distant future.

Cosmic Couch
By Lunavark Studio

An auto-runner with personality. If you're hooked on Temple Run and its ilk, then keep an eye on Cosmic Couch when it hits digital stores.

Developed by a team of artists and just a single programmer, this imaginative and highly detailed game is inspired by surrealist paintings. Part-lucid dream, part-psychedelic trip, all wondrous.

The controls need a little work, mind, for I found myself crashing into walls just a little more frequently than I would have liked. I'm sure this sole issue will be ironed out soon enough, though.

I Am Level
By Stew Hogarth

I Am Level is clearly a labour of love. Its creator evidently draws his visual inspirations from classic Spectrum platformers such as Jet Set Willy and Chuckie Egg.

Underneath I Am Level's basic charms, however, lies a very smart little physics-based puzzler.

Tilt your device, and the ball-shaped hero rolls in the appropriate direction. To get to the end of each single-screen level, you tap the screen to activate environmental objects - such as springs and flippers. These propel you to previously inaccessible areas.

It looks distinctive, it's challenging to play, and it's heading to a device near you soon.

DinerSaur
By Prehistoric Spatula

Augmented reality games aren't usually my cup of tea, but this one's a bit special.

First off, it's very sound from a technical perspective. Your play time isn't interrupted by the game engine losing track of where you're pointing your iPad's camera.

Secondly, it's built from the ground up with kids in mind, so, yes, there are bright visuals and easy controls.

Thirdly, and, perhaps, most importantly, it's fast-paced and frantic food fun.

Fill up bowls of nosh for the hungry dinosaurs while keeping an eye out for thieves looking to steal the chow on offer. Oh, and make sure you clamber around the play area to get the best angle on enemies.

Solar Flux
By Firebrand Games

This particular physics-puzzler is a cross between Angry Birds Space and Lunar Lander.

Interest piqued? It should be.

There's real skill involved in guiding your jet-propelled vehicle across various solar systems and trying to use as little fuel as possible while navigating through asteroid fields and solar flares.

Did I mention that this is all to re-ignite dying stars? Well, it is. And, yes, it does look as awesome as that sounds.

Solar Flux went live on the New Zealand App Store just a few moments ago. Here are some more details.

Peter Willington
Peter Willington
Die hard Suda 51 fan and professed Cherry Coke addict, freelancer Peter Willington was initially set for a career in showbiz, training for half a decade to walk the boards. Realising that there's no money in acting, he decided instead to make his fortune in writing about video games. Peter never learns from his mistakes.