Play unique alt controller delights at EGX 2023 in London this week

08.10.2023 - 13:37 / rockpapershotgun.com

The custom controller space returns to EGX next week, offering a variety of strange, wonderful and one-of-a-kind ways of playing games - including cranks, wheels, a firelighter, a morse code tapper, and dozens of big, glowing buttons. Many of these games and controllers are only available to play at the show, so grab your ticket for EGX now.

If you need more convincing, hop below for a list of the controllers and games we're featuring this year.

Playdate

The Playdate is a tiny handheld gaming device that has brought alt controller games to the masses over the past year, thanks to the crank on its side and its accessible developer tools. We'll have one playable at the booth with six fun games, including a preview version of Mars After Midnight, a new game from Papers, Please and Return Of The Obra Dinn developer Lucas Pope.

Karting Khaos

A topdown racing game for 2-4 players that's played on a board with 24 buttons. Player inputs are randomised at the start of each round, which means every player is battling over the buttons to work out how to accelerate, brake and steer.

GNISTA

Scorch the gods in a horizontal shmup by rubbing your hands around a firelighter to steer and shoot. If that's a little hard to visualise, you can see it in action here.

Morse

Morse was one of the most striking games at last year's EGX: an action game about sinking battleships played using a real morse code tapper. It returns in a new, minimalist format at EGX 2023, but the tapper remains.

Rexy Wheels are controllers based upon the geared heads that are used in the film industry to operate cameras. They were developed as a training aid for operators, but they are also a really fun and engaging way of gaming.

Dead Meat

Interrogating a murder suspect is already one of my favourite things in videogames, but Dead Meat is entirely voice-controlled which means you get the extra fun of asking your questions and shouting your accusations out loud. Follow its developer on Twitter and Instagram.

Home Turf

Home Turf returns! Is this an "alt controller"? Not really, but no one who saw this pool table with one curved corner, created by Ed Saperia, could resist having a go at EGX 2022. Are you the type of person who plays around the raised pocket, or the type of person who tries, again and again, to sink a ball into it? Come find out.

Tenya Wanya Teens

Another returning favourite, but who can resist a one-of-a-kind, two-player competitive button-masher co-created by Katamari Damacy director Keita Takahashi? Not me. Wee, shower, and rock out.

EGX runs from Thursday, October 12th until Sunday, October 15th at the ExCel in London. You'll find more information of what's at the show over at the EGX site.