Planted! at IMPACT! Indie Games

​Cloth Cat Games had the great pleasure of presenting Planted! at IMPACT! Indie Games this month. The conference brought together independent developers, publishers, investors and creative professionals for a one-day event focused on the future of indie game development. Hosted at Strange Brew in Bristol, the event explored key industry topics including discoverability, funding, publishing and sustainable studio growth, reflecting the increasing importance of the indie sector within the wider games market.

The official Planted! playtest also kicked off this month, offering players two distinct play modes with two different maps - The Allotment and The Stadium. The playtest supports both online and local multiplayer and best of all, players are able to invite their friends through Steam or via Room Code! The playtest features four different Planted! characters and four distinct powerups to try out. Click below to watch the Planted! Playtest Announcement Trailer on YouTube!

Part harvest sim, part sports game, and 100% cultivated chaos, Planted! challenges players to take on their friends in arena combat where they will need to strategically plan their produce production for success. Will they utilise fertiliser to grow colossal crops for more points, will they steal their opponents offerings, or will they use power-ups to propel themselves to victory? Only thyme will tell.
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Independent titles like Planted! now account for a significant share of annual game releases on platforms such as Steam, with thousands of new indie games launching each year and smaller studios continuing to drive innovation across genres and art styles. We'd like to give a big shout out to our publishing partners Curveball for their support. Planted! will be available on PC, PlayStation 5 (PS5), Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch later this year. Click here to wishlist Planted! on Steam!

Jon attended the Get Animated Conference this month. Get Animated 2026 brought together animation studios, producers, commissioners and creative professionals from across the UK and beyond for two days of industry talks, networking and collaboration at Millennium Point in Birmingham.
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The event focussed on the business and creative future of animation, covering everything from financing and licensing to audience trends, pitching and intellectual property. Alongside keynote sessions and panel discussions, attendees got the opportunity to connect directly with buyers, distributors and broadcasters, making it an important meeting point for the wider animation sector.
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Jon sat on the Studio Owners panel with Emlyn Davies, Tom Bryant, Kev McCrae and Drew Roper talking about how things are changing for production companies. The panel also discussed the different government support that's currently available in Wales and Scotland. As the global animation industry continues to grow across streaming, gaming and digital media, events like Get Animated highlight the UK’s growing reputation as a major centre for animation talent, innovation and creative technology.

Storyboarding: A Professional Toolkit

Benedict Tomczyk-Bowen will be back to teach his Storyboarding: A Professional Toolkit course again in September! This one week course will start off by deconstructing story and the differences between boards for different media. We’ll then build up production-ready knowledge in order to understand the array of responsibilities a storyboard artist can face and the tools that we use.
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We’ll be taking a look at the primary software the industry uses; Toon Boom Storyboard Pro. By the end of the course you should come out with a better knowledge of how to deconstruct scripts and be able to create a board that’ll put a smile on any director, or more importantly, any animator’s face!
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​Benedict Tomczyk-Bowen has almost a quarter of a century’s experience in the animation industry, primarily as a storyboarder in TV Animation, but also with forays into the Film and Advertising spaces. Having worked with most of the major animation studios, Benedict has contributed to shows globally and has also developed his own work for Nickelodeon.
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So, if you are looking to level up your storyboarding skills and expertise, apply now to join us in September. Be sure to also check out the support section on the Cloth Cat Academy website to learn more about the Professional Development Funding opportunities that you may be eligible for!

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Cardiff Animation Nights

This month, Cardiff Animation Nights presented us with a stellar selection of indie animation sourced from talented & creative filmmakers around the globe! From the comfort of our own homes, we tuned in to enjoy a live, hour-long broadcast from the Cardiff Animation Nights YouTube Channel. Cardiff Animation Festival may have wrapped up for this year, but Cardiff Animation Nights keeps on giving!
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These events remain an essential platform for celebrating creativity, championing emerging voices, and sparking important discussions about the future of animation in Wales. We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to Cardiff Animation Festival for bringing artists and audiences together once again. We look forward with optimism to seeing Welsh animation continue to grow, evolve, and earn the wider recognition it so richly deserves.

What Are We Watching and Playing?

WATCHING
​Marriagetoxin​
​Haunted Hotel​
​Pluribus​
​Good Omens 3​
​The Sheep Detectives​
​Olive Kitteridge​
​Buddy Daddies​
​John Adams​
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PLAYING
​Forza Horizon 6​
​Fall Guys​
​DREDGE​
​The Plucky Squire​