StarVaders, the Deckbuilder Your Favorite Streamers Can’t Stop Playing, Debuts Steam Next Fest Demo Oct. 7

Turn deckbuilding to MECHbuilding and defend Earth from an alien invasion! 

MONTREAL, Quebec – Sept. 12, 2024 – Technology, technique, and tectonic tactics combine in StarVaders, the mech vs aliens roguelike deckbuilder developed by Pengonauts (formerly StarVaders Studio) and published by Joystick Ventures. This October, get a taste of why StarVaders is quickly becoming the go-to game for deep, tactical combat and crazy combos with its new demo, coming to Steam on Monday, Oct. 7, ahead of Steam Next Fest which runs from Monday, Oct. 14 to Monday, Oct. 21.

In StarVaders, humanity’s fate rests on your strategic prowess. In this demo, defend Earth by choosing from four pilots to control one of three unique mechs on a vertical grid to subdue the alien invaders. Make a mistake? No you didn’t. Rewind time with chrono tokens to reverse pivotal errors and keep your mission on track.

Each mech and pilot combination offers unique synergies that modify the gameplay. Pair the Gunner Mecha’s board-clearing firepower with Kaia, the restless adventurer, or opt for the melee-centric Stinger Mecha led by the calm Noel. Enhance your mech’s power with over 200 unlockable cards, artifacts, and upgrades, forming fresh strategies on the fly to face new alien enemies and monstrous bosses.

Top streamers have been playing StarVaders and exploring its unique gameplay. Check out their streams hereherehere and here to see why they’re excited about the game.

Catch the new demo and Raffle Challenge during Steam Next Fest!

Be among the first to experience an exciting new class that adds more complex tactics like the Stinger Mecha’s ability to throw cards and dart around the grid as a nimble robot giant. Fans of deckbuilders and newcomers to the genre are both invited to see the captivating shimmer of StarVaders for themselves — and may even receive a free game key as a reward for successfully piloting their mech of choice.

In celebration of October’s Steam Next Fest, Joystick Ventures is hosting a raffle challenge where players can win one of 100 game keys! To enter, complete the base challenge by winning a run with at least 3 pilots, conquer the demo on “Challenger” difficulty, or follow and shout out @starvaders_game on Twitter. Share your fanart, your run times, favorite parts of the game, or even memes for a chance to win.

“We wanted every StarVaders playthrough to feel different and worked hard to offer everyone a play style that suits them. We hope players enjoy experimenting (and breaking) the game with their combinations!” says Eddie Cai, Lead Designer at Pengonauts. “Our Steam Next Fest demo in October is a development milestone, and we can’t wait to see what the community comes up with before our full release next year!”

StarVaders deploys its first line of mecha defenses on Steam with a new demo launching on Monday, Oct. 7, ahead of October’s Steam Next Fest, available from Monday, Oct. 14 to Monday, Oct. 21. For more intercepted transmissions about StarVaders, check out Pengonauts’’s official website and follow @starvaders_game and publisher @JoystickVenture on social media.

About Pengonauts

Pengonauts (formerly StarVaders Studio) is a Montreal-based three-person team delivering unique, fun, and memorable titles to share with the gaming community. StarVaders is their first commercial title and passion project.

About Joystick Ventures

Joystick Ventures is a California-based investing and publishing company whose main goal is to encourage indie developers to stay honest and promote experimentation to push the limits of game design across all genres, styles, and geographies. They are most known for their 2022 release, Lost in Play, which has sold more than 200,000 copies.