89% positive ratings as one of the top 1% of Next Fest demos bodes well for highly anticipated April 14th release
Gothenburg, Sweden – March 2nd, 2025 – Sad Cat Studios and Thunderful are delighted to announce that their atmospheric action platformer, REPLACED, has now hit 850k wishlists on Steam. Since the start of the Steam Next Fest, the game’s demo has been top 5 in the ‘Popular Upcoming’ category and is among the most played games of Next Fest while generating 89% positive ratings from 185k players. REPLACED will release on PC and Xbox Series X|S on April 14th.
REPLACED is a 2.5D cinematic action platformer featuring stunning pixel art, an atmospheric cyberpunk world and an intense thriller narrative. Immerse yourself in an alternate 1980s America reshaped by nuclear catastrophe and meet the downtrodden of Phoenix City as you struggle to survive. Run, climb and fight through crumbling districts, industrial wastelands, and neon-lit alleys brought to life with stylish hand-crafted visuals and a moody, synth-driven soundtrack.
As you uncover the sinister secrets of Phoenix Corporation, REPLACED will explore themes of humanity, identity, and control through morally complex characters and the slow reveal of a world pushed to its limits. Discover a haven for corruption where outlaws thrive and human life is traded like currency as R.E.A.C.H. – an AI trapped in a human body against its will. Expose the Corporation’s hidden agenda, and uncover the purpose behind your creation in a world where every secret – and every life – has a price.
About Sad Cat Studios
Sad Cat Studios was founded in 2018 in Minsk, Belarus, by game developers and entrepreneurs Yura Zhdanovich and Igor Gritsay. Yura, with over 8 years of experience as an artist and visual designer in game development companies and startups like MSQRD, joined forces with Igor, who has a strong background in IT and e-commerce, to establish the foundation for the studio’s remarkable journey. Since then, Sad Cat Studios has relocated its headquarters to Limassol, Cyprus and now operates remotely across Europe.
About Thunderful
Founded in 2017, Thunderful is a video game publisher headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden. Thunderful offers third-party publishing, co-development services and publishing support services. The company has published and/or developed award-winning and critically acclaimed titles such as the SteamWorld IP, Planet of Lana, Viewfinder, LEGO® Bricktales, Lost In Random and more.
