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THE INDIE HOUSES STEAM EVENT IS HERE, HIGHLIGHTING WOMEN IN GAMING IN COLLABORATION WITH GIRLS MAKE GAMES

From May 25-31, celebrate female developers, protagonists and stories in support of the Girls Make Games Scholarship Fund, shaping the next generation of game creators

May 25, 2023The Indie Houses, a collection of seven indie publishers around the world working together to make industry knowledge more accessible and support the wider indie gaming community, today kicks off its second-ever digital event, this time hosted on Steam in partnership with Girls Make Games to support the Girls Make Games Scholarship Fund (GMGSF).

Running from May 25-31, The Indie Houses Steam Event is a weeklong celebration of women in gaming, highlighting over 60 great games featuring women-led development teams and/or female protagonists. The event page will include demos and discounts from a selection of titles, as well as a section dedicated to Girls Make Games, the program’s work, and games girls have created through it.

The Indie Houses Steam Event will also raise money and awareness for the Girls Make Games Scholarship Fund. A portion of the proceeds earned by each publisher during the event will be donated to the GMGSF, which combines professional development and financial support to ensure underrepresented students have the opportunity to access STEAM programs at an early age.

Since 2014, Girls Make Games has created a space for girls and non-binary students to explore and learn about the world of video games through summer camps, workshops and more. To date, over 23,000 girls in nearly 150 cities across 20 countries have participated in its programs. To learn more, visit https://www.gmgsf.org.

About The Indie Houses

The Indie Houses is an international collective of publishers (Akupara Games, Fellow Traveller, Neon Doctrine, Raw Fury, Those Awesome Guys, Toge Productions, Whitethorn Games) composed of games industry veterans. Between the seven publishers and our developers, we span multiple continents, languages, genres and points of view.

We believe in collectively supporting the growth of one another through education, encouragement, collaboration, transparency and opportunity. We combine our experiences with forward-thinking vision, and believe in treating others in our field as friends and collaborators instead of as counterparts or obstacles. Our indies-for-indies attitude means we prefer to focus on the open sharing of knowledge and resources rather than cutthroat competition.

The work we do is intended not only to elevate ourselves and our developers, but the status of indie games across the board. We foster a collaborative and friendly relationship with other developers and publishers both within and outside of our organization. Join us on our journey to make games a friendlier, more inclusive place for everyone. https://theindiehouses.org

About Girls Make Games

Since 2014, Girls Make Games (GMG), a program from the educational media company LearnDistrict Inc., has been providing STEAM development programs to girls and non-binary students worldwide who are interested in gaining skills required to enter the video game industry. GMG’s vision is to increase the number of girls and women in the gaming industry by empowering underrepresented talent ages 8 to 24 to enter STEAM fields through their passion for play and game design. Girls Make Games Scholarship Fund (GMGSF) is a 501(c)(3) organization registered in North Carolina. GMGSF provides financial assistance to qualifying students – girls, women, and non-binary students aged 8 to 24 – so they can access educational opportunities such as game development summer camps, workshops, and higher education degrees. https://www.gmgsf.org

Wage a campaign of brutal conquest in Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin, a major real-time strategy game coming to PC and consoles 

Tame the Realm of Beasts in a thrilling and authentic world inspired by Games Workshop’s fantasy tabletop game, which features extensive singleplayer and multiplayer modes. 

Cambridge, UK – 25th May 2023 Frontier Developments plc (AIM: FDEV, ‘Frontier’) announced today Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin, a major real-time strategy game coming soon to PlayStation® 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, in partnership with Games Workshop®. Set in the expansive fantasy universe of Age of Sigmar, players will command four unique factions in dynamic real-time battles, experiencing a story-driven singleplayer campaign and competing against warlords afar in 1v1 and 2v2 cross-platform online multiplayer modes.  

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin is set in Ghur, the savage Realm of Beasts, an inhospitable, violent land where only the strongest survive. In the singleplayer campaign, the forces of Order dispatch the celestial, reforged champions known as the Stormcast Eternals to reclaim this realm. After establishing a precarious foothold in this dangerous place, their fortress settlement is under serious threat from the Kruleboyz, the sinister and violent Orruk faction who call Ghur their home. When this Stormcast detachment’s leader, Sigrun, learns about a source of arcane power that can protect against the Kruleboyz, they venture into the swamplands at great risk to obtain it – beginning the campaign’s twisted cinematic tale of desperate survival. Co-written with Black Library author Gavin Thorpe, this rich Age of Sigmar narrative is based on the Dawnbringer Crusades from the tabletop game’s most recent edition.  

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin has been developed simultaneously for both console and PC. Players using a controller will experience DirectStep™, an innovative new real-time strategy interface enabling tactical immediacy in the heat of battle. Using the analogue sticks and a few simple button presses, players can quickly cycle through their squads, issue orders and engage the enemy. This system gives Xbox and PlayStation® users the flexibility and responsiveness of mouse and keyboard controls, all from a control input they’re comfortable with. In addition, PC players will be able to enjoy a classic mouse and keyboard control scheme that’s designed to feel familiar to RTS veterans. 

With a diverse range of mission types and modes, no two battles are ever the same in Realms of Ruin. Featuring four playable factions that are completely distinct from one another visually and strategically, players will rally their armies, unleashing powerful units to turn the tides of war in their favour. From fast-moving flyers to lumbering monsters, mystical wizards and powerful heroes, each has their own strengths and weaknesses. Players will clash over Arcane Conduits to harvest resources, upgrade and specialise their forces via tech trees, and control the battle across multiple fronts as they seize victory.  

Authenticity is at the heart of Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin.Every unit is precisely modelled based on their tabletop counterparts, with world-class animation and state-of-the-art graphical fidelity providing players with a dramatic and thrilling vision of the Age of Sigmar universe. Ghur itself comes to life with stunningly detailed and varied maps, teeming with wild, living foliage and environmental obstacles that’ll shape players’ strategies.   

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin is the definitive real-time strategy experience based on Games Workshop’s ultimate fantasy miniatures game. Further information will be revealed in the coming months, including additional factions, modes, and features, with the first gameplay trailer arriving in June.  

In addition, two Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin open multiplayer betas are planned across all platforms, with dates to be revealed soon. Players can register their interest at www.aosrealmsofruin.com.

About Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin 

Wage a campaign of brutal conquest in this realm-shattering real-time strategy game set in the Warhammer Age of Sigmar universe. Command four unique factions in dynamic battles as part of a story-driven campaign and test your mettle against warlords afar in online multiplayer. 

About Frontier 

Frontier Developments plc (AIM: FDEV, ‘Frontier’) is a leading independent developer and publisher of videos founded in 1994 by David Braben, co-author of the iconic Elite game. Based in Cambridge, Frontier uses its proprietary COBRA game development technology to create innovative genre-leading games, primarily for personal computers and videogame consoles. As well as self-publishing internally developed games, Frontier also publishes games developed by carefully selected partner studios under its Frontier Foundry games label. 

About Games Workshop 

 Games Workshop Group PLC (LSE:GAW.L), based in Nottingham, UK, produces the best fantasy miniatures in the world. Games Workshop designs, manufactures, retails, and distributes its range of Warhammer Age of Sigmar and Warhammer 40,000 games, miniature soldiers, novels and model kits through more than 529 of its own stores (branded Games Workshop or Warhammer), its own web store, and independent retail channels in more than 50 countries worldwide. More information about Games Workshop and its other, related, brands and product ranges (including its publishing division ‘Black Library’ and its special resin miniatures studio ‘Forge World’) can be found at www.games-workshop.com

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin Copyright Games Workshop Limited 2023. Warhammer Age of Sigmar, the Warhammer Age of Sigmar logo, Realms of Ruin logo, GW, Games Workshop, Warhammer, Warhammer Age of Sigmar, Stormcast Eternals, and all associated logos, illustrations, images, names, creatures, races, vehicles, locations, weapons, characters, and the distinctive likeness thereof, are either ® or TM, and/or Games Workshop Limited, variably registered around the world, and used under licence. Sourcecode and technology © Frontier Developments plc 2023. ‘Frontier’, ‘Frontier Foundry’ and the Frontier Developments logo are trademarks of Frontier Developments, plc. All rights reserved. 

Rap Legend Lil Wayne Kicks Street Fighter 6 Launch into High Gear

London (May 25, 2023) Today marks the release of the official Street Fighter™ 6 launch trailer, featuring none other than rap legend Lil Wayne. The trailer captures the excitement and energy that people get from playing the game with friends, family, and other competitors from around the world. Join Lil Wayne as he tests his mettle on the streets, alongside colorful imagery of the Street Fighter™ franchise found throughout cultural touchpoints. Check out the full trailer here.

Lil Wayne has long had a close association with the Street Fighter franchise and had this to say about the game’s upcoming release:

“I’m a Street Fighter OG, playing since the Street Fighter™ II days, so it feels full circle for me to work with the franchise on the release of Street Fighter 6,” said Lil Wayne.

Nomadic Agency brought the Street Fighter 6 launch trailer to life. The digital creative agency is led by Chief Creative Officer Tim Washburn and President Dawn Bates. The Creative Director for the trailer is Lucas McClain, the Senior Art Director is Jonathan Marques, and the Senior Producer is Andrea Abbott. Emma Brill serves as the Account Director, Lindsay Curtis is the Senior Copywriter, and the Project Manager is Jaclyn Blanchette.

Joyrider is the production company behind the Street Fighter 6 launch trailer, which was directed by Jonathan Irwin, and Executive Produced by Spencer Friend. Nikita Kuzmenko served as the Director of Photography, and Alex Gregory is the Colorist behind the spot. Nigel Heath & Jamie Allen were the Sound Engineers that mixed the trailer, which was Edited by Jonathan Irwin, Ray Stevens, and Alec Gordon – the three also completed the VFX for the trailer alongside Alfie Hale and Russell Boyd. Sherri Korhonen is the Production Designer, Hunter McHugh is the Casting Director, and the Music Mixing and Design were done by Jingle Punks.

About Street Fighter 6
Street Fighter 6 is available for pre-order now and represents the next evolution of the Street Fighter series with a combo of unique fighting game innovations, brimming with content across three brand new game modes – Fighting Ground, World Tour, and Battle Hub. Players around the world can get their hands on all the hard-hitting Street Fighter 6 action starting on June 2, 2023 across PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.

About Capcom

Capcom is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment for game consoles, PCs, handheld and wireless devices. Founded in 1983, the company has created hundreds of games, including groundbreaking franchises Resident Evil™, Monster Hunter™, Street Fighter™, Mega Man™, Devil May Cry™ and Ace Attorney™. Capcom maintains operations in the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Tokyo, with corporate headquarters located in Osaka, Japan. More information about Capcom and its products can be found at www.capcom.com  or news.capcomusa.com.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Introduces Bone-chilling Tyranid Hordes during the Skulls Showcase

PARIS May 25, 2023 — Following Games Workshop’s Skulls Showcase earlier today, Focus Entertainment and Saber Interactive are thrilled to share brand-new glimpses of gameplay for their upcoming action-packed blockbuster Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, coming soon to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Hosted by Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun’s lead actor and Warhammer superfan Rahul Kohli, the event has given players their very first look at the Tyranid onslaught they will be facing at release. Watch today’s video and discover it for yourself!

Space Marine 2 Skulls Showcase Video: YouTube

Play as the greatest warriors of the Imperium

Embody a Space Marine of the Ultramarines Chapter, a superhuman warrior who protects humanity from untold horrors, in brutally efficient third-person action powered by the distinctively fast and fluid gameplay experience from best-in-class studio Saber Interactive, the team and engine behind World War Z.

Grab the best Warhammer games at a discount

Games Workshop’s Skulls Festival is the place for all Warhammer fans to grab their new favorite titles at up to 85% off. Once again, Focus is participating with a wide range of Warhammer Age of Sigmar and Warhammer 40,000 games like Necromunda: Hired Gun, Necromunda: Underhive Wars, Space Hulk: Deathwing Enhanced Edition, Space Hulk: Tactics, the Battlefleet Gothic: Armada series and Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground! It even features Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, released two days ago.

Pre-order the Collector’s Edition today

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2’s Collector Edition includes:

  • The game on the platform of your choice, with the “Macragge’s Chosen” DLC!
  • A hand-painted, 21-cm resin statuette of Lieutenant Titus fighting a Tyranid
  • The Art and Making of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, a 64-page hardcover book
  • A Steelbook®

Don’t miss this Focus Entertainment Store exclusivity while stocks last!Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Pre-order its Collector’s Edition today! For more information, check out the game’s page on the Focus Store.

The Eminence in Shadow Anime-JRPG Comes to Windows PC Today!

THE EMINENCE IN SHADOW: MASTER OF GARDEN PC LAUNCH KICKS OFF MULTI-GAME ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS BY CRUNCHYROLL GAMES 

Anniversary Events Across The Eminence in Shadow: Master of Garden, Bloodline: The Last Royal Vampire, & My Hero Academia: The Strongest Hero

The Eminence in Shadow: Master of Garden (Official Trailer) 

Culver City, California (May 25, 2023) Today, Crunchyroll Games, the interactive division of the global leader in anime, is launching The Eminence in Shadow: Master of Garden on Windows PC, letting an all-new audience experience the anime RPG based on the hit-light novel and anime, The Eminence in Shadow. Now across three platforms, players can jump into the Seven Shadow Chronicles for game-exclusive official story content, build the ideal team and take on the Cult of Diablos. The game will be downloadable worldwide on the Official Website later today and features cross-platform play and progression with Apple Store and Google Play. (*)  

Summer birthdays are in full swing! Crunchyroll Games celebrates anniversaries across The Eminence in Shadow: Master of Garden, My Hero Academia: The Strongest Hero, and Bloodline: The Last Royal Vampire with new content and events. Details on this summer’s gaming goodness are below. 

Half-Year Anniversary Event, May 18 – June 8th 

Download on Windows PC, Apple Store and Google Play 

Alongside the PC Launch of The Eminence in Shadow: Master of Garden, the anime RPG will celebrate six months of mastermind players battling wicked cults in the shadows. All-new characters and rewards are available right now!  

  • Fashionable and Fatale, Fan-favorite characters Alpha and Gamma are joining the fight sporting all-new looks—Chinese dresses. 
  • Bolster your team! Each player gets 6000 free Phantasm Gems, which can be used to pull up to 20 characters.
  • Experience bonuses for new and returning players! Level up long-time party members or get newcomers up to speed faster than ever. 

My Hero Academia: The Strongest Hero (Official Trailer)

Two Year Anniversary Event, May 24th – June 6th 

Download now on Apple Store and Google Play 

For two years running, My Hero Academia: The Strongest Hero has immersed players into the world of the smash-hit anime series. Now, the hit-mobile game is celebrating its heroic run with a truly PLUS ULTRA! event that includes returning heroes and special giveaways. 

  • Hawks is back! The carefree but ever vigilant #2 Pro Hero in Honei has returned, letting players take to the skies and dominate with aerial superiority.
  • 100 free character pulls, letting players create the ultimate team of Quirk wielding heroes and villains. 
  • Login to My Hero Academia: The Strongest Hero for 14 straight days of rewards

Bloodline: The Last Royal Vampire (Official Trailer)

Anniversary Event, May 21st – June 11th

Cuisine Dimension Crossover, May 21st – June 19th  

Download now on Apple Store and Google Play 

It has been one year since players first teamed up with the Last Royal Vampire Lilo, her companion Ren, and over 400 otherworldly figures in a JRPG quest to take down a militaristic order called the Holy Land. However, it’s just the beginning—the Cuisine Dimension Crossover and Anniversary Collection Events are here! 

When the event is served up, players can dig into Cuisine Dimension Spacetime Dungeons to collect delicious rewards or cook up a whole new party by summoning food-themed Cuisine Dimension characters. 

The Cuisine Dimension Collaboration and Anniversary Collection Events comes alongside a side dish of all-new gameplay features:

  • New and improved PVP and PVE faction and guild battles to add more strategic challenges for players.
  • Fans of the story will be able to relive or experience previous story content in the new Storybook mode.
  • Brand-new asynchronous PVP exploration teams can be sent into Void Trails for massive rewards. 
  • Players can now collect and fully customize their new Dimensional Cabin with unique and fun furniture pieces! 
  • Tons of quality-of-life updates like character tags, friend and cross-server chat, and quick clear features will be added. 

(*) The Eminence in Shadow: Master of Garden is available worldwide ex East Asia, Belgium and the Netherlands. 

About Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll connects anime and manga fans across 200+ countries and territories with the content and experiences they love. In addition to free ad-supported and subscription premium content, Crunchyroll serves the anime community across events, theatrical, games, consumer products, collectibles and manga publishing.

Anime fans have access to one of the largest collections of licensed anime through Crunchyroll and translated in multiple languages for viewers worldwide. Viewers can also access simulcasts — top series available immediately after Japanese broadcast. 

The Crunchyroll app is available on over 15 platforms, including all gaming consoles.

Crunchyroll, LLC is an independently operated joint venture between US-based Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Japan’s Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., both subsidiaries of Tokyo-based Sony Group.

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Cassette Beasts Is Now Available on Xbox, Xbox Game Pass & Nintendo Switch

The critically acclaimed open-world RPG debuts on consoles today, letting you capture and transform into over 100 incredible monsters in turn-based battles!

STOCKHOLM May 25, 2023 – Indie developer Bytten Studio and publisher Raw Fury have released Cassette Beasts, the open-world RPG that lets you collect and transform into awesome monsters in thrilling turn-based battles, on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox Game Pass on Day One, and Nintendo Switch. Dive in today and discover why this imaginative journey of exploration and friendship is one of the best-reviewed games of the year!

Cassette Beasts puts a unique spin on monster-collector RPG adventures – on the remote island of New Wirral, people can use cassette tapes to transform into strange creatures and battle! You’ll need to explore the island and record a menagerie of mighty monsters to your trusty cassette tapes to gain their abilities and find a way home. You can even combine two creatures together to make powerful new forms with shared elemental types, stats, and move sets, with thousands of possibilities to discover.

Key Features:

  • Transform into Monsters…with Cassette Tapes?! Faced with the constant threat of monster attack, the residents of Harbourtown can fight fire with fire. Record a variety of beautifully crafted creatures, then take on their forms in battle!
  • Fuse Monsters Together: Merge with your companions’ monsters to transform into fully animated fusions combining the strengths of both forms! There are thousands of unique creature fusion combos with which to experiment.
  • Explore a Rich Open World: Use your monster abilities in human form! Glide, fly, swim, climb, dash or turn magnetic to get around and solve puzzles in a colorful land brought to life with fun retro vibes and an awesome synth soundtrack.
  • Dive into a Captivating Story: Cassette Beasts features an otherworldly adventure with spooky twists and turns. How did you end up on New Wirral? And who are the mysterious Archangels?
  • Master a Deep Battle System: Use elemental chemistry to apply advantageous buffs or debuffs with your attacks, or even alter your opponents’ elemental types.
  • Travel with a Diverse Cast of Companions: Don’t fight alone! Forge bonds with your partners and help them complete personal goals to become a better team. The strength of your relationship determines how well you’re able to fuse.
  • Play Co-op with Friends: Team up via local multiplayer for up to two players. Explore the open world, transform and battle together as a duo!

Cassette Beasts originally released to glowing reviews last month on PC via Steam, the Microsoft Store and PC Game Pass. For more info, visit www.CassetteBeasts.com, and follow the Cassette Beasts team on Twitter and Discord for the latest updates.

About Bytten Studio

Bytten Studio is an indie team based in Brighton UK, co-founded by Jay Baylis and Tom Coxon. They have over two decades of combined experience working on successful pixel art indie games, including Stardew Valley. Their first release as a studio, Lenna’s Inception, was a procedurally generated action-adventure RPG with a branching narrative and two complete art styles.

About Raw Fury

Raw Fury is a boutique indie (un)publisher founded in 2015 by Jonas Antonsson, Gordon Van Dyke, and David Martinez. We do not care about genres or mechanics. We care about experiences and emotions. We want to help developers make magic.

THE PEGASUS EXPEDITION INTRODUCES A RACE AGAINST TIME IN THE EXODUS CONTENT UPDATE

Sci-fi strategy title sees players face an ever-encroaching enemy in new early access content update; overhaul to the combat system alongside a variety of fixes

Prague, Czech Republic – May 25, 2023 – Fulqrum Publishing and Kalla Gameworks today release The Exodus – the final Content Update for the story-driven, sci-fi grand strategy title The Pegasus Expedition – which is now available via SteamGOG.com and Epic Games Store. The update introduces a brand-new gameplay scenario, alongside gameplay improvements and an assortment of gameplay/bug fixes. 

In this new scenario players face a terrifying and all-consuming enemy, The Biomass, as it spreads across the galaxy. Players will grapple in an intense race against time, as they fight to survive long enough to escape the clutches and ever-growing threat of consumption from this horrific enemy.

This update also brings changes to the galaxy generation, making resource exploitation potential more specialised and highlighting this to the player, making for a more straightforward approach to their economic challenges and conquests. In addition, a large-scale overhaul to The Pegasus Expedition’s combat mode gives players greater control over the way they approach each different battle through their campaign.  

A further change implemented for ease of use is the introduction of structure filtering, a new tool that players can use to easily locate the structures they require while building.

The Exodus is the final planned early access content update for The Pegasus Expedition. It follows Scattered Empires, At the Center of It All and The Height of the Empire  – all of which introduced new gameplay scenarios alongside a variety of changes and bug fixes.

About Fulqrum Publishing
Fulqrum Publishing is a global games publisher with a diverse portfolio of titles, that includes both in-house and independent productions. Fulqrum Publishing has successfully launched over 100 game titles including the critically acclaimed series – King’s Bounty, Men of War and Space Rangers. Recent releases include such games as Ancestors Legacy, Deep Sky Derelicts, Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark, Forgive Me Father, & more.

About Kalla Gameworks
Kalla Gameworks is a game development studio based in Kuopio, Finland. We are a collective of industry professionals and enthusiasts with a strong focus on immersion and atmosphere and a passion for creating games.

It’s Time to Become Chris, the Last Surviving T-Rex on Earth, in Dynopunk, Launching on PC Today!

Run a Tech-Repairs Shop, Build a Time Machine, and Travel Back in Time, your Ultimate Goal? Overturn your Kind’s Fate!

Use your Tiny Hands to Fix your Clients’ Old Hardware, Build Relationships, Earn a Living and Save Enough Cash to Build a Time Machine. Will you Manage to Travel Back in Time and Change the Past for Good?

Encounter Award Winning Characters, Dive into an Refreshingly Unique Retro World with Nostalgic Graphics and an 1980s inspired Original Lo-Fi Soundtrack!

London, England, May 25th, 2023 – Award Winning Indie Studio Tomato Fantasy Games and Global Publishers 101XP are proud to finally announce the full release of the highly anticipated Dynopunk, live on Steam right now for $14.99!

Prepare yourself to embark on an extraordinary adventure in a retro-inspired cyberpunk world, populated by dinosaurs, all with their own hopes, dreams, jobs and hustles. Here, dinosaurs have evolved to become highly intelligent; creating groundbreaking technologies and feeling… heartbreaking feelings. That’s right, you’ll assume the role of Chris, the last surviving T-Rex on the planet, one who will do anything to build a time machine and travel back to a time where he can change the past for good and avoid his species’ extinction.

Chris has only recently moved to Synth City, opening up a tech repair shop. Utilizing his very tiny hands, it’s your job to work hard to fix things, keep your customers happy and returning, build friendships and save enough money and spare parts for the construction of the time-machine that will bring happiness back into his life. Will you be able to return to a time when other T-Rexes thrived, and find true love?

DynoPunk presents gorgeous pixelated graphics inspired by classic retro games, and is accompanied by an all-original 1980s-inspired lo-fi soundtrack. Immerse yourself in the nostalgic atmosphere and encounter a diverse array of award-winning characters, each with their own distinctive traits, dreams, and personal stories, in a story that is actively shaped by the choices you make in-game.

The branching storyline of the game is shaped by engaging conversations with customers and the quality of your repairs. Precision and customer satisfaction will be vital as you strive to keep them happy! But your job does not stop once the fixed tech is delivered. Build real relationships with your customers, listen to them and share important advice and thoughts. Remember that, everything you say could have a monumental impact on your customers lives!

Experience the thrill and mundanity of fixing gadgets with super tiny T-rex hands, and extracting valuable information from customers to uncover the root causes of their technical issues. Engage in chit-chat with customers, initiating small talk or heartfelt conversations, offering them their favorite beverages, and ensuring their moods remain positive, all in hopes of receiving generous tips for your services.

“We are delighted to bring Dynopunk to players around the world and introduce them to our cyberpunk dinosaur universe filled with very different award-winning characters with unique personalities, dreams and problems,” Shared the team at Tomato Fantasy Games. “With a perfect blend of humor, irony, and adventure, we have poured our hearts into this game, hoping to guarantee an enjoyable and amusing experience!”

Purchase Dynopunk on Steam today, and brace yourself for an enthralling dino-infused journey, as you strive to fulfill your ultimate dream of changing the past and bringing a brighter future, where he can be surrounded by T-Rex family, friends and love.

Monster Menu: The Scavenger’s Cookbook Review

Monster Menu: The Scavenger’s Cookbook

Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
Publisher: NIS America
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 (Reviewed), Switch
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $49.99 USD – Available Here $79.95 AUD – Available Here

Overview

Exploring a dungeon is a core element in nearly every RPG that fans of the genre can think of but while players may spend hours battling against creatures and taking on the bosses within the depths of a dungeon, the real time someone would take to explore such a dangerous place would take far longer. Any trip to a dungeon can be a dangerous one should supplies run low and that is exactly what NIS America’s latest JRPG-roguelike Monster Menu: The Scavenger’s Cookbook looks to explore. Combining cooking with dungeon crawling is a unique combination on its own but does factoring in roguelike elements make this a satisfying dish of a game?

Story

Players take on the role of their own created adventurer who has found themselves lost within the dangerous dungeon called the Sealed Lands. With no clue on what direction to take and on the brink of starvation, it is only through sheer willpower does the player find themselves still moving forward and stumbling upon the rotting corpse of a mysterious monstrosity. With their only choices being death or consuming this strange beast, the player takes a chomp out of the corpse only to pass out from the experience. Magically they manage to not only survive this harrowing endeavor but even find themselves a safe base to use as the launching point for their adventure back to the exit. To make things even better, up to three other customizable adventurers have also found themselves lost within the dungeon and are more than willing to eat any monster or horrific concoction that the player cooks if it means surviving.

While offering players a completely customizable party may make for endless combinations and opening the game up for players to approach the game differently every time, it doesn’t really do any favors for the actual storyline as Monster Menu: The Scavenger’s Cookbook features the bare minimum of set up for placing players within a dungeon and very little else, not even character interaction or even interesting developments. As players examine various scavenging sites and even occasionally from defeating monsters they will obtain various notes that do contain story tidbits that reveal more information about the world and even explain some elements of the game but it is rather unfortunate that there is extremely little story to accompany this unique blend of mechanics and what could have been a tale of desperation taken to ridiculous lengths.

Gameplay

As players begin Monster Menu they will immediately be greeted with an extensive character customization screen that allows them to use one of eight base designs that can be further customized with different colors, accessories, facial structure, and more. This customization goes on to allow players to select their class in combat and even the portrait cut-ins that are displayed when activating skills or selecting the character at the menu. Eventually players can adjust the game’s difficulty a bit by creating up to three other party members in the same manner, allowing players to build a team that they feel will best fit their playstyle from the ground up. Should players want a harder experience, they can venture out with only their primary fighter or only one or two extra allies but it is worth noting that they will immediately lose should their lead character fall in battle. Players can also adjust the game’s difficulty at any time with different difficulties changing calorie consumption rate, XP gain, enemy strength, and more.

With their party created, players will venture out into the isometric 3D dungeon filled with various monsters, gathering points, and treasure chests traveling from floor to floor looking for a way out. Anytime the player is moving they will constantly grow hungrier and thirstier as they explore and will even build up a certain level of tiredness though this can be helped a bit by resting at the camp between floors. Monsters slain in combat and items found from gathering points can be cooked at camp to not only fill a character’s stomach but also provide various buffs as well. In fact, sometimes an awful menu of insects may make a character unhappy but provide a wealth of useful buffs that will remain throughout the current run through the dungeon. 

All ingredients obtained have various levels of freshness and quality so making the most out of your items between stages is vital, especially since players may find themselves unlucky due to the random nature of the dungeon and wind up with very little in the way of items to cook. Of course, the Monster Menu does offer a bit of an alternative if worse comes to worse as players can choose to just devour a defeated enemy, or even a fallen ally, in the middle of combat. Enemies eaten during combat provide instant buffs and even some healing but not only are these temporary but can also come with a number of downsides as well that will remain with the player through the current dungeon level.

Now during exploration players will notice that enemies will always be on the move, even when they are standing still. Battles are triggered as soon as players touch an enemy and, in a rather interesting design, all enemies nearby will enter the fight, meaning that players may find themselves overwhelmed should they run into a large group of enemies without trying to lure them out first. All battles are handled through a turn-based strategy style game with a turn order dictated by speed and various attacks and skills having different levels of reach. For example, a bow user can attack from a distance but must use consumable arrows while magic and lances can target a few squares away only for sword/axe/fist users to only fight directly ahead. While standard attacks can be done without cost, any skills or spells will drain its user of calories and hydration, meaning players will need to balance their survival odds in a fight with how long they can push through with the supplies they’ve scavenged up. Beyond this level of strategy and some basic positioning that can allow fighters to occasionally trigger chain attacks, most of Monster Menu’s SRPG combat is a bit on the simple side.

Thanks to the game’s random nature as well as its elements of a roguelike, players will find themselves coming across foes that will be far too powerful to defeat at times. Some of these may appear as obvious bosses to overcome while others may randomly appear during normal exploration. When the player’s party is defeated, or starves to death, all buffs will be lost, characters will revert to level one, and players will need to start from the bottom again. All is not lost however as players will retain not only the equipment that they have found but also any recipes or upgrades they may have obtained along the way, making players able to push further through the dungeon each time, with players being able to travel to higher floors automatically once they’ve defeated a boss at certain stages. Players can even use currency obtained from defeating monsters to add different variables to change various elements of their current run through the dungeon but these are uninspired feeling at best.

When it comes to crafting, most of what players scavenge for in Monster Menu will be put towards cooking. As mentioned before, ingredients come from defeated enemies as well as gathering points or even dismantling useless equipment. Players can choose to cook from the hip, hoping that their chosen ingredients will result in something edible or can use recipes that will automatically select the best matching ingredients with most having different variables to choose from and levels of quality depending on the items being used. Cooking is a fairly enjoyable endeavor and seeing your characters reactions to meals is a delight, especially when players figure out a party member’s favorite dishes. Alongside cooking there is also standard item crafting as well which is unfortunately a bit less involved and also far more limiting as players can only use recipes located through exploration and there is no room for experimentation. 

Visuals & Audio

Since Monster Menu: The Scavenger’s Cookbook allows for near complete party customization, players will find that the art style is quite charming for the most part but also lacks any highly detailed cut-scenes or CGs as a result. There are some rather great looking monster designs but the actual dungeon itself is rather bland to travel through and character skills aren’t the best looking either. Thankfully the food that players can cook has been presented in glorious looking detail with there being some downright disgusting looking options mixed in with some appetizing looking meals. The game does offer an optional censor that can be applied to gross food though why someone would take away part of the game’s charm is unknown.

NIS America has released the game with both their own English voice track as well as the original Japanese dub and for the most part the English cast is handled well though their only dialogue comes from barks made during combat or exploration. Unfortunately there is a rather limited number of lines when it comes to this so players will find themselves hearing certain voice lines over and over again. The soundtrack features a rather standard collection of music that works fairly well for a fantasy SRPG but doesn’t really stand out.

Overall

Monster Menu: The Scavenger’s Cookbook is a charming but rather lean SRPG that tries to combine a number of different genres together to some reasonable success. This odd blend of roguelike dungeon crawling mixed with SRPG gameplay and a heavy emphasis on cooking makes for a unique experience but one that is watered down with simplistic gameplay, generic dungeon design, and lack of real storytelling.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

A Deep Look into Aliens: Dark Descent with the New Gameplay Overview Trailer

PARIS May 25, 2023 – Today Focus Entertainment and Tindalos Interactive, in collaboration with 20th Century Games, revealed a new gameplay overview trailer which offers fans a deeper dive into Aliens: Dark Descent. The video’s in-depth footage and commentary showcases the narrative, protagonists, and gameplay mechanics of the upcoming strategic, real-time, squad-based tactical action game set in the iconic Alien universe. Aliens: Dark Descent releases June 20 on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC.

You are the commander, your squad is your weapon

Aliens: Dark Descent features a fully fledged tactical campaign filled with tense moments, deep strategy, and terrifying revelations. As you explore further, you’ll progress in a complex story and attempt to solve the mysteries of Planet Lethe. Players will manage their squad as a single unit, thanks to innovative and intuitive controls on both keyboard/mouse and controller. Marines react intelligently to orders thanks to a unique Squad Behavior System that dispatches them automatically on the field. When the Xenomorph threat gets overwhelming, they can slow down time at any moment to focus on tactical decisions in the heat of battle.

Marines are well-equipped to alter their environment and deal with hostiles. Flamethrowers can be used to engulf corridors and condemn enemy paths. Suppressive fire is effective at slowing down your enemies, and sentry guns are best used to sustain tough encounters while making sure not to run out of resources.

Every run is unique as the Xenomorphs adapt to player behavior and action. Each choice remains unaltered as players explore extensive, open and persistent levels. Managing the squad’s health and stress levels is equally as important as clearing objectives. And remember, when a Marine dies, they are permanently gone for good.

After each mission, players return to their ship, the Otago: a hub to heal and recruit Marines, as well as to research and develop new tech that improves gear. With five Marine classes available, assign a role to each of your Marines and create a stronger squad to explore further down and battle against an onslaught of iconic Xenomorph creatures.

Gear up and discover the source of a strange and dire threat in Aliens: Dark Descent on June 20 when the game releases on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC. Digital and retail pre-orders are open for all platforms. For more information, visit the Focus Entertainment website.