Fire Tonight Reignites Love for Puzzles, Electronic Music Today on Nintendo Switch, PC
TORONTO – Aug. 12, 2021 –Fire Tonight, a narrative puzzle experience from developer Reptoid Games and publisher Way Down Deep following a couple’s journey to find one another in a burning city, turns up the heat on Nintendo Switch, Windows PC, and Mac today.
In the midst of a raging inferno, love finds a way and continues to bloom between Maya and Devin. With a passion that burns brighter than the flames surrounding them, Maya makes her way through the blaze to reunite with Devin who awaits her in an apartment full of memories.
Devin eases his anxieties by listening to mixtapes and distracting himself with memory-soaked mementos reflecting on their relationship. Maya roller skates through the metropolis avoiding the heat and police patrols by taking adventurous routes over rooftops and alleyways teeming with puzzles blocking her path. Nothing can extinguish the spark between these two.
Inspired by Information Society’s song of the same name, Fire Tonight acts as a love ballad to a time before cell phones, when mixtapes were a sign of affection and CDs were just becoming a thing. Explore a neon-tinted cityscape with an original electronic soundtrack by Canadian composer Lex Metcalfe. Relieve this era’s unforgettable aesthetics in a nonviolent interactive love story.
“Information Society couldn’t be more pleased to see this delightful narrative game based on THE song ‘Fire Tonight,’ from our 1990 album Hack,” the band said. “We love the story, the art, and everything else about it!”
Fire Tonight is available now on Nintendo Switch and Windows PC and Mac via Steam for $5.99 USD / €4,99 EUR / £4.49 GBP. To learn more about Fire Tonight, please visit the official website and join the community on Twitter and Facebook. Information Society also recently released a new album ODDfellows on Friday, Aug. 6, 2021; it can be purchased via Bandcamp.
About Reptoid Games
Founded in 2015, Reptoid Games is a Toronto-based independent games studio behind the 2017 Ubisoft Indie Series award-winning title Fossil Hunters. The team at Reptoid aim to create hand-crafted, bespoke character-driven experiences for players across the globe.
Way Down Deep is a Texas-based boutique publisher that specializes in bringing to life non-violent games set in the real world. Fire Tonight joins a growing catalogue of titles about love and life, including Circadian City, Half Past Fate, Date Night Bowling, and more.
The big eared, hard punching Sega mascot is back! After more than 2 decades, developer Merge Games took it upon themselves to bring back the original Sega mascot recreated majestically with new graphics, music, stages and more.
Alex Kidd in Miracle Worldlaunched originally launched in 1987 for the Sega Master System console to some critical acclaim and spawned a number of sequels, that, unfortunately, didn’t retain the charisma and fun of the original, and with the release of Sonic the Hedgehog, Alex was reduced to a couple of appearances in other games and even as a playable character in Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed. That was until now as a group of fervorous fans decided they wanted to develop their own version of Miracle World.
Story
There is now a short, animated introduction as you start your journey, showing Alex in training and the old “a looming evil approaches.” Alex is a martial arts student. After traversing a few stages, you find your master, who is very well, thank you. He tells the protagonist: “You’re Alex Kidd, a member of the royal family of Radaxian, you must save your brother, the prince, and his betrothed, defeat a tyrant hellbent on overtaking the kingdom known as “Janken the Great”, and restore the petrified townsfolk to normal.” That’s a lot, but Alex departs on his journey to save his homeland without thinking twice. There are now more NPCs besides the shopkeeper and secondary characters, like villagers. They can be found scattered throughout stages, each with their own piece of dialogue which adds a bit more life into the game. Even then, the story is still minimalistic as it was originally, being little more than an excuse to get things rolling.
Gameplay
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is an action platformer with some adventure elements. You traverse the landscapes of Radaxian, punching enemies with Alex’s oversized hands as big as his ears, all while avoiding traps and destroying yellow shining blocks that contain money that can be used in stores in some stages for items that will help you on your journey. These items can be selected and used on the fly now, which is a welcome addition.
The remake retains almost everything from the original to a fault, which could be a blessing or a curse depending whether you are a new or a returning, long time fan. As varied as the game tries to be with underwater sections, secret passages and the use of vehicles, like a helicopter or a boat; they mostly progress in a very repetitive fashion with the same blocks, pits and enemies placed in the stage that repeat after 3 or 4 screens until you get to the end. It was designed this way, in part, due to the processing and memory limitations of the time, and Jankenteam decided to not mess with the game’s core. You’ll also encounter some weirdly designed obstacles like spikes that can only harm you if you touch its sides. A particular puzzle where you have an item depicting images indicating how to solve it, only to find, after a lot of trial and error, that the developers forgot to change its reading orientation as it’s read in the same way as the Japanese version, from right to left. Maybe I’ll never know if this was left due to an oversight, on purpose or couldn’t be changed due to time constraints.
The enemies you’ll encounter range from little critters such as scorpions, bats, little dragons and a jumping ball whose only features are a pair of eyes and a … mustache. They’ll just wander toward you and can be simply avoided by jumping over them or defeated with a single punch. Alex will die in one hit, even by jumping on top of them; I guess Sega wanted to differentiate Alex Kidd from Super Mario as much as they could. This dynamic of deciding what enemies to kill, blocks to break, obstacles to avoid, and items to use; combined with the fast pace of the stages, can be a lot of fun. As you get better, you’ll simply fly through the stages. You have a limited number of lives, but the game now has infinite continues and your progress will be automatically saved so you can try to tackle it later if you wish.
At the end of some stages, there’ll be a boss. Some boss battles will require you defeat them in a match of JanKenPon (Rock, Paper and Scissors). It’s a battle of trial and error as, initially, you don’t have any way to know what they’ll choose. If you guess wrong two times, you’ll lose a life. This can be very frustrating, as using a continue will send you all the way back to the beginning of the stage without your money and items you collected, as such, they’re more of a hindrance than a proper, fun boss battle. Other lesser bosses will be resolved in a more traditional fashion, that is, punching them to death. These battles were tweaked, adding new patterns to their attacks or modifying the way they’re defeated in some cases. Although minor, these changes are still welcome, especially for returning players.
As with most remakes, we have some new features like new stages. They are implemented in a way that feel like they were always a part of the original game: fast and short. The new additions add much needed longevity to the game. Another neat addition is the inclusion of collectibles apart from the normal items you get: from a Sega master system console to items referencing other Sega games and versions of Alex Kidd. These are scattered throughout the world and can be given by NPCs or even in common blocks. These were specifically included for fans of the original game and Sega, so its references will mostly be lost on new players and can be skipped entirely as they don’t alter any aspect of the overall experience. There’s also an option to enable infinite lives at any point in the game for those who want an easier time or just want to try the game without too much hassle. It will disable some achievements and can’t be reverted unless you start a new save, so choose wisely.
Visuals
Everything was entirely redone from scratch and now features gorgeous sprite work and animations. The graphics use vibrant colors that go perfectly with the game, bringing the world of Radaxian to life; As soon as the boat stage started I was incapable of not smiling like an idiot, because of how bright and “happy” it looked. Stages now can be at night or during a beautifully animated rainstorm. Jankenteam and Merge Games really put their soul in recreating the visuals for this remake.
Audio
The original game already had a charming and catchy soundtrack although very repetitive and with only a few tunes. In the remake, the music was recreated with a higher quality and heavy emphasis on Spanish guitars that goes very well with the game and its “tropical” scenery. The audio is a joy to listen to because the music doesn’t feel repetitive anymore as new tunes were added and old ones were expanded.
Overall
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is a faithful remake of one of the precursors of modern videogames. It was created by fans and is as untouched as they’re able to make, so it won’t be for every fan of the genre who might prefer something more modern. It’s still worthy of being experienced by new or veteran players. It’s not only a piece of videogame history. It’s a fun game on it’s own, if you’re able to overlook some of the more bizarre design choices or the repetitive pacing of the stages. It’s still short, even with the inclusion of new stages, but once you beat the game, you get access to a revamped Master System version and a boss rush. That, along with collectibles and different paths you can take, can prolong its longevity, especially if you want to see everything or are an achievement hunter.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Plus Take Down The Lost MC in a New Robbery Contract, and More
Too extra for the classics? More over-the-top than underground? Forget trying to find that scrapyard bucket and make the only first impression that counts in the Emperor Vectre. Like a supermodel with a mean 100m sprint, the Vectre is a spectacle in every sense of the word.
Now available from Legendary Motorsport in GTA Online.
New Robbery: The Lost Contract The Lost MC is sitting on a goldmine, and you’re entitled to your share. Take them down a couple of pegs by targeting their bustling methamphetamine empire for a sizable score. Gather some intel, steal a truck to haul your payload, and blow the whole operation to smithereens. Visit the Job Board in your Auto Shop to get cracking.
Last Chance: Car Meet Membership Bonuses This week is your final chance to get the LS Customs Varsity Jacket for simply showing up to the LS Car Meet, while all LS Car Meet Members who reach Reputation Level 20 by August 18 will get a bonus to the tune of GTA$250K.
2X GTA$ and RP on Pursuit Series LS Car Meet Members with a knack for crafting slick escape routes will earn Double Rewards for outmaneuvering their fellow drivers and the LSPD as part of the Pursuit Series this week.
2X GTA$ and RP on Siege Mentality Siege Mentality places a small team of defenders armed to the teeth against a determined group of attackers attempting to breach the holdout. Whatever side you’re on, both teams earn 2X GTA$ and RP for playing Siege Mentality this week.
Car Meet Prize Ride and Challenge Car Meet Members who win 3 Sprints for 4 days in a row this week can drive away behind the wheel of the Karin Futo GTX. Swing by the Slamtruck at the meet to check out what you’re competing for and scope out the competition. Issue a Sprint challenge from the Interaction Menu while inside the LS Car Meet.
Test Out New and Unreleased Cars on the Test Track Want to see how a new steering wheel feels in your hands? Why not give the unreleased Pfister Growler a trial run on the LS Car Meet’s Test Track, or put some dents in an Emperor Vectre before buying your own? The Dinka Jester RR is also available to try, free of charge. Just head over to the Test Rides in the LS Car Meet.
This Week on the Podium:Lampadati Michelli GT Make sure to make a pit stop at The Diamond Casino & Resort and give the Lucky Wheel its daily spin to walk away with GTA$, RP, clothing, snacks, and mystery prizes. This week’s top prize on the podium is the Lampadati Michelli GT, an Italian import with a whole bunch of angry horses shoved under the hood. Andiamo.
Discounts: All Executive Office properties continue to be half off. Plus, these vehicles are still available to pick-up at a discount through this week:
Lampadati Tigon — 30% off Mammoth Squaddie — 30% off RO-86 Alkonost — 30% off Vapid Ellie — 40% off Grotti Itali GTO — 40% off
Prime Gaming Bonuses and Benefits
GTA Online players who successfully connect their Rockstar Games Social Club account with Prime Gaming will get GTA$100K just for playing any time this week.
In addition, Prime Gaming members can get the Auto Shop property located in Strawberry for free through August 18, as well as exclusive discounts, including half off the Benefactor BR8 racecar and 80% off the Coquette Blackfin. Any Prime Gaming members in good standing who do buy the Auto Shop property in Strawberry at full price will be given a 100% rebate within 72 hours after purchasing it.
To ensure access to future benefits, make sure to visit Prime Gaming and sign up.
GELATINOUS INDIE HIT GANG BEASTS LAUNCHES ON NINTENDO SWITCH PHYSICALLY THIS DECEMBER
Settle your beef with spectacularly silly local, online and local-wireless multiplayer mayhem
Sydney, Australia – 13th August 2021: Gang Beasts, the popular physics-based multiplayer game where you grab, punch, push, pull, and throw your friends to their doom, will debut physically on the Nintendo Switch on 7th December 2021.
After a number of years brawling across multiple platforms and now trucking on to physical storefronts, Gang Beasts finally launches on Nintendo Switch with 21 hazardous stages, hundreds of colourful costume customisations and multiple local, online and local wireless multiplayer game modes.
“The Nintendo Switch is a platform we’ve wanted to support since the hardware was announced”, said Michael Brown from Boneloaf, creators and publishers of Gang Beasts. “Nintendo consoles have always had fun local multiplayer party games, and seeing Gang Beasts on a Nintendo Switch and hearing the little beasts giggle as something horrific is happening to them is a dream come true!“
Boneloaf has partnered with Skybound Games to release the physical edition of Gang Beasts for Nintendo Switch, which will include a randomised and exclusive collectible sticker sheet, coming to Australian retailers 7th December.
More details for the Gang Beasts physical edition, including pricing and pre-order information, will be announced at a later date.
Fans are encouraged to follow Gang Beasts on Twitter or visit https://gangbeasts.game/posts for updates, including to be notified when the physical edition is available to pre-order.
About Boneloaf
Boneloaf is a small independent game studio based in Sheffield. Boneloaf are currently making a series of experimental multiplayer party games made with physically simulated gelatinous characters. The company name comes from the word Boneloaf members use to refer to specific hunks of collectable meat frequently seen in classic arcade and console games. For more information, visit their Twitter and website.
About Skybound Games
Skybound Games is a division of Skybound Entertainment with the capabilities to produce, develop, and license video games. The team works closely with creators to expand their unique and exceptional IP to new platforms. The Skybound Games slate houses everything from indie projects to high-budget franchise titles, with recent games including Telltale’s The Walking Dead, Before Your Eyes and The Big Con. The studio can be found on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and at www.skybound.com.
WWE® SuperCard Superkicks Off SummerSlam Celebration with New Card Tier, Game Mode, and Exclusive Reward
Celebrate “The Biggest Party of the Summer” with the chance to win rewards in RewardMania and the new SummerSlam ’21 card tier
2K today announced the release of the SummerSlam ’21 card tier and debut of the new periodic, limited-time RewardMania game mode in WWE® SuperCard*, the collectible card-battling game from Cat Daddy Games. The new card tier is jam-packed with 60+ new cards representing past and present WWE Superstars including Roman Reigns, The Rock, John Cena, Charlotte Flair, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Rey Mysterio, Sasha Banks and more.
RewardMania brings epic rewards to the ring, as players can earn Reward Coupons from the draft board or from card packs to enter limited-time events. A variety of prizes are available and RewardMania run times can be any length, with events taking place at set intervals. Players only have a limited time to earn Reward Coupons once each event goes live, so always be prepared to game! The first event will kick off on August 25, just in time for SummerSlam.
To cap off WWE® SuperCard’sSummerSlam celebration, players can also salute the return of John Cena with a “Summer of Cena” gift** redeemable for a limited time, consisting of four John Cena cards, 500 SuperCoins and one SummerSlam ’21 Cardback.**
*WWE SuperCard requires iOS 11.0 or later for iOS devices, including iPhone and iPad, as well as requires Android 4.2.1 and up for Android devices. App includes optional in-game purchases.
**Offer available to new and current users who log in to WWE SuperCard between 5:00 a.m. AEST on 21/8/2021 and 5:00 am AEST on 4/9/2021 in all territories where WWE SuperCard is available. Offer is for one (1) each John Cena SummerSlam ’16, ’17, ’18, and ’20 tier cards, one (1) SummerSlam ’21 card back, and five hundred (500) SuperCoins. Reward can be redeemed in-game on the store section between 5:00 a.m. AEST on 21/8/2021 and 5:00 am AEST on 4/9/2021. One offer per account only. Terms apply. Void where prohibited.
Cat Daddy Games is a 2K studio. 2K is a wholly owned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).
Embark on a tale of conquest across five domains in Quinterra! Through a unique drafting mechanic the very world changes before you. Dynamically tap into the land’s power to harness Upgrade Crystals in combat. Assemble your army and outfit them for maximum synergy aboard your air ship.
Quinterra is releasing the largest content update since launching earlier this year! The new Restless Glacier update includes a plethora of progression system additions, a brand new domain with frozen enemies, an enhanced difficulty mode, and a brand new playable species. Quinterra will be on discount for 34% for the next two weeks!
Long-Term Progression Additions Along with this update the developers have introduced a multitude of new progression systems. All species now have long-term progression that can be unlocked by gaining experience and leveling up! Players will now see their potential grow by unlocking units, talents, and a unique starting loadout for each species. The new starting loadouts for each species features a completely separate starting kit, effectively doubling the amount of playable species! For hardcore strategy gamers who want to test their skills, the developers have also added a new enhanced difficulty modifier system known as corrupted mode. With corrupted mode enabled, monsters you face throughout an expedition will randomly choose from 16 different modifiers to represent a daunting challenge!
The Restless Glacier and Clockworks
Explore the fifth and final domain of Quinterra, the Restless Glacier! As you battle across the frigid landscape you’ll come into contact with mighty beasts, relentless Clockworks, and the resourceful Tusks. The Restless Glacier features more movement mechanics than any other domain of Quinterra. Some enemies will push your units away to survive while others will pull your units in close for the kill. Positioning is more important than ever before in this perilous landscape.
With the release of The Restless Glacier players will now be able to unlock the Clockworks as a fifth playable species! Amass Scrap piles to block important chokepoints and more importantly fuel powerful upgrades for your Clockwork army. Some units can even mobilize the Scrap piles into an army of their own.
About Sidereal Studio
Sidereal Studio was founded in February 2019 by Channing Burell, Christopher Allen, and Weekend Pandas LLC with a target in mind of creating games that provide unique and compelling experiences for gamers. At Sidereal Studio we take an approach to game development that utilizes rapid interactive prototyping to ensure we end up with the best possible experience for our players through original mechanics and designs. We are a group of developers with over 25 years of experience who specialize in development with the Unreal Engine.
Each year there are one or two games that appear on the top of every “must play” list and last year a certain title from Supergiant Games happened to be at the top of most of these. Hades had appeared on PC and Switch late last year and took the roguelite genre by storm but for many who preferred playing on other platforms, all they could do is wait. Now that the wait is over with Hades arriving on Xbox and PlayStation platforms with a few small boosts, is this game still one that manages to live up to the hype?
Story
It wouldn’t be a tale of Greek mythology without some type of family discourse and that just so happens to be what Hades focuses on. Players take on the role of Zagreus, the son of Hades, who has grown tired of living in the Underworld and is looking to escape to the rest of his family up on Mount Olympus. With the help of Nyx, his own allies in the Underworld, and the other gods of Olympus providing him boons and various buffs to aid in his journey, it will be a long and death filled journey for Zagreus as Hades has ensured that all manner of undead monsters, beasts, and even his own soldiers are standing in the way.
Few games, especially roguelikes, are willing to weave their storytelling into game mechanics quite like Hades does as players will begin the game knowing absolutely nothing other than who they are playing as, the fact they wish to escape the Underworld, and that the gods of Olympus are helping them on their way. In fact, should the player be lucky or skilled enough, they may even get to their first boss before ever learning more about the world of the game. This is because the storyline for Hades is told through interactions with the numerous residents of the Underworld who only come up with new bits of dialogue and lore the further players progress and die during their escape.
By combining elements of the story with failure players never really feel like they are losing out should they fall in combat as it only means that there will likely be new interactions with a number of characters at the starting point. It is even worth noting that the main story elements, including major plot revelations, character development, and even Zagreus’ reason to escape, are almost entirely tied to having to restart a run. Speaking of the characters, while we won’t go into detail to avoid spoilers, it is clear to say that they truly make for some of the best moments in Hades. Gods will chime in every time they grant a boon to Zagreus and even make remarks about how they are doing, other gifts they may have been blessed with, and more while Hades and other denizens of the Underworld will make remarks about the player’s playstyle, progress, and even how they died.
Obviously going too much into detail here would spoil things but this storyline, thanks in part to the strong writing of the characters and their interactions, is an incredible one that serves as a major driving force for constantly diving into battle and seeing just how far the player can get. There is even a codex that players can fill out that provides additional background details for nearly every element of the game providing extra lore for those wanting to truly sink themselves into the game’s world.
Gameplay
Players will find themselves immediately thrown into the fray in Hades as the game doesn’t try to bog them down with countless tutorials and instead aims for a more nuanced approach to teaching players various aspects of the game. Hades is, at its core, a roguelike that tasks players with running through rooms filled with randomized enemies that must be slain to progress with various bosses standing in your path at certain intervals. Should Zagreus fall in combat, he will be sent back to the home base and forced to start every run from the beginning, requiring players to make their escape in one run.
Zagreus can make use of basic attacks and special attacks that vary depending on the weapon he is wielding, cast magic, dash around to avoid damage, and more to try and survive the randomly generated rooms he must venture through. Every room players travel through will vary in monster and trap placement though and they can only progress once every foe has been slain. More often than not Zagreus will find two seperate paths to choose from when leaving a room with each path showing a specific icon that hints at the next room providing a certain buff, money, a shop, or even an encounter with an ally. This style of progression is a simple but highly addictive one as players will never feel like they are truly getting thrown into something they cannot face down, especially since there is such a wide range of customization available to them.
As mentioned before Zagreus will be awarded various boons from his allies on Olympus as well as others who wish to see him succeed in his escape attempt. These boons range from simply increasing the amount of damage players deal to completely changing the type of magic they can cast. Each of these boons can be powered up and even synergized with one another to become even stronger. Of course, considering the rewards of each run are randomized it is entirely possible that a run can simply end up being unlucky with poor boon rewards but for every run that feels like the odds are against you, there is one where nearly everything comes together and you make it much farther than ever before. This variation and the feeling of never quite knowing just how well your powers and boons will come together makes for a highly enjoyable game that always feels like it is begging the player for “one more run.”
Throughout the player’s various escape attempts they will gather a number of different pieces of currency that can be used to make their next runs a bit easier. The most plentiful happens to simply be gold that resets every time the player dies, but can be used to purchase items from Charon’s shops and wells. These items can be anything from other types of currency, a temporary boost to various abilities, an extra boon from a god, or healing making it the type of currency players will freely want to spend to extend their runs. Other items include Darkness that can be used to unlock various abilities for Zagreus such as dealing extra damage from a backstab, extra lives, and more, Cthonic Keys that can unlock extra weapons for the player to wield as well as unlock extra abilities, and even Nectar to gift to the various NPCs that players meet on their journey to unlock useful items and extra dialogue. There is even a bit of base customization as players can use gems earned from their runs to unlock new elements in the Underworld as well as cosmetic items in their home. All of these extra bits of currency help ensure that players always feel like they are growing stronger, one way or another, even if their runs happen to run early.
Visuals & Audio
With Hades making the jump to the Xbox Series X the game has seen a small improvement as the graphics have seen a jump to 4K resolution which is a great thing here as the title’s art style is absolutely wonderful. The level of detail placed on the character portraits for the various gods and denizens of the Underworld is exceptional and, although a few rooms may begin to feel repetitive, the varied , randomized, and interestingly colored nature of every run keeps things from ever feeling bland.
It is also worth noting that the game is fully voiced to the point that Zagreus will even respond to the narrator as he discusses events. The massive amount of varied dialogue that most NPCs will have with the player depending on their playstyle is all voiced by some great voice actors and the soundtrack just so happens to feature a number of outstanding tracks that stand well on their own.
Overall
There are games that come along and feel truly exceptional and while many people had the chance to experience Hades‘ quality last year, now that the title has made the jump to more platforms it is easy to see just why it is a must have even for those who never thought about trying a roguelite game. From the art style that compliments everything in the world to the way that the game blends its narrative and gameplay elements together flawlessly it is easy to say that Supergiant truly has found something special with Hades.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
August 12th, 2021 — Gamious and Whitethorn Games announce their upcoming slice-of-life interactive story game Lake will launch September 1st on Xbox Series X|S, as well as Steam for Windows PC!
It’s September 1, 1986. You take on the role of forty-something Meredith Weiss, who returns from the big city to her quiet hometown. She exchanges her busy career at a software company to fill in for her dad, the local mail carrier.
During her two-week stay in beautiful Providence Oaks, Oregon, she runs into a few familiar faces as well as plenty of new folk. As Meredith, you get to decide who to talk to, who to befriend and perhaps even start a romantic relationship with.
Whatever happens, at the end of her stint she’ll have to make up her mind: return to her demanding job in the big city, or stay in the town she grew up in?
Play Lake and…
Escape to a beautiful, rustic environment without cellphones and the Internet.
Drive around the lake in your dad’s trusty mail truck, or let the auto-pilot do the work.
Talk to a range of engaging characters, each with their own personalities and quirks.
Choose after-work activities: hang out with your friends, help out your neighbors or stay home and read a book.
Experience two weeks of branching story that doesn’t shy away from slice-of-life themes.
Determine your own story: there are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers or endings, simply what you want to happen.
Lake is also set to release later on other platforms beyond Xbox and Steam.
About Gamious We are Gamious, a game developer based in Haarlem, The Netherlands. A nice bunch of people who love to create original and accessible games with pure gameplay – games we love to play ourselves. We either self-publish, work with publishers, or a mix between these two, to get the games to the right platforms. Check out our website: https://www.gamious.com/
About Whitethorn Games We’re an indie game publisher focusing on pleasant, cozy games that can be played in pieces, that require no special skills or knowledge, and that anyone can pick up and play. We’re believers in accessibility, inclusion, and widening the audience that gets to play. We like to consider ourselves the defenders of easy games. Join in on the discussion via our Discord.
30 years after the apocalyptic blizzard, Earth is still overwhelmed by the neverending frost and harsh, icy climate
Warsaw, Poland – August 12th, 2021 — 11 bit studios is proud to announce Frostpunk 2 – the sequel to the highly acclaimed, BAFTA-nominated society survival city-builder. Frostpunk 2 is the first project to be revealed from the three in-house games that are currently being developed at the Warsaw-based company. In addition to the big reveal, you can try the original Frostpunk for free on Steam for a limited time during this coming weekend between August 12th and 16th.
WATCH THE FROSTPUNK 2 ANNOUNCEMENT TRAILER
In Frostpunk’s successor, players are once again tasked with playing as the leader of a resource-hungry metropolis where the expansion and search for new sources of power is an unavoidable reality. But the apocalyptic world has moved on. After the age of coal, conquering Frostland for the oil extraction industry is expected to be the new salvation of what’s left of humanity. However, change does not come easily, and not everyone in this new multi-layered society will welcome this new direction.
With the ever-growing team responsible for the first game, which is now nearly 70 people strong, the sequel will bring a much bigger scope to the table. “We have more manpower available to focus on all aspects of the game from the scale, the production value, to the quality of UX. Our ambition is to do more than a straight-up sequel. What we aim to deliver to players is an experience that goes vastly beyond that of the original Frostpunk,” states Jakub Stokalski, Frostpunk 2 Co-Director.
Jakub also shares his grand vision for Frostpunk 2: “What players should expect is a wide universe of choices, freedom to shape the society and the city however they see fit – and reap the consequences. Frostpunk 2 builds on the conflicts of its predecessor – survival vs human values, life vs the arctic frost. But most importantly, it adds a new layer that is present in many aspects of the game – be it politics, be it society, be it technological progress – the conflict between humans and their nature”.
Frostpunk became an instant hit on PC when it was first released in 2018. The Console Edition release was also well-received the following year. Post-launch, the game has received a ton of free additional content and three paid expansions and surpassed the 3 million copies sales mark in time for its 3 year anniversary in April 2021.
Frostpunk will be available for free on Steam from today, August 12th from 8 AM PT/11 AM ET/5 PM CET, to August 16th until 10 AM PT/1 PM ET/7 PM CET. Players will need to buy the game if they wish to continue playing after that period.
11 bit studios is a Warsaw-based Polish game development studio known for This War of Mine and Frostpunk as well as a publisher teaming up with indies to bring their gems to life. More at http://www.11bitstudios.com/.
ToneStone to Disrupt Music Making, Collaboration and Sharingthrough Fun, Interactive Platform Designed for the Creator Era
BOSTON — Aug. 12, 2021 — ToneStone, founded by former Harmonix chief creative officer Greg LoPiccolo and game industry veteran of Valve and Amazon Games Tom Leonard, is building a platform to enable anyone to easily make and share music. LoPiccolo (Guitar Hero, Rock Band) and Leonard (Half-Life 2, Left 4 Dead) are on a mission to change the way music is made, shared, and monetized by creating a platform that combines interactive game mechanics with intuitive and easy-to-use creation tools, plus direct community and social integration.
“We want anyone to be able to express themselves through music, to collaborate, and to share their music,” said Greg LoPiccolo, co-founder and CEO, ToneStone. “The last decade has seen key innovations to lower the barrier of entry for media creation and sharing across video, photos, and recently games, but there’s no music platform that combines being accessible, comprehensive and enjoyable. By bringing together what we have learned from games and interactivity to music, we believe ToneStone can enable that radical leap for the creator generation of music.”
ToneStone is designed to be highly approachable; people with little-to-no experience can begin creating music within seconds, instead of spending hours learning complicated software.
Leveraging the deep interactive entertainment background of its founders, ToneStone is integrating proven game mechanics to elegantly guide progression. Integrated progression and achievement systems will keep users engaged, and encourage exploration and experimentation. Multiplayer options will also allow users to create and modify tracks together simultaneously online.
Creators will be able to share their own music directly on social media platforms, or download the tracks for use in broadcasts, livestreams, VODs, interactive experiences and other projects. ToneStone allows shorter formats like loops and beats as well as complete songs. With community-driven source material made available to everyone, musicians will be able to monetize their work and build up their fanbases.
ToneStone is currently in private beta; early adopters can sign up here to try out the very early stages of the platform before launch. Already you can quickly create and share music, and over time game mechanics, multiplayer and the marketplace will be added. At launch, ToneStone will be a free download on Steam for PC and Mac.
For more information about ToneStone, or to sign up for the waitlist, please visit https://tonestone.com
About ToneStone
ToneStone was founded in 2019 by Greg LoPiccolo, Tom Leonard, and Sam Levine. With nearly two decades of experience at Harmonix, LoPiccolo was CCO and the Project Director of Guitar Hero and Rock Band, which together sold more than 40M+ units. Prior to Harmonix, LoPiccolo and Leonard played key roles at LookingGlass, developing notable games like Thief. Tom has led teams at Valve and Amazon Game Studios. As an early leader at Valve, Tom helped establish Steam and oversaw the development of Left 4 Dead and its acclaimed UGC model. Levine is an experienced and award-winning startup entrepreneur who founded IntelliReach, which won the Deloitte Fast 50 and Software 500 awards. ToneStone’s early investors include backed by games and music veterans: Tyr Ventures, Velan Ventures, Harmonix co-founders: Alex Rigopolus and Eran Egozy and digital platform and music rights expert for Viacom/MTV and Peloton, Paul DeGooyer.
