Online Multiplayer Battle Arena Game Brings Unique Crafting and Intense Third-Person Combat to Steam

Press Releases

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May 14, 2014

Online Multiplayer Battle Arena Game Brings Unique Crafting and Intense Third-Person Combat to Steam

New York – May 13, 2014 – It’s time for PC gamers to sharpen their tools and ready their trigger fingers as Atari, one of the world’s most recognized publishers and producers of interactive entertainment, today opens the gates to early access via Steam for the third-person, multiplayer online combat and crafting game, Minimum. To enter early access and be the first to experience the mayhem of Minimum’s chaotic world, players can purchase the game for $19.99 on Steam or visit http://www.playminimum.com/.

Set in a minimalistic stylized universe, Minimum features fast-paced, session-based combat that pits teams of five against each other with powerful, craftable weapons. Each team has its own massive robotic Titan that they must power up and support so that it can help them fight and destroy the enemy’s base. At the core of Minimum is a blueprint crafting system where players collect resources to create customized, upgradable weapons and armor that power-up during kill streaks, enabling skilled warriors and Titans to become deadlier as matches progress.

“As a company that’s been known for being a gaming pioneer, Atari’s gone through multiple transformations to bring appealing and unique experiences to the ever-changing gaming audience,” said Fred Chesnais, Chief Executive Officer, Atari, Inc. “Minimum ushers in the next era of Atari gaming, with its distinctive mix of combat and crafting. We’re excited with the way the game turned out and are thrilled to finally bring Minimum’s exhilarating gameplay to PC.”

Developed by Human Head Studios, Minimum features full Steam integration, which means players sign in with their standard Steam login and will have access to their Steam Wallet and Inventory, allowing them to trade crafting items, blueprints and other acquired items with their fellow Steam members. Additionally, the game provides automatic matchmaking so players never have to hunt for servers.

Fans can visit www.playminimum.com to watch the trailer, register for game updates and receive free bonus in-game items. For more information about Minimum, follow us on Twitter @PlayMinimumGame, ‘Like’ us on Facebook and visit our Official Wiki page.

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About Atari
Atari (www.atari.com) is a multi-platform, global interactive entertainment and licensing company. Atari owns and/or manages a portfolio of more than 200 games and franchises, including world renowned brands like Asteroids®, Centipede®, Missile Command® and Pong®, (which were part of the classic gaming innovations from Atari founded in 1972), Test Drive®, and RollerCoaster Tycoon®. Atari capitalizes on these powerful properties by delivering compelling games online (including browser, mobile and digital download), for PC, smartphones and tablets and other connected devices. As a licensor, Atari extends its brand and franchises into other media, merchandising and publishing categories.

Atari has offices in New York and Paris.

About Human Head Studios Incorporated
Human Head Studios Incorporated is a privately owned, independent game development studio based in Madison, Wisc. Founded in 1997, Human Head Studios began with the development of the highly innovative and award winning Rune. Dedicated to innovative play and top quality visuals, Human Head Studios has developed games for consoles and the PC.

Vividred Operation Review

Luke Halliday

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May 13, 2014

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Vividred Operation
Studio: A-1 Pictures
Publisher: Madman Entertainment
Format: DVD (Subtitled Only)
Release Date: April 16, 2013
Price: $59.95 – Available Here

Overview
When you see a character’s butt more than their face, you can’t help but wonder if this symbolizes the series itself and for Vividred Operation that much proves true. It is the butt of a bad joke. While watching this series it is almost impossible to tell if this is a flat out parody of fan-service or an overly exuberant love-letter to it. Needless to say this is one anime that shouldn’t be taken seriously and given how much screen time Vividred Operation devotes to butt-shots it is near impossible to do so anyway.

Story
To discuss or even attempt to analyse the plot of Vividred Operation would be a pointless operation in every regard. The series has a paper thin plot that serves largely as a vehicle to progress from one ecchi scenario to the next. The story that does thread those sequences together revolves around a sci-fi construct that allows the world to produce limitless energy, which for some reason or another results in hostiles trying to destroy it and take away the peaceful existence that the world lives in.

It is about as cookie cutter a sci-fi tale as can be and the gaggle of cute girls in cute outfits doing cute things doesn’t add to it in any way. Each character tends to fall into a certain role and doesn’t ever expand outside of that formula at all. It is a true shame that the series mostly uses its protagonists as fan-service, preferring to indulge in elongated butt-shot sequences, gazing at the girl’s butt from different angle for a gratuitous amount of time.

Sure the fan-service may please ecchi fanatics, but it really comes off as egregious and forceful. There is far too much fan-service in this series and it overshadows and nullifies any weight the story itself or characterization could potentially have. When you strip it all back the story could be something interesting in other hands, but here it is just an afterthought. The saddest part however is undoubtedly the negative impact the fan-service has on the characters themselves, rather than having any personality or depth, these girls value amounts to nothing more than the shapes of their behinds. It is terrible and at times offensive how gratuitous it can be.

Ultimately Vividred Operation is a very disappointing experience in terms of story and characterization, it’s overuse of fan-service kills any potential substance the series could have and results in what is a truly tiresome viewing. This is not an easy show to watch by any means, in fact it proves difficult to sit through considering the dull plot and cardboard characters, the worst of all though is the over the top fan-service that goes so far it is really just a terrible joke.

Visuals and Audio
A-1 Pictures have undoubtedly put a lot of effort into making this series look good. The animation is fluid and crisp and the artstyle itself has that fresh look that we have come to expect from A-1 Pictures. There are a lot of small details in the animation that really show in the fan-service sequences, whether it be a jiggle or a shake, the animation of all body parts is captured in great detail. Unfortunately the effort and time put in here was for something that comes off as very shallow an half-hearted.

The character designs are fairly unique and well thought out, however unfortunately we mostly only get to see them from one certain angle, that being from behind. It is disappointing because these characters have a distinct look and style to them but they are essentially an afterthought to their own behinds. I never thought I’d have to write those words but there you go.

The soundtrack for Vividred Operation is actually quite good and features a few memorable tracks. The opening and ending themes are solid and do a good job setting up and closing each episode of the series. Unfortunately this release is subtitled only and as such only has one audio track, not featuring an English dub whatsoever. This could be a deal breaker for some but for those that fall into the target audience for this series it is probably not going to be an issue.

Extras
There are a few special features included in this release from Madman Entertainment. Included in the release are clean opening and ending theme songs as well as special web previews for the episodes. This is a fair amount of bonus content for a subtitle only release and while not making up for the lack of a dub does go a ways to make this release have more bang for your buck. Unfortunately it isn’t exactly enough to warrant the rather hefty price tag associated.

Overall
Where do I begin? There is so much wrong with this series. When you cannot tell whether a series is intended as parody or not is somewhat telling as to the quality of the series itself. Such is the case with Vividred Operation a lackluster attempt at the sci-fi genre from the team who brought us the equally fan-service heavy Strike Witches. Given their history it shouldn’t come as so much of a surprise as what we have here with Vividred Operation, yet somehow in spite of it all it still manages to shock with how appalling it truly is.

This series is best left to the most hardcore ecchi fans. If you want something more than a highlight reel of the best and worst angles of cute girl’s behinds while they fight to save the world or something then you are looking in the wrong place. Vividred Operation lacks even an iota or substance failing at the most basic levels of storytelling all in favour of the almighty round behind. It is disappointing through and through and proves that fan-service is best served in moderation.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Indie Gala Every Monday Bundle #7 Now Available

Zac Elawar

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May 13, 2014

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Indie Gala Every Monday Bundle #7 Now Available

Indie Gala and Capsule Computers have launched ‘Every Monday’ Bundle #7, featuring seven great indie games. Including action, RPG, puzzle, strategy and racing titles, there truly is something for everybody this week:

Savant – Ascent is a challenging dodge-and-shoot title in which a malicious orb has cast Savant out of his tower and transformed his surroundings into dangerous territory full of enemies. As the Alchemist, players must make their way back up through the tower, unlocking CDs by musical artists Savant that unlock new abilities.

Containment: The Zombie Puzzler is an action puzzle game like you’ve never seen before. The goal of Containment is to surround zombies with survivors of the same color. But watch out for the zombies—they’ll fight back by infecting the survivors in the street.

Final Rush is a co-operative action first person shooter which pits you against waves of enemies. As an Early Access title, buying Final Rush as part of the bundle comes with the promise of a constantly growing and improving experience with multiple themes, levels, boss battles, varied enemy types and armor customisation in development as we speak.

The Fall of Gods is an old-school influenced Action-RPG that’ll bring you back to the 16-bit era of gaming. Featuring orchestral music, a huge world with 4 dungeons to conquer and a bunch of side quests and puzzles to play through, The Fall of Gods has everything you love about A-RPGs.

Making History II: The War of the World presents the ultimate grand strategy experience, where you’re tasked with controlling international trade, religious and cultural strife, military campaigns and diplomatic negotiations; the depth of management, however, reaches city-level. And if it’s long, competitive games you crave, Making History II: The War of the World includes an innovative multiplayer system.

Ocean City Racing is an open-world indie driving game powered by Unreal Engine 3 featuring a free roam, time-trial and a race mode in a massive environment. OCR is currently on Steam Greenlight.

MacGuffin’s Curse is the winner of the Freeplay Award for Best Game Writing! It features hilarious dialogue, charming hand-drawn art and huge replay value, perfect for seasoned adventurers and casual gamers alike. Challenge without frustration is ensured across 150+ puzzle rooms and 90+ side quests.

Be sure to grab your copy of the bundle at Indie Gala for only $1.49 before the price goes up after the first 24 hours of the sale!

Rare Shiny Mamoswine Pokemon Distribution Event Announced

Luke Halliday

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May 13, 2014

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Rare Shiny Mamoswine Pokemon Distribution Event Announced

Pokemon Trainer’s have been searching across the land for the fabled Shiny Mamoswine, one of the rarest of all Ice-Type Pokemon. Now that search is finally over, the rare and much sought after Shiny Mamoswine will be distributed as part of a Pokemon Distribution Event. So get your 3DS ready trainers because the event is none other than the 2014 Pokemon European National Tournaments.

Those in attendance at the 2014 Pokemon European National Tournaments will be able to download a level 50 Shiny Mamoswine. The event will be taking place at the following locations and dates:

2014 Pokémon UK National Championships: May 24–25, 2014, in Manchester, UK
2014 Pokémon Italian National Championships: May 31–June 1, 2014, in Milan, Italy

Be sure to let us know what you think of this special distribution event for Shiny Mamoswine in the comments section below.

Scouts Vs Zombies Begins Principal Photography

Andrew Day

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May 13, 2014

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Scouts Vs Zombies Begins Principal Photography

So this is definitely an unusual one. Paramount Pictures have officially announced that principal photography on their upcoming monster flick; Scouts vs Zombies is now underway. As you might have guessed from the title, the film follows a group of boy scouts who are forced to defend themselves from a violent horde of zombies.

Christopher Landon, who previously served as a producer on the Paranormal Activity series (also directing the latest installment; The Marked Ones) will be jumping into the director’s chair with a script penned by The Drew Carey Show’s Lona Williams, so it should have a nice mixture of comedy and dark horror elements. The cast is filled primarily with up and coming actors, with Patrick Schwarzenegger, Halston Sage and Tye Sheridan in leading roles.

No word on when Scouts vs Zombies will be released but rest assured that we will let you know as soon as that info comes to light. So for all the Scouts vs Zombies news as it becomes available, make sure you stay tuned to Capsule Computers.

Doraemon English Dub’s Major Changes Detailed

Luke Halliday

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May 13, 2014

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Doraemon English Dub’s Major Changes Detailed

Fans of the iconic Doraemon anime series were rather concerned when it was announced that the series would at long last see a release in North America through a broadcast on the Disney XD network. Those concerns appear to be justified with reports coming in from Japan that the series will be undergoing an ‘Americanization’ of sorts.

Major changes to the series include the setting being moved from Japan to America, which in turn results in the removal of all Japanese cultural signs, items or references. For example, chopsticks are replaced with forks and Japanese Yen is replaced with US Dollars.

Others changes include name changes for several characters. While Doraemon himself will not receive a name changes other characters do. Nobita is changed to Noby, Gian is changed to Big G, Suneo is changed to Sneech. There are several other name changed to items featured in the series all of which make them supposedly more ‘American’.

Oricon Style has detailed the entire list of changes for your viewing pleasure here. Be sure to let us know what you think of these alterations in the comments section below.

Source: Oricon Style

Dark Lands Review

Kane Bugeja

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May 13, 2014

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Dark Lands
Developer: Mingle Games
Publisher: Bulkypix
Platforms: Android/Windows Phone/iOS (iPhone/iPad) – Reviewed on iPad
Release Date: 8th May 2014
Price: $3.79 – Available Here

Overview
Forces of evil are just the worse. I mean there you are, just relaxing in your homeland, when a horde of dark creatures emerge from the shadows and infest the environment itself. Such a hassle. If only there was some kind of heroic knight close by. One who would barrel through the monstrous opposition, vowing to banish the invaders back to the darkness from which they came. Oh wait, there totally is.

Dark-Lands-Screenshot-01 — **Hell’s heart I stab at thee!**

Story
Dark Lands doesn’t so much possess a story, as it does the idea of one. Presented through a textless slideshow, we learn that dark creatures have invaded the land. As a brave knight, it is up to the protagonist to march across the land and destroy the evil force that has decimated his homeland. Whether or not the monsters brought the death traps with them is still up to conjecture though…maybe it was just already a really dangerous place to live.

Gameplay
Dark Land is centred around a concept that dictates how the game plays out: steady progression of difficulty. Assuming control of the player character (whom I shall dub Knight), you must push on through side scrolling locales that just love to beat their predecessors when it comes to challenge. Of course by challenge, I mean deadly, deadly death traps. Being that Knight’s default state is movement, you must aid the antsy hero and avoid said traps. The controls aren’t anything complicated, a simple swipe upwards will activate jump (with a second calling upon double jump) and a swipe downwards will instigate a power slide…that’s pretty much it movement wise. Told you it wasn’t anything complicated. However, Dark Lands takes a step beyond this runner style premise, by including an aspect that is central to a knight’s life: combat.

Dark-Lands-Screenshot-02 — **Know where to strike**

Littering the path that leads to your victory, enemies will do whatever is in their power to halt your progress. Namely hitting you really hard with weapons. Keeping the flow of the movement system, combat can be undertaken by simply standing in front of a foe. IT is at this point that you may tap the screen to attack or hold it (with two fingers) in order to defend. Simple. Once you’ve got a handle on the controls, it’s just a matter of avoiding their strikes and counterattacking to cinch victory. However, be careful where you choose to fight, should an opponent attack from behind you’re pretty much out of luck. Also be careful when fighting near death traps, creatures have a tendency to slam you into them. Of course, this also works the other way around but still, be careful.

The game itself features two game modes: Survival and Adventure. Whilst both of these modes control the same, there are some minor variations in how the situations unfold. Adventure Mode focuses on the “story” of the game, throwing you into levels with a predetermined layout. These levels take roughly 1 minute to complete, though it may take you a few attempts to best some of the later ones. Survival Mode on the other hand, allows you to run continuously through one long randomly generated level to test your manoeuvrability and combat acumen. Regardless of which mode you play mode however, you will be given the opportunity to collect precious gems. As you’d expect, these form Dark Land’s currency, allowing you to buy a number of upgrades that will aid you immensely through the game. Seriously. You’ll need them.

Dark-Lands-Screenshot-03 — **Bad things come in threes**

Visuals and Audio
In spite of its simplistic, monochromatic style, Dark Lands is a surprisingly beautiful game. The stark contrast of black and white in the foreground demands attention, keeping you focused on the action. It is also the absolute nature of these colours that allow the red of spilled blood to stand out. It’s pretty cool, in a gruesome way. The background of the game also serves to bolster this effect. Though aesthetically pleasing in its own right, the softer blend of lighter colours serves merely to create a backdrop for the foreground. The colour changes between each area were a nice touch however,providing a minor degree of variation within the simplistic visuals.

Owing to the rather simplistic style of its visuals, Dark Lands employs a soundtrack with a tremendous sense of drama. Heavy piano notes that resound consistently through the audio, provide a sense of fantastic wonder and violence, adding weight to a story left under explained. The accompaniment of violins also serves to add a shrill sense of danger to certain moments in the soundtrack, reminding you to stay on your toes. The characters themselve will also react to their torturous predicament with a number of guttural sounds. Combined with the ominous nature of the soundtrack and visual, it creates quite the environment. Although I will admit that the grunts of pain occasionally cross over into the realm of humour, especially when Knight ragdolls 10 meters into the air from stepping on a bear trap. It’s just so ridiculous.

Dark-Lands-Screenshot-04 — **You mess with the Minotaur, you get the horns…and the axe**

Overall
Dark Lands is a simple game, though this is by no means a bad thing. It knows what it wants to do and it does it. The inclusion of combat into a side scroller/runner style game serves to add a depth to the game that keeps attention longer than it would have without it. Adventure Mode’s brief levels also allow you to immediately retry if you fail, their short length meting a great deal of the frustration that arises from loss. That being said, there is a noticeable difficulty spike towards the end of the first Adventure Mode area. Whilst the game should become harder as it progresses, this sudden jump forces you to replay levels and purchase upgrades in order to proceed…unless you’re really talented and really patient. That first boss is a doozy. Regardless, Dark Lands is a beautifully simplistic game that will keep you coming back for more…if only out of spite from some creatures. Damn Minotaur…

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Level 50 Shiny Mamoswine Pokémon character will be distributed at the 2014 Pokémon European National Championships!

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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May 13, 2014

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Level 50 Shiny Mamoswine Pokémon character will be distributed at the 2014 Pokémon European National Championships!

Attendees at this year’s Pokémon Video Game National Championships will be able to receive a special distribution of the Ice-Type Pokémon character Mamoswine. This Mamoswine was part of the successful team of Pokémon used by the Masters Division World Championwinner last year. Arash Ommati was the first Pokémon Video Game World Champion from Europe in the history of the Pokémon Championships. Mamoswine is also featured in the Kalos Mountain Pokédex and is legal in tournaments for the 2014 season.

The Level 50 Shiny Pokémon has the following moves: Icicle Spear, Earthquake, Icicle Crash and Rock Slide and the ability, Thick Fat.

The free-to-enter UK tournament will take place this year in Manchester (May 24–25) and will determine who will go on to win a travel expenses paid trip to the 2014 Pokémon World Championships in Washington, DC in August. The UK Video Game National Championship is open to all Europeans, while the Pokémon TCG tournaments are open to citizens of the host countries only.

To compete in the video game tournament players need to bring their Nintendo 3DS, 3DS XL or 2DS system, and their copy of Pokémon X or Pokémon Y, along with their Player ID. To get a Player ID, please visit Pokemon.co.uk or register at the event. To receive the Shiny Mamoswine players do not need to take part in the tournament but will need to bring along the same equipment.

The VGC and TCG National Championships will be taking place at the following locations with three age restricted divisions:

2014 Pokémon UK National Championships: May 24–25, 2014, in Manchester, UK
2014 Pokémon Italian National Championships: May 31–June 1, 2014, in Milan, Italy

For more details on the event, including tournament rules and registration please visit: Pokemon.co.uk/play.

Indie Platformer ‘The Last Tinker: City of Colors’ Available Now

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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May 13, 2014

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Indie Platformer ‘The Last Tinker: City of Colors’ Available Now

Grab the award-winning action/adventure game for PC/Mac/Linux

San Francisco, USA — May 13th, 2014 — Independent developer Mimimi Productions and publisher Unity Games today launched their highly anticipated 3D action/adventure game, The Last Tinker: City of Colors, for PC/Mac/Linux via Steam’s digital distribution service. The Last Tinker is the most recent desktop gaming release for Unity Games, and is part of their program to showcase and promote independent developers. In The Last Tinker, players take on the role of Koru, a cheerful and acrobatic young boy who must harness unique abilities to fight the forces of evil and return brightness and vitality to his world. The Last Tinker: City of Colors is available for €21.99, £16.99 through digital distribution service Steam: http://steam.thelasttinker.com

“We are excited to launch The Last Tinker on Steam today and eager for the response from players,” said Johannes Roth, CEO of Mimimi Productions. “The game’s unique blend of vibrant colors and beautiful landscapes, coupled with modern and fun adventure-style gameplay, is a winning combination that gamers of all ages will enjoy.”

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfpDZyppSMk

In a world where creativity has given way to conflict, a young street kid living in the slums of Colortown seeks to restore the spark of imagination to his hometown. As Koru, you must harness the power of color to defeat the Bleakness and make Colortown vibrant once again. A charming blend of modern platforming and multicolored style, The Last Tinker is a one-of-a-kind adventure.

Along with having recently been awarded the “Best Game in Show, Audience Choice” prize at the 2014 Casual Connect conference, The Last Tinker also won the “Best Project” award at Game Connection 2011.

Follow The Last Tinker on Facebook (www.facebook.com/thelasttinker) to stay up-to-date on all of the latest news, and don’t forget to follow the development team on Twitter @mimimiprod

About Mimimi Productions
Located in Munich, Germany, Mimimi Productions in an independent games development studio that develops innovative games that mix challenging puzzles and easy to understand concepts. Mimimi’s debut release is Apple Design Award winner daWindci, a critically acclaimed 2.5D puzzle game for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. The Last Tinker: City of Colors will be released in summer 2014 onto console and desktop platforms. For further information on Mimimi Productions visit www.mimimi-productions.de

About Unity Games
Unity Games is a division of Unity Technologies dedicated to publishing high quality Unity authored games. Working with the talented and diverse Unity community, Unity Games is elevating the status of its developer base, while pioneering technologically and artistically advanced games. For more information, visit www.unitygames.com

Time Warping Puzzle Adventure Platformer, ‘Chronology’, is Now Available for Download on Steam!

Press Releases

Philip Federico

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May 13, 2014

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Time Warping Puzzle Adventure Platformer, ‘Chronology’, is Now Available for Download on Steam!

Featuring time-turning puzzle adventure gameplay set in a beautiful universe, ‘Chronology’ is out now on Steam

Aalborg, Denmark – May 13th, 2014 – Indie micro studio osao games today announced that the mind-bending puzzle adventure platform game, nominated for the Nordic Indie Sensation award for 2014, Chronology, is now available for download through Steam. Mixing classical fantasy with mechanical retro-futuristic elements, Chronology places players into a beautiful universe inspired by Hayao Miyazaki where time must be manipulated and controlled to move past and future in order to fix the present. Chronology is now available for USD 9.99 / EUR 9.99 from Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/269330 with 20% off for the first week.

“Chronology began with a very simple concept and has grown organically to become a truly fun, challenging and beautiful experience that we are proud to finally share with gamers throughout the world,” said Niels Højgaard Sørensen, Game Director at Osao Games. “It’s taken a lot of time, energy and love to launch this game, and we know that fans will appreciate the work we’ve put in to make it unique and engaging”.

Our story begins, as the inventor wakes to discover the world has ended, and has no memory of his past. After finding a time travel device that can take him back in time, his memory slowly returns… With the help of a snail, who can stop time, the inventor sets out to fix the future by changing the past. Players run and jump through puzzles, using the time travel device, that moves the player from a beautiful idyllic past to a dark dystopian future.

Chronology has had a turbulent history after its original developer Progressive Media, closed its doors in January 2014 after the game has been Greenlit by Steam community. A small dedicated team of ex-developers, turned indie and opened osao games to continue the development of Chronology. Scheduled for release on multiple platforms through 2014, Chronology has already been selected as one of the eight finalists for the Nordic Game Indie Sensation Award.

For pricing and additional information visit:
http://www.osao.com/chronology/steam
To learn more about Chronology visit: http://www.osao.com/chronology
Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chronologygame
Follow us on twitter: @chronologygame

About osao games
We are a handful of guys with years of experience working on big titles with big publishers – We decided we had to follow our hearts, and work on truly unique, brilliant games that would move and touch those who love the art of games.. People like us. We are now excited to launch our first game, Chronology.