Discover the opening cinematic which sets the backdrop for the rise of vampires, and learn more about the gameplay and storytelling mechanics in this 14th century dark fantasy open world.
Under the full Wolf Moon, Rebel Wolves revealed the first look into the world of The Blood of Dawnwalker, its action RPG. The studio, co-founded by Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, director of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, set the game in an alternative 14th century, where feudal lords have been overthrown by a clique of powerful vampires. In this narrative sandbox players will forge their own story about saving their family… or taking whatever path their choices lead them down. The Blood of Dawnwalker is developed by Rebel Wolves in Unreal Engine 5 and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Players can follow the game’s latest developments on the official website:dawnwalkergame.com.
14th century Europe. Bloody conflicts sweep the lands, and the Black Death comes for the survivors. In the wake of the disasters claiming thousands of lives, the decimated human population struggles for survival. It’s a moment of weakness. In Vale Sangora, somewhere in the forgotten corner of the Carpathian Mountains, vampires seize their opportunity to walk out of the shadows, overthrow the feudal lords and claim what they’ve been denied for centuries: freedom, and ultimate power that comes with it. Legends turn into reality, and history as we know it will never be the same.
The Blood of Dawnwalker is the first chapter of the Rebel Wolves’ original dark fantasy saga. You play as Coen, a young man turned into a Dawnwalker, forever treading the line between the world of day and the realm of night. Not fully human, not entirely a vampire, you have 30 days and nights to save your family, or swear revenge on your sire and destroy everyone standing in your way.
“Inspired by classic RPGs, we want players to feel the sense of urgency in an open world game. There are multiple approaches to saving Coen’s family with no clear division between main and side quests, you decide on how you spend the time.”, explains Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, Game Director and Co-Founder of Rebel Wolves. “Time is a resourceand with each quest progressing its passage, it is impossible to complete all stories and arcs before the dreadful deadline, making each playthrough unique. We call it a narrative sandbox.”
The freedom in gameplay is reflected in Coen’s very nature as a Dawnwalker. Depending on the time of day, players will have different skills, abilities and storyline outcomes. Players must choose: do they fight for humanity or embrace the cursed powers?
Watch The Blood of Dawnwalker opening cinematic, taking place two years before the game, and meet Coen, his sister Lunka and the vampire clique led by their ruthless yet charismatic lord, Brencis. And take a look at a glimpse at the in-engine gameplay teaser here:
The Rebel Wolves pack plans to share more information about The Blood of Dawnwalker in the following months, including a gameplay reveal this summer. For now keep an eye on an updated dawnwalkergame.com, follow the official Dawnwalker social media channels: X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
About Rebel Wolves
Rebel Wolves is a studio built on talent and ambition. A mixture of gamedev veterans and fresh blood that aims to create the dark fantasy games of their dreams. Established in 2022 in Warsaw, Poland, with a plan to bring RPG adventure to the next level. Fueled by strong vision and fascination with story-driven approach to games.
Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe S.A.S. is a leading global publisher and developer of entertainment content for platforms including, but not limited to, all major video game consoles and PC.
Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe is producing intellectual property for a global audience and is building its reputation with franchises such as LITTLE NIGHTMARES™, PARK BEYOND™ and UNKNOWN 9™ Awakening – developed by Reflector Entertainment based in Montreal, QC.
Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe serves as the Headquarters of Bandai Namco Holdings Inc. for mainland Europe, which is known for creating and publishing many of the Toy & Entertainment industry’s top franchises, including PAC-MAN™, TAMAGOTCHI™, GUNDAM™, TEKKEN™, DARK SOULS™ and the recently released ELDEN RING™.
INDIANAPOLIS – Jan. 13, 2025 – Luck be a Landlord, the smash hit roguelike deckbuilder about using a slot machine to pay rent and defeat capitalism from TrampolineTales, welcomes new tenants on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5|4, and Xbox Series X|S on Feb. 6, 2025. Pull the lever and see why 500,000 PC players and 100,000 mobile players keep spinning and winning!
Begin as an optimistic renter with low payments, and watch in horror as they creep higher and higher! Add symbols to the slot machine after each spin to collect coins, accruing funds ahead of the next due date. Rejoice at a high-yield turn, but beware: luck can easily run out, resulting in empty pockets and untimely eviction.
Synergize slot symbols and special items to create lucrative chain reactions. Choose between furry friends, precious gems, and other unlikely symbols. Transform eggs into chickens, sprout seeds into fruit, watch toddlers devour delicious candy, and avoid the catastrophic loss of the Hex of Destruction!
Increase earnings with myriad powerful items: stockpile extra coins with the Swear Jar, smash urns with the Grave Robber, and try to score rare symbols with the X-Ray Machine. Luck doesn’t have to be tenants’ only ally: get a little help from Commie McComrade’s game-changing boosts, allowing the rerolling of choices and the removal of symbols.
Make 12 payments to game the capitalist system of property ownership and defeat the dreaded landlord! However, rent payment never really ends, does it? Ascend additional floors, each with mounting difficulty after defeating the landlord. Battle increasing rent, dwindling skips, and the crushing demands of capitalism to reach the top floor and come face to face with a secret boss.
“We feel like we really hit the jackpot thanks to everyone’s support of Luck be a Landlord on PC and mobile, so it’s finally time to bring the terrors of tenancy to consoles!” Said Dan DiIorio, lead developer and founder of TrampolineTales. “We welcome console players to take a spin on the slot machine and defeat Landy McLandlord and the ruthless capitalist system once and for all!”
Luck be a Landlord will be available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5|4, and Xbox Series X|S Feb. 6, 2025, and is currently available on PC, Mac, and Linux, and mobile via iOS and Android. Languages supported include English, French, Italian, German, Spanish – Spain, Danish, Portuguese – Brazil, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Spanish – Latin America, Traditional Chinese, Portuguese – Portugal, Turkish, Vietnamese, Thai, and Bulgarian.
For updates on Luck be a Landlord, check out the official Bluesky account and website.
About TrampolineTales
TrampolineTales is run out of Indianapolis, IN by Dan DiIorio, sole founder, owner, and Lead Developer. After making several small indie titles, Dan made a big splash with his anti-capitalist roguelike, Luck Be a Landlord.
The Wandering Band’s flying city builder blends open-world exploration, role-playing, and combat
January 13, 2025 – Indie game studio The Wandering Band and publisher Stray Fawn are thrilled to announce that their highly anticipated skyward adventure Airborne Empire is available now in Early Access on Steam for PC.
Airborne Empire brings the aerial city-building and colony management series to new heights. The skyward city buildertasks players with building a fantastical settlement in the clouds, all while managing resources and fighting off nefarious sky pirates. Players uncover secrets and complete thrilling quests across the massive world, in hopes of attaining enough materials to grow their settlement into a fortress and a home. Only the most daring leaders can reforge a harmonious world between the land and the skies.
By traveling through arid deserts and dense woodlands, you encounter a vibrant cast of characters, citizens to recruit, and a slate of unlockable upgrades. Airborne Empire is the follow-up to The Wandering Band’s BAFTA-nominated Airborne Kingdom. This new experience brings expanded open-world exploration, deeper role-playing mechanics, and colorful characters, and introduces combat.
Airborne Empire is now available for purchase on Steam for PC, priced at $24.99. Visit airborneempire.com for more information.
About The Wandering Band
The Wandering Band is an indie games studio focused on creating unique, high-quality interactive experiences that challenge genre boundaries and explore new topics through game mechanics. It was founded by industry veterans Frederik Gareau, Zachary Mumbach, and Ben Wander in 2018. The founders have decades of combined AAA experience, with work spanning multiple hit franchises like Dead Space, Dragon Age, Battlefield, and Star Wars. In 2020, they released their first title Airborne Kingdom, which received a BAFTA nomination for “Best Debut Game.” For more information, visit thewandering.band.
About Stray Fawn Studio
Stray Fawn Studio is a ten-person indie game studio based in Zurich, Switzerland and the publisher of Airborne Empire. The company focuses on developing their own projects which are often situated in the simulation game genre. Procedural content generation and the simulation of living worlds form the core of the studio’s creations. Stray Fawn was founded by Micha Stettler, a space enthusiastic software engineer and Philomena Schwab, a biology loving game designer. In 2023 the studio expanded into indie game publishing and is now supporting other developers on their journey.
Discover the first in a new trilogy of quests leading to the final confrontation with Amascut, the Goddess of Destruction
Monday, 13 January 2025, Cambridge, UK. Pack your waterskin and return to the scorching hot sands of the Kharidian Desert for a trilogy of new quests coming to the beloved MMO RuneScape, starting with the first quest ‘Beneath Scabaras’ Sands’, available to RuneScape members today.
Watch the RuneScape: Beneath Scabaras’ Sands Dev Diary
The sands are stirring and corrupted scarab creatures have been sighted across the desert. The Pharaoh of Menaphos can’t sit idly by and seeks assistance to find the God of Isolation and Wisdom. The time has come to return to the Desert for a trio of quests leading to the final confrontation with the Goddess of Destruction herself: Amascut.
To embark on this new adventure, players will need to have completed the ‘Ode of the Devourer’ and ‘’Phite Club’ questlines and reached the 87 Slayer skill level. After meeting the requirements, venture to the throne room in Menaphos to catch up with some familiar faces and start this quest!
RuneScape is available now on PC, Steam, iOS, and Android, complete with cross-platform progression and play on PC and mobile.
About RuneScape
Celebrating more than twenty years of adventures and acclaimed by PC Gamer as “one of the most endearing and unique MMOs available”, RuneScape is an ever-expanding, community-driven game that’s bursting with activity and life. Today RuneScape is one of the world’s longest-running online games, with over 300 million player accounts.
Set in a medieval fantasy land, players embark on epic journeys through a vast sandbox world that’s full of gods, warring races, unexplored dungeons, and glittering riches. Propelled by the game’s narrative, choose your own path through enthralling quests, and progress through 29 diverse skills to shape a single character in a classless world. RuneScape is available across PC, iOS and Android devices.
A leader in creating deep and engaging forever games that empower our communities across PC, mobile and consoles. Jagex’s flagship MMORPG, RuneScape, has welcomed over 300 million player accounts to its world and is a $1billion + lifetime revenue franchise. Today the RuneScape franchise exists beyond live operations; our titles are forever games that connect and inspire millions of players, with content and experiences both inside and outside of inexhaustible game worlds. Both RuneScape and Old School RuneScape, on PC and mobile, offer ever-evolving, highly active worlds and our community-focussed development ethos empowers players to have a real say in how each game is shaped.
In 2022, Jagex expanded with the acquisitions of PipeWorks and Gamepires, bringing its expertise in building forever games to SCUM, a multi-million selling open-world survival title in Steam Early Access & other unannounced titles. Jagex employs more than 600 people globally, and is headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Warsaw, Poland – January 14th, 2024 – Techno Banter, the highly anticipated techno-infused, bouncer simulator, will launch on Nintendo Switch on January 30th 2025.
To amplify this announcement, a trailer was published, offering a fresh look at the game’s unique blend of humor, weirdness, and music. See the trailer below:
About the game
Set in a dystopian city teeming with underground rave culture, Techno Banter combines razor-sharp dialogue with pulsating techno beats, immersing players in a neon-soaked world where they decide who gets past the velvet rope.
Players take on the role of a bouncer at the notorious Green Door club, navigating a colorful array of characters. With wit as their weapon, they’ll choose from a variety of clever comebacks to keep the club’s vibe intact, making each night a unique experience.
Techno Banter’s developers Dexai Arts are true Berliners, which can clearly be felt in the inspiration the game takes from the wonderful and weird underbelly of the techno capital of the world. Having spread long roots in the Berlin DJ scene, they’ve brought many local DJs on board to spin tracks inside the game’s main club Green Door.
The game has already gathered some attention, winning the GameStar.de “Find Your Next Game” Indie award, the Reboot Develop Blue Special Selection award, and being featured in this year’s Guerilla Collective’s Official Selection.
About Dexai Arts
Their interdisciplinary team consists of a group of close family members with many years of professional experience in their respective areas of expertise. They decided to unite their art in a medium that connects us since childhood: video games. Dexai Arts consciously plays on all artistic levels and interweaves them in a braid of sound, image and content which shows in their hand-drawn characters and self composed/produced game music.
About Crunching Koalas
Crunching Koalas is a Warsaw-based boutique publisher and porting studio that focuses on bringing exceptional games to players across all platforms. They have worked on many recognisable and critically acclaimed games (Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, Darkwood and This War of Mine are just a few). Their ever-expanding portfolio is full of great, indie titles and with new projects coming in every year, it is only expected to grow.
Over the last few years the Dynasty Warriors series has struggled to find where it would actually go next. Sure, Omega Force’s other efforts such as Warriors Orochi and Fate/Samurai Remnant, and their other licensed Warriors style games have shown innovation and some unique stylings, their signature franchise has languished. After an incredibly solid Dynasty Warriors 8 back in 2013 that saw fans eager for what to expect in the next mainline entry, Dynasty Warriors 9 shifted completely in the other direction in 2018, taking on an open-world feel and robbing almost every character of their charm and style in an attempt to force more characters into the bloated and nonsensical story.
In an attempt to go completely back to the drawing board, Omega Force and Koei Tecmo have came back with a far more in-depth telling of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms with a central character looking to both introduce newcomers to the franchise and return to the roots of what fans loved, the battle of one vs thousands in Dynasty Warriors: Origins.
DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS – Gameplay
Story
The Dynasty Warriors series usually requires at least some type of knowledge about the Romance of the Three Kingdoms to get the most out of it, but Origins is unlike any other game in the franchise in numerous ways. First of all, rather than sprint through the historical novel’s key battles, this entry takes things slow, secondly instead of dropping players into the story as one of the historic warriors or even a created character that serves as a background character to history, they take on a character bereft of their memory but not of their skills. A powerful warrior found venturing the edges of a simmering rebellion that is soon to ignite the lands in turmoil. Alongside famed warrior Guan Yu and the assistance of a charismatic yellow-clad leader, this unnamed warrior makes a name for themselves (literally as players choose their name here) in their first conflict against corrupt officials.
Yes, as per usual in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the first major conflict is the Yellow Turban Rebellion but unlike any game in the past, rather than blitz past the minutia and smaller conflicts, Dynasty Warriors: Origins takes a far closer look at how events played out, focusing on battles that were merely mentioned in passing before as players are given an in-depth look into some never before focused on elements of the rebellion and further events throughout the storyline. This includes a major focus on showing the fallout from the rebellion and the upheaval that ensued throughout the realm afterwards, culminating in eventually players needing to select one of the three kingdoms that they must align themselves with, Wu, Shu, or Wei. Aligning with one kingdom will inevitably pit the player against former allies and friends as well as showcase only story elements that are told from that kingdom’s perspective. For example, fighting as a Wu companion will mean seeing the events that unfold with the Sun family firsthand while Cao Cao’s actions and Liu Bei’s are told only through brief summaries.
Thankfully, once players complete the game in a… very strange stopping point for the storyline, they gain the ability to revisit not only any battle that they wish, but even the pinnacle choice of selecting which kingdom to fight for. This means that players do not need to play through the entire game three times simply to enjoy every element of the story, instead being able to take their trained fighter into each extra storyline and bonding with units from said faction as they wish once completing the game fully.
Now, not only is Dynasty Warriors: Origins’ storyline far more in-depth when it comes to the exact events that happened, it also features some wonderful bond storylines and interactions with the player character and the many famous generals and warriors from the era, be they villains, heroes, or something in-between. As for the original storyline featuring the main character, it is handled well enough and explains not only the reason for their unique abilities and skills on the battlefield but also why they are driven to enter the fray. It does take a bit too long to unfold unfortunately, with some of the most meaningful and actually worthwhile revelations happening in the final two chapters, but it is satisfying enough. What will be a bit confusing for many fans of the franchise is the game’s stopping point. Then again, given that the title is called Dynasty Warriors: Origins, it is a fitting one as it serves as the true formation of the three kingdoms at the culmination of this specific battle and, if Koei Tecmo is looking to develop sequels from this point on and continue this method of in-depth storytelling, it is off to a stellar start.
Gameplay
Dynasty Warriors: Origins takes a step away from the much derided open world aspect of the last entry in the franchise and instead opts for an overworld instead. In the overworld players will travel through the various provinces and visit towns that all have a weapon shop and item shop that sell various things as well as their own inn to rest at. They will also be able to interact and talk with the various famous fighters and characters, triggering “bond” moments or activating training missions with them, collect upgrade material, and take on various small scale conflicts that randomly generate. These small conflicts generally see players range from running in and taking down a few hundred soldiers, eliminating specific enemy officers, claiming bases, or even escorting a merchant or civilian unit. Completing these rewards players with money and increased “peace” for that province that will reward players with some bonuses when it reaches up to three different tiers for each province. It is also where players will find “missions” that are larger scale battles with useful rewards and of course the main objectives as well, that range from just talking with certain characters to entering a large-scale battle.
Once in battle players will find that Dynasty Warriors: Origins still plays and feels very much like a classic Dynasty Warriors game and none have captured the real feeling of the 1 vs 1,000 design philosophy quite like this entry. This is especially true due to a certain feature we’ll talk about in a moment. For now, the combat’s basic structure remains the same, players will use one of nine weapon fighting styles that they’ll slowly unlock through the campaign to deal out damage through a series of light combos and heavy combos, mixing together certain move-sets to take down hundreds of generic enemy soldiers. As players eliminate enemies they’ll gain “bravery” that can be used to trigger weapon skills that vary depending on the weapon type equipped and players can change these at any time. In fact, players can even change the weapon they are using if they so choose in the middle of battle, a very useful little feature and one that makes completing certain training missions much easier. For example, while twin axes are great at eliminating swarms of troops and clearing bases, taking down a pesky general’s endurance meter might see the player favoring the fast striking sword or hoops.
While the battles against general enemies and claiming bases mostly remain the same it is the fights against other named warriors and “Wise”, “Brave,” and “Mighty” generic generals that brings the most change. For the most part players will still battle it out using the same type of attacks, but enemy officers no longer sit there and take any punishment dealt to them. Instead every enemy officer will have a certain level of endurance indicated by shields above their head and can dish out combos and special attacks just like the player. This means players will need to either dodge, block, or preferably parry most incoming blows and take advantage of the opening to deplete the enemy’s gauge and leave them stunned. Officer’s in a stunned state can then be either taken down with one powerful move or sent into a flurry of blows depending on how much health they have left. This leads to some rather lengthy and occasionally quite challenging fights with opponents as enemy officer’s, especially with high morale, can deal out a lot of punishment. This includes late-game battles where foes can not only enter their own rage states and trigger “musou” attacks but even perform special maneuvers that can leave players reeling if caught unprepared. From time to time players can even be given the choice to accept a “duel” with an enemy officer, pitting the two in a one on one match with a timer that, should the player fully fill the duel gauge with their own meter, will instantly eliminate the officer.
It is also worth noting that Dynasty Warriors: Origins isn’t afraid to make sure that players are actively keeping an eye on the movement of battle either. Neglecting to pay attention to certain allies or the movement of enemy officers may lead to a failure in battle. Players can rush to a wounded officer’s side and their health will recover and for the most part allies can take care of themselves, but if the flow of battle is going downhill, then extra attention is needed. It is nice to note that should players either fall in combat or be forced to retreat due to the defeat of their commander, most battles feature checkpoints that can be reverted to instead of having to start the entire battle over again. This can mean that playing defensively as a soldier in the grander battle is just as effective as the more defensive nature of officer combat. A useful tool at the player’s hands is the main character’s unique “Eyes of the Sacred Bird” that not only displays the health status of ally and enemy officers and the placements of enemy soldiers but also through the fairly rare illusions or secrets that appear during specific fights.
Eventually, players will also gain access to their own personal “guard” that can open up strategies. These strategies run on cooldown and depend on if the player’s guards are still actually alive to perform them however. They vary from raining a volley of arrows onto a target, performing a cavalry charge, to straight up ordering them to defend an ally officer. Offensive strategies often have special effects if used in the right circumstances and can cripple an enemy officer’s morale, making them an easy target. It is also worth noting that alongside player triggered strategies the title will occasionally indicate enemy strategies as well, tasking players with either eliminating a certain number or type of foes to put a stop to it or assisting an ally to help theirs succeed, though these generally only happen during “large” battles.
These large encounters happen to be some of the most over-the-top and troop overload fights that the series has ever had and it is truly impressive to see happen, especially when leading the charge. Players will find that some battles will feature their allies setting up for a charge, be it either a head on charge into combat or ambush, and joining them will trigger the movement. This means that players can charge down on horseback or foot if they so choose alongside the massive force of their allies right into enemy infantry that looks right out of a Total War style game. Blocks of enemy infantry, shieldwalls, volleys of arrows fired from behind, catapults, the works. Charging headlong into this chaos and cutting a swathe through enemy forces feels and looks amazing. The 1 vs 1000 dynamic might not be true, as allies will be right there fighting too, but it has never felt more real and “knockout” counts of over three thousand in a single fight are far from absurd.
Now, it is a bit unfortunate to say that the game does start to feel a bit too repetitive over time, especially once players have unlocked every type of weapon and reached the highest available rank, with total weapon mastery ranks dictating the player’s current level. This is also because unlike other entries, players only occasionally have a chance to play as other historical officers and this is only when they accompany them into battle and fill a meter that lets players temporarily take control of that warrior instead of the main character and this isn’t offered in every battle. Alongside this, some may be disappointed that their favorite weapon type or fighting style hasn’t made the cut either as the fighting styles are far smaller compared to before as well even if they have been more refined as a result. It is also worth noting that a large portion of side characters have also not been included in the game in any form, meaning some fan favorites may also be missing even if they would only play a background role or at most a bond opportunity here.
Audio & Visuals
The Dynasty Warriors games have never been the best looking games, prioritizing troop size over detail, but it is clear that Omega Force has spent a lot of time revamping and detailing the officers in Dynasty Warriors: Origins. Many characters will look just like fans remember but with far more detail while others have been given complete revamps, especially characters that were previously more caricature than anything else. These details look their best during cutscenes and in-game bonding moments while the battlefield sees them take a backseat to the chaotic action. Even when charging headlong into a large force with an allied large force the game runs completely smooth on the Xbox Series X, slamming into foes with a powerful Musou attack capable of taking down well over a hundred soldiers at once. The battlefields themselves are also nicely varied and change depending on where players are in the overworld, though it is worth noting that there is re-use in battlefields when it comes to side missions and skirmishes.
Koei Tecmo has offered both an original English dub as well as their own Japanese voice track for the game, giving players the choice to choose between them at any point. That being said, the subtitles are quite small so players may prefer English voices here, especially since the characters are portrayed quite well here. The soundtrack consists of many remixed tracks that fans of the franchise are familiar with as well as some original tracks that fit well during the game’s action and more poignant moments that happen throughout the story.
Overall
Dynasty Warriors: Origins proves that Dynasty Warriors is back and in a big way. While it may deviate from the standard formula in many different ways by focusing on an original non-customizable character with only a limited number of weapon types compared to the many on offer usually and wide cast of playable characters, it does manage to tell its familiar story in a brand new and incredibly interesting way, giving even veterans new looks at their favorite characters, if they made the cut that is. Dynasty Warriors: Origins brings the 1 vs 1,000 design philosophy to reality and those who love action games will find that this one has plenty to offer and then some, even if things might get a bit repetitive near the end.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Will you command entire cities, or strategise from the shadows?
Bristol, United Kingdom — January 13, 2025| Following a livestream announcement by Yogscast last Friday, Gamersky and Yogscast Games are excited to announce not one, but two new strategy games set to launch on Steam — February 6, 2025. From Yahzj Games, Border Pioneer challenges players to build a pixel metropolis and defend it from outside forces. Meanwhile, chx games’ Stray Path offers a feline FreeCell take on the roguelike deckbuilder. Both games will be available on Steam next month.
Border Pioneer
As the saying goes, if you build it, they will come… and try to knock it down. The perfect blend of city-builder and tower defense, Border Pioneer gives players the opportunity to forge the fortresses of their dreams, and watch it all crash and burn before their eyes.
In deliciously nostalgic pixel style, this upcoming strategy game offers an array of treacherous terrains, diverse foes and unforeseen dangers to discover as players expand their borders. As unchartered territories are claimed and enemies are vanquished, players are rewarded with new elements to help grow and fortify their settlements.
Stray Path
Not all cities are ruled from the top – sometimes the strings are being pulled from the seedy back alleys of the towns themselves. Stray Path takes players on a journey through dark roads and twisted forests, where every choice is crucial as they attempt to find a way out amidst countless dangers and secrets.
From curious cats to buff beast tamers, players must select an adventurer and embark on their adventure. One by one, cards are flipped and the mysteries of the path ahead are revealed. Will there be treasure? Vicious adversaries? Or perhaps even a chance to run? Every decision has a consequence.
Gamersky and Yogscast Games will be bringing both exciting new titles to Steam on February 6, 2025. Both games will be available as part of a bundle at launch, offering players a 10% discount.
About Yogscast Games
Yogscast Games was established in 2017, with a simple goal: to work with small teams to develop and publish games which are as fun to watch as they are to play. Its most recent releases have included poker-powered deckbuilding game ‘Aces & Adventures’, the wickedly amoral ‘Trolley Problem, Inc.’ and the wildly successful restaurant management roguelike ‘PlateUp!’ which recently passed 1.5m Steam units sold.
About Gamersky
Gamersky was established in 2003. Founded and run by a bunch of hardcore video game lovers, Gamersky is now the leading video game press, a passionate indie game publisher and a cozy community for fellow video game veterans.
Pre-registration Now Open for the Ultimate MMO Idle RPG Experience!
SuperPlanet has announced that it is currently conducting a global pre-registration for its new mobile game “Hardcore Leveling Warrior“. Based on the popular Naver Webtoon series Hardcore Leveling Warrior with a global cumulative view count of 1 billion, the game reinterprets the world of the original webtoon. It tells the story of the protagonist, who has fallen from the strongest to the weakest, and his quest to challenge for the number one rank again. Players will experience a unique idle RPG experience.
“Hardcore Leveling Warrior” features an idle system that allows players to enjoy deep RPG elements with simple controls. Players can progress through automatic hunting and easy controls while farming and trading various items. Additionally, the PvP content “Nightmare” lets users compete with others in real-time, adding thrilling combat excitement.
The characters from the webtoon have been newly reinterpreted in the latest SD style and vividly brought to life in high-quality artwork. While maintaining the webtoon’s signature cartoonish charm, the game adds an original story, offering fresh appeal to both fans of the original series and new players.
Pre-registration is available on the official website (https://www.superplanet.net/games/page/lucid/) and can be done through major app stores like Google Play and Apple App Store.
A representative from SuperPlanet stated, “The ‘Hardcore Leveling Warrior’ IP, which gained global popularity, is reborn as a game in ‘Hardcore Leveling Warrior,’ providing players with a powerful RPG experience. We have prepared generous rewards and benefits for pre-registration events, and we look forward to your participation and interest.”
Developer TreesPlease Games celebrates a successful end to 2024, doubling player planted trees, A Global Gaming Citizen Award at The Game Awards 2024 and more
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 13th January – TreesPlease Games, a studio founded to make games that protect nature and fight climate change, celebrates a milestone year for the developer, across both player action and industry recognition.
Over two million trees have been planted through player action in their debut mobile title; Longleaf Valley. This achievement represents real impact for the environment, with an estimated CO2 offset potential of 42k tonnes. That’s similar to 46k long haul flights, or the absorbing power of nearly 29 acres of sea ice. This achievement not only doubles the number of real world trees planted in partnership with the Eden Reforestation Project, but includes doubling the games install volume in 2024.
Since its debut in 2023, Longleaf Valley has been designed with a ‘Play It, Plant It’ model, where trees planted in-game result in real trees being planted in areas of the world where deforestation has already occurred. These results are evidence of the significant positive effect that games can have; low player effort, for a high environmental impact.
Adding to this success, CEO and Founder Laura Carter received a Global Gaming Citizen award, revealed during The Game Awards 2024 opening ceremony. Discussing her lifelong purpose to protect nature and fight climate change and champion conservation through the medium of games, Carter noted that games can have a significant impact on our world. This recognition at the games industries leading show cements Treesplease position as a key voice and authority in impactful gaming.
Longleaf Valley also recently won the ‘Best purpose driven game’ at the Playing of the Planet Awards in November 2024. The Playing for the Planet Awards celebrates games industry initiatives towards environmental action, with nominees including Mojang, Ubisoft, Tencent Games and more.
Not letting the success slow them down, TreesPlease has kicked off 2025 with a new Veganuary campaign inviting gamers and non-gamers to drop into Longleaf Valley during January. The Veganuary event will feature in-game content inspired by the official Veganuary Cookbook, and will allow players to collect adorable baby animal rewards. The event aims to shine a light on the impact of animal agriculture on deforestation, and to help encourage the adoption of an animal and climate friendly plant-based diet.
Laura Carter, CEO & Co-Founder of TreesPlease Games, said: “This year has been an incredible whirlwind! We’ve seen Longleaf Valley reach an ever-growing audience, while also strengthening our impact as a studio. Thanks to the tireless efforts of our team, the unwavering passion for the planet shown by our players, and the industry’s recognition of our mission, we’re poised for an even greater 2025. We’re deeply grateful to our players, and partners for supporting us on this journey, and we’re thrilled to continue harnessing the power of play to fight for our planet and all life on it.”
Founded in late 2019, TreesPlease Games makes games that change the world by protecting nature and fighting climate change through both creating awareness and mobilising players to be impactful and plant trees as they play. Leveraging the vast reach of free-to-play games,TreesPlease Games drives meaningful global impact while delivering games that millions of players can enjoy.
The studio was established by industry veterans from renowned companies such as Natural Motion, Zynga, King, Square Enix, and ustwo games. With a proven track record of crafting engaging and successful mobile experiences, the team is united by a shared goal: to use their expertise to drive positive change through play.
It’s debut game, Longleaf Valley, is now available though theApple AppStore andGoogle Play Store, having already planted over 2 million trees since its release.
Monday 13 January 2025: NSW digital game creators will be able to reach the next level with applications now open for Screen NSW’s Digital Games Seed Development Program.
Targeted at up-and-coming and small-medium enterprise digital game creators, grants of up to $30,000 are available to advance early concept original game ideas to the next stage of development or to secure investment for full-scale development.
This is the second round of the program, which first launched in March 2024, and will deliver vital support to digital games creators and encourage sustainable growth in the digital games sector in NSW.
Applications are now open and will close Monday 24 February 2025 at 2pm AEDT.
For more information and to apply, visit the Screen NSW website here.
A free information video for prospective applicants will be available online from Thursday 23 January 2025 at 10am AEDT. This online session will cover more information on the program, including the application process, handy tips on preparing your application, and a Q&A with Anna Cho, Screen NSW Manager Strategy, PDV & Digital Games and Ryan Penning Screen NSW Online and Games Investment Manager. If you have a question about the application process that you’d like answered as part of the information video, please submit your questions by Friday 17 January at 9am AEDT to [email protected].
Head of Screen NSW Kyas Hepworth said:
“The first round of the Digital Games Seed Development Program supported a broad range of NSW talent, and we have already seen many of the projects enter the next stage of development. With support from the program, developers have begun showcasing early concepts of their games to audiences in Australia and overseas, attracting further financing and receiving vital feedback so they can continue to create exciting games for audiences to enjoy globally.
“We are thrilled to be opening another round of the Digital Games Seed Development Program, supporting developers and ensuring we have a diverse pipeline of game talent in NSW.”
Digital Games Seed Development Program recipient Ally McLean, Game Director and Writer of Mystiques Haunted Antiques said:
“The Digital Games Seed Development Program was enormously helpful in providing Lemonade Games with the resources we needed to develop our Vertical Slice in NSW. Making great games in Sydney is important to us, and without this funding we would not have been able to continue to invest in our local talent. This support empowers us to bring higher quality materials to the global market to secure funding for our game.”
Image: Mystiques Haunted Antiques, supplied by Lemonade Games.
