LAS VEGAS, NV — Dec. 18th, 2024 — Quest Master, the dungeon-designing sandbox adventure from publisher and development studio Apogee Entertainment, developer Julian Creutz, and co-developer Skydevilpalm, freezes over in today’s new Ice Dungeon Update, and unlocks a treasure chest of content with its highly-anticipated 1.0 launch in Spring 2025.

Deep within Aetheria lies Coldfang Grotto, a treacherous, frostbitten expanse where slippery slopes and bone-chilling obstacles await. Challenge dungeoneers to navigate this frozen terrain, brimming with monsters, puzzles, and traps across a biome crafted for heroes brave enough to embrace the cold.

Coldfang Grotto isn’t just ice—it’s a story waiting to be told. Design frosty gauntlets with treacherous slopes, create icy puzzles that challenge even seasoned adventurers, or transform slippery terrain into opportunities for creative traps and encounters.

Incorporate brain-freezing brainteasers with new mechanics:

• Freeze objects in Maker Mode, creating puzzles that challenge adventurers to unthaw them.
• Wield the freezing boomerang to halt enemies mid-motion and use them to activate pressure plate puzzles.
• Turn bodies of water into temporary ice paths, unlocking new ways to navigate treacherous terrain.

Choose from dozens of floor tiles, strategically place enemies and traps, and forge a legendary, one-of-a-kind quest. Construct intricate dungeons with an intuitive interface and simple drag-and-drop features. Upload creations for other Quest Masters to enjoy, and embark on a myriad of brain-teasing, skill-testing adventures with 3,000+ community-made dungeons to choose from, a number that continues to grow daily.

“Seeing the Quest Master community create over 3,000 dungeons is incredible. It proves that this game has become more than just a dungeon maker—it’s an imagination engine,” said Julian Creutz, Lead Developer of Quest Master. “The creativity and passion of our players in Early Access continues to inspire us as we build the Single Player Campaign into something truly special.”

At 1.0, experience a story-driven adventure across Aetheria in the highly-anticipated Single Player Campaign—crafted with the same powerful tools available to the community. Explore Castle Town as it grows into a bustling hub of quests and characters, journey through six elemental dungeons filled with unique challenges, and uncover secrets that connect players and developers alike in shaping Aetheria’s destiny. Take on daring quests, meet unforgettable allies, and fight to save the kingdom from corruption in an epic campaign built to inspire even more custom creations.

“Quest Master bridges the best of classic 16-bit dungeon crawling with tools that unlock endless creative possibilities for players today,” said Jeron Moore, Executive Producer at Apogee Entertainment and Game Director of Quest Master. “The Coldfang Grotto theme expands those possibilities even further, offering new mechanics that make dungeon creation more exciting and imaginative than ever. It’s incredible to see how the community continues to bring these tools to life, and we can’t wait to share what’s next as we build toward 1.0.”

Quest Master is currently available on PC via Steam Early Access for $19.99 USD. To learn more and stay up-to-date, follow @PlayQuestMaster and @Apogee_Ent on Twitter, subscribe to the Apogee Entertainment YouTube channel, and join the Discord servers of both Quest Masterand Apogee Entertainment.

About Julian Creutz

Julian Creutz, a passionate and talented game developer from Germany, has been captivated by video games since childhood, with The Legend of Zelda igniting his enduring love for the medium. With over a decade of game development experience, Julian has honed his skills in thoughtful design and creative ingenuity, leading to the creation of Quest Master—his first commercially available game.

Partnering with Apogee Entertainment has enabled Julian to bring his vision to life, blending nostalgic dungeon-crawling adventure with modern tools that empower players to create, share, and explore. Julian’s ultimate desire is to deliver an engaging and immersive experience that inspires creativity and brings players together for years to come.

About Skydevilpalm

Skydevilpalm is a small development team based in Las Vegas with contributions across multiple projects, including the reimagining of the classic arcade game Qbert* and the mobile title Trigger Heroes. In October 2024, the team released Victory Heat Rally, a retro-inspired arcade racer now available on Steam. Skydevilpalm has also contributed art and assets to platformers like Super One More Jump for Nintendo Switch.

About Apogee Entertainment

Founded by industry visionary Scott Miller, Apogee Entertainment has been a pioneer in gaming history, laying the groundwork for today’s thriving indie scene. Featured in John Romero’s Doom Guy, Masters of Doom, and Shareware Heroes, Apogee introduced groundbreaking titles that redefined what games could achieve and inspired generations of developers.

As the original publisher of Wolfenstein 3D—the first-ever FPS—and creator of hits like Duke Nukem 3D, Prey, and Rise of the Triad, Apogee built its reputation on bold ideas and innovative games that pushed creative and technical boundaries.

Today, with Scott Miller still at the helm, Apogee Entertainment continues to empower a new generation of indie developers, turning small teams with big ideas into studios that deliver unique, memorable experiences. With eleven exciting projects currently in development, Apogee remains committed to championing creativity, fostering innovation, and bringing ambitious visions to life for players around the globe.

19 December 2024 – Results released today show that reported revenue in the Australian video game industry remained steady in FY2024 at AUD$339.1 million. Reported revenue in 2023 was AUD$345.5 million. The results are part of the ninth annual Australian Game Developer Survey (AGDS) Snapshot, released by the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association (IGEA), the peak industry body representing the Australian video games industry. 

2024 was a challenging year for game development globally, with local studios not immune from those challenges. Staff reductions locally were offset by medium to larger studios expanding their headcount. As a result, full-time employment at the 137 Australian video game studios surveyed was stable at 2,465 (+0.3% from 2023). Encouragingly, 61% of studios indicated they are planning to hire in 2025. 

“This year has shown the local games sector continues to build capability in the face of global headwinds. 93% of the revenue generated in Australia comes from overseas sources, highlighting the popularity of Australian-made games to a global audience,” said Ron Curry, CEO of IGEA. “Generous and globally competitive tax rebates plus direct funding from the federal and state governments continues to ensure Australian game developers can deliver amazing game projects. 25% of our survey respondents accessed the Digital Games Tax Offset last year, and just under 40% intend to do so this financial year. We must maintain this level of support to ensure the local industry continues to grow and contribute to Australia’s creative and digital exports.” 

The Australian games ecosystem is a fairly mature mix of different-sized businesses. Government support appears to be encouraging new studios to open, while also allowing established studios to grow. 56% of studios surveyed were less than five years old and 25% have been making games for ten or more years. 

Victoria continues to be a popular hub for game development with 52% of game studio head offices located in the state. However, the distribution of employees shows many studios have a presence in more than one state and tend to follow talent and incentives across the country. 82% of workers are located on the east coast (36% Victoria, 27% Queensland, 18% New South Wales, 1% ACT), with WA seeing the highest employee growth, jumping from 3% to 6% this year. 

“Many of the challenges facing Australian studios this year carried over from 2023,” said Curry. “Securing international and local publisher deals is proving difficult for developers, as is accessing early-stage funding. With that said, outlooks are positive for 2025. 81% of the studios we surveyed predicted income growth (53%) or stability (28%) in the new year.” 

“The breadth of products showcased from across the country at the Australian Game Developer Awards in October celebrated the people and teams producing world-class games locally. IGEA will continue to support and advocate for Australian studios to ensure they’re equipped with the tools and resources to successfully deliver games projects in the future.”

About IGEA

IGEA (Interactive Games & Entertainment Association) is the peak industry association representing the voice of Australian and New Zealand companies in the computer and video games industry.  IGEA supports the games industry’s business and public policy interests through advocacy, research and education programs. For more information, please visit https://igea.net/.

About Australian Game Developer Survey

Our FY2024 game development survey is based on financial year data from 1 July 2023 – 30 June 2024. The survey was conducted by Bond University which supplies responses in aggregate to IGEA. The survey opened in October 2024 and closed at the end of November 2024. Participation in the survey is voluntary, with 137 studios completing the survey and providing usable data, which is slightly higher than the participation rate last year of 111 studios.

TOKYO — Dec. 18th, 2024 — TOKYO INDIE GAMES SUMMIT, the digital and in-person Japanese event showcasing indie games from local and global developers, announces its first crop of exhibitors participating in the two-day showcase occurring on Saturday, March 8th, and Sunday, March 9th, 2025.

Bask in glorious new additions to Japan’s gaming, music, and anime scene as TOKYO INDIE GAMES SUMMIT brings world-class indie game innovation to the art-fueled city of Kichijoji. Go hands-on with the latest content developed and published by event sponsors, including Phoenixx Inc., Bandai Namco Studios Inc. BYKING, BeXide, CRI Middleware Co., Ltd., G-Mode Corporation, KADOKAWA, MyDearest, room6, Shochiku Co., Ltd., Scooter Films and Yokaze.

TOKYO INDIE GAMES SUMMIT extends a special thanks to this year’s production partners, including Shibuya’s animation and game design university Digital Hollywood Studio as well as custom-controller-based game development event make.ctrl.Japan. 2025’s event partners include Digital Games Expo and Bandai Namco’s indie-focused GYAAR Studio.

To build upon its 2024 offerings, next year’s TOKYO INDIE GAMES SUMMIT will expand the exhibition areas, while continuing to provide a multi-day experience for industry professionals and consumers alike. Exhibitors can network with gaming professionals on Day One, and attendees of all ages, genders and nationalities will find fresh experiences on Day Two. 

“There was so much creativity on display during last year’s TOKYO INDIE GAME SUMMIT, and it is a joy to know that we’re able to provide an even larger platform than we had last year to showcase even more titles than before,” says Kazunori Sakamoto, CEO of Phoenixx and founder of TOKYO INDIE GAMES SUMMIT. “Many thanks to this year’s partners who help make this event possible. We have more surprises to share as we approach March; stay tuned!” 

TOKYO INDIE GAMES SUMMIT is looking for sponsors, partner companies, and organizations to help with the event. There are options available for exhibition booths, logo exposure, and more. If interested, please reach out to [email protected]. 

For more information, please visit the TOKYO INDIE GAMES SUMMIT official website, follow @TOKYO_IGS on X (formerly Twitter), and search for #TIGS2023, #TIGS2024, #TIGS2025 on social media.

About Phoenixx

Established in 2019 by industry veterans, Phoenixx aims to support innovative and creative developers from Japan and around the world. Its mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one creator, one game, and one community at a time.

LOS ANGELES – DECEMBER 18, 2024 – Netmarble, a leading developer and publisher of high-quality mobile games, has announced a new update for Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds. The latest update introduces a new pet expansion, limited-time events featuring the beloved “Koongyaz” and other content additions. 

Starting today, players can experience the new Darkness Element Ultimate-Evolved Familiars, featuring Dinoceros, Relixx, and Rimu. These cool new Familiar have powerful new skill effects that allows players to utilize them in various situations including the Familiar Expedition.

The new update also adds eight new Pets, including 6★ Pets. The newly introduced pets will become powerful allies during players’ battles and adventures. 

Players of Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds can also participate in the Meet the Fresh Friends! event through January 16, 2025 that welcomes the fresh vegetable friends, “Koongyaz.” Players can enter the Fresh Friends Koongyaz Roulette Event using the Roulette Coupons and obtain rewards to power up their pets. These rewards include Bound Territes, Luck Amplification Secret Scrolls, and Premium Pet Summon Coupons. Additionally, players can acquire a special Gift Chest dropped by Santa Higgledy in Evermore. Santa Higgledy will appear twice a day to give out this random gift. 

Developed based on Level5 and Studio Ghibli’s original fantasy RPG series ‘Ni no Kuni’, fans can learn more about Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds’ latest game info and updates by visiting the official website(https://ninokuni.netmarble.com/).

About Netmarble Corporation

Established in Korea in 2000, Netmarble Corporation is a leading developer and publisher of top-grossing mobile games worldwide. Through powerful franchises and collaborations with acclaimed IP holders, Netmarble strives to elevate the gaming experience and entertain audiences globally. As a parent company of Kabam and SpinX Games, and a major shareholder of Jam City and HYBE (formerly Big Hit Entertainment), Netmarble’s diverse portfolio includes Solo Leveling: ARISE, Seven Knights Idle Adventure, Tower of God: New World, Lineage 2: Revolution, MARVEL Future Fight, Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds and The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross. More information can be found at http://company.netmarble.com.

Since Capsule Computers has previously covered this title before, I thought you’d be interested to know that Warside, the fast-paced turn-based tactics battler primed for victory from developer LAVABIRD and publisher First Break Labs, now prepares a battle plan for Spring 2025, on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and PC via Steam. A brand-new demo is available on PC via Steam now!

Check out Warside’s brand-new “Basic Training” trailer below:

Conquer land, sea, and sky with the likes of tanks, warships, helicopters, and more in classic turn-based tactics battles across the Story Mode campaign, co-op, and PvP. Mobilize 12 playable Commanders and more than 25 unit types into battle across forest, desert, and ice environments to dominate enemies and claim military superiority.

Check out a new five-mission mini-campaign demo featuring new air units playable for the first time, including jets, bombers, and helicopters! Utilize devastating new Battle Powers in both the demo campaign missions and PvP modes. Take on new missions where Commanders must hold their position on the battlefield and capture objectives, or enjoy traditional turn-based tactics battles.

Unleash never-before-seen Battle Powers, like Jackson’s EMP Blast, which disables vehicles in an area. Rain energy beams from the sky with Beckett’s Orbital Strike. Inject chaos into the fray with Mordred’s Rage, forcing enemy units to attack each other during their turn. The perfect preparations for Warside’s full-scale release next year await in the new demo!

Warside readies its squadrons for launch on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and PC via Steam on March 10, 2025, with language support for English, French, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese. A new free demo is now available on PC via Steam.

About First Break Labs

First Break Labs is an innovative, independently financed collective of video game industry veterans, committed to spotlighting groundbreaking new video games. With extensive experience at SEGA, Nintendo, ATLUS, and SmileGate, First Break Labs is on a mission to provide essential funding and marketing support to like-minded indie developers.

About LAVABIRD

LAVABIRD is a London-based indie game development company. The team is currently focused on development for Warside, its first title.

Turn up the music! Warner Bros. Games today released a new MultiVersus trailer revealing the first look at gameplay for Adventure Time’s Marceline, the fun-loving 1,000-year-old vampire queen, who will join the roster as the latest playable character today as part of Season 4: Midnight Misfits.

Armed with her trusty bass guitar axe, Marceline is a Bruiser class fighter who will shred through any challenge that comes her way. In the new trailer, Marceline’s combo-heavy moveset is on full display, including her unique talent to leverage the power of rhythm to amplify attacks and ability to morph into a vampire bat to bash, grab, and elbow opponents. The video also provides a first look at the Sun Hat Marceline and Distant Lands Marceline character variants. For information on how to access the Marceline playable character and other Season 4 in-game content, visit our FAQ.

Additionally, the new Candy Kingdom map based on the iconic locale from the Adventure Time series will arrive on Dec. 17 alongside Marceline’s release, followed by the debut of Rogue Rifts, a new twist on Rifts mode where players must complete a gauntlet of five nodes with a limited number of daily attempts. The first Rogue Rift will be available from Jan. 15 – Feb. 4, and players will have the chance to earn the Abominable Mountaineer Jason character variant upon each completion of the challenge.

Developed by Player First Games, MultiVersus is available now as a free download for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 consoles, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, and PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), with full cross-play and cross-progression support.

The free-to-play platform fighter features an ever-expanding roster of popular characters based on Warner Bros. Discovery franchises. The announced roster of characters includes Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, Black Adam, The Joker, Nubia, and Raven (DC); Shaggy and Velma (Scooby-Doo); Bugs Bunny, Tasmanian Devil a.k.a. Taz, and Marvin the Martian (Looney Tunes); Arya Stark (Game of Thrones); Tom & Jerry; Finn the Human, Jake the Dog, Banana Guard, and Marceline the Vampire Queen (Adventure Time); Steven Universe and Garnet (Steven Universe); Iron Giant; LeBron James (Space Jam: A New Legacy); Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith (Rick and Morty); Gizmo and Stripe (Gremlins); Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th); Agent Smith (The Matrix); Samurai Jack; Beetlejuice; The Powerpuff Girls; and an extraordinary original creature namedReindog.

For additional information, visit MultiVersus.com or join the community conversation on Twitter/X (@MultiVersus), YouTube (MultiVersus), TikTok (MultiVersusGame), Instagram (MultiVersusGame), Facebook (MultiVersus), and Discord (MultiVersus).

MULTIVERSUS © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Developed by Player First Games. All DC characters and related elements are trademarks of DC © 2024. THE POWERPUFF GIRLS, SAMURAI JACK ADVENTURE TIME, STEVEN UNIVERSE, RICK AND MORTY and all related characters and elements © & ™ Cartoon Network. TOM AND JERRY and all related characters and elements © & ™ Turner Entertainment Co. and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. SCOOBY-DOO and all related characters and elements © & ™ Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. GAME OF THRONES and all related characters and elements © & ™ Home Box Office, Inc. JASON and all related characters and elements © & ™ New Line Productions, Inc. BEETLEJUICE, MATRIX, GREMLINS, LOONEY TUNES, SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY, THE IRON GIANT and all related characters and elements © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Sydney, Australia, 18 December 2024 – Microids and Savage Level are excited to celebrate the release of Flint: Treasure of Oblivion on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC with a launch trailer. This tactical RPG combining exploration, strategic combat and unique visual storytelling will immerse players in the heart of an epic where pirates, mysteries and priceless treasures await them.

About Flint: Treasure of Oblivion:

Prepare to embark alongside Captain Flint, his second-in-command Billy Bones and his crew of old salts in search of a legendary treasure promising freedom and fortune. With its original narrative using traditional comic strips as a narrative medium, Flint: Treasure of Oblivion invites players to immerse themselves in a historically accurate pirate adventure spiced up with fantasy.

Flint: Treasure of Oblivion delivers adventure, but also strategic depth thanks to its turn-based combat mechanics, refreshing the genre’s foundations by drawing on mechanics from role-playing and board games, notably through dice rolls. When players build their crew, each member brings unique skills to use, allowing them to adapt their strategy to their style of gameplay. During the tactical phases, players can use skill and attribute cards to improve their crew members and gain an advantage over their opponents. Hoist the mainsail and set off to discover the secrets buried in the distant lands of Flint: Treasure of Oblivion.

Flint: Treasure of Oblivion features:

• TURN-BASED TACTICAL COMBAT: Good preparation is key! Choose your crew members with unique abilities, obtain new skills, improve your dices. During the tactical phases, use cards to trigger skills and attributes and influence the fight with dice throws.
• COMIC-BOOK NARRATIVE: Enjoy a narrative which, beyond the usual codes of comics (onomatopoeia, speech bubbles), offers players original and dynamic comic strips.
• EXPLORATION: Discover a magnificent world, from the French city of Saint-Malo to the exotic landscapes of central America. Visit diverse environments (cities, camps, jungle, caves…) powered by Unreal Engine 5.
• HISTORICALLY INSPIRED PIRACY WORLD: The game faithfully recreates a world of piracy, incorporating historical elements (language, costumes, weapons) making the experience even more immersive.

Flint: Treasure of Oblivion is now available on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S

About Microids

Microids is a French video game publisher. Founded in 1985, Microids’ editorial strategy now focuses on 4 major areas: adventure games, racing games, retro gaming and games inspired by iconic titles. By collaborating with renowned studios and authors (Revolution Software, Sloclap, Oddworld Inhabitants, Pendulo Studios, Eden Studios, Go Nagai, Charles Cecil, Benoît Sokal, Paul Cuisset…), Microids has become a major player in international video games. Taking inspiration from legendary titles, Microids reaches a wide audience and creates original adventures which give gamers the chance to play as some of their most beloved characters.

About Savage Level

Founded by two brothers Aurélien and Maxime Josse, seasoned veterans in the video game industry, Savage Level develops games that focus on immersing players in rich universes with profound but accessible gameplays while emphasizing on artistic direction deeply rooted in traditional arts.

RailGods of Hysterra, a cooperative base-building survival action game set in a twisted Lovecraftian dreamscape from developer Troglobytes Games and publisher Digital Vortex Entertainment, previews the first biome of the procedurally generated and desolate world of the RailGods, based on Lovecraft’s “The Shadow over Innsmouth” in a new trailer. 

Enter a decaying dimension overrun with ghoulish entities wrought by the Great Old Ones: ancient cosmic beings that have overtaken the world.  Survive nightmarish environments and cultivate a bond with the RailGod – a roaming fortress composed of steel and flesh forged through obscure arcane rituals.

Battle otherworldly creatures and cultists, feeding their remains to the RailGod to continue the journey through this dark realm. Accrue and manage ever-growing madness through perilous endeavors to unlock powerful GodKeeper skills.   Craft additional train cars for storage, loot, and workbenches. Scavenge for supplies to create powerful new gear and weapons to enhance character abilities.

Choose from various skill sets for distinct playstyles and see which synergistic combos work best on the battlefield. Conquer cruel and unforgiving hellscapes alone or with up to four friends via online co-op.RailGods of Hysterra is coming to Early Access on PC via Steam in 2025. It will support English, French, German, Russian, Spanish – Spain, Portuguese – Brazil, Simplified Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, and Turkish languages.

Wishlist on Steam and stay up-to-date by visiting the RailGods of Hysterra official site and following the game on X/Twitter and Facebook. Steam Playtests will soon be available for participation, join the official Discord for notifications and to give the developers feedback.

About Digital Vortex Entertainment

Digital Vortex is a new publisher made up of game industry veterans who have worked on titles such as Atomic Heart, Lost Ark, PUBG Battlegrounds, and more, not limiting themselves to specific genres or game formats, and always striving to create games they themselves would like to play.

About Troglobytes Games

Troglobytes Games is a small development studio founded by Luciano Iurino (Art Director), Saverio Caporusso (CEO, Lead Designer), and Matteo Alessandrini (Lead Programmer) in 2015. The team’s main objective is to create games as they were in previous generations, focusing on unconventional gameplay mechanics and aesthetics while utilizing modern technology. They’ve worked on many indie titles including popular hits Hyper Parasyte and Blind Fate: Edo no Yami, with RailGods of Hysterra being the latest title in their portfolio.

Vanquish, a player-guild established in ESO in 2014, are performing an in-game stage show inspired by Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” this Holiday season. 

Adaptations based on the classic tale have become a tradition for Vanquish, and this year will be the fifth anniversary of the social guild’s festive stage plays. This year’s show is titled “Investigator Vale: An Entangled Carol”, and features a cast and crew of 8 people, complete with a stage built using 700 items from ESO’s housing system and run-time of over 2 hours. The production also features original music as well as full sound effects.

In-game front row seats are all taken, so Bethesda’s Twitch channel will be broadcasting a live performance on December 20 at 8:30pm ET. More information about the performance can be found on the ESO blog and ESO forums.

For more information head over to the Bethesda News site.