Reporting on the games made in Canada and the creators behind them
The sci-fi romantic adventure game Alone With You from Benjamin Rivers is out now on Steam. The originally PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita game is currently enjoying a 15% discount on Steam which you can check out right here.
I enjoy Alone With You when it came out last year, you can check out the video review below:
Alone With You on PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita is a fantastic game, hear my thoughts in this video, or read them here: http://www.torontogamedevs.com/reviews/alone-with-you-torontogamedevs-review
David B joins us from the west coast best coast to talk about the upcoming Quiver Games Incubator!
Bizdev extraordinaire Eric Beer joins us to give his Hades II impressions and chat v-bucks subsidized game preservation.
We break down Baldur Gate 3's unprecedented success & the knock-on effects it'll have on the industry and how we make games moving forward. We also speak to Ontario-based indie game devs Twinolli about their upcoming action-puzzler Highlighters which just got a (Dad Deck-verified) Steam demo!
We speak to Québécois game dev Dragon Slumber, creator of Tech Support, Aethernaut and many more!
We reveal the winners of our ‘23 Community Awards poll and discuss Drinkbox’s latest teaser for their next project- and more!
This week thousands more game developers join Stephan in the "terminated by evil, stupid people" camp as layoffs hit tons of studios all over Canada and the world. We discuss Sonic as well. Sonic supports Unionizing your Workplace!
Stephan got terminated but that’s okay he just has more time to cover Canadian games now.
Creative Bytes, a indie developer in St. Catharines, announced Embers of Mirrim last month, an adventure platformer coming to consoles and PC later this year. The developer did also take to the PlayStation Blog to discuss the game:
As you can see in the teaser trailer, Embers of Mirrim is an adventure-platformer featuring a powerful creature, Mirrim, with the ability to split into light and dark entities called Embers. As Mirrim, you can explore the dramatic landscape using opposing Embers to affect creatures and relics in the world in exciting and unexpected ways.
The Light and Dark Embers are independently controlled by the left and right analog sticks and offer new ways to solve puzzles, overcome obstacles, and traverse through the world. While developing the mechanic, we found it satisfying to seamlessly transition back and forth between the traditional platforming and dual stick flight!
To save their world from an alien threat, two proud races must set aside their differences and come together... literally. An ancient power forges together two distinctly different creatures into one versatile hero charged with restoring peace and balance to the world.
The game will be coming to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC in Spring of 2017. In the meantime, give Creative Bytes a follow on Twitter.
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We're back! After talking about Binding of Issac last episode, this time we're still playing it but talking about PlayStation Trophies instead. Is it okay to buy a game just because it has a platinum trophy? Is that weird? Remember to subscribe and leave a comment!
Not a Toronto game, but Chris and I did play some Binding of Issac. Check it out, and subscribe!
It's not developed in Toronto, but Chris has been talking non-stop about Binding of Issac, so we decided to play a bit while he tries to sell me on the game.....it doesn't work, but we have fun anyways. Remember to subscribe and leave a comment!
Toronto developer Built By Snowman is still at it. After announcing Alto's Odyssey late last year, they have also announced Skate City, a game they are working on with Norway developer Agnes. You can check out the teaser trailer below.
Your perfect ride. Worldwide. A brand new skateboarding game crafted by Agens and Snowman, coming to iOS & Android. See exclusive in-game footage at http://instagram.com/skatecitygame. Sign up to get notified at launch: http://www.skatecitygame.com A big thanks to Erik Norderval (https://soundcloud.com/peersynth) for the music, and Joe Pease (https://vimeo.com/joepease) for his awesome work on the trailer!
Snowman says they are trying something a little different with Skate City, and we'll have to wait a bit longer for more info. The game is expected to hit Android and iOS.
Toronto-based developer Snowman will be releasing their currently Apple-Arcade-only Skate City to Steam, Epic Game Store, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, and Xbox on May 6th.
Well, we were late on this one! With Snowman announcing Skate City coming to Consoles soon it seems like their other Apple Arcade game Where Cards Falls is also coming to PC, and Switch in “early 2021”.
Skate City, the previous Apple Arcade exclusive published by Snowman, is heading to pretty much every other platform. Snowman confirmed today the game will come to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, Epic, and Steam “soon”.
Where Cards Fall wasn’t the only Snowman-developed game to launch on Apple Arcade yesterday - their 2D Skateboarding game titled Skate City also launched alongside the subscription service.
Apple has released its subscription service Apple Arcade on iOS this week and there are a few Canadian-developed games as part of the launch. First up is Where Cards Fall from Los Angeles developer The Game Band and published by Snowman, developers of Alto Adventure.
Hey everyone! Another Friday, another Youtube video. remember to subscribe!
This time, we're still playing We Are Doomed, but this time talking about Day One (or early) DLC, and is it bad. Remember to subscribe and leave a comment! Website: http://www.torontogamedevs.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/torontogamedevs Patreon: patreon.com/torontogamedevs Store: designbyhumans.com/shop/TorontoGameDevs/
London developer VitruviusVR have already released Mervils: A VR Adventure on Vive, and Oculus, and now PlayStation users will get a taste of the Fantasy RPG later this month.
With merely a sword and a few coins your quest begins in the Mervil Countryside. The pages of the Great Mervil Book have been scattered throughout the land and the dark sorcerer Balazar the Evil has risen from the shadows. It’s up to one brave hero, to collect the lost pages, rebind the Great Book, and defeat Balazar once and for all. Will that Mervil be you?
Mervils is an open-world RPG platformer built specifically for third-person VR. Explore the four picturesque worlds and save the Mervil Kingdom from Balazar the Evil!
Solo indie dev expert and longtime friend-of-the-site Devon Wiersma joins us to talk their latest release Centauri Dark, working across AAA, mid-sized and solo indie dev and how to fix this goshdarn industry.
David B joins us from the west coast best coast to talk about the upcoming Quiver Games Incubator!
Bizdev extraordinaire Eric Beer joins us to give his Hades II impressions and chat v-bucks subsidized game preservation.
We break down Baldur Gate 3's unprecedented success & the knock-on effects it'll have on the industry and how we make games moving forward. We also speak to Ontario-based indie game devs Twinolli about their upcoming action-puzzler Highlighters which just got a (Dad Deck-verified) Steam demo!
We speak to Québécois game dev Dragon Slumber, creator of Tech Support, Aethernaut and many more!
We reveal the winners of our ‘23 Community Awards poll and discuss Drinkbox’s latest teaser for their next project- and more!
This week thousands more game developers join Stephan in the "terminated by evil, stupid people" camp as layoffs hit tons of studios all over Canada and the world. We discuss Sonic as well. Sonic supports Unionizing your Workplace!
Stephan got terminated but that’s okay he just has more time to cover Canadian games now.
A few months ago, I was reached out by Aakaash Rao, the composer for Valley from Blue Isle Studios, asking about an interview. I really dug the soundtrack in Valley so I of course said yes! You can check out the interview below, and a lot of Aakaash's work can be found right here.
TorontoGameDevs.com: Thanks for doing the interview! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? What your role was in creating Valley?
Aakaash: Thanks for reaching out! I’m a game composer based jointly in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Chicago, and I had the privilege to compose the soundtrack for Blue Isle Studios’ Valley.
TorontoGameDevs.com: How long have you been creating music? What other games or projects have you worked on?
Aakaash: I’ve been composing ever since I learned to play piano as a child, but I only got into games a couple of years ago. Since then, I’ve worked on several PC, console, and mobile titles — I particularly enjoy writing story-driven soundtracks for RPGs. One of my larger project, a voxel-based sandbox called Planet Explorers, came out late last year.
Valley just came out on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. I'll have the full review in a week or so, but figured I would give my impressions on the first person adventure. Check out the latest at http://www.torontogamedevs.com/
TorontoGameDevs.com: What was the design process like for Valley? Did you have free range to create the music you thought would fit the mood, or was there specific notes from different members of the team?
In general, I had a lot of creative freedom. One thing I really appreciated about working with Blue Isle is that I had a working build of the game almost from day one — which happens a lot less often than you might think. The game itself was a fantastic source of inspiration, and I’d often hit upon ideas while exploring the landscape or leaping around in the L.E.A.F. suit.
That said, the other two members of the audio team (Brenden, the audio and technical director and Selcuk, the SFX designer) definitely gave me plenty of input through the process. I’ve worked with a lot of big audio teams in the past, and I think there’s definitely a “too many cooks spoil the stew” effect when too many people get involved in the music, but Selcuk and Brenden did a great job of balancing their own visions for the game’s soundtrack with my ideas. The live musicians with whom I worked also gave me some very helpful input, particularly in regards to using world instruments with which I was not familiar.
TorontoGameDevs.com: There's a lot going on in Valley. There are open world elements within forested areas, buildings, underground mines, etc. You get to move really fast, and jump extremely far as you traverse this world, but there is a lot of historical pieces from the 40s told to the player while they are playing. How did this contribute to the overall soundtrack for the game?
One of the biggest challenges in tackling projects of this scope is balancing variety with cohesiveness. You don’t want to bore the player by repeating the same motifs over and over, but you also don't want a complete musical disconnect between the themes associated with different areas. For example, I made a conscious choice to write sweeping orchestral music for the outdoor areas and more distorted, electronic music for the darker indoor environments, but I approached the indoor areas with a mindset of muting and warping the outdoor style rather than selecting a whole different musical palette. Amrita, the theme for the final level and one of my favorite pieces from the soundtrack, blends pads and electronic sounds with some warped live flute.
There’s a lot of subtle melodic and textural motifs weaved into the soundtrack, so the idea is that they help weave the disparate elements together. This is probably more of a subconscious phenomenon — I doubt that most people are listening intently to recognize the musical motifs as the play the game — but I think it does contribute to the player’s immersion. This is most important at the end of the game, where the final track states outright a lot of the themes that previous pieces have been hinting at. As I’m sure your readers who have finished the game can attest, the ending of the game is definitely a cathartic experience, so I hope that the final piece reflects and amplifies the feeling of cleaning and completion.
Valley - Available now! Enter the vast and beautiful world of Valley using the power of the L.E.A.F. Suit: a fierce exoskeleton that grants exceptional speed and agility along with the phenomenal ability to manipulate the life and death of all living things.
TorontoGameDevs.com: In your mind, what game excels with its soundtrack?
I’ve always been a huge fan of Nobuo Uematsu’s work on the early Final Fantasy. These were some of the first games I played, so there’s an element of nostalgia, but I still think it’s absolutely incredible how much emotion he was able to convey under the console’s technical constraints. Arnie Roth’s Distant Worlds albums include some fantastic orchestrations of Uematsu’s work. More recently, I’ve also really enjoyed Austin Wintory’s Journey and Gareth Coker’s Ori and the Blind Forest.
TorontoGameDevs.com: Is there anything else you'd like to tell our readers? What can we look forward to next?
As I mentioned, Planet Explorers came out last year. I’m also currently working on a strategy RPG called Liege, which is a dark, strategy-driven RPG somewhere between Fire Emblem and A Song of Ice and Fire. Now that I’m done with Valley and Planet Explorers, though, I’m keeping my eye out for interesting new projects — I’d love to do a more intimate soundtrack for an RPG or puzzle game.
Thanks so much to Aakaash for taking the time, and remember that Patreon's got access to this interview early. You can check out Valley on Steam, and all of Akaash's work right here.
Toronto developer Shiny Talisman let me know they've released a bundle on the iOS store. The Future Past Bundle includes the games Warp Looter, Caveman Cliff, and Gravtav: Gravity Traveler.
Future Past, it's all about time. Shiny Talisman is starting out the new year with all of its great games together in one bundle, for one low price.
A mellow physics based gravity puzzle game; an intense, futuristic, space maze; and a prehistoric caveman with biceps as big as his head. Whether jumping forward in time, or way, way back, whatever your mood, this bundle has something for you. Play them all on your own journey through time.
Caveman Cliff and Warp Looter each offer some deep gaming where you'll upgrade your caveman or ship by collecting items. Warp Looter presents an endless distance game experience as you narrowly escape increasingly difficult galaxies, while Caveman Cliff provides level based game play where you'll battle against the pterodactyls as you race against the clock. Upgrading your player and your skills is key to both games as they offer increasingly intense moments that you're sure to need some help with.
Down for a more chill experience? Gravtrav: Gravity Traveller fills that void as you travel from wormhole to wormhole in this mellow physics game. Take advantage of the gravity created by the stars and the planets to achieve the highest scores. Figure out how to use gravity to slingshot yourself back on course after travelling out to gather fuel. Fill those empty minutes in your day with relaxed physics puzzling. This bundle is all about time.
If you'd like to pick up the bundle, you can do so right here for 99 cents.. Make sure to also follow Shiny Talisman on Twitter.
Toronto developer of one, Shiny Talisman released their third game, Gravtrav, on iOS this week. The game is a physics based, space game where you move between wormholes while also taking in account the gravitational pull from planets.
Hey there! As you may (or may not know) I have a Patreon set up for TorontoGameDevs.com. Patreon is a great service to help fund passion projects you care about, similar to a Kickstarter.
In the past, Patreons would get early access to the podcast, interviews, and the occasional game. And that's all still true! But now, with me and Chris doing videos twice a week they'll now be getting that early as well in their usual spot.
This month also will see some Patreons getting a copy of Monumental Failure.
So anyways, if you want to have access to the Patroen only area, then make sure to become a Patreon!
Monumental Failure is available now on Steam, Itch and the Humble store! Monumental Failure is a comedic and historically (in)accurate physics-based monument construction simulator! The game empowers you to recreate some of the world's most impressive architectural feats using incredible, and hard-to-believe, construction techniques.
Last year, Ubisoft announced the Indie Game Series - a competition for indie game studios to get funding, help from Ubisoft amongst other things. Last week we were told of the finalists, and today we have the winner!
Toronto developer Reptoid Games have won the $50,000 dollars, Ubisoft mentorship, and more. The four person team is currently working on multiplayer game Fossil Hunters.
Proud to announce the first ever Ontario winner of the Ubisoft Indie Series presented by @nationalbank: Fossil Hunters by @ReptoidGames! pic.twitter.com/tgJUMzgHWx
— Ubisoft Toronto (@UbisoftToronto) January 26, 2017
Get to know http://www.reptoidgames.com/, an Ontario finalist for the Ubisoft Indie Series presented by National Bank. The winner will be announced on January 25, 2017. Learn more: http://toronto.ubisoft.com/indieseries/
You can check out some Fossil Hunters footage in the demo reel below, which also includes footage from their other game (which you can download for free on itchio) Spill Tender.
A short and sweet selection of Reptoid Games. Stay tuned for release announcements at www.reptoidgames.com. "Bare Metal" Music by Ian Zamojc https://soundcloud.com/dj-en-2/bare-metal used with permission.
Congrats to Reptoid Games and all the other finalists. Ubisoft Toronto did also announce they'll be doing another Indie Series next year, so start prepping those projects now.
Chivalry 2, the hotly anticipated sequel which is coming to PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S has gone gold ahead of its June 8th release date. The game, which will feature crossplay across the board, is also currently having an open Beta from May 27th to June 1st, the Beta is also cross-play enabled.
Triversal, the puzzle game from Toronto developer Phantom Compass has a release date, and thankfully we won’t have to wait that long. The game comes out on July 13th, and you can wishlist it on Steam here.
Toronto-based developer Snowman will be releasing their currently Apple-Arcade-only Skate City to Steam, Epic Game Store, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, and Xbox on May 6th.
Having just released Mighty Fight Federation on PlayStation/Steam late last month, Komi Games is not done and have released their 3D brawler on Switch - and have included Cross-Play with all versions. you can pick up the game on Switch right here for $39.89.
Massive Damages Star Renegades, the rogue-lite RPG that is available on Xbox, and Steam, is out now on PlayStation. Currently going for $24.74 CAD with a PlayStation Plus discount, you can pick it up here.
Sokodice is a puzzle game where you must navigate dice through mind boggling levels to match the number of the dice with the number on a designated tile.
Toronto developer MegaPhemeral announced their upcoming Japanese inspired RPG Emergent Fates will be coming to iOS on July 7th. Offered as a “free-to-start”, and then a 5.99 USD price tag to unlock the game is currently up for preorder on the App Store.
P.A.M.E.L.A the Bioshock-inspired first-person shooter from Toronto based NVYVE Studios gets a full release on PC.
Hey there! Today is January 25th, and it's #BellLetsTalk day today. Al Donato from Hand Eye Society reached out to me and let me know their favourite mental health games developed in Toronto (plus a bonus game). In the spirit of the day, check them out below.
Make sure to also use #BellLetsTalk in your social media messages today.
Another video! Remember that starting next week they'll be a day early for Patreons!
Probably our last video on Guacamelee, but we wanted to talk more about the Nintendo Switch - which was officially revealed with launch details last week. In this video, we talked about the things we didn't really like about the Switch. Remember to subscribe and leave a comment!
Last we heard about Monumental Failure, it was up on Steam Greenlight. Now, the physics-based construction simulator from Scary Wizard is out now on Steam for Windows and Mac. The team let me know that Scary Wizard started out with Spencer and Jessica working out of their apartment, and 8 months later we get Monumental Failure.
Monumental Failure is a historically (in)accurate physics-based monument construction simulator. The game empowers you to recreate some of the world's most impressive architectural feats using incredible, and hard-to-believe, construction techniques. From the great ring at Stonehenge, to the genius of the ancient Roman aqueduct, will you have what it takes to re-create these feats of engineering?
Monumental Failure is available now on Steam, Itch and the Humble store! Monumental Failure is a comedic and historically (in)accurate physics-based monument construction simulator! The game empowers you to recreate some of the world's most impressive architectural feats using incredible, and hard-to-believe, construction techniques.
We officially have our first Toronto-developed Nintendo Switch game! This one comes from Vertex Pop, in Gracefull Explosion Machine (GEM). A game we've talked about before.
Skillfully pilot the advanced Graceful Explosion Machine (GEM) fighter while blasting swarms of crystalline enemies with your ludicrously overpowered quad-weapon array! Lost in deep space, you'll shoot, dash and combo your way through jewel-hued alien worlds, fighting to find a way home.
You can check out the game trailer below. GEM is expected to come out this Spring during the Nintendo Switch launch window. While the game is still expected to hit other platforms, the Nintendo Switch will be the debut console for GEM.
Graceful Explosion Machine is coming soon to Nintendo Switch™ http://vertexpop.com/gem
You can also check out the full press release below.
Graceful Explosion Machine Debuts on Nintendo Switch! Action-packed shooter hits Nintendo’s new console during its launch window this Spring!
Toronto, Canada: Vertex Pop, an indie game developer specializing in focused arcade-style games, announced that they’re bringing their dazzlingly intense shoot-em-up, Graceful Explosion Machine, to Nintendo’s latest console, the Nintendo Switch™.
Graceful Explosion Machine has already made waves at the Indie MegaBooth at both PAX East and PAX West in 2016, as well as PlayStation Experience this past December.
“The Nintendo Switch’s responsive controls and beautiful display means you can play Graceful Explosion Machine anywhere”, says Vertex Pop’s founder Mobeen Fikree. “It’s perfect for short, intense sessions on the go or for long high-score runs on the big-screen.
“Graceful Explosion Machine fits perfectly as a premiere indie game in our launch window lineup,” says Nintendo of America Indie Game Manager Kirk Scott. “It reflects the diversity and breadth of the kinds of top-notch games we’re looking for on the Nintendo Switch system.”
For all media inquiries, please e-mail media@vertexpop.com.
PressKit: http://www.vertexpop.com/presskit/sheet.php?p=graceful_explosion_machine
Site: http://www.vertexpop.com/gem
Graceful Explosion Machine Nintendo Switch Announcement Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCiMciOjDC0
About Graceful Explosion Machine: Graceful Explosion Machine (GEM) is a side-scrolling arcade shooter where you blast crystalline enemies with your GEM’s ludicrously overpowered quad-weapon array. Lost in deep space, you’ll shoot, dash and combo your way through neon alien worlds, fighting to find a way home.
About Vertex Pop: Vertex Pop is an independent videogames development company run by Mobeen Fikree. Concerned with elegant design for their minimalistic videogames, they focus primarily on mechanics, game feel and responsive controls. Graceful Explosion Machine is a followup to their cult-favorite, multiplatform arena shooter, WE ARE DOOMED.
About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii U™ and Wii™ home consoles, and Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ families of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.4 billion video games and more than 696 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™, Nintendo GameCube™ and Wii systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com.
Solo indie dev expert and longtime friend-of-the-site Devon Wiersma joins us to talk their latest release Centauri Dark, working across AAA, mid-sized and solo indie dev and how to fix this goshdarn industry.
David B joins us from the west coast best coast to talk about the upcoming Quiver Games Incubator!
Bizdev extraordinaire Eric Beer joins us to give his Hades II impressions and chat v-bucks subsidized game preservation.
We break down Baldur Gate 3's unprecedented success & the knock-on effects it'll have on the industry and how we make games moving forward. We also speak to Ontario-based indie game devs Twinolli about their upcoming action-puzzler Highlighters which just got a (Dad Deck-verified) Steam demo!
We speak to Québécois game dev Dragon Slumber, creator of Tech Support, Aethernaut and many more!
We reveal the winners of our ‘23 Community Awards poll and discuss Drinkbox’s latest teaser for their next project- and more!
This week thousands more game developers join Stephan in the "terminated by evil, stupid people" camp as layoffs hit tons of studios all over Canada and the world. We discuss Sonic as well. Sonic supports Unionizing your Workplace!
Stephan got terminated but that’s okay he just has more time to cover Canadian games now.
Solo indie dev expert and longtime friend-of-the-site Devon Wiersma joins us to talk their latest release Centauri Dark, working across AAA, mid-sized and solo indie dev and how to fix this goshdarn industry.