Reporting on the games made in Canada and the creators behind them
We've known about the Switch and PS4 port for a while, but now it's official. 13AM Games' party platformer Runbow will be hitting Switch and PlayStation 4 digitally next month on April 24th.
A physical digital deluxe edition will follow on June 14th for both consoles. If that wasn't enough, 13AM Games will also be working with Dadako Studios to release Pirate Pop Plus on Switch as well.
ICYMI: #Runbow launches on PS4 and Switch April 24th digital, with phsyical deluxe edition launching June 14! 8-player local party madness on Switch with split joycon support! pic.twitter.com/eGimxUmvo3
— 13AM Games ✈️ GDC (@13amgames) March 14, 2018
The makers behind Halcyon 6 have announced their next game. Massive Damage announced today Star Renegades, another tactical squad based rogue RPG, which you can add to your Steam wishlist here. The game will include an Intelligent Adversary system which will generate enemies and bosses as you play, while also unlocking hundreds of characters.
Fusing a reactive, tactical turn-based battle system that emphasizes interrupts and counters, with a procedurally generated and emergent mission-based campaign and an intelligent Adversary system with enemy officers that evolve and move up in the ranks, every playthrough is unique, challenging, and never the same.
Wishlist on Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/651670/Star_Renegades/ From the makers of Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander comes a new squad-based rogue-lite strategy RPG. Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/massive_damage And Facebook: http://facebook.com/massivedamagegames http://starrenegades.com
According to the Steam page, Star Renegades is "coming soon."
The new studio founded by ex-BioWare devs Humanoid Origin is looking to fill multiple roles.
Figured this would be a good evening to talk about some competition winners. EGLX (which happened this weekend, and was great) had a pitch competition where they gave away a combined $95000 to independent studios/creators in the area.
MightyYell Studios, Oddbird Studios, Falling Squirrel, and Steph were the winners, and we'll have more on their work in the coming months right here on TorontoGameDevs.
Congrats to all #EGLX2018 Pitch Competition winners!
— EGLX (@EGLXofficial) March 11, 2018
The Big Con by @MightyYell Studios: $50,000
Super Random Heroes by @OddBirdStudio: $30,000
The Vale by @FallingSquirrel Inc.: $10,000@stephh3_3's Games Marketing Agency: $5000
Can't wait to see your projects come to life! pic.twitter.com/lEau28LWgD
Just like Reptoid Games winning last year, Ubisoft Toronto and United Bank had the second Indie Series which provides $50,000, mentorship from Ubisoft Toronto, and a few other things.
Alientrap, who are working on Wytchwood, Gunhead, and are looking for some Unity help, took home the main prize. Falling Squirrel took home second place, and $25,000.
Today eight Ontario indie game development studios pitched a panel of Ubisoft and National Bank experts, and after rigorous competition, Alientrap Games were announced as the winners of the second edition of Ubisoft Indie Series presented by National Bank. This year’s grand prize consists of $50,000 (CAD), mentorship from Ubisoft experts to help with development, personalized financial diagnosis and council by National Bank experts, distribution on the Uplay PC store, marketing support for their game and entrepreneurial training experience by National Bank.
Falling Squirrel took home the National Bank Special Prize for their entry, The Vale, which includes $25,000 (CAD), mentorship by Ubisoft experts to help with development, and personalized financial diagnosis and counsel provided by National Bank experts.
About the Ubisoft Indie Series
Back for a second edition, the Ubisoft Indie Series presented by National Bank is an annual competition for independent game development studios, offering cash prizes, mentorship, and creative, marketing and financial tools to help local studios and their games reach new heights.
Ubisoft is a supporter of the video game ecosystem
Ubisoft opened its first Canadian studio in 1997 and its first studio in Ontario in 2010: Ubisoft Toronto. Since then, the company has played an active role in developing a passionate and creative ecosystem where studios, small and large, have collaborated to make the videogame industry shine on an international level. Making games is difficult and presents many challenges: financially, creatively, and more. This is precisely why we want to connect with our colleagues, share knowledge and expertise, and together, ensure Canada continues to grow as a game development leader worldwide.
Continuing our Road to EGLX, we're looking at Arrow Heads from Oddbird Studios - a game we've actually talked about for a while now. It launched back in September, after winning Level Up, and now will be at EGLX for all to play.
If you'd rather play before hand to get some skills and dominate one of its Game Designers Brendan (it won't be hard), you can pick the game up on Steam. Check out the trailer below.
Make sure to pick up some tickets to the show!
Now available for purchase on Steam! http://store.steampowered.com/app/580890/Arrow_Heads/ Grab your friends, neighbors, extended family and that handsome cashier from the grocery store and get ready for some sweet, award-winning, couch and online multiplayer. With your trusty bow, shoot, dodge and deflect arrows in this zany isometric archery game.
Way of the Passive Fist, Household Games' debut game, is out now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC (Steam, Humble, Green Man Gaming). I played the first few levels of the game last night and really enjoyed my time so far - it's a fun experience that is a mix of 16-bit Beat em Up's, and Punchout. Check out the trailer below and check the game out on your prefered platform!
Way of the Passive Fist is NOW AVAILABLE on Steam, PS4, and Xbox One! Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/625680/Way_of_the_Passive_Fist/ Humble Store: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/way-of-the-passive-fist Green Man Gaming: https://www.greenmangaming.com/games/way-of-the-passive-fist-pc/ Play a new, original brawler that Rock, Paper, Shotgun calls "Parrylicious"! © Household Games 2018
EGLX is just right around the corner, and there are a bunch of studios show casing their games at the show - we've already talked about a few and next up is Voidless Studios! They'll be showing thier minimalist adventure game The Forgotten Void.
Many centuries ago, 2 worlds were formed, the Null World and the Overworld. Humanity existed on the Overworld while the Null world was inhabited by Null entities, mystic creatures that brought evil and chaos to the Overworld. When the 2 worlds were created, a portal known as the Gateway was created that that linked the 2 worlds, where humans and Null entities could come in and out. However, 9 other portals were also formed that led to void fragments that were keys to unlock the Void core in the Gateway which would destroy the Null World. Void Guardians were humans of the Overworld that defended humanity against the invaders of the Null world but as time went on, Void Guardians were few and far between while the Null world slowly consumed the Overworld.
As one of the last Void Guardians that survived from the Great War, our hero is suffering from amnesia due to their injuries in the war and as they wake up several months later, they hope to recollect their memories by traveling through the cities of the Overworld.
Greenlight: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=845802703 ▼ Follow Us Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VoidlessS Twitter: http://twitter.com/voidlessstudios Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCO-uzc4J3TAMMLPnVQIRmw
1 week till #EGLX2018! Get tickets at https://t.co/53MRwswDtL #gamedev #indiedev pic.twitter.com/otdbKfpByh
— Voidless Studios (@VoidlessStudios) March 3, 2018
They'll be EGLX this weekend, and can check out this page to find their (or others) specific booth. You can also pick up tickets to the event here.
Continuing our Road to EGLX we're now going to look at SkyPyre's upcoming party game The Blobs Fight. It's something that I didn't actually know about until looking at the studios going to EGLX so I'm pretty excited to get my hands on it. They'll be at booth I25.
The Blobs Fight is a silly, over-the-top arena party game about creatures of blob like nature, fighting each other to the blash! (Blob for death). Run around as a blob attacking other players to knock pieces of them off, collect those pieces to get bigger, be the largest or the last one standing, profit.
The Blobs Fight has a Beta! Test out the game now by downloading it from itch.io! Your feedback is really important to us, and will allow us to make the best game we can.
Next up on our Road to EGLX we'll look at one of the more recent releases coming out of Toronto. Reptoid Games will be at the event showing off their game Fossil Hunters (which you can pick up on Steam right here).
Available for PC/Mac on February 13!** Fossil Hunters is an Action-Adventure game about digging for fossils and building your own dinosaurs! Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/690150/Fossil_Hunters/ Itch.io: https://reptoidgames.itch.io/fossil-hunters
You can buy tickets to EGLX right here.
Spirit Animal Survival is an open world PVP, and Co-op survival game which launched its Kickstarter a couple of weeks ago - and they can use our help. The game is scheduled for PC (check the Steam page here) to release around this time next year according to the Kickstarter, where they discuss the early access version:
Spirit Animal Survival Early Access version features a very stable CO-OP and PVP Multiplayer Survival Game, with almost all features of the full version implemented. Currently included are the following features: 5 different environments totaling approximately 36 square kilometers 100 different Animal and Creature Types Over 200 Craft and Building Items Taming/Mating of specific Animals Morphing into Spirit Animals Extensive Character Creation system for Male and Female 6 Tiers of starting clothes sets Different Mountable Animals and Boats 4 Boss Instances Volumetric Weather System with Day and Night cycles.
The full game will expand on this including 11 areas and bosses, and more crafting options.
Spirit Animal Survival is a Open World Sandbox Coop Multiplayer and Single Player Survival Game. Available January 2018 on Steam Early Access! http://store.steampowered.com/app/745810/ http://www.spiritanimalsurvival.com
You can check out the Kickstarter right here where 20 dollars will net you a copy of the game in the future and beta access. You can also follow the team on Twitter and check out their site for more.
Montréal-based Lucid Dreams, creators of Legends of Ethernal, is launching a Kickstarter for BIOMORPH which they describe as “a dark Metroidvania that still has plenty of surprises...”
Winnipeg-based C4 Cosplay & Props has announced an upcoming Kickstarter for “Vendors of BioShock Infinite” to recreate the vending machines from the 2013 FPS BioShock Infinite.
Toronto-based Behold Studios has relaunched the Kickstarter campaign for their turn-based RPG Mahou Senshi Cosplay Club, a game “about a cosplayer that gets her powers from the costumes you make.”
Ottawa-based Hot Sauce Bread Studios (@HotSauceBread) have launched a Kickstarter campaign for their debut project Haste, a turn-based, collectable card game featuring “strategic yet action-oriented card combat played in real-time.”
As part of the Summer Gamefest, Quebec-based Sabotage Studio’s Kickstarter hit Sea of Stars gets a new trailer.
Toronto-based designer Devon Wiersma (@Devon_Wiersma) has successfully funded a materials free, rules-lite RPG entitled Runt on Kickstarter.
Québec City-based indie studio Sabotage (@SabotageQc) have officially achieved the most successful Canadian video game Kickstarter campaign ever with Sea Of Stars, hitting $1,335,111.00 CAD pledged of their initial $133,000 CAD goal with less than two days to go.
Windsor developer Chute Apps have released a kickstarter for their roguelike tower defense game - Rogue Star Rescue. The game was released on Steam in Early Access earlier this year, and they are looking to Kickstarter to finish development.
As mentioned in the earlier post about the EGLX gaming schedule, we'll be doing a lead up to EGLX by taking a look at all the local (and non-local) game studios at the show. First one up is Salvadora Studios which is working on The Floor Is Made of Lava.
"Our primary goal is to create great games. Great games that feel fun to play, and reward you for using your brain. We plan on remaining as independent as possible. We want to make our own choices and make our games unique. We all believe that fun in games should be a given, and the relationship between developer and player be a friendly and mutually beneficial one."
The Floor Is Made of Lava is about imagination, just like how when we were kids we would imagine the floor is made of lava - Salvadora Studios takes a similar approach.
"As Jimmy searches for his brother within his house, his imagination gets carried away and whisks him off on a grand adventure through many worlds. Face off against pirates, escape from stampeding dinosaurs, or take on a proud dragon!
As a mix of genres somewhere between Mario and Megaman but not quite a Metroidvania, Jimmy will need to defeat bosses in order to gain the equipment they guard. Use these to battle or avoid enemies in new ways or figure out combinations to break through tricky sections of platforming. Most of all, go find those secret paths that you couldn't access earlier! They may lead to interesting upgrades or challenges!"
They actually have a demo up on the site, and will be at EGLX next weekend. You can follow the game on Steam as well which is set to release soonish.
It's official! We've got our #Steam page! :D https://t.co/ZLZYHwbt94
— SalvadoraStudios (@SalvadoraStudio) October 4, 2017
(Now you can add Lava to your wishlist ;D) #indiedev #gamedev
Our friend Jake Butineau (who recently launched a Patron by the way) interviewed Peter Chapman, who amongst other things, was the composer behind Guacamelee and Sound Shapes.
"Peter and Jake get excited for Guacamelee! 2 by talking about composing Guacamelee's soundtrack, retro games and the struggle of finding time to game while working as a full-time composer."
You can check out the full podcast on Youtube (and below).
Peter and Jake get excited for Guacamelee! 2 by talking about composing Guacamelee's soundtrack, retro games and the struggle of finding time to game while working as a full-time composer. Support Jake on Patreon and join our Discord!
We're going to be doing a little lead up to EGLX, which is one of the biggest gaming events in recent memory. We'll start with the schedules, where a lot of good friends of the site will be doing talks - full schedule can be seen here.
Remember you can buy tickets to the show right here.
I'll be doing a small talk as part of the microtalks on Sunday 4:00-6:00, so I'll see you there!
We've been following Way of the Passive Fist's development since it was first announced in 2016, and now it looks like Household Games are ready to launch their debut side scrolling game.
"Parry, dodge, dash and unleash counter attacks to survive on the harsh world of Zircon V in this comic book sci-fi universe filled with raiders, mutants, fanatics and mad scientists. Master new skills in this unique take on the brawler and be the ultimate Passive Fist!"
ay of the Passive Fist will be hitting PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam on March 6th.
Way of the Passive Fist is launching March 6th 2018, coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Steam! Wishlist on Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/625680/Way_of_the_Passive_Fist/ http://www.wayofthepassivefist.com Follow Household Games: Twitter: @HHGamesInc Facebook: facebook.com/householdgames/ Instagram: @HouseholdGames Parry, dodge, dash and unleash counter attacks to survive on the harsh world of Zircon V in this comic book sci-fi universe filled with raiders, mutants, fanatics and mad scientists.
WAY OF THE PASSIVE FIST, SET TO LAUNCH MARCH 6 FOR PS4, XBOX ONE AND PC
Household Games’ Debut Title, Way of the Passive Fist, is a
Love Letter to the Great Licensed Cartoon Arcade Brawlers of the 90s
Toronto, CANADA – February 20, 2018 – Way of the Passive Fist, the debut title from Household Games, is slated to release on March 6, 2018 on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system via the PlayStation®Store, Xbox One on the Xbox Games Store as part of the ID@Xbox program (available March 7), and Windows PC/Mac/Linux via Steam for $14.99 USD (€11.99). Fans on Steam can wishlist the title now: http://store.steampowered.com/app/625680/Way_of_the_Passive_Fist/
In Way of the Passive Fist, a side-scrolling action arcade brawler, players take on the role of the mysterious Wanderer and master a rare defensive fighting style to outsmart and outlast their enemies. While utilizing parries, deflections, dashes, and dodges, the Wanderer’s foes exhaust themselves to the point that they can then be defeated and knocked out by a single finger “punch” or push.
During the development of Way of the Passive Fist - a love letter to the great licensed cartoon arcade brawlers of the 90s - the team applied a forward-thinking approach to accessibility, to shake up the traditional brawler game mechanics and give players a fresh take on the brawler genre. Players will be able to fully remap the control scheme to play one-handed, modify the game settings if they’re visually impaired or sensitive to sudden flashing lights, as well as customize gameplay difficulty settings to fit their play-style.
“We’re extremely excited to ‘unlock an indie studio achievement’ and to launch our first title, Way of the Passive Fist! It’s been such an awesome adventure and humbling experience for our small, yet ambitious, team,” says Jason Canam, Founder of Household Games. “We hope that players, especially fans of classic 90s arcade brawlers or fighting games, are quick to notice two distinctive characteristics in Way of the Passive Fist - this isn’t your typical action arcade brawler since button mashing won’t get you far and it’s all about timing defensive moves, as well as the unique accessibility features .”
To learn more about Way of the Passive Fist, visit: www.wayofthepassivefist.com. Fans can follow the game and studio via social media: Twitter @HHGamesInc, Instagram @householdgames and Facebook www.facebook.com/householdgames.
Made Possible with the support of the Ontario Media Development Corporation.
About Household Games Inc.
Founded in 2016 by Jason Canam and based in Toronto, Canada, Household Games is an independent studio focused on creating high-quality and stylized original IP content for consoles and PC. The small team of DrinkBox Studios, Queasy Games & Silicon Knights alumni are combining forces, and their passions, to develop videogames that are fun and accessible for all ages and ability levels. Household Games is currently at work on their debut title, Way of the Passive Fist.
Hey everyone! New job posting up today--Guru Arcade is hiring for a Social and Community Manager. Guru Arcade is housed within Guru Studio, and they are launching some exciting stuff on the mobile platform. Definitely check it out! You can see the posting on our Jobs page.
The new studio founded by ex-BioWare devs Humanoid Origin is looking to fill multiple roles.