Rogue Star Rescue Out Now On Steam Early Access

I’m certainly a little late on this one, but in the beginning of March a new rogue-lite bullet hell shooter with tower defences was released on Steam. The game, titled Rogue Star Rescue from Windsor-based Chute Apps, is currently in Early Access for the next several months where they look to build upon everything.

“Our galaxy is about to be destroyed. A massive Rogue Star has formed from the cosmos and is on a direct collision path. It threatens to vaporize everything. Leaders from planets around the galaxy have assembled a top team of fighters to stop the Rogue Star at all costs. We are the Team.

The evil aliens from a neighboring galaxy see the Rogue Star as an opportunity to destroy their long time rivals. They learn of the Team and rush to their galaxy to their plans while the Rogue Star inches ever closer.”

You can check out the trailer and original press release below. The game can be picked up on Steam for $17.49 CAD.

Rogue Star Rescue: 2D Roguelite Sci-fi Shooter with Defense Elements. Gameplay Trailer. Available on Steam Early Access http://bit.ly/RSRsteam itch.io Early Access http://bit.ly/RSRitchio Release date: March 8, 2019. The alpha version. Rogue Star Rescue is a fast-paced roguelite bullet hell shooter with tower defense elements.

Rogue Star Rescue, a mix of roguelite and tower defense, is now available on Steam Early Access

Rogue Star Rescue, a fast-paced roguelite bullet hell shooter with tower defense elements, is live on Steam.

Windsor, Canada ― March 8, 2019 ― Today, Chute Apps Inc. released an alpha version of the much anticipated roguelite ― Rogue Star Rescue. The game is now available on Steam and itch.io.

Shoot your way through diverse alien planets while strategically gathering traps and resources for the epic boss fights. Defend your planet and stop the catastrophic Rogue Star from annihilating everything.

The released alpha version features:

  • Fully playable with gamepad or keyboard+mouse

  • Roguelite procedural levels with 300+ rooms to explore on 2 unique planets

  • Play as the main hero of the team

  • 10+ enemies and mini-bosses

  • 30+ guns and passive items and 15+ different traps

  • Use traps to defend against the mini-bosses

  • Upgrade your trap strategically with gathered coins

“It’s exhilarating to see that this long dreamed of project is coming to life! We are creating one of the best games in the genre, a game that will be played for years, without getting dull or predictable. With over a hundred endings and fun strategic action, Rogue Star Rescue will not disappoint” — shares the game developer, Carl Chute.

 The game will have large updates every two weeks, introducing new worlds, enemies, items, guns, soundtracks, and many other cool features, both planned and suggested by the players.

 The Rogue Star Rescue team relies heavily on the community for feedback and suggestions and invites the players to join the discussions on their Discord server: https://discord.gg/RGrHmeW

 Purchase the game on Steam https://store.steampowered.com/app/1023550/Rogue_Star_Rescue/ or itch.io https://chuteapps.itch.io/rogue-star-rescue

About Chute Apps Inc.

Chute Apps Inc. is a game and software development company based in Windsor, Ontario. Established in 2011, the company designs video games, mobile, and web applications. 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/roguestarrescue

Rogue Star Rescue Gameplay Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9BxF_Smz0E

The press kit: http://roguestarrescue.com/press/sheet.php?p=rogue_star_rescue

Multiplayer Tower Offense 'Radio Violence' Out Now On Steam

I’ve been chatting with the gang over at No Sleep here in Toronto. While they are busy working away at the next project, they did let me know about their first game Radio Violence which came out to Steam last year.

Described as a Tower “Offense”, Radio Violence pits up to four players on the same screen building radio towers to spread the influence of your “cheeky dictators”.

“An unsettling calm has shrouded the world. In the wake of a great war, an international armistice binds a temporary peace among the rival nations of the world. Democracy died in the war, and a cast of charismatic dictators — who lead their people through a veil of manipulation and propaganda — has risen to fill the power vacuum. The war may have gone cold, but that hasn't stopped these cunning leaders from finding... alternative ways to influence the people. No nation has the military strength to conquer the world by force and so, in times of hardship, the people turn to the radio for guidance from their glorious leaders.”

This is Radio Violence; the real-time competitive strategy game where you capture land by spreading your glorious leader's propaganda. WE ARE NO SLEEP: http://nosleep.io/

You can pick up the game right here on Steam for pretty cheap, and make sure to follow the gang on Twitter.

Amateurs by Sleepy Tom Turned Into Retro-Style Arcade Skateboarding Game

To celebrate the release of his new Amateurs EP producer Sleepy Tom has released a free game on itch.io which you can play right here. Sleepy Tom got a lot of Canadian talent to help him create the retro-style arcade skateboarding game (including friend-of-the-site Sebastian Scaini who we interviewed last year about his love of Game Jams) which you can check out below:

You can check out the trailer for the game, as well as play it for free here. What’s your high score?

Amateurs by Sleepy Tom and Lights is out now, everywhere! download + stream: https://ffm.to/amateurs Play the video game here: https://game.sleepytomofficial.com Thanks to Billboard for the first support here: https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8502339/sleepy-tom-lights-amateurs-video-game

Co-op Puzzle Game Pitfall Planet Out Now On Switch

The Switch ports continue. Pitfall Planet, the co-op puzzle game that won 2015 Best Overall Game at Level-Up, and then released on Steam in 2016 has come to Nintendo’s little hybrid system. You can pick it up right here for $18.99 CAD.

“Featuring the cutest pair of robots this side of the Milky Way, Pitfall Planet’s action takes place on a distant, forgotten mining world. Play as the two astrobots, who after being stranded and separated from their ship, must traverse the subterranean caves of the ruined planet, overcoming its many perils in the process. In Pitfall Planet, you and your friend are equipped with the latest and greatest in astro-mining technology. Players can use their grappling hooks to pick up objects (including each other!) and throw them over gaps or cliffs. To collect all the ore in each level, you'll learn to master the art of teamwork!”

The game also has a little extra Toronto flair, with the Reptoid Games adding some extra cutscenes in the port.

Blazing Bit Games Reveals New Retro Shooter: Nightmare Reaper - Coming Summer 2019

Blazing Bit Games, a new studio in Montreal from a former Ubisoft Montreal Network Programmer, have announced Nightmare Reaper - a first-person-shooter throw back to games like Wolfenstein, and Doom. The game hits Steam Early Access this Summer with Episode 1, with Episode’s 2 and 3 coming within a year of that. Check out the Steam page to wishlist the game, in the meantime trailer, screenshots, and press release is below.

Announcing our upcoming game, Nightmare Reaper! Explore the cursed depths of a nightmare while finding powerful weapons and improving your abilities in this retro first person shooter that breaches the wall between the classics and modern sensibilities. Episode 1 available summer 2019 in Early Access.

Montreal, Canada -- April 9th, 2019 -- Blazing Bit Games reveals today their new retro first person shooter game, Nightmare Reaper, launching in Steam Early Access for Windows this summer.  Explore the cursed depths of a nightmare while finding powerful weapons and improving your abilities in this new indie game that breaches the wall between the classics and modern sensibilities.

Reveal trailer: https://youtu.be/zghpgec0S1w

"We really wanted and had yet to find a modern sprite-based shooter similar in looks and mechanics to Doom or the Build engine games that was more than just shooting monsters.  We just had to make it happen." - said Bruno Beaudoin, Founder.

The Early Access release of the game, titled "Episode One", will feature over 32 weapons and will be crammed with variety and surprises.  Mysterious non-intrusive story elements will guide players through nightmare after nightmare to eradicate evil while they collect treasures that they'll use to improve their abilities through a fun minigame.  Stay tuned as more will be revealed leading up to release.


Wishlist the game on Steam and come join us on Discord!
Steam: 
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1051690
Discord: 
https://discord.gg/u2pdcGY

About Blazing Bit Games
A small studio dedicated to making great indie games, founded by Bruno Beaudoin, programmer by trade, former Ubisoft Montreal Network Programmer and passionate gamer, since the Atari 2600. Nightmare Reaper is our most ambitious project yet and we've recruited the help of amazing people to deliver our vision. 

Terrorarium From Stitch Media Releases In Early Access

Terrorarium from Stitch Media is out now on Steam in Early Access. Right now, in its Early Access form, the game is limited to just ‘Maker Mode’, which gives players the ability to make “murder gardens”:

In Maker Mode, you can choose from over a hundred unique assets, including: vicious creatures, treacherous hazards, plant monsters, lovely foliage and destructible terrain. With these moveable, scalable, customizeable assets, you can create a beautiful garden, a deadly maze or a murderous gauntlet. In Quick Play Mode, play through the levels you have built as the Gardener, a feisty granny with a chip on her shoulder, and her army of adorable, expendable Moogu. The Moogu will die frequently, breed out of control, and are often as insufferable as they are useful. You can also share the levels you build with your friends and frenemies, so they too may see the horrors you have wrought.

The game is expected to stay in Early Access for 6-12 months, and will include a narrative/campaign portion of the game when it’s all said and done. Until then, dive into the game on Steam and share your user created levels. You can check out the trailer and screenshots below.

Paying homage to our favourite trailer of all time. Terrorarium is a game of wanton destruction and adorable gore in player-made murder gardens. We're going to #GDC2019 and launching March 20th! Come visit us at booth #N3017, we'd love to say hello! Find us at: https://murder.garden Wish List us on Steam!

Block Droppin Blitz Out Now On iOS

A couple of years ago, Niagara-based Rocketship Park was formed and shortly after that they released Block Droppin’. Now the gang have updated their puzzle game, and released Block Droppin Blitz on iOS:

Slide blocks to make shapes. Drop shapes to score points. But be careful about where those shapes end up!

Block Droppin’ is the latest fast-paced puzzle game to train your brain and test your reflexes. Combining elements of sliding tiles, falling blocks, and old school puzzle games, Block Droppin’ takes quick wits and concentration, so make sure your sliding skills are up to the task!

CEO Jim Squires took to medium to write up about the first game, and why the latest game isn’t free-to-play anymore. Block Droppin Blitz can be picked up on iOS right here for $2.99.

Way of the Passive Fist Coming To Nintendo Switch

Toronto developer Household Games is joining the Switch-port crew and releasing their 90’s brawler inspired Way of the Passive Fist to Nintendo Switch on April 11th. It looks like the game is listed at $18.99 CAD on the Nintendo eshop.

If you can’t wait until April 11th, you can pick up the game on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC where it launched this time last year. Check out the trailer and press release below.

Reverse Brawler Way Of The Passive Fist Comes to Nintendo Switch on April 11

Toronto, ON. March 28, 2019. Indie devs Household Games announced today that the genre-bending defensive brawler Way of the Passive Fist is coming to Nintendo Switch. At a glance the game is full of 90's beat-em-up aesthetics with sprites that dwarf Battletoads or Final Fight, but a closer look reveals the game's clever twist: the player parries, dodges, and reverses attacks to stay alive in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where exhaustion equals death.

Instead of punching and kicking through hordes of nameless thugs, watch for openings, time your parries, and shoot for that high score. The game's addictive stage-by-stage gameplay is perfect for the pickup and play nature of the console, and brings all its pixel art glory in handheld or docked mode. The bombastic, pulse-pounding soundtrack is the icing on the sand-and-sweat covered cake, and if the feeling of knocking back waves of enemies on top of a speeding train to a wailing electric guitar doesn't scream "arcade experience," we don't know what does.

With a fully customizable difficulty setting (no easy, medium, or hard here!), and a refreshing take on classic beat-em-up gameplay, Way of the Passive Fist is a brand new experience for action-loving Nintendo Switch players. 

Features

- Customizable difficulty setting lets players decide how many enemies appear at a time, how hard they hit, how forgiving the combo counter is, and even how many checkpoints there are.

- Contains all the content from Way of The Passive Fist's NEW DAWN Edition, including a brand new training mode to let you practice and perfect your parries.

- Procedural roguelite survival mode "Passiverse" challenges the most calm masters to stay alive amidst an unpredictable set of challenges.

- Hours of content with Story, New Dawn Epilogue, and Passiverse, plus new difficulty settings that dictate new ways to play. Try for a playthrough of super-difficult enemies or minimal checkpoints.

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 made up of DrinkBox Studios, Queasy Games, and Silicon Knights alumni are combining forces, and their passions, to develop video games that are fun and accessible for all ages and ability levels. Household Games launched their debut title, Way of the Passive Fist, in early March 2018.


Podcast Episode 105 and Interview With Dragon Slumber

As you know, we do a (mostly) bi-weekly podcast, and interviews with Canadian game developers. Here are the latest below!

Remember to subscribe to the podcast on iTunesGoogle Play, or SoundCloud. And Patron's at the $4+ level got this episode 2-3 days early.

Monster Slaying Puzzle Game '4096 Slayer' Out Now On iOS and Android

Developer Maple Mana (aka Dan Currie) have released a new monster slaying puzzle game on iOS and Android - ‘4096 Slayer’ takes a unique spin on 2048 this time adding monsters, where everytime you kill the strongest one, a new one appears twice as strong. Check out the trailer below and download the game on iOS and Android devices.

Available now on iOS and Android! https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/4096-slayer/id1452080358?mt=8 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.maplemana.a4096slayer&pcampaignid=MKT-Other-global-all-co-prtnr-py-PartBadge-Mar2515-1 Can you slay the dragon? You'll first have to slay spiders, orcs, trolls, dark wizards and more! 4096 Slayer is a monster slaying puzzle game. Every monster you slay increases your level and you can only slay monsters with a lower level than you.

Tech Support: Error Unknown Releases February 27th On Steam

Dragon Slumber, the indie developer Quebec, will be releasing their latest game Tech Support: Error Unknown on Steam this Wednesday February 27th. In the game you’ll play as a new Quasar Telecommunications support agent - and while resolving customers issues you’ll fine yourself in the middle of a conspiracy.

Tech Support: Error Unknown is an adventure game with simulation and puzzle mechanics, which places you in front of a virtual computer. As a tech support specialist new to the job, use a wide array of computer software to solve customer issues or choose to manipulate programs for personal gain. Hack your system to unlock its full potential, GPS track lost phones, scan profiles to blackmail customers, or simply propose they reboot. 

You can check out the Steam page for the game right here. Trailers and screenshots below. We sat down with Kevin Giguère to talk about the game which is up on Patreon right now, and be up for everyone else tomorrow before the games release.

Tech Support: Error Unknown is coming February 27! Wishlist Tech Support: Error Unknown on Steam: http://bit.ly/2rsf0uJ Play the free demo now! Itch.io: http://bit.ly/TechSupport-Itch Gamejolt: http://bit.ly/TechSupport-Gamejolt Official website: http://dragonslumber.com Things are not what they seem at your new tech support specialist job. While resolving customer issues, you soon find yourself in the middle of a conspiracy.

Worse Than Death - The Next Game From The Developer Behind Alone With You, and Home

Benjamin Rivers, the developer behind 2012’s Home, and 2016’s Alone With You has announced his latest - Worse Than Death, for PlayStation 4, Switch, Steam, and iOS. The game will be an emotional thriller about a high school reunion that goes horribly wrong.

“Run for your life, hide in the shadows, and use your wits to avoid terrible enemies and solve a mystery that sees you trapped in your home town.

Worse Than Death fuses a page-turning, pulp horror story with action-adventure gameplay.”

A scary, emotional thriller about a high school reunion that goes horribly wrong! Worse Than Death is the chilling follow-up to indie horror hit Home, and it's coming soon to PlayStation 4! + OFFICIAL Website: http://www.worsethandeathgame.com + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/benjaminrivers Rated Mature: Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Drug Reference

We don’t have a release date yet, but we’re told it will be soon. In the meantime, you can hit up the developers Discord channel to catch a prequel story, and vote on what happens next!

Blue Isle Studios Releasing Valley On Switch In March

Continuing the trend of Canadian games being ported to Switch, Blue Isle Studios have announced their first person adventure game Valley is hitting the Nintendo Switch next month on March 7th. Valley was originally released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2016, and we did a small interview with the games composer which you can check out here.

Valley is a First-Person adventure unlike any other. Hidden deep within a remote region of the Rocky Mountains, you find yourself bewildered within a secluded valley. With the power of a recently discovered L.E.A.F. suit (Leap Effortlessly though Air Functionality), run and jump your way through beautiful forests, dangerous ruins and vast environments; all the while utilizing the power to control life and death to uncover the startling secrets of the mysterious valley.

Guildmaster Story Out Now On iOS and Android

Little Red Lie, and Actual Sunlight developer Will O’Neill has released his latest, this time a free-to-play narrative puzzle game on iOS and Android devices. Will promises that “Guildmaster Story will delight everyone who ever worked an unpaid internship, got steamrolled by the sharing economy, or suspects that the people responsible for it all are precisely who they seem to be.” There will also be new episodic content in 2019, so make sure to download today.

Guest Post - Five Canadian-made Indie Switch Games That Flew Under The Radar In 2018

The follow post was written by Poutine & Pixels, who you can follow on Twitter. They specialize in highlighting Canadian-made games on Switch.

 If you’re anything like me, you’ve been giving a bit of extra time to playing games lately, what with the “go outside only if you want to die” weather. I’ve taken this time to catch up on Canadian-made Switch games released in 2018 that slid under my attention, largely due to my being distracted by ridiculously popular Canadian titles like Celeste and The Messenger.

 The Nintendo Switch has been a jolt of adrenaline for many indie games and developers. It’s not uncommon to hear of games being given a fresh surge of sales on the Switch, or developers finding the boost needed to stay in business - like Castle Pixel, the Canadian-American dev combo behind the hit Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King, who have been very public in their praise of the game’s sales figures on Nintendo Switch, allowing them to continue making games.

 We’re approaching a full two years since the launch of the Switch in March of 2017, and the wave of great games coming to the Switch is showing no sign of slowing down. With over 85 Canadian-made titles now available or announced for the Switch, it’s not a surprise that some have been released to less media coverage than they deserve.

Here are the top 5 Canadian-made indie titles on the Switch that may have flown under your radar in 2018:

 

Just Shapes & Beats

Just Shapes & Beats, the game about shapes, and beats. Once nominated for the most self explanatory game title of all time, didn't win. Coming to Steam and Nintendo Switch May 31st 2018... finally!

 Just Shapes & Beats from Quebec developers Berzerk Studio was featured in the March 2018 Nindies Showcase. It’s no surprise Nintendo wanted to highlight the game, as it is an absolute blast to play with friends. The eShop page describes it as “a chaotic co-op musical bullet-hell”, which makes it sound a lot more complicated than it actually is - dodge the shapes to addictive music, then die because this game can be tough as nails.

I took this game to a party on the day of its release, and it took over the TV for the duration of the night. If you’re a fan of rhythm or bullet hell games, don’t pass over this one.

 View Just Shapes & Beats on the Canadian eShop

 

Light Fall

Light Fall is a precision platformer that gives you the ability to place a block, called a Shadow Core, beneath you to assist in speeding across the world. Québec developers Bishop Games combine excellent minimalist art design with very pretty parallax scrolling effects to create a wonderful world to explore, and there’s plenty of hidden paths and secrets to encourage you to take a peak in every nook and cranny.

Light Fall also incorporates a Speedrun Game Mode, allowing you to compete with other runners worldwide with an online leaderboard. This game was also featured at GDQ 2019, and I’d love to see it pop up again at future events!

This platforming adventure takes players to the forgotten world of Numbra, where they'll have to master their surroundings by manipulating the Shadow Core, a magical box used to propel them into the air. In Speedrun Mode, players can race their friends or even the fastest players in the world to place on the online leaderboards.

View Light Fall on the Canadian Nintendo eShop 

 

Pizza Titan Ultra

 Look, if your game comes with a main menu that has a theme song with robot voice-over and a karaoke sing-along bar, I’m going to buy it sight unseen. While the list of games that fit that requirement consists solely of Pizza Titan Ultra, that doesn’t detract from my conviction to that statement.

Developed by Breakfall in Ottawa, Pizza Titan Ultra has you playing a giant robot that delivers pizza throughout a futuristic city while dodging a myriad of enemies and trying to collect as much cash as possible. It’s one part Crazy Taxi, one part Gundam, and zero parts pineapple on pizza because that is an abomination and you should be ashamed.

Pizza Titan Ultra is a fast paced 3rd-person action platformer focused on fighting and smashing through a futuristic city, in a giant mech, to deliver pizza. Experience arcadey action with speedy attacking and dodging, while attempting to control the massive weight of a 10 storey mobile pizzeria - just try not to make too much of a mess!

 View Pizza Titan Ultra on the Canadian Nintendo eShop

 

Battle Princess Madelyn

Battle Princess Madelyn is heavily, heavily inspired by Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts. Fully funded on Kickstarter in 2017 in just a few days, Battle Princess Madelyn by Nova Scotia developers Causal Bit Games was released at the end of 2018.

Although I found the story mode to be a bit lacking, Battle Princess Madelyn’s arcade mode has kept me coming back for more. It’s perfect for the Switch’s portable mode, and is exactly the sort of title that I want to pick up for a few moments whenever I have the chance. If you have fond memories of Super Ghouls n’ Ghosts, I would highly recommend giving this game a look.

 View Battle Princess Madelyn on the Canadian Nintendo eShop


Full Metal Furies

Full Metal Furies by Toronto-based developers Cellar Door Games was released on PC and Xbox in January 2018. After months of waiting, both Full Metal Furies and their insanely popular 2013 title Rogue Legacy were released on the Nintendo Switch last November.

It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly why Full Metal Furies hasn’t garnered even a fraction of the attention that Rogue Legacy did - it’s an excellently designed action RPG with gorgeous artwork, online and couch co-op, and sterling player and media reviews. While it may have escaped wider attention upon initial release, this title is one that any co-op gaming fan should take a look at.

The acclaimed rogue-lite Rogue Legacy, and the Puzzle Brawler Full Metal Furies is coming to the Nintendo Switch on November 6th, 2018. **Full Metal Furies will be 25% off between November 6th to November 25th on the Nintendo eShop. Check out more about the games here: http://cellardoorgames.com/ http://www.cellardoorgames.com/roguelegacy/ http://cellardoorgames.com/our-games/full-metal-furies/ http://cellardoorgames.com/presskit/