Reporting on the games made in Canada and the creators behind them
GRIP by Caged Element, available on Steam, just got a version update. Version 1.2.1 includes a new vehicle, LAN support, and a tutorial mode. The game is still in early access and is getting very positive reviews on Steam. It has single player, split-screen multiplayer, online multiplayer, as well as six different game modes. See our last post about the game here for more information.
Sword Coast Legends is a Dungeon's and Dragon's game in the style of Diablo. Developed by n-Space, and Digital Extremes, we give the game's tutorial a spin.
Two student developed games from Toronto students got demos! Check out Disco is Dead, and Detective VR. I also give my quick thoughts on NBA Playground. Disco Is Dead Demo: http://www.torontogamedevs.com/blog/disco-is-dead-now-available-on-itchio Detective VR Demo: http://www.torontogamedevs.com/blog/detective-vr-now-available-on-itchio NBA Playground: http://ca.ign.com/articles/2017/05/03/nba-playgrounds-release-date-for-nintendo-switch-ps4-xbox-one-pc-announced TorontoGameDevs.com is partially fan funded, so check out www.patreon.com/torontogamedevs
Just a reminder that Shoot Shoot Mega Pack by Actual Humans is now on Steam! We wrote about their multiplayer minimalist shooter here, Check out the trailer below, and you can follow Actual Humans on Twitter @Actual_Humans.
Shoot Shoot Mega Pack is a party game about rules, friendship, and also shooting. Coming to Steam April 27th 2017! Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/467470/ Website: http://ssmpgame.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/ssmpgame Twitter: http://twitter.com/ssmpgame
Another day, another video! Remember to subscribe!
Robot Unicorn Attack 3 is out, and PlayStation Plus games have been announced. Hooray! Here is your News Time Daily for April 27th. Robot Unicorn Attack 3: http://www.torontogamedevs.com/blog/robot-unicorn-attack-3-out-now-on-ios-and-android PlayStation Plus Games: https://blog.us.playstation.com/2017/04/26/ps-plus-free-games-for-may-2017/ Remember that TorontoGameDevs.com is fan funded, so check out our Patreon at www.patreon.com/torontogamedevs. And remember to like and subscribe!
For our Patreon's, we played some Overwatch - now available to everyone.
OverWatch has a PVE mode going on with Uprising going on, so we play a match to see what's it's all about. Is it still Chris' Game of the Year still? Is Steve starting to play more? Find out. Available to Patreon's for one week. Remember to subscribe and leave a comment!
Another day, another new video. Here you go!
Today we talk a bit about Shoot Shoot Mega Pack coming to Steam on April 27th, as well as the new Sonic Forces footage. SSMP: http://www.torontogamedevs.com/blog/shoot-shoot-mega-pack-coming-april-27th Sonic Forces: http://kotaku.com/green-hills-zones-looking-good-in-sonic-forces-1794635768 Remember that TorontoGameDevs.com is fan funded, so check out our Patreon at www.patreon.com/torontogamedevs. And remember to like and subscribe!
Canadian indie game studio Red Meat Games have released their episodic, narrative-driven audio game Project Dark on Steam and Nintendo Switch.
As part of the Mix Showcase last month, Toronto developer Kitten Cup Studio showed off some gameplay from their 2022 game Pekoe.
Quebec developer Norsfell have announced their 10-player co-op action-RPG Tribes of Midgard will be out on PlayStation, and Steam on July 27th - the game is also available for pre-order on both platforms.
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.
BOMBING!!: A Graffiti Sandbox, the graffiti sandbox simulation game from indie dev (and friend of the site) Devon Wiersma, is out now on Steam, and itch.io.
After launching on Steam last year, St Catharines based Rocketship Park will be porting their puzzle story-driven adventure game LOVE to Nintendo Switch “soon”.
PixelNAUTS Games, who last released Lost Orbit: Terminal Velocity on various platforms have released a new trailer for their upcoming space-racing brawler Rocket Rumble. You can wishlist the game on Steam right now which is scheduled for sometime this year.
Mad Devils, the twin-stick shooter from Itzy Interactive got a new gameplay trailer ahead of its May 10th release date. Mad Devils is an arcade co-op shooter set during World War 2 but has Allied special forces hunting down Nazi occultists resurrected as demons
Toronto developed Lighting Rod Games took to their FaceBook page to showcase the first little bit of A Fold Apart, or at least some experiments with the gameplay elements.
A Fold Apart tells the story of a long distance relationship, using a folding paper mechanic to solve puzzles. You can check out the video below:
Make sure to check out their FaceBook page, and follow them on Twitter. They also do a lot of great work at the GameDev Cafe interviewing developers about developing games.
Trying out something new for our YouTube page - quick news! 3-4 times a week I'll do short 1-2 minute videos on something going on in Toronto, and elsewhere. This week we talk a bit about N++ and Overwatch. Remember to subscribe!
A new show here at TorontoGameDevs.com - News Time Daily (I'm terrible with names). Quick 1-2 minute videos just giving you a glimpse of the news happening in Toronto, and elsewhere. This week: N++ Ultimate Edition: http://www.torontogamedevs.com/blog/n-ultimate-edition-out-now-on-steam-coming-soon-to-ps4 Overwatch Getting 3 New Maps: http://ca.ign.com/articles/2017/04/24/overwatch-three-new-maps-in-the-works Remember that TorontoGameDevs.com is fan funded, so check out our Patreon.
Actual Humans' upcoming multiplayer minimalist shooter SSMP (Shoot Shoot Mega Pack) has been given a release date, and players can expect the game April 27th on Steam.
In Shoot Shoot Mega Pack you and up to three friends can duke it out head-to-head in any of four 2D shooters, each one focusing on its own core mechanic! Push each other into walls that expand with every shot in zoom, thrust and shoot together in sync, avoid a barrage of black holes in void, or carefully try to find your invisible friends before they find you in fade!
For the tinkerers out there, mix and match rules however you want in custom mode! Try 'em once or mark them as your faves and come back to them whenever you want! Finding all these options too overwhelming? Don't worry, we've got you covered! Take a load off and let the party gods choose for you in party mode or take your chances with an endless stream of randomly generated rulesets in chaos mode!
Shoot Shoot Mega Pack is a party game about rules, friendship, and also shooting. Coming to Steam April 27th 2017! Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/467470/ Website: http://ssmpgame.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/ssmpgame Twitter: http://twitter.com/ssmpgame
Shoot Shoot Mega Pack - April 27th on #Steam #HumbleStore and #Itchio
— Actual Humans (@actual_humans) April 20, 2017
TRAILER: https://t.co/o0hJ9Xy8vD
STEAM PAGE: https://t.co/seacqlErXv pic.twitter.com/7mYRl1fEAy
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.
As previously announced late last year, the free update to N++ labeled the "Ultimate Edition" is out now on Steam, and will be coming soon to PlayStation 4. The update is a huge content boost to the ninja platformer, doubling the available levels to the game and also provides a new "Hardcore" mode.
"Hardcore was designed for fans and especially highscore competitions -- in contrast to the regular Solo mode, in Hardcore the clock is always ticking and every death counts."
The World's Best Platformer Just Got Better. Buy N PLUS PLUS (N++) now on Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/230270 Click SHOW MORE to see details: N++ is a fast-paced, momentum-based platformer where you get to play as a badass parkour-loving ninja, narrowly escaping enemies and collecting gold in sci-fi landscapes. What's new in the Ultimate Edition?
You can pick up N++ on Steam right now which is enjoying a 50% discount at the time of writing - the Ultimate Edition comes with the base game now. The update will hit PlayStation 4 "soon".
The N++ Ultimate Edition is out now on Steam, coming soon to PS4. It's a huge, free update packed full of awesome! https://t.co/WRS8kLihbf pic.twitter.com/2ax4k0oiLg
— Metanet Software (@metanetsoftware) April 21, 2017
While it is certainly fun for a while, it suffers from the same problem other mobile games on Steam do: Cube Samurai: RUN!’s price tag of $5:49 feels a little steep for the amount of time you might ultimately get from it, so I’d recommend installing the mobile version and giving it a go on the commute to work or on the toilet and see if it’s the sort of experience you’d enjoy on the PC. This aside, it certainly does seems like it would make for an equally fun mobile experience, but it doesn’t do anything exceptionally different than what most people have seen in an infinite runner before.
Overall, Kapsul Infinite’s $4.49 price point on Steam doesn’t quite feel worth it to me. There simply isn’t enough to keep me invested in the gameplay for very long, and without any integration of achievements or leaderboards of any kind it just falls a little flat. It is, however, a game that would be perfect for a mobile device where one play session consists of a few levels on the bus or while waiting out an unpleasant family reunion on the toilet. While the PC is not the platform to play it on, I’d definitely recommend giving it a try on mobile devices.
We live in an age where it’s easy to get bogged down in new features, and developers often seem to push for complex mechanic after complex mechanic. N++, however, sends itself off with a warm reminder that the series has always been created around one sole value: fun.
Despite flaws such as these, I honestly do myself blown away by the potential the game has down the road. It features a robust level editing tool that allows for the creation of scenarios and huge, complex maps. It has Steam Workshop support for user-generated content and (if the patch notes and Longbow Game's Facebook page are any indication) it's still being improved and updated tirelessly by the team at Longbow so many issues described here could very well be patched and improved in future updates.
Alone With You gives you an exceptional story about love, and loneliness, with gameplay that gives you a little more than your traditional visual novel.
There was once a girl named Cally, who was an ordinary girl who lived an ordinary life. One day she found her parents kidnapped by Herbert, a mad scientist seeking revenge for a tragic past. Cally, deciding it was in her best interests to not have her parents in distress and doing what any respectable young woman would do in this situation, grabbed her semi-automatic pistol and medieval bastard sword and made chase, filling anything that got in her way full of lead before tearing it asunder.
Lost Orbit is a 2D top down, action-arcade game with a focus on quick reflexes and the age-old struggle to beat a stage faster than you did two minutes ago. It features a time trial mode devoted to achieving exactly that speedy time as well as a campaign mode geared towards a more laid back experience for casual players.
Far Cry Primal has players controlling Takkar, a Wenja tribesman who is stranded in the fictitious world of Oros. The story comes down to pretty much "I hate that other tribe, so let's go kill them" but over the course of 20 or so hours players will hunt and control animals, craft and improve weapons, and gather your people to rebuild the Wenja tribe.
Valley by Blue Isle Studios is now 60% off on Steam.
Start your week off right by purchasing Valley for 60% off on Steam! See if our concept art resembles the real deal https://t.co/cdpIa8ZkE3 pic.twitter.com/BDD9GZxpar
— Blue Isle Studios (@BlueIsleStudio) April 10, 2017
Canadian indie game studio Red Meat Games have released their episodic, narrative-driven audio game Project Dark on Steam and Nintendo Switch.
As part of the Mix Showcase last month, Toronto developer Kitten Cup Studio showed off some gameplay from their 2022 game Pekoe.
Quebec developer Norsfell have announced their 10-player co-op action-RPG Tribes of Midgard will be out on PlayStation, and Steam on July 27th - the game is also available for pre-order on both platforms.
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.
BOMBING!!: A Graffiti Sandbox, the graffiti sandbox simulation game from indie dev (and friend of the site) Devon Wiersma, is out now on Steam, and itch.io.
After launching on Steam last year, St Catharines based Rocketship Park will be porting their puzzle story-driven adventure game LOVE to Nintendo Switch “soon”.
PixelNAUTS Games, who last released Lost Orbit: Terminal Velocity on various platforms have released a new trailer for their upcoming space-racing brawler Rocket Rumble. You can wishlist the game on Steam right now which is scheduled for sometime this year.
Mad Devils, the twin-stick shooter from Itzy Interactive got a new gameplay trailer ahead of its May 10th release date. Mad Devils is an arcade co-op shooter set during World War 2 but has Allied special forces hunting down Nazi occultists resurrected as demons
LevelUP TO, the student game development competition has announced the winners for the 2017 showcase, which took place last night. Our friends over at Ubisoft Toronto tweeted them our last night and here they are!
Audience Choice Award:
Best Technical Innovation:
Best Artistic Achievement:
Best Overall Game:
@5HorsemenGames took home first place for @LevelUpTO 's People's choice award tonight! Big thanks to everyone who played and voted! 🐻🌿 pic.twitter.com/8CZTNo8uoW
— 5 Horsemen Games (@5HorsemenGames) April 6, 2017
Wow, what a groovy night! Thank you @AMDGaming @UbisoftToronto @ukengames & @LevelUpTO for an amazing night! Forever @sheridancollege pride! pic.twitter.com/cFwz0qBgoH
— Disco is Dead! (@DiscoIsDeadGame) April 6, 2017
Congrats to Disco is Dead for taking home three of the four awards, including Game Of The Show, and Unspokin for grabbing the Audience Choice. Sherdian College walked away with most nominations from the games you see above. You can find out more about both of those games in our interviews we did last week:
5 Horeseman Games (Unspokin) Interview
Congrats to everyone who got to show off their games! We'll see you at LevelUP TO next year!
Funny party game Use Your Words is officially out now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam. Use Your Words is developed by Toronto based Smiling Buddha Games, and has players playing a variety of minigames using their smart phones, or tablets. You can check out the official trailer below, the game is also expected to hit Wii U "soon".
Coming Spring 2017, it's Use Your Words! The party game for funny people and their unfunny friends! Get more info at http://useyourwords.lol Pre-order it for Steam at https://store.useyourwordsgame.com Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/useyourwords And like us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/useyourwordsgameSBG
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.
Dashy Square, the endless rhythm-runner from Toronto developer Kas is officially out on iOS, Android, and Steam. The full version (2.0) now includes a level editor, which lets you create, and share levels.
Dash, jump and fly your way through epic levels with rhythm-based gameplay! Create, share and play custom levels with a wide variety of music soundtracks.
Simple one click gameplay, easy to pick up but hard to master!'
You can check out the trailer below, and download the game on iOS, Android, and Steam.
After 2 years! The full version with the Level Editor is out on iOS and Android! Play iOS ➡ https://goo.gl/W5D2mh Play Android ➡ https://goo.gl/zzk4fX Play Steam (PC) ➡ https://goo.gl/8oVFKy Thank-you so much for all the support, thank-you so much for playing! Much, much to come! Only the beginning of something truly amazing!
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.
