Reporting on the games made in Canada and the creators behind them
We did it! At the time of writing, there is 24 hours left in the Kickstarter for Fossil Hunters and they have gotten to $35199 of their $35000 goal. Reptoid Games also announced that their game will be coming to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One along with the original Steam release. The Kickstarter has an "estimated delivery date" of March 2018.
BIG NEWS! #FossilHunters is officially coming to @PlayStation. Check out the update on our Kickstarter page here: https://t.co/SJvcJrZMNw
— Reptoid Games (@ReptoidGames) September 25, 2017
MORE BIG NEWS! #FossilHunters is officially confirmed on Xbox One and Nintendo Switch! We're so excited!! https://t.co/CvehWKHrRc
— Reptoid Games (@ReptoidGames) September 26, 2017
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.
We've known about A Mortician's Tale for a while, in fact, half of Laundry Bear Games Gabby DaRienzo was on the podcast at one point. Now it looks like the death positive game will be released next month on October 18th.
You can check out a sympnosis below, as well as a trailer and screenshots. Make sure to add the game to your wishlist on Steam and see you October 18th!
A Mortician's Tale is a narrative-driven death positive video game where you play as a mortician tasked with running a funeral home. Take on the role of recent funeral direction graduate Charlie as she learns the ropes of the business and industry. Prepare the cadavers of the deceased (via embalming or cremation), attend their funerals and listen to their loved ones' stories, and interact with Charlie's coworkers, clients, and bosses. A Mortician's Tale is an informative, honest, and sometimes humorous look at the current state of and the future of the western death industry.
A Mortician's Tale is coming OCTOBER 18, 2017 for PC/Mac (Steam, Humble, itch.io)! 🖤 About the Game: A Mortician's Tale is a narrative-driven death positive video game where you play as a mortician tasked with running a funeral home. Take on the role of recent funeral direction graduate Charlie as she learns the ropes of the business and industry.
Digital Extremes recently announced a huge expansion to their free-to-play game Warframe, and they recently shown 22 minutes of new gameplay from The Plains of Eidolon which you can check out below.
Watch as we battle a MASSIVE Eidolon and take down Grineer encampments in 22 minutes of NEW Plains of Eidolon footage! The Plains of Eidolon update arrives in Warframe in 2017. https://www.warframe.com
London, Ontario-based Tencent subsidiary Digital Extremes has announced that their almost decade-old F2P online action RPG Warframe now supports crossplay across PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch.
London, Ontario-based Digital Extremes (@DigitalExtremes) has made their free-to-play, third-person action shooter Warframe (@PlayWarframe) available now on the Epic Game Store with a bundle that adds items from the Unreal franchise.
Phantom Compass, the creators behind Rollers of the Realm have released their latest game, Auto Age: Standoff, on Steam this past week. Auto Age is a car combat game taking place in the future, but with a 1980's style to it:
"Choose your side and speed full throttle into a deadly game of ruthless car combat soaked in '80s Saturday morning cartoon style. Will you rally behind SAIGE and Val Vega to fight for a better future, or seek total domination with the evil Dark Jaw and his ragtag Jawlings?
Hurl headlong into the chaos of twelve-player online combat, buckle up for classic couch co-op, or even do both. With Auto Age: Standoff's versatile split-screen play, you and three other friends can skirmish privately or team up together in online battles."
You can pick up Auto Age: Standoff on Steam right now, which has a 20% launch discount as well.
The retro-future world of AUTO AGE: STANDOFF comes to life in this animated, voice-acted story trailer. Team up, gear up, roll out! http://store.steampowered.com/app/458680/Auto_Age_Standoff/
Toronto & St. Catharines-based developer Phantom Compass has released a LAN-supported version of their 2017-multiplayer racer Auto Age: Standoff as the game is “effectively delisted” from Steam.
Phantom Compass delighted us on a Sunday evening with some more multiplayer footage, and developer commentary for their upcoming game Auto Age: Standoff.
Our good friends at Oddbird Studios have released their first title, Arrow Heads on Steam. Arrow Heads is a multiplayer arrow shooting game, where you can play locally or online - and right now it's enjoying a 20% launch discount. So check it out on Steam.
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.
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.
It sort of got leaked before, but now it's official - Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime will be coming to Nintendo Switch October 3rd, 2017.
Coming to Nintendo Switch on October 3, 2017 Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a frantic 1-4 player couch co-op action game. Explore a colourful galaxy in a massive neon battleship that you control together by manning turrets, lasers, shields and thrusters.
Spread the love and share the Joy-Cons! LOVERS IN A DANGEROUS SPACETIME launches on Nintendo Switch on October 3! pic.twitter.com/luvbbyG1hY
— Asteroid Base (@AsteroidBase) September 20, 2017
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is currently avaliable on Steam, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One - but the developers said in a tweet: "Since the #NintendoSwitch reveal we knew it was the perfect platform for LOVERS. We're super excited to finally share it with you all!"
Based on the trailer and gif, it does appear it will contain the 4-player update. It will be out on October 3rd.
Cat couple owner slash game dev studio Max Inferno announced a 2nd DLC pack for their tidy puzzler.
Halifax-based devs Max Inferno have released Cupboards & Drawers DLC for their 2022 puzzler A Little to the Left.
Vancouver-based indie powerhouse Brace Yourself Games (@BYG_Vancouver) announced their upcoming rhythm game spinoff will be released on Nintendo Switch as well as Steam.
Kitchener-based indie studio Fluxscopic have released their 2021 puzzle-loaded action adventure game Mayhem in Single Valley on consoles.
Toronto-based indie powerhouse Vagabond Dog is releasing a physical copy of their cult classic 2014 RPG maker title Always Sometimes Monsters in partnership with Limited Run Games.
Cuphead is celebrating its initial launch on PC and Xbox One 5 years ago today, September 29, with the announcement of a physical copy of the game coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Switch.
Vancouver-based Next Level Games are releasing a 2nd free content update for their wacky sports game released earlier this year, published by Nintendo.
Vancouver-based live service game devs Phoenix Labs (@PhoenixLabs), best known for Dauntless, have announced their new project Fae Farm (@fae_farm) in today’s Nintendo Direct- which will launch exclusively on Switch in Spring 2023.
Halifax-based indie dev @dicey announced in today’s Nintendo Direct that TUNIC (@tunicgame), his action adventure about a tiny fox in a big world, is coming to Nintendo Switch at the end of this month.
There’s a new physical edition (including a collector’s edition version) for Toronto-based Adam Robinson-Yu (@adamgryu)’s delightful 2019 park-platformer A Short Hike.
Maize came out recently on PlayStation 4, and Xbox, so we played a bit.
Maize came out for PS4 and I play the first 15 minutes.
No one is safe from Runbow. 13AM Games announced today via Twitter that "by popular demand" Runbow will be coming to Nintendo Switch in 2018.
Well folks, by popular demand, #Runbow is coming to #NintendoSwitch in 2018! Debuting at #TGS2017! :D pic.twitter.com/ZLSZK4MvcI
— 13AM Games (@13amgames) September 14, 2017
13AM Games recently announced a PlayStation 4 port, but the game is available on Wii U, Steam, 3DS, and Xbox One.
Toronto-based 13AM Games have announced a new paid expansion for their 2022 co-operative kaiju beat ‘em up Dawn of Monsters releasing in 2023.
Toronto-based 13AM Games have announced their side-scrolling, kaiju beat-'em-up game will be releasing on pretty much every platformer later this month on March 15th. Limited Run Games also has a physical edition for all platforms you can check out here.
Planet of the Eyes came out on PS4 the other day, and I streamed it. Forgetting that Youtube saves these Streams, it's now avaliable for your viewing pleasure.
I decided to Stream Planet of the Eyes so I did, bonus cat and dog in the camera
“Maize is a first-person adventure game about what happens when two scientists misinterpret a memo from the U.S. Government and create sentient corn. And that last sentence is pretty much the least ridiculous thing about the game.
Explore an abandoned farm and a not-so-abandoned underground research facility as you uncover the mysteries around Maize, and possibly learn a bit about yourself along the way. Or maybe not.
With a colourful cast of characters and an absolutely absurd world, Maize offers up a unique experience that keeps the surprises coming. Seriously, they’re everywhere.”
Maize is OUT NOW for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One! Please enjoy our launch trailer. NOTE: Finish Line Games will not be held responsible for any misunderstandings involving the viewer and any ears of corn he/she/they may encounter in real life after viewing this trailer.
Planet of the Eyes by Cococucumber is now available on Xbox One and PS4. This retro puzzle game was previously available only on Steam and was released on August 24, 2015. For those of you who haven't played it, it is about a robot who is stranded on a planet, and it has really great visuals and music.
Planet of the Eyes was a finalist for "Best indie Game" at the Canadian Videogame Awards. There is a 20% off sale until September 26.
Atmospheric narrative platformer Planet of the Eyes is coming to PS4 and Xbox One Sept 12, 2017. A finalist for "Best Indie Game" at the Canadian Videogame Awards, Planet of the Eyes tells the tale of a service robot stranded on a mysterious planet.
Check out the new Psychosis trailer for Debris which dropped a few days ago. You can also add the game to your Steam wishlist here. Debris is out next month.
"Debris is an atmospheric single-player/co-op adventure game set in beautifully dangerous underwater ice caves. You must find a way back to the surface, but power is scarce, your team is lost and unusual creatures lurk in the darkness."
Debris is an atmospheric single-player/co-op adventure game set in beautifully dangerous underwater ice caves. You must find a way back to the surface, but power is scarce, your team is lost and unusual creatures lurk in the darkness. Debris is coming to Steam October, 2017 for PC and Mac.
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.
Runbow, and all its multiplayer madness, is finally coming to PlayStation 4! With tons of competitive modes for up to nine players online and four players locally and a massive Single Player Adventure, Runbow is the crazy, colour-based platformer you've been waiting for.
ANNOUNCEMENT!: #Runbow will be coming to #Playstation4 this year worldwide! Thanks to @HeadupGames @RainyFrogGames and @stagecs! #PS4 #indie pic.twitter.com/GbbgqOa0bT
— 13AM Games (@13amgames) September 7, 2017
"No amount of great animation will save a bad story.
John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer at Pixar
As a '90s kid, growing up with the Nintendo 64 encompassed a fountain of endless fun and impeccable classics. Super Mario 64, Legend of Zelda, Super Smash Brothers and much more! However, as time progressed, the video game industry changed its focus to immersive storytelling. This paradigm shift begs the question: Do video games make the story or does the story make the video game?
Let's look at Naughty Dog, the lucrative company that prides itself on character-driven narrative with the Uncharted series and The Last of Us. Their studio philosophy and award winning titles redefined the emotional connection gamers have with their characters, while aiming to set the narrative gold standard. "I want studios that make story-based games to start taking their stories more seriously...[with] an in-house writer that sits next to the designer, helping them make their levels," Neil Druckmann beckons. While this meticulous standpoint cemented Naughty Dog's legacy in the industry, other companies etched their name in a different way.
Arguably, Nintendo is the root of the video game tree. Its mega influence stretches worldwide and at the forefront of that triumph is the Mario franchise. Despite its earth-shattering sales, it’s unlikely that the average gamer recognizes the Mario series based on its storytelling. Getting entangled with the enthralling Super Mario 64 levels overshadowed the basic goal of rescuing Peach, who happened to make a delicious cake and left it at the castle. I highly doubt gamers mouths’ watered as they heroically strived to obtain that cake with every collected star, ability cap and crushed Goomba. In this case, Nintendo laser focused on memorable gameplay, not memorable storytelling. "Video games are meant to be just one thing. Fun. Fun for everyone," Satoru Iwata proclaimed. Even though you weren't hanging on the edge of your seat anticipating the flavour of the cake, Super Mario 64 embodied the fun factor.
So, is storytelling necessary for video games? It depends on how you view gaming in general. If you're someone who casually pops in a disk or cartridge to have a good time, then gameplay would probably take precedence instead of storytelling. However, if you look at gaming as an immersive, cinematic experience, then scout out story-driven games.
Play the story or let the story play you.
About the Author
As a local GTA resident, Mohammed Maxwel Hasan enjoys the treasure trove of effective storytelling in a variety of contexts. Starting with the N64, he found gems within the video game world and looks forward to what the future brings. For storytelling in video games, feedback on this article, or just want to connect, you can directly email him mohammedmaxwel@gmail.com or visit his website https://maxwel92.wixsite.com/mohammedmaxwelhasan.
Along with Brian Yoon the other day, Antonio Miceli from Mega Power Games got to try out some games at the recent Bit Bazaar last week, as well as Gaming Garage at CNE. He was kind enough to write up some thoughts on the recent event. While reading his thoughts make sure to check out Shift from Mega Power Games.
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On the weekend of August 25-27 I had the opportunity to participate in the first edition of the
CNE Gaming Garage (CNEGG) and Bit Bazaar. Here of some of the highlights of the weekend:
PINBALL-MANIA
From the moment you walk through the doors of the CNE Gaming Garage, you are greeted with
the clacks and dings of modern and restored pinball machines. There were approximately 15-20
machines set up for free play where anyone could hop on a machine and go to town. On the
Friday and Saturday there were qualifiers for a pinball tournament (the CNEPC 2017, run by the
Toronto Pinball League). As someone who had never participated in a pinball tournament
before, my results were expected (I stunk up the joint). My favourite pinball machine was one of
the oldest: a machine called Jungle Queen where I posted my best individual result.
Tabletop
In one corner of the Garage there was an area where CNE goers could sit down, grab a board
game and play.
There were also vendors selling board games in booths nearby. I was lucky enough to have
time to play Uncaged: World Warriors, an MMA deck building game from ZeMind Games. As an
MMA fan I was pleased to see a board game encapsulate the strategy one would use in an
MMA fight.
Northern Arena
A large part of the Gaming Garage was devoted to esports and VR, all run by Northern Arena.
This was arguably one of the most popular fixtures inside the garage, as there were consistent
lineups to play VR games, as well as esports games finals being broadcast on the mainstage.
Bit Bazaar
Garage goers would have noticed a long line of tables along the side with games on display that
they may have never heard of before. The Bit Bazaar has been running since 2013, and thanks
to assistance from the Ontario Media Development Corporation, Gamma Space TO managed to
secure some table space to host their eighth edition of the event. Here are only a small subset
of games that you would have found at the event (and that I had a chance to play):
Way Of the Passive Fist - Household Games
This was one of the games that I was looking forward to playing. The artstyle evokes classic
games made in the 90s, but the strategy that you need in this tactical brawler definitely lives up to the standards of today’s modern games. HH Games built a custom arcade machine to show
off at the CNEGG on the Friday and Saturday before packing the machine up and driving across
the continent for PAX.
Tribes of Teldar - Boat Rocker Games
A free mobile turn based strategy game, Tribes of Teldar is a board capture game which is
reminiscent (at least to me) to Go...if each Go piece had a warrior on it that could directly fight
other warriors. The art style is fantastic, the gameplay is easy to pick up, and there’s a lot of
replay value.
Block Droppin’ - Rocketship Park
I read about this game before the CNE Gaming Garage started, and the style intrigued me.
Turns out the gameplay is just as fun as the game looks. Released last week, Block Droppin’ is
a puzzle game where the board is divided into two halves. In the top half, players slide colored
blocks to create shapes by matching colors. Once created, those shapes drop into a grid below
where they’ll need to complete horizontal lines to score points. The game plays smooth, and is
something I could easily see myself playing everyday (if I had an IPhone that is).
Dungeon Crew - Clockwork Kraken
Don’t be fooled by the game’s artstyle. While gorgeous and kid friendly, this demo packs a lot of
tactical elements. The game is level based where you take four warriors out into the battlefield
to battle waves of enemies. Unlike in Final Fantasy where your warriors are stationary and
susceptible to damage, this game allows you to dynamically switch your warriors to adjust
depending what appears in the enemy lanes. The boys at Clockwork Kraken were looking for
feedback for their game all weekend, and from what I can see, the game looks absolutely
promising. Watch out for the the finished product, folks.
Breakforcist - Lucid Sheep Games x Pete Ellison
Breakforcist is the most adorable brick breaker game I have ever played. As waffles fall from the
sky, you need to bat the ball to break them and earn points before they hit the bottom of the
screen. The game made me happy, as well as hungry. If you seek out this game, give it a whirl.
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Thanks again to Antonio and Brian for writing up some things about the Gaming Garage/Bit Bazaar since I couldn't make it out!
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...”