Reporting on the games made in Canada and the creators behind them
Our friends at Galactic Thumb have released Cuzzle, now available free on iOS. From Galactic Thumb:
“Cuzzle is a Sokoban style puzzle game. Get all the white blocks in position to unlock the portal. 4 unique stages each introducing a new mechanic.
Features: • Undo move button • 90 complex levels • Calming music • Minimalistic aesthetics • Leaderboards • Haptic Feedback for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus”
Check out the trailer below, and download free today.
https://itunes.apple.com/app/cuzzle/id1185407542 Cuzzle is a Sokoban style puzzle game. Get all the white blocks in position to unlock the portal. 4 unique stages each introducing a new mechanic.
To celebrate the launch of the Level Editor, @KasSanity has made Dashy Square free on iOS and Android. You can check out the trailer, and links to download below.
The full version of Dashy Square is currently absolutely FREE for mobile (iOS and Android) for 1 Week! I know there are people that cannot afford the game ... so here it is! =) PLEASE leave a rating/review! It actually helps a lot!
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.
They teased a surprise for us, and delivered what looks to be a kids first step into the gaming world of SimCity. Developer Sago Mini announced Sago Mini Town, which is pegged as the developers "most inventive app yet" will release on April 13th:
"Calling all city builders and storytellers! Build your own island town by swapping, dropping, placing and playing with dozens of animated story tiles – including roads, houses, shops and visits from your favourite Sago Mini friends. Try to find the volcano, the pizza shop, or the mayor! There's no limit to what your imagination can create."
Coming April 13th! Calling all city builders and storytellers! Build your own island town by swapping, dropping, placing and playing with dozens of animated story tiles - including roads, houses, shops and visits from your favourite Sago Mini friends. Try to find the volcano, the pizza shop, or the mayor!
Sago even mentioned some of their Toronto roots seeping into the new app.
🏙 Our upcoming app was inspired by both the big town we're located in (Toronto, Canada) and the small towns many of us grew up in! 🏡 pic.twitter.com/6zSd8nuB5C
— Sago Mini (@sagomini) April 5, 2017
I recently met with Alessandro Profenna, a Ryerson Unversity student pursuing a BSc in Computer Science. He will be participating in LevelUP TO this year, and we talked a bit about his work and his game, COLHEX, that he will showcase.
TGD: Thank you for meeting with me here. Tell me a little bit about yourself.
Alessandro Profenna: I’m a third year student at Ryerson University pursuing a BSc in Computer Science. I’ve enjoyed math and art since I was a young child, with an initial interest in studying Architecture. After a year in the program, I discovered LevelUP online, which is what made me want to switch to Computer Science. I love art and design, and some of my favourite game series are Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy. The gameplay in these titles is flashy and beautiful. For example, the visuals of shooting a spell make it more satisfying to play.
TGD: Wow, so LevelUP inspired you to switch programs?
A.P: Yes, it definitely helped with my decision. I knew that a degree in Computer Science would give me the skills necessary to pursue game programming and design. Architecture and game development actually have a lot in common. They are very similar in the design process, keeping a strong emphasis not only on engineering and functionality, but also on aesthetics.
TGD: You have a few games that you’ve made. You already have a game available on iOS, Infinity Wheel, and you participated in LevelUP TO last year with SHATTERFALL.
A.P: Yes, I started making iOS games and learned SpriteKit. Through this I created Infinity Wheel, and released it in November 2015. In the game, your press and hold the screen to move the wheel faster and guide the ball through the obstacles.
TGD: How was your experience at LevelUP last year? Where did you get the idea for SHATTERFALL?
A.P: I came up with it in the shower (laughs). It was inspired by one of the mini games in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. SHATTERFALL is a multiplayer game where you shoot shockwaves through the floor and try to make your opponents fall. I worked on it with a friend, Dennis Plotnik. I learned Unity while making this game. It was very well received at LevelUP. The event is great because you get hundreds, if not thousands of people testing your game and giving great feedback.
TGD: What are you most excited to show about COLHEX?
A.P: There are real time aspects to this game. You’re not confined to the software of the game; your physical environment is part of it too. When you’re playing, another player’s hand can get in the way and how your hand is placed will affect your outcome. Also, I find that that seeing a quick pulse expand on screen from the tip of your finger is extremely satisfying.
TGD: You’re in third year now at Ryerson University in Computer Science. Where do you see yourself in the future?
A.P: It’s a journey finding where you want to put your energy and focus. Computer Science is a large industry, I thought about app development, about artificial intelligence. I like making games and making them look good. I would love to work in the gaming industry. For now, I plan on focusing on learning more about graphics, Unity, and C++.
TGD: Thanks again for meeting. Best of luck!
You can check out the trailer for COLHEX below.
COLHEX is an iOS arcade game that can be played on an iPhone or iPad with up to 6 players locally! Each player chooses one of 6 colours to play as. The game field is a matrix of hexagons, where the goal is claim as many hexagons with your colour in 30 seconds!
Friend of the site Jim Squires, and indie developer (and Toronto Blue Jay fan) Shane McCafferty announced this morning the creation of their new studio: Rocketship Parkl According to the press release (which you can see below), Rocketship Park will focus on creating emotional experiences "that best reflect the team's unique design philosophy."
The studio's first title, Block Droppin', will be a puzzle game about "discovery, assembly, and organization" and be released on iPhone and iPad. For more, make sure to follow them on Twitter, FaceBook, and Instagram!
Press Release follows:
St. Catharines, Canada – 29 March 2017 – After several years of successful collaborations in different mediums, games industry veterans Shane McCafferty and Jim Squires today revealed the launch of Rocketship Park, a new games development studio based in the heart of Niagara. Shane and Jim bring with them a combined 20 years of experience in the industry. Shane has previously led development on a variety of hit games including Starseed: Origin, Crobble, and Word Forward, accruing more than six million downloads across a number of projects. Jim brings a wealth of experience from his work as a consultant, journalist, public relations specialist and entrepreneur.
Rocketship Park is just one of a growing number of game development studios in the Niagara Region, joining the ranks of Phantom Compass, PixelNAUTS, Creative Bytes and Falling Squirrel as a games company that calls St. Catharines home. “Being so close to Toronto, it’s all too easy to feel like we’re in the shadow of greater things,” says co-founder Jim Squires. “But that’s nonsense. While we’re proud to be a part of Toronto’s extended gaming family, the St. Catharines / Niagara area is booming with great talent and we’re honored to stand alongside them.”
Prior to the formation of Rocketship Park, Jim and Shane have collaborated on a number of projects including the Apple-featured 2016 word game AlphaPit and the weekly mobile gaming podcast The Elephant & The Irishman. The pair first met in 2015 at Cowork Niagara, a local coworking space that served as an accidental incubator for the company, taking Shane and Jim from freelancers to founders.
Rocketship Park will be focused on the creation of emotive experiences that best reflect the team’s unique design philosophy. “When you’re creating a game, you’re also creating an emotion within the player,” says Shane. “All too often, that emotion is either an afterthought or abandoned completely in the design process. At Rocketship Park our process starts with the feeling we want to create, and that feeling informs every decision we make.”
The studio will be revealing details about their first release, Block Droppin’, in the coming weeks, and has a number of other projects in development. Block Droppin’ will be a frenzied puzzle game about discovery, assembly, and organization for the iPhone and iPad. To learn more about Rocketship Park and to stay apprised of their activities, follow them on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and sign up for their newsletter at rocketshippark.com.
###
About Rocketship Park:
Rocketship Park is a digital design studio focused on creating unique, emotive games that eschew derivative design. Founded in early 2017 by industry veterans Shane McCafferty and Jim Squires, Rocketship Park has several projects currently in development and are actively seeking the right partners to help bring these experiences to market.
Capybara Games has announced that they are teaming up with Cartoon Network to create a console game based on the series "OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes." Ian Jones-Quartey created the short "Lakewood Plaza Turbo", and Cartoon Network released a mobile game (OK K.O.! Lakewood Plaza Turbo) for iOS and Android based on Jones-Quartey's shorts. Now Capybara Games will work to create a new console game.
“OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes is set in Lakewood Plaza, a mall for heroes, where K.O. and his kooky crew of friends are always working to outdo each other as they try to level up and thwart their evil foe Lord Boxman’s plot to destroy the plaza.”
Toronto-based CAPY Games continues to release updates for their matching hit 5 years after its Apple Arcade debut.
One of our favourites on iPhone, and Nintendo Switch is now heading to PC via the Epic Game Store. Grindstone, the Capybara Games hit also recently received a new Daily Grind mode and Fortune Grind on both Nintendo Switch and Apple Arcade, the Epic Game Store version is out tomorrow.
We’re a little late on this one, but Capybara’s mobile hit, Grindstone, is out now on Nintendo Switch.
Toronto-based Capybara Games (@CAPYGAMES) has released an update to their 2019 sword-slashing puzzle battle game Grindstone adding new levels, bosses, items and more.
As previously announced, Capybara’s roguelike Below has launched on PlayStation 4, while also enjoying a 10% launch discount. You can head over to the PlayStation Store right here to pick it up.
The studio co-founder is leaving after 16 years of making indie games with the Toronto-based studio.
"Rima: The Story Begins" is a modern 2D platform game developed by UP Entertainment Ltd. It consists of many supernatural characters including: Rima, a small mutant blue-green algae; Razgon, a giant dragon and the main antagonist; and Ilathen, the Goddess of Ila. Rima is tasked with restoring major elements to bring life back to the land as the land has been seized by Shadow. Check out some screenshots below.
“In this humor-filled adventure game, the player controls Rima, a small mutant blue-green algae in cyan who is on a mission to save his homeland seized by Shadow. Rima has the ability to run and jump but needs to learn a lot more as he interacts with his environment. The player helps Rima to collect new abilities, Life Plants and upgrades as he jumps from different platforms and solves various puzzles.”
“Rima: The Story Begins" will be available on the App Store and Google Play this summer, with a planned Steam, PlayStation, and Windows Store release in the Winter. If you want to keep up to date, you can follow them on Instagram @u.p.entertainment
Hey everyone, I downloaded Float on iOS and wanted to share some quick thoughts. Don't forget to subscribe to TorontoGameDevs on YouTube.
Heather from TorontoGameDevs.com downloaded Float from Galactic Thumb and wanted to give her thoughts on the indie game. 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
Our friends at GalacticThumb have released Float on iOS. In Float, you tap around the flower to move it through various obstacles, and it can be quite challenging. Each level has different aesthetics and music and I am really enjoying it.
Float is a beautifully crafted game that offers calming and meditative yet challenging gameplay, with unique aesthetics and music for each stage. In Float you have to tap around the flower to maneuver it through obstacles. The closer you tap the further the flower moves.
Illumination Games is releasing Bee Odyssey, officially launching on March 28, 2017 on iOS and Android. They created a fun and educational game for all ages. Check out some screenshots and an updated gameplay trailer below.
“We are a game development studio that has partnered up with the Canada Agriculture & Food Museum to create Bee Odyssey, a fun all-ages mobile game that educates players about bees and their importance to our survival. Our intention is to create a mobile experience which draws attention to the risks and lives of honey bees. The game features real food sources, predators, hazards and environments which Honey Bees encounter (in the North East) and a field guide which includes additional reference information.”
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.illuminationgames.beeodyssey App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bee-odyssey/id1120206404?ls=1&mt=8 Fly and survive through the beautiful adventure game, Bee Odyssey. Experience the story of a lost bee trying to find her missing hive. Pollinate flowers, navigate obstacle-filled paths, and evade predators and pesticides. This game features the plants, predators and wildlife that the common honeybee would encounter in a northern climate.
You can follow Illumination games for updates on their social media pages:
A game that has pretty much taken over most of my evenings was released on iOS and Android a few weeks back. Kings of Pool from our friends at Uken Games is a free to play billiard game that lets players create their own club and battle others online (make sure to join the TorontoGameDevs group!). You can download the game for free on iOS here, and Android here. Follow them on FaceBook is stay up to date on everything involving the game.
Canadian indie game studio Red Meat Games have released their episodic, narrative-driven audio game Project Dark on Steam and Nintendo Switch.
Kitfox will be publishing the sequel to 2018’s well-received strategy sim Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind.
Montréal-based indie studio KO_OP (@KOOPMode) has released Winding Worlds today on Apple Arcade, a “finger-wiggling puzzle-adventure about a girl, a worm, and goodbyes.”
M5 Games’ 16-bit mash-em-up platformer is coming to a mobile device near you next month.
If you're a fan of Dungeons and Dragons or other paper based RPG's you'll want to check out Chat & Slash, a Slack RPG that is currently going through its beta.
If you aren't familiar with Slack, it's a messenger system used by businesses to connect teams and employees (similar to a profession Skype/MSN messenger). Friend of the site Dan Hulton used its API to create a paper and pen RPG - which you can sign up for right here. Slack has apps for PC and Mac, as well as on mobile phones.
Chat & Slash is an old-school hack & slash RPG played using the Slack client with a highly customized bot. It's quite similar to MUDs of old, but controlled via buttons and slash-commands.
If interested, you can sign up right here, and check the dev log here. Make sure to also follow Dan on Twitter.
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.
To celebrate the second anniversary of Alto's Adventure, Snowman was kind enough to give us a Alto's Odyssey teaser trailer which you can check out below:
But ultimately, in these last two years, nothing has been more humbling for us than to see fans connect with Alto and friends the way they have. From kind emails and social media messages telling us how the game has helped people discover play, or cope with anxiety, to gorgeous fan art beyond our wildest expectations, your reaction has been the greatest gift of all.
Today, that celebration continues. Rather than look back, though, we think it’s time to look forward to the horizon. And to the odyssey that awaits.
Discover the secrets of the endless desert. Alto's Odyssey awaits, Summer 2017. Sign up to join the adventure at altosodyssey.com. Until then, follow along at: Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/altosadventure Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/altosadventure Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/altosadventure
The teaser trailer confirms what we've discussed on the podcast before, Alto's Odyssey is scheduled for release this summer. Along with Where Cards Fall coming in the Fall, players will have lots of Snowman content in the later half of the year.
Indie Dev Adam Stox reached out to me to let me know some of the games he's worked on, including Knot Fun. The free download, which is available on iOS and Android has surpassed over half a million downloads and has players untying knots. You can check out the video below, and make sure to follow Adam on Twitter.
Knot Fun! https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.StoxBox.KnotFun https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/knot-fun/id1156969087?mt=8
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.
![BeeOdyssey1[1].png](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5516beafe4b0c6d76a97bb4d/1490025762190-S453IV8BNSC152IEFSEZ/BeeOdyssey1%5B1%5D.png)
![BeeOdyssey2[1].png](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5516beafe4b0c6d76a97bb4d/1490025791086-0P4ITHACF9JIF01GG5C3/BeeOdyssey2%5B1%5D.png)
![BeeOdyssey3[1].png](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5516beafe4b0c6d76a97bb4d/1490025808681-DTOIKYOTE3T76MWA01O1/BeeOdyssey3%5B1%5D.png)
![BeeOdyssey4[1].png](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5516beafe4b0c6d76a97bb4d/1490025821351-8YSXJIUQ3H3U69A3HW49/BeeOdyssey4%5B1%5D.png)
![BeeOdyssey5[1].png](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5516beafe4b0c6d76a97bb4d/1490025847320-ROC3F5LTSNFCRRJWI7IZ/BeeOdyssey5%5B1%5D.png)
![BeeOdyssey6[1].png](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5516beafe4b0c6d76a97bb4d/1490025865778-BAV23EP505BZ8QQCVBAR/BeeOdyssey6%5B1%5D.png)
![Screenshot14[1].png](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5516beafe4b0c6d76a97bb4d/1490025878444-2491F8TRWQSQAOLPEE92/Screenshot14%5B1%5D.png)
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.