Finish Line Games Announces Maize For Steam - Coming This Fall

Having just released Cel Damage HD on Xbox One, Toronto developer Finish Line Games have announced Maize, a new first person adventure coming to Steam this Fall.  "Two scientists misinterpret a memo from the U.S. Government and create sentient corn."

Explore an abandoned farm and a not-so-abandoned underground research facility as you solve increasingly absurd environmental puzzles and uncover the mysteries around Maize, possibly learning a bit about yourself along the way. Or maybe not. You’ll definitely learn about talking corn, probably.

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. Maize will be released on PC via Steam in Fall 2016, just in time for harvest http://www.MaizeTheGame.com Maize © 2016 Finish Line Games Inc.

Make sure to check out the new website here, as well as follow Finish Line Games on Twitter and FaceBook. We'll have more on Maize as it becomes available.

Cally's Cave 2 Gets A Big Update On iOS And Android - Heading To Steam

London based developer VDO Games have announced a big free update has arrived to their mobile platform Cally's Cave 2.  The update brings the engine for Cally's Caves 3 to Cally's Caves 2 in addition to "a ton of improvements will come with it".  If you don't want to play the game on your Android, or iOS device, you're in luck - the indie developer also announced Cally's Cave 2 will be coming to Steam.

The developer is still busy away working on another title as well, which they've promised to have an update for us shortly.  Until then, follow the developer on Twitter!

Rhythm-Based Arcade Platformer Dashy Square Out Now On Steam

Toronto developer Kastriot Sulejmani had announced a Kickstarter for Dashy Square, and with the successful funding, the game is now out on Steam.

Dash, jump, fly and wave your way through epic levels with rhythm-based gameplay! Do you have what it takes? Follow the beat as you play levels or endless waves while staying in tune with the rhythm of each song. Join what could possibly be the impossible game to beat!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/461230/ The game is now on Steam omg omg omg!@#!@# XD Thank-you for everything guys - awesome feeling publishing on Steam. I am very grateful and will never take for granted how much this means to me. Thank-you for playing Dashy Square!

The game is only $3.29 on Steam, but can also be picked up on iOS, Android, and Windows Phone.  Make sure to also follow the developer on Twitter, and let him know what you think of the game.

Woolly Walrus Releases Quick Drop On iOS and Android

Having just released Block Swop on mobile phones, indie developer Woolly Warlus is at it again with Quick Drop.  The new free to play game Quick Drop is an elevator simulator game where you drop off passengers on different floors.  You can check out the trailer and screenshots below!

OUT NOW Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.woollywalrusgames.quickdrop&hl=en iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/quick-drop/id1101002375?mt=8 Quick Drop, the elevator game you never knew you wanted. You control an elevator tasked to move as many passengers to their designated floors as possible before they grow impatient. Our stated goal was to create "A one tap mobile game with depth," and we believed we've succeeded.

You can download the game for free on Android here, and iOS devices here.  Make sure to check out the developer on Twitter as well, and let us know what you think in the comments.

Studio MDHR Releases New Footage For Cuphead

Okay, so I'm a little late on this one, but Studio MDHR was at PAX East last month and they met up with IGN to show off some new bosses, and shops in Cuphead. You can check out the trailer below, but also make sure to follow them on Twitter where they are posting some interesting factoids about the side scrolling shooter.

Cuphead art director Chad Moldenhauer joins us for two-player co-op in the latest build of the stunning bullet-hell shooter. ------------------------------­---- Follow IGN for more! ------------------------------­---- YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/user/ignentertainment?sub_confirmation=1 IGN OFFICIAL APP: http://www.ign.com/mobile FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ign TWITTER: https://twitter.com/ign INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/igndotcom/?hl=en WEBSITE: http://www.ign.com/ GOOGLE+: https://plus.google.com/+IGN

Cuphead Fact No.678: Even something as "simple" as this whistle animation is 51 hand drawn frames. pic.twitter.com/zQFHjFi9K0

— Studio MDHR (@StudioMDHR) May 2, 2016

#Cuphead Fact No. 679: The tornado summon animation has 38 frames. Lots of "motion blur" on this one. pic.twitter.com/h8DOEwpt7C

— Studio MDHR (@StudioMDHR) May 6, 2016

Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime Gets 4-Player Update

Developer Asteroid Base took to Twitter for a surprise (well surprise to me, they have been tweeting about it for a while now) announcement today. Their 2-player couch coop adventure game is now a 4-player couch coop adventure game! The free update is available on Steam right now, and will be heading its way to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 "soon".

The FREE 4-player update for LOVERS is now available for PC, Mac, and Linux!

Coming soon for Xbox One and PS4. pic.twitter.com/gq5xwEWrX3

— Asteroid Base (@AsteroidBase) May 12, 2016

To celebrate the update, you can pick up Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime on Steam for 50% off until May 14th.  I was a big fan of the game when it came to PS4 earlier this year, so if you're looking to pick up the game on the cheap, now is a better time than ever.

Fantasy Tales Online Hits Steam Early Access

Indie developer Cold Tea Studio, which is comprised of a team of three, one of whom is located in Toronto, have released their Free to Play MMORPG onto Steam Early Access.

"The player is an adventurer, who is thrown into a dangerous world, in which he only can survive, if he forms guilds, completes quests, collects gear, fights through dungeons, and most importantly - constructs a player town."

The game features a wide range of customization options for the players character, randomly generating dungeons, players towns and more. You can check out the trailer and screenshots below:

Our steam trailer for our Early Access launch on 5/5/16! Play Now: www.fantasytalesonline.com Follow Development: www.twitter.com/ftostaff

You can download the game for free right here on their Steam page. While also following the developer on Twitter, and joining their player forum.

Salvadora Studios Announces Kickstarter For "The Floor Is Made Of Lava"

Following suit like Axon Interactive, and OSnap Games, indie developer Salvadora Studios has taken to Kickstarter to help fund their Metroidvania platformer The Floor Is Made of Lava.

In The Floor Is Made of Lava, Jimmy must use his imagination against itself in order to save his brother, or else lose him to the darkness. As Jimmy ventures through the worlds of his mind's creation, he'll need to solve puzzles, battle enemies, and challenge bosses, each one guarding a valuable piece of equipment to make Jimmy more powerful.

Gaining this equipment will also open up alternate paths and secrets to explore in previous levels (which may yield their own rewards). With imagination as both an enemy and an ally, it's up to you to figure out the best ways to use yours.

As of this writing, they've raised just over $1500 over their $8000 goal, so make sure you check out their Kickstarter and help fund the game. You can also play an alpha demo of the game on the studios official website. Make sure to follow the studio on Twitter, and on Steam. Best of luck Salvadora Studios!

Pitfall Planet Out Now On Steam

Bonfire Games, the winner of the 2015 Level Up competition, have released their co-op platformer Pitfall Planet.  You play as two recently stranded astrobots who must traverse an unknown planet to get back to their ship.

Emma reached out to me on email and let me know a little bit about the history of Pitfall Planet:

It began as a collaboration between a small group of students from the University of Toronto and OCADU. After our success at Level Up Student Showcase we decided to turn it into a complete game and went on to receive an IGF nomination for Best Student Game. 

Inspired by games like Toad Treasure Tracker, Little Big Planet, and Portal 2, Pitfall Planet combines co-operative puzzle solving with action and mischief. Two little astronauts set out on an adventure that brings them deep into the caverns of the planet, solving puzzles and collecting ore using their trusty grappling hooks.

The announcement trailer for Pitfall Planet. Visit http://www.pitfallplanet.com for more information! Follow us on... Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/PitfallPlanet Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pitfall-Planet/1073290146030768

Congrats to the team at Pitfall Planet on the release, and make sure to follow the gang over on Twitter, and pick up the game on Steam. If you're keeping up with past Level Up winners, reminder that OddBird Studios won this years.

Sago Sago Releases 'Sago Mini Robot Party' On iOS

Sago Sago keeps crushing out the children's games for iOS devices.  Releasing Mini Babies, and Mini Superhero last year, they are back at it again, this time with Sago Mini Robot Party.

"Let’s have a robot party! Build your own cupcake-making robot. Mix and match funny robot parts to invent super silly combinations. Does your robot have two heads or wear bunny slippers? Power up your robot and it’s time to play! Make tons of cupcakes, dance to robot music and celebrate with balloons!"

Available now! https://itunes.apple.com/app/sago-mini-robot-party/id1065271333?at=10lvrX&ct=youtube&pt=2073055

You can pick up Sago Mini Robot Party on iOS right here, so if you have any young people in your life give this one a shot!

Press Release: Canadian Indie Musicians Contribute to Auto Age: Standoff Mixtape

Friend of the site Jim Squires reached out to me to let me know about the soundtrack and music behind Phantom Compass. The soundtrack will feature Jim Guthrie, TWRP, Skull Fist and more. I've copied the press release below, but make sure to follow them on Twitter and check them out at PAX East if you're there.

Canadian Indie Musicians Contribute to Auto Age: Standoff Mixtape

Phantom Compass Reveals the Masterful Music Acts Behind the Tunes of Auto Age

Toronto, Canada – 22 April 2016 – When the pedal is to the metal, few things matter quite as much as the soundtrack driving your four-wheeled engine of destruction. Phantom Compass, developers of the upcoming car combat game Auto Age: Standoff, have assembled some of Canada’s deadliest indie artists for a mixtape maximized for motorized mayhem.

“Auto Age embodies a retro future where the 1980s never died,” said game director Tony Walsh. “Before the days of iTunes playlists and streaming music services, kids had just one outlet for customizing their listening sessions: a handcrafted mixtape. We’re recreating that vibe with some of Canada’s coolest retro-inspired indie musicians.”

Each killer vehicle is equipped with a customizable in-game mixtape starring  synth-funk electronic stylings of TWRP, the retro-tinged synthwave sound of 20SIX Hundred, the heavy-rocking metal of Skull Fist, and the tech-noir outrun melodies of Stilz.

"As fellow Canadians who dig rad tunes and bad ass video games, it is a great feeling to be a part of Auto Age,” said Skull Fist guitarist Zach Slaughter. “The graphics rule, the premise rules, the game rules, and even the soundtrack rules!"

In addition to its in-game mixtape, Auto Age: Standoff includes original soundtrack music from Toronto’s own Jim Guthrie. Previous to his work on Auto Age, Guthrie has lent his considerable talents to notable Canadian indie games like Sound Shapes, Below, and Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery. Guthrie is also the artist responsible for the soundtrack to Indie Game: The Movie.

“Jim is an absolute legend in the indie games music scene, not to mention the Canadian music scene at large,” said Ericka Evans, Head of Production at Phantom Compass. “We’re honoured to be working not only with Jim but with the great Canadian mixtape musicians.. What better project to meet at the crossroads of Canadian indie music and Canadian indie games than one that literally puts you behind the wheel?”

Auto Age: Standoff is a game of car combat and multiplayer strategy that is coming to Steam later this year. You can add Auto Age: Standoff to your Steam Wishlist starting today. For more information, please visit phantomcompass.com/autoagestandoff, as well as the game's Steam page at http://store.steampowered.com/app/458680.

ABOUT THE MUSICIANS

• Jim Guthrie is a Toronto-based singer-songwriter. In addition to creating original compositions for video games, film, and television, Jim has released several solo albums including 2003’s Juno-nominated ‘Now, More Than Ever’ and 2013’s critically-acclaimed ‘Takes Time’.  To learn more and listen, please visit jimguthrie.org.

• TWRP are an elite squad of rockstars from the future, the 1980s, and currently Toronto. The band has gained an international following after the release of their animated music video 'The Hit' which has surpassed 1 million views. To listen, visit twrplive.com.

• Skull Fist are a heavy metal group formed in 2006 by Toronto-based guitarist Zach Slaughter. Following a 2006 demo and 2010 EP, the band has released two full albums: 2011’s ‘Head of the Pack’ and and 2014’s Juno-nominated ‘Chasing the Dream’. To listen, please visit youtube.com/user/SkullFistOfficial.

• 20SIX Hundred has been producing music for a number of years, composing horror scores for micro budget thrillers and most recently venturing into the realm of retro-tinged synthwave. Originally from Southern Ontario, 20SIX Hundred now calls Vancouver home. To listen, please visit 20sixhundred.bandcamp.com.

• Stilz has produced for hip hop artists throughout Western Canada for many years. Starting out as a DJ in the late 90's, these days he has become known for his solo instrumental releases. For listening samples, please visit stilz.bandcamp.com.

ABOUT PHANTOM COMPASS

Based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Phantom Compass is best known for its 2014 pinball-meets-RPG title ‘Rollers of the Realm’ for PC, PlayStation 4 and PS Vita. The studio’s latest title, ‘Auto Age: Standoff,’ has been in development for over a year and will be released on Steam this fall. For more information, visit phantomcompass.com.

Auto Age: Standoff was produced with the financial assistance of the Canada Media Fund and the Ontario Media Development Corporation.

We acknowledge the financial support of FACTOR, the Government of Canada and of Canada’s private radio broadcasters. Nous reconnaissons l’appui financier de FACTOR, du gouvernement du Canada, et des radiodiffuseurs privés du Canada.

Is Clapfoot Games Working On An Updated For Fortified?

Happy Saturday! Clapfoot Games released Fortified earlier this year, but since then we haven't heard much from them.  Based on a recent tweet, it might be safe to say they are working on some DLC for the third person tower defence shooter.

Here's a preview something new coming to Fortified soon. #screenshotsaturday pic.twitter.com/6QNJRAzply

— Clapfoot (@clapfoot) April 23, 2016

We'll be sure to share more about Fortified as Clapfoot Games updates us, but until then make sure to check out the game on Xbox One or Steam.

Vote For Shoot Shoot Mega Pack On Steam Greenlight

The party 2D shooter Shoot Shoot Mega Pack (SSMP) from Jon Remedios now has a Steam Greenlight page, which you can vote for to be Greenlight right here.  The game is described as "a party game about rules, friendship, and shooting". Check out the trailer and screenshots below!

Make sure to vote for the game on Steam Greenlight, and follow all the people involved with the project on Twitter:

• @DualRyan
• @Artbygavin
• @Gabdar
• @JonRemedios

13AM Games Interview On Runbow DLC, What Was Cut, And What The Future Holds

Hey everyone! You may remember that before the launch of the Runbow, Tom over at 13AM Games was kind enough to do an interview. Now that the Runbow DLC has been released, we decided to chat again! We talked about the DLC, what didn't make the cut, and what the future holds for Runbow and 13AM Games.

TorontoGameDevs: Congrats on the DLC launch! What was the motivation to do DLC instead of moving onto a new project? Was it something you knew would always be in store for Runbow?

Tom: From the get go we knew we wanted to release some form of additional content for Runbow, whether it be new guest characters, levels, or costumes. One of the main reasons was to create something that fans of Runbow would appreciate and bring people back to the game after some time had passed. It also allowed us, as game makers, to take all the experience and lessons we learned from creating the original game, and use them to create something even better within the same universe.

TorontoGameDevs: The DLC introduces some new concepts, like with portals, anti gravity spots, and floaty sections. Was there anything left on the chopping block?

Tom: To complement the ridiculous size of space, we came up with a ridiculous amount of concepts for new mechanics we could introduce with the DLC. We had to chop this list down to a more manageable size, here are some examples of things that got the axe:

• Jet-packs: a simple pick up that would allow the player to float around at their leisure. It ended up getting the axe because of how our player and world physics work, and because it didn’t really seem to plug into the colour mechanic too well.
• Wall Gravity: Similar to the upside down portions, we wanted the players to be able to walk up and down the walls of our levels as well. We actually got this working rather well but decided the clunkiness of the controls really broke up the flow and didn’t allow us to get the most out of the idea.
• Space Radiation: We wanted a mechanic that would emulate the harshness of outer space and thought that having rays or beams of space radiation would work. It worked well with the colour mechanic but offered too many level design challenges and would require a new health system or at least a tweaking of the current one.

TorontoGameDevs: There are also some new mutliplayer maps, costumes, and a new character. How did you go about getting Lilac in the game? Was there anything (like other costumes) that didn't make the cut?

Tom: We met Stevie from GalaxyTrail at Pax Prime and approached him about the idea. He really liked it and after doing the same song and dance we did for the other characters, had Lilac ready to go. As for the other content, we did have some other ideas for costumes and even potential adventure themes, like Old West for example, but they never really made it beyond the concept phase. When it came to the DLC we wanted to be laser focused and adhere to some pretty tight scope constraints.

TorontoGameDevs: What's next for Runbow? Have you looked at porting it to other consoles? Amiibo? Or some new DLC?

Tom: All I can say is that we’re not done with Runbow yet. Keep your eyes and ears peeled, we hope to have some exciting announcements soon.

TorontoGameDevs: What's next for 13AM Games? Anything you can say about the next project, or what you have down the pipeline that's not Runbow related?

Tom: What do you mean not Runbow related? That’s a thing?

(No it's not). Thanks to Tom and 13AM Games for taking the time to do the interview. Remember to check out Runbow on Wii U.

Quench Now On Kickstarter and Steam Greenlight

It looks like OSnap Games isn't the only one taking to Kickstarter today, because Toronto developer Axon Interactive is taking to the fundraising  platform to help finish the development of Quench.  The story-driven puzzle game pits you as Shepherd, an avatar of nature who can control the weather to guide animals where "you must protect your flock, tend the land, and unravel the mystery of the strange smokebeasts that have invaded the world."

You can check out the trailer below, and all the details of the Kickstarter here.

SUPPORT QUENCH ON KICKSTARTER AND STEAM GREENLIGHT!*** Kickstarter: http://bit.ly/26f9ae1 Greenlight: http://bit.ly/1U6JMCk Release Date: Fall 2016 Platforms: Windows & Mac (DRM-free) Website: http://quenchgame.com Quench is a story-driven puzzle game set in a colourful, lo-fi world. You play as Shepherd, an avatar of nature, and you have the power to control the weather to guide herds of animals on a perilous journey.

Axon Interactive is looking for $26,000 dollars but does include some stretch goals like voice acting, and a Wii U port. Make sure to check out the Kickstarter for all the details, let's get this game funded! The game also has a Steam Greenlight page up which you can vote for here. Make sure to follow Axon Interactive on Twitter and Tumblr for all the details.