Reporting on the games made in Canada and the creators behind them
Quick heads up, but a couple of Toronto games currently have some massive discounts on the iOS store with Apple throwing a "Indie Gems" Sale.
You can check out the full details here since there are lot of great games on sale, but the games Toronto gamers should be focused on are Alto's Adventure from Snowman, and Sword & Sorcery from Capybara Games.
PlayStation VR launched today, and while no Toronto developer was involved in the release, we only have to go as far as Ottawa to get some Ontario content. Steel Crate Games, who released Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes' on Steam last year (and came in third in our Game of the Year voting)
Happy #PlayStationVR launch day! Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is now available in the PlayStation Store! https://t.co/UeVDQSwgAB
— Keep Talking Game (@KeepTalkingGame) October 13, 2016
Available October 13, 2016 for PlayStation VR In Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, one player is trapped in a virtual room with a ticking time bomb they must defuse. The other players are the "Experts" who must give the instructions to defuse the bomb by deciphering the information found in the bomb defusal manual.
You can pick up Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes on the PlayStation Store right here, which currently has a 10% discount going.
#SEVERED is now available on Nintendo 3DS In North America! pic.twitter.com/4yaLtg25li
— DrinkBox Studios (@DrinkBoxStudios) October 13, 2016
You can pick up Severed directly on 3DS, or on Nintendo's website. We'll probably have to wait a little bit to see what DrinkBox Studios is working on next, but we'll have it on TorontoGameDevs.com when its official.
Sad news coming out of Studio MDHR today. The must anticipated game Cuphead, which has been at E3 a few times now, has officially been delayed until mid-2017. Writing on their official blog:
"Hey everyone, we wanted to finish our game 80 years after 1936 but it will now be 81.
Throughout this year we discussed reducing the scope to make a 2016 release, but we made the difficult decision to delay the launch in order to ship with our vision intact. We are happy to announce that Cuphead will be coming to Xbox One, Windows 10 and Steam in Mid-2017.
We are constantly humbled by your continued support. Love you all and can’t wait to get this to you. Without further ado, we will get back to work!"
Cuphead joins 'Below' as the other Xbox One Exclusive from Toronto that has been hit with a delay this year.
Developer 13AM Games took to their Tumblr today to give us some updates on the upcoming 3DS game Runbow Pocket, and retail version Runbow Deluxe. Do you want the good news, or the bad news first?
Good News: Runbow Deluxe will be available release October 25th in North America. It will be $29.99, and you get access to Runbow, all of Runbow's DLC, and the Runbow Soundtrack Volume 1 and 2. Shantae will also be available as free DLC to the existing Runbow game in time for the Deluxe release.
Runbow Pocket will also include online play on new Nintendo 3DS when it releases.
Bad News: Runbow Pocket, and Runbow Pocket Deluxe has been delayed into Q1 2017.
Development on Runbow Pocket, especially the online functionality, took a few turns we didn’t quite expect. Rather than rush out a game that we didn’t feel was up to our standards, we decided a delay would be better if it meant we could focus on improving the quality of the game itself
Runbow Pocket will also not feature any sort of local multiplayer.
Now, making this system a reality meant focusing on Online connectivity over the New Nintendo 3DS’ Local connectivity. While this now means no Streetpass or local multiplayer, focusing on Online Multiplayer will allow players to have more options about where to play, when to play, and who to play with. It was important to us that Runbow Pocket players still have the option to play this crazy multiplayer game with other New Nintendo 3DS owners anywhere in the world, whenever they want.
Hopefully we won't have to wait long for Runbow Pocket, but until then you can always pick up Runbow on Wii U.
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.
After announcing they'll be publishing their first game, 13AM Games have announced that the retro arcade game Pirate Pop Plus, is coming to Wii U and 3DS October 10th, and Steam November 4th. You can check out the full trailer below:
Get ready for the bubble-popping, gravity-defying, retro-arcade action game Pirate Pop Plus! Join Pete Jr on his quest to defeat the nefarious Bubble Pirate, an evil villain who has trapped the innocent townsfolk in bubbles! Dodge and pop bubbles with your anchor while collecting power-ups and managing Bubble Pirate's constant gravity-switching mischief!
Dodge and pop bubbles with your anchor while collecting power-ups and managing Bubble Pirate’s constant gravity-switching mischief! When you feel at your Piratey-est, test your skill in the ultra-challenging Hyper Mode... The game may be faster and harder, but you'll find treasures beyond your wildest dreams. Coins as far as the eye can see!
The game will be cross-buy on 3DS and Wii U, and you can add the game to your Steam wish-list by checking out the games page. Make sure to follow the Japanese developer Dadako Studios on Twitter.
In a video recapping the For Honor alpha, and then later reported by IGN, Ubisoft has decided to drop split-screen from its medieval brawler For Honor. It can be heard at the 4:20 mark from producer Stephane Cardin in the video below.
We sat down with Producer Stephane Cardin to go over what we learned from the For Honor Closed Alpha. Didn't get a chance to play the Alpha? Sign up now for a chance to play the Beta: http://ubi.li/gt6rf For Honor is available Valentine's Day, February 14, 2017 on Xbox One, PlayStation®4 system, and Windows PC.
"It was a feature that we loved, but, when we looked at what needs to be done to support online co-op, for us it was critical to make a decision now so we can polish all the features at the AAA level and make sure that we have the most amazing experience."
If you didn't get a chance to play in the Alpha, you can sign up for the Beta right here. For Honor is available February 14, 2017 on Xbox One, PlayStation®4 system, and Windows PC.
Our statement on the site’s future Ubisoft coverage and why we won’t be nominating any Ubisoft games for our game of the year voting this year.
Ubisoft announced Ubisoft Collegiate Esports, their first-ever proprietary collegiate esports league, premiering with Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, that will kick off this month as part of the new North American ecosystem.
During ongoing sexual assault and harassment investigations, Ubisoft Montréal (@UbisoftMTL) announced a new FPS battle royale Hyper Scape this week as well as a technical test which began immediately.
Ubisoft has announced that a new North American League (@R6esportsNA) League for Rainbow Six Siege (@R6esports) is rolling out this year featuring a Canadian division for the first time in Rainbow Six Siege eSports history.
Ubisoft has announced a new game aimed at teaching kids how to code their own video games. Ubisoft Montreal released Rabbids Coding, a free educational game that you can get on UPlay.
Ubisoft is having a special Halloween event for For Honor - live now until November 1st the “Fans of the Otherworld” in-game event is free for all players. It comes with a new game mode, exclusive Halloween-themed loot, and new executions
Ubisoft Montreals epic Assassin’s Creed Odyssey got the final piece of DLC earlier last month. Titled Judgement of Atlantic, the final episode The Fate of Atlantic is now out Xbox One, Playstation 4, and PC.
Ubisoft announced that Season 3 of their third year for For Honor on August 1st will introduce new Viking Hero ‘Jormungandr’, as well as a new Breach map, and various quality of life and balance changes. Check out the full trailer below.
I mentioned over Twitter the other night about this, but I thought I would post about it here as well. As I've mentioned, I'll be taking part in Extra Life again for the third year in a row - hoping to raise funds for Sick Kids here in Toronto while playing Toronto developed games.
This year I'll be doing something else as well. I have a Patreon set up to help fund the website. If you're unfamiliar with Patreon, it's similar to Kickstarter - basically funding projects you love while getting rewards. This year, whatever Patreon amount I have for October, I will double it and make that my contribution to Extra Life.
Currently the TorontoGameDevs Patreon is at $49 dollars (USD, so I'll adjust to CAD for the donation). If I don't get any new Patreon's, my Extra Life contribution will be $98 dollars (USD, again I'll adjust, and probably round up). If Patreon is $125, then my contribution will be $250, etc. I'll go to a max of $1000 dollars (so $500 dollars in Patreon funds).
You can cancel Patreon anytime, so in November you're welcome to cancel it, no big deal. You can also donate directly to the Extra Life campaign if that's your cup of tea.
So become a Patreon today! And we'll see you November 5th.
Developer Snowman let me know that Alto's Adventure, the game that keeps on giving, has been updated to take advantage of iPhone 7's Haptic Feedback.
Thanks to the expanded Taptic Engine, we’ve been able to pinpoint exciting moments in a run and tie them to more precise vibrational feedback. Now, you’ll feel a nice jolt of satisfaction upon collecting a wayward llama or sliding over an ice boost. The golden burst of a super coin or powdery landing of a huge combo will hopefully be a little more thrilling.
We’ve even tried to give some consideration to calmer moments: reaching minumum & maximum zoom or snapping the perfect shot in Photo Mode will vibrate like a real camera, immersing you in the joys of being your own mountain photographer. The list goes on, but rather than spoil it all, we’re excited for players to stumble onto each new interaction and find their favourite ones.
You can pick up Alto's Adventure on iOS, if you already own the game the update is a free patch. While players enjoy the free content, we're still waiting to see more on Where Cards Fall from Snowman, and The Game Band.
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.
I've been a big fan of Dwarrows from Lithic Entertainment since coming across it earlier last year. They have now officially launched their Kickstarter to help out with the final stretch of completing the game, which is a 3d town building adventure game.
The peaceful Wood-Elves have fled their homelands to escape a great flood. The Elf Queen Solatia, aware of their plight, has secured some lands in a far away country and an old Keep where they can rebuild.
Assigned to help these woodland folk rebuild is The Royal Company of Colonizers, an elite group of expert gatherers and builders. Three of the most storied of these colonizers have been chosen for this mission, The Dwarf: Dwilben the Gatherer, The Gnome: Gloia the Builder, and The Halfling: Horbir the Explorer.
Uploaded by Lithic Entertainment on 2016-09-07.
NOW on Greenlight: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=642051488 Official Sites: http://www.dwarrows.com http://www.lithicentertainment.com https://www.facebook.com/LithicEntertainment https://twitter.com/LithicEnt Dwarrows is a peaceful town-building game that borrows from the Action Adventure genre. Take control of three uniquely skilled characters to leave the confines of the town, explore the lush forest surrounding it, and work together to solve puzzles.
You can check out the full Kickstarter here, where you can get a copy of the game for as low as $15 dollars (which will be lower than the launch price). Make sure to also follow the developer on Twitter and FaceBook and keep an eye on this colourful, charming adventure game.
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...”
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.
Indie developer Kirk Lucas sent me a message on Twitter letting me know that his action tank game, Ballistic Tanks has released on Steam. The game contains over 50 maps, and 4 player local multiplayer:
Ballistic Tanks is the best tank game you've played since the 80's. It is an intense arcade shooter where you destroy tanks in a frenzy of bullets, lasers, and explosions! Play a challenging solo/co-op arcade mode or compete with up to 4 friends in a variety of multiplayer game modes.
Ballistic Tanks is the best tank game you've played since the 80's. It is an intense arcade shooter where you destroy tanks in a frenzy of bullets, lasers, and explosions! Play a challenging solo/co-op arcade mode or compete with up to 4 friends in a variety of multiplayer game modes.
You can pick up the game right now Steam for $5.49, and follow Kirk on Twitter.
Ballistic Tanks is out! https://t.co/6QYEgxf1GR Help support by purchasing and getting the word out!! #indiedev #indiegame #gamedev pic.twitter.com/AaCU4AfXAj
— Kirk Lucas (@kirknetic) September 20, 2016
Halifax-based devs Max Inferno have released Cupboards & Drawers DLC for their 2022 puzzler A Little to the Left.
Achimostawinan Games have released their Indigenous cybernoir detective narrative adventure game Hill Agency: PURITYdecay for Steam and itch.io.
Vancouver-based indie developer Red Hook Studios has announced that Darkest Dungeon II, the sequel to their crushing 2016 roguelite, will leave early access on the Epic Games Store and launch on Steam in May.
Waterloo-based Odyssey Interactive (@OdysseyStudio)’s debut game Omega Strikers (@PlayOmega) has entered open beta on Steam after being in closed beta for 2 days.
Kitchener-based indie studio Fluxscopic Ltd (@FluxscopicLtd), with American publisher Tiny Build (@tinyBuild), have released action-adventure game Mayhem in Single Valley on PC storefronts.
Mighty Fight Federation, the throwback 3D arena fighter from Ontario-based Komi Games is out now on Steam and PlayStation consoles.
Rocketship Park have announced their puzzle game Love - A Puzzle Box Filled with Stories will be launching on Steam next month on October 21st.
London, Ontario-based Tiny Titan Studios (@tinytitangames) have announced their new project Rogue Souls (@RogueSoulsGame), an action rogue-like coming soon to PC.
Action-adventure roguelike UnderMine (@undermine_game), co-developed by Vancouver-based engineer Derek Johnson (@quasim0dem), has left Early Access on Steam and launched on Xbox Game Pass for Xbox One and Windows.
After almost a year of exclusivity on the Epic Games Store, Vancouver-based indie studio Klei Entertainment (@klei) has released their deck-building roguelite Griftlands into early access on Steam.
The other night, Ubisoft Toronto had an Open House to celebrate its 30th anniversary as a studio (Ubisoft Toronto itself is 6 years old). In celebration, they announced the Indie Series. An annual competition that can net Indie developers $50,000, and mentorship from Ubisoft.
Ubisoft opened its first Canadian studio in 1997 and its first studio in Ontario, Ubisoft Toronto, in 2010. The company takes an active role to develop a passionate and creative ecosystem in Ontario where studios, small and large, collaborate to make the Canadian game development industry shine on internationally. Making games is difficult and presents many challenges: financially, creatively, and more. This is precisely why we want to connect with our colleagues, share knowledge and expertise, and together, ensure Canada continues to grow as a game development leader worldwide.
You can check out the full details on the main website, however there are some restrictions, such as being a studio between 2-50 people, and have received funding before.
Astro-Miners, the game created by Pop Machine Creative Games in partnership with the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum), is officially out and can be bought right here for $4.99.
A short trailer for our game, Astro-Miners. Available for Mac and PC, Sept. 2016 @ astrominers.ca
AstroMiners is a kid friendly video game that puts players in the role of an AstroMiner in the not so distant future. In this 2D sandbox adventure, the Earth is running out of raw materials and humans have begun mining asteroids for their rich resources. As the AstroMiner, players navigate the inside of three different types of asteroids in order to collect valuable resources, while also learning about rocks, minerals, and space exploration.
You can check out the full press release here, as well as an article over at BrutalGamer, and follow the game/team on Twitter.
Continuing the trend of dishing our videos, Ubisoft have released a new story trailer, as well as "10 Ways It's Bigger, Better, and Bolder than the Original". Check them out after the jump.
Read MoreFor the past two years I've been participating in the Extra Life, which is an annual event where gamers around the world play games for 24 hours, raising money for hospitals. Usually people stream, and do social media for the event as well.
If you're interested, the event takes place November 5th (although you can do it any day that works for you), and you can join Team TorontoGameDevs.com! Personally I'll be playing a bunch of Toronto developed games, but I'll post the full list closer to the date.
I'll be posting about this more, but I'll be streaming it on Youtube and/or Twitch, and tweeting along as well. You can also donate here.
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.