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Sequel to App Store classic Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor coming in 2014
Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor was one of the first huge smash hits on the iOS App Store, and now it's getting a sequel. Developer Tiger Style revealed that a new title in the franchise is slated for a debut in spring of 2014. The game, which is titled Spider: Rite of the Shrouded Moon, currently has an official preview site up, though it's light on content. The original Spider title won a huge number of mobile gaming awards and spent a great deal of time on the top sellers chart. After publishing The Secret of Bryce Manor, Tiger Style published the exploration game Waking Mars on desktop and mobile, but it looks like the company has grown to miss its arachnid roots. [via Joystiq]
iOS hit Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor spins a sequel this spring
Waking Mars developer Tiger Style Games is creating a sequel to its 2009 iOS standout Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor, due for release this spring for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android platforms. Spider: Rite of the Shrouded Moon continues the arachnid-themed platforming that defined the team's first Spider game, presenting players with a deep background narrative that slowly unfolds throughout each side-scrolling level. Few details regarding the project have been revealed so far, though Tiger Style notes that its Spider follow-up will be "bigger, better, and richer than ever before." The Android version of Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor was recently added to the ongoing Humble Mobile Bundle 3 as a bonus incentive for beating the package's average purchase price (currently a little more than $5).
Nation of Indies teaches Austin devs how to become indie
The folks behind Austin, Texas' Juegos Rancheros initiative have taken it upon themselves to mitigate the damage caused by the absurd number of gaming layoffs that have affected this region over the last year, and they're doing so through education.Nation of Indies is a free, single-day crash course in becoming an indie developer, with talks on different methods of funding procurement, small business management techniques, software tool investment and long-term sustainability. Indie developers Semi Secret, Tiger Style and others will be on hand, lending their expertise on how to transition from being someone's employee, to running your own studio.The symposium takes place on Sunday, February 10, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central, and RSVPing is encouraged.
Waking Mars plants itself on Steam
Waking Mars has now made it all the way through the Steam Greenlight gauntlet, going from community-supported addition to actually available game. Tiger Style's self-described "action gardening" game, about the discovery and subsequent management of a subterranean ecosystem on Mars, was officially chosen as a Greenlight release at the end of November.The game costs $9.99, and supports SteamPlay on both Mac and PC. For more information about the PC release of Waking Mars, check out our podcast interview with creative director Randy Smith.
Waking Mars travels to alien lands of PC, Mac, Linux, Android next month
Waking Mars, the iOS game that we thought was out of this world, is coming to PC, Mac, Linux and Android on November 6, via the Humble Android Bundle and the Humble store on the game's own website. This version of Waking Mars has been revamped with full voice acting and higher resolution, along with keyboard and mouse support.Waking Mars follows the trials of Liang, a researcher adventuring deep into an underground cave on Mars, where he must harvest seeds from the various flora in the hope of finding his lost AI buddy. We called it "one of the most successful 'big' games" to be found on iOS.Below we have a gallery of the new (dare we say alien?) Waking Mars, along with some shots comparing it to the iOS version.%Gallery-169342%
Portabliss: Waking Mars (iOS)
Did you know that you can download handheld games now? That's amazingly convenient! The only inconvenient part of it is finding the right games to buy -- and that's where we come in, with our Portabliss column. In each installment, we'll tell you about a downloadable game on the iPhone, iPad, Android device, DSi, 3DS, PSP, etc. Today: Waking Mars. Waking Mars, a new iOS action-adventure game by Spider dev Tiger Style, does a great job of putting a console-style narrative experience on phones, matched to a simple method of gameplay that ensures easy touchscreen control and uncomplicated pick-up-and-play design. In short, it's one of the most successful "big" games I've played on my phone.The game (formerly known as Lost Mars) is based on an extraordinarily unlikely combination: Martian cave exploration and gardening. Just ... stare at that sentence for a second. Enjoy the cognitive dissonance.%Gallery-149229%
Waking Mars lands on iOS March 1
Waking Mars, the IGF finalist formerly known as Lost Mars, has been approved for human consumption and will be available on Apple's App Store come March 1, according to developer Tiger Style's Twitter account. The action-gardening platformer will set you back a solid $4.99, is both iPhone and iPad compatible, and as we discovered last September, looks "stunning."The game's name change was a preemptive precaution inspired by Mojang's legal trouble over Scrolls: "We were paying attention to the silliness surrounding 'Scrolls' and 'Elder Scrolls' and we talked to our lawyer and decided that it was best to go with a name we absolutely can own," said Tiger Style's Dave Kalina in a statement on the developer's blog. As that old, interplanetary gardener's saying goes, it's better to plant stuff on Mars than to get planted by Martians. Or, something.%Gallery-148462%
Lost Mars preview: Red planet meets green thumb
I experienced the first segment of Tiger Style's new iPhone/iPad adventure Lost Mars in what might have been my most unintentionally auspicious demo ever: after the developers finished their presentation at Juegos Rancheros, and set out iPads for demos, I took the only available system: the one on stage, hooked up to the projector. So everyone in attendance got to watch me jetpack through a network of caves, and learn the science of xenobotany.%Gallery-132050%
Tiger Style's 'Lost Mars' debuts at Juegos Rancheros this weekend
Determined to start a war of jealousy between the Joystiq staffers who live in Austin, Texas and those who don't, Juegos Rancheros will debut yet another new indie title this weekend. The game is titled Lost Mars and comes from Tiger Style, developer of Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor – A.K.A. the top-rated iPhone game of 2009.We don't know much about Lost Mars, apart from a handful of appropriately red and dusty screens. If you're in the Austin area, you can check out Lost Mars at the Highball this Sunday at 4pm. Oh, and if you see any Joystiq editors there, tell them to stop bragging so much.%Gallery-132050%
Hands on with Spider: Bryce Manor HD
On Thursday, iOS developer Tiger Style will release Spider: Bryce Manor HD in App Store. TUAW was lucky enough to get an early peek at this application. Spider was one of the most popular iPhone games of last year, and offers an interactive puzzle where you explore an abandoned mansion as a tiny arachnid, building webs to trap insects. I gave Spider a hands-on try and, as you can see in the video, I am neither nimble nor quick. I found the game mildly entertaining but a little frustrating -- I think most users who are a little better coordinated will have more fun building their webs and catching their insects but klutzes like myself might not have as much fun. First released on the iPhone, the game has been redesigned thoroughly for the iPad. Developer David Kalina tells us, "We took a lot of care making the game really sing on the iPad, [adding] an iPad exclusive single device multiplayer game mode called 'Sidekicks' -- it's the sort of experience that you can really only have on the iPad." I appreciated the graphics and music design, where clearly a lot of time has been invested. The game should be available on the iPad this Thursday for $4.99. If you missed this title last year, the iPad's bigger screen might be just the place to try it out for yourself.
More 'Spider' crawls onto iPhone
If you haven't yet played Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor, you're missing out on one of the most enjoyable and highest rated iPhone games of 2009. The good news is that now is the perfect time to get stuck in its web of delight. The game's developer, Tiger Style, has just released a free Director's Cut update for the game that adds 10 new levels, 24 new achievements, new music and a level select feature. If you're unconvinced by our word alone (scandal!) check out Spider: Hornet Smash, a just-released freebie that focuses on Spider's hornet tackling maneuver. The free game provides a good introduction to the mechanics of Spider, so you can see if the main game's worth your gaming dollar. Spoiler alert: It is. Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor ($2.99): Spider: Hornet Smash (Free):
