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Space shooters Ultratron, Titan Attacks flying to new platforms
Curve Digital will publish two of Puppy Games' arcade-style space shooters on new platforms: Ultratron and Titan Attacks. Ultratron will reach PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Wii U and Vita early next year, and features twin-stick "arena shooter action." As for the Space Invaders-like Titan Attacks, Curve will distribute the game on 3DS in early 2015 as well. Titan Attacks launched on PlayStation systems earlier this year. Ultratron arrived on Steam in March 2013 and is considered a "throwback" to Vid Kidz' 1982 arcade shooter, Robotron. The game features a "full upgrade system" and adaptive difficulty settings. Ultratron will be Cross-Buy-enabled on PlayStation systems, and is expected to launch in the same week on Wii U and Xbox One. Head past the break to check out a trailer of the game's PC version. [Image: Puppy Games]
Thomas Was Alone on Xbox One, then he wasn't
Thomas Was Alone, Mike Bithell's geometric platformer full of personality, is out on Xbox One today, courtesy of ID@Xbox and port developer Curve Studios. The folks at Xbox call Thomas Was Alone an "indie classic," and after winning a BAFTA and launching on PC, iOS, Android, PS3, Vita, and now Xbox One – with a PS4 launch incoming – that seems accurate. Or, as Curve Studios puts it: Now @mikeBithell has set sights on Xbox on his quest for world domination - Thomas Was Alone is out now on Xbox One! pic.twitter.com/Z9GxJtgCxQ - Curve Digital (@curvestudios) November 21, 2014 Also on Xbox One this week via ID@Xbox is The Jackbox Party Pack, Never Alone, Pier Solar and the Great Architects, and Pinball Arcade. [Image: Mike Bithell]
Atmospheric bounty hunter White Space explained in dev diary
Curve Studios Design Director Jonathan Biddle discussed the alpha version of his latest game White Space in a new developer diary video. In it, bounty-hunting players fly from one pretty, polygonal, procedurally-generated planet to the next to take down their targets.
Lone Survivor director's cut flees to PS4, Wii U this week
Lone Survivor: The Director's Cut's mysterious, horrific disease is spreading to PS4 and Wii U this week, developer Curve Studios has announced. Hey, at least they warned us it's coming, right? PS4 users in the United States will come down with something on October 14, with symptoms spreading to European PS4 users on October 15, and a mutation scheduled to reach Wii U owners on October 16. All versions will run a monetary fever of $9.99, and though the PS4 version is not cross-buy compatible, it "does not include any new features" when compared to the PS3 or Vita versions. You could always face The Director's Cut's terrors on PC and Mac too, though venturing through its unsettling city will cost you $14.99 on either platform. [Image:Curve Studios]
Thomas Was Alone making the leap to PS4 this year
Brave rectangle Thomas and his geometric pals will soon journey to the PlayStation 4, publisher Curve Studios announced at Sony's PlayStation Blog today. Thomas Was Alone is a minimalist platformer starring a gang of four-sided heroes that all boast their own unique traversal abilities. After launching for PC platforms, Thomas Was Alone premiered for the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita, and was later featured as a free PlayStation Plus title. Players who own the PS3 or Vita versions of Thomas Was Alone will get the PlayStation 4 edition for free when it premieres later this year. Creator Mike Bithell revealed that the "Benjamin's Flight" DLC will also transfer across all Sony platforms with a single purchase. [Image: Curve Studios]
Thomas Was Alone rated in Germany for Xbox One, Wii U
Platformer from the block Thomas Was Alone looks to be headed to Xbox One and Wii U courtesy of Curve Studios, going by new ratings published by German software regulatory board USK. Developer Mike Bithell's yet to announce any new platforms for his minimalist puzzle-platformer, but after launching it on Steam in 2012 he's since brought it to PS3, Vita, iOS and Android. To date the game's shifted more than a million copies. If the ratings prove accurate, we'd imagine a PS4 version would likely be on the way too. For one, Thomas Was Alone is already on other PlayStation platforms. Also Volume, Bithell's next game which provides a modern stealthy take on the Robin Hood fable, is already confirmed for PS4 as well as Vita, Windows PC and Mac, so it'd be odd to see Thomas Was Alone come to rival platforms and not PS4. In any case, we've reached out to Bithell to find out more. [Image taken from USK site]
Stealth Inc 2 sneaks to Wii U eShop October 23
Stealth Inc 2: A Game of Clones will launch October 23 on the Wii U eShop, Curve Studios confirmed with Joystiq today. The game was announced as a Wii U exclusive in May and carries on the sneaky puzzle-platforming gameplay style set by the first game.The series began with the free PC game Stealth Bastard in November 2011 before the enhanced Stealth Bastard Deluxe hit Steam one year later. It received a name change in 2013 to Stealth Inc before arriving on consoles. Unlike Stealth Inc's linear level design, the sequel will adopt structures similar to Metroid and Castlevania series with a "fully explorable" overworld. The game has players infiltrating a cloning facility, obtaining equipment to unlock new areas as they go. Not only is Curve Studios promising a slick 60 frames-per-second presentation, but Stealth Inc 2 will also include a full co-op multiplayer mode in which one friend can use tools and skills on the Wii U GamePad to keep the player well-hidden. [Image: Curve Studios]
Wii U gets way creepier with Lone Survivor
Lone Survivor will launch on Wii U before the end of the year, publisher Curve Studios announced in a tweet today. Hooray, another way to lose your sanity while attempting to escape a city overrun with vicious, murderous monsters and disease. Lone Survivor truly is a lovely, incredibly creepy horror game that's already out on PC, Mac, PS3 and Vita. Curve is also working to bring The Swapper and Stealth Inc. 2 to Wii U this year – and in that same tweet it teased a fourth game headed to Nintendo's newest platform. [Image: Jasper Byrne]
Swap to the GamePad when The Swapper comes to Wii U
Porting Facepalm's The Swapper to PlayStation systems apparently isn't enough for Curve Digital, as the studio has announced via Twitter that the atmospheric puzzler will be coming to Wii U later this year as well. Never heard of The Swapper or its original developer, Facepalm? Well, you should; the Finnish developer used a combination of clay, a sci-fi setting and gameplay based around cloning yourself to solve puzzles to create a game so unique and eye-catching that we featured them in our list of 20 developers you should get to know. [Image: Facepalm/Curve Digital]
Stealth Inc. discounted on iOS right now
Sneaky platformer Stealth Inc. is currently a buck for iOS devices. So we don't tip-toe over the fine print as you rush to grab this deal, the game is compatible with iPad 2, iPad Mini and iPhone 4S devices and up. If you feel like blowing some serious dough on the game, there's always the option to grab the community levels for $2, which unlocks nearly 2,000 community-created areas in which to practice your corporate slyness. [Image: Curve Studios]
Stealth Inc 2 to slink in October's shadow with returning level editor
When Curve Studios told us about Stealth Inc. 2, its Wii U-exclusive return to a series that never reached Nintendo platforms with its debut title, 2014 was the targeted release window. A month later, during a meeting with Nintendo Life, Stealth Inc. creator and Curve Studios CEO Jonathan Biddle has considerably narrowed the studio's target to the month of October. Nintendo Life also learned that, like its predecessor, Stealth Inc. 2 will allow subjects to create and share custom deathtraps with its community. Just because Stealth Inc. 2 will trap its player base in a labyrinth of hazardous rooms doesn't mean its subjects won't have anyone to talk to, though – Miiverse posts will be displayed on the walls of other players' main campaigns, allowing for bonding over difficult stages or an exchange of tips to keep fellow subjects alive. Of course, there's the potential for purposely sharing bad advice to get another player killed, but who would even do that? Other than Dark Souls players, anyway. [Image: Curve Studios]
The Swapper pushed to August 5 on PlayStation platforms
Sci-fi puzzler The Swapper will now reach PlayStation platforms August 5 in North America and August 6 in Europe, Curve Digital announced this week. The developer handling the PlayStation versions now has "extra time to polish the Vita and PS3 versions of the game, which have required extra optimization," it noted in a press release. Originally developed by Facepalm Games, The Swapper was initially expected to arrive on PS4, PS3 and Vita in May, then was delayed to late June. The game focuses on a gadget that allows players to create clones of themselves, swapping between each one in the exotic environment built from clay. Facepalm's original PC game arrived on Steam in May 2013, earning the developer a spot on our December list of 20 studios players should get to know. [Image: Curve Digital]
MouseCraft to gobble up PSN cheese on July 8
You've heard the phrase "a game of cat-and-mouse" before, right? Well, we're not sure what developer Crunching Koalas heard, but their version involves death traps and shapes falling from the sky, Tetris-style. It's called MouseCraft, and it's coming to the PSN July 8. [Image: Crunching Koalas]
Stealth Inc 2 announced as a 'Wii U exclusive,' out this year
Curve Studios announced it's working on a sequel to sneaky platformer Stealth Inc, but the real surprise is that it's coming to Wii U later this year as an "exclusive." The original game, Stealth Bastard Deluxe, grew from a spare time project into a fully-fledged PC release that made the jump to PS3, Vita and PS4 as Stealth Inc: A Clone in the Dark. The game won fans with its mix of stealth and fast-paced puzzle platforming, all with a dollop of dark humor. It's been downloaded more than a million times across all platforms, and yet that doesn't include Wii U. As such, it's a bit of Curve-ball for Stealth Inc 2 to launch on Nintendo's console alone. Speaking to Joystiq, Curve Digital CEO Jason Perkins and Stealth Inc creator Jonathan Biddle explained Curve learned a lot from working with Nintendo before; Curve developed WiiWare game Fluidity and 3DS follow-up Fluidity: Spin Cycle. The studio's also mindful of the contingent of fans who know Curve from those games. [Image: Curve Digital]
The Swapper, MouseCraft, Titan Attacks all coming to PS4, Vita, PS3
Curve Studios slapped release dates on three games it's porting to PlayStation systems, starting with Puppygames' Titan Attacks next week. At an event attended by Joystiq, Curve confirmed The Swapper, MouseCraft and Titan Attacks are all coming to PS4, PS3 and Vita in the next two months or so. All three games support Cross-Buy, meaning a purchase on one platform unlocks the game to download and play on the other two. Curve originally announced the Space Invaders-esque Titan Attacks as part of a two-in-one package that also featured Puppygames' Revenge of the Titans, but it's now coming as a standalone that launches on May 6 in North America, and May 7 in Europe. The PlayStation versions feature all 100 levels from the original 2012 Steam version. Atmospheric puzzle platformer The Swapper (above on Vita) was originally due in May, but it now has a concrete date of June 24 in North America and June 25 in Europe. Facepalm Studios' game centers around a device that lets players create clones of themselves and switch control between them as they explore and solve their way through a mysterious landscape. While the new PlayStation versions won't have additional content, the PS4 and Vita ports employ touch controls for navigating the map. Like Titan Attacks, The Swapper is already out on Steam if you fancy checking it out there.
PS Plus weekly: Stealth Inc. free for subscribers starting tomorrow
Curve Studios' sneaky puzzle-platformer Stealth Inc. A Clone in the Dark is set to join the PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection this week. Both the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita versions of the game will be available as free downloads for PS Plus subscribers starting tomorrow. Originally known as Stealth Bastard, Stealth Inc. features more than 80 levels in which players must avoid detection and outwit deadly traps while searching for an escape. An enhanced version, Stealth Inc. Ultimate Edition, hit the PlayStation 4 last month, bundling the core game and all previously released DLC in a single standalone package. PlayStation Plus subscribers also get a 20 percent discount on the upcoming PlayStation 4 version of Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut this week, dropping its price to $15.99. [Image: Curve Studios]
Stealth Inc. creeps onto PS4 in comprehensive Ultimate Edition
Those of you who missed charming stealth platformer Stealth Inc. in its prior incarnations have one more excellent chance to experience the pixelated adventure. Stealth Inc. Ultimate Edition, as its name suggests, is a collection that not only includes the new PlayStation 4 version of the titular game, but also its two DLC expansions, The Lost Clones and The Teleporter Chamber. Taken together, these two inclusions add 40 levels to the game's original roster of 80, and, as you'd expect, they add new gimmicks to the game's stealth action not found in earlier stages. Stealth Inc. Ultimate Edition is currently available from the PlayStation Network Store at a price of $15. Unfortunately, there are no discounts for those who already own the earlier PlayStation 3 or Vita incarnations of the game. [Image: Curve Studios]
Clones groan in puzzler The Swapper, coming to PlayStation
PlayStation portmaster Curve Studios has announced it's working on PlayStation versions of Facepalm's indie sci-fi puzzle game, The Swapper, due on PS3, PS4 and PS Vita sometime in late May. The Swapper strands players on a damaged space station called Theseus. With only a handheld cloning device at their disposal, players must search for a means to escape. The device creates up to four clones at any time and allows players to swap control between them, granted the clone in question is within the original player character's line of sight. The Swapper's visuals employ hand-crafted clay model animations, which helped Facepalm to produce one of the most visually stunning experiences of 2013. The Swapper is currently available (with controller support) for PC, Mac and Linux on Steam for $15, or as part of the current Humble Indie Bundle.
Curve Studios leads a Titan Invasion on Sony systems this summer
Curve Studios will bring a game bundle called Titan Invasion to PS3, PS4 and Vita early this summer. The pack includes two arcade-style games from UK developer Puppygames, Titan Attacks and Revenge of the Titans. Titan Attacks is an arcade shooter in the same vein as Galaga and Space Invaders, though Curve Studios says it includes "modern features, new strategies" as well as online leaderboards and an upgrade system. The game features over 100 levels, spanning five worlds. Puppygames' other creation, Revenge of the Titans, is deemed a thematic sequel that mixes real-time strategy and tower defense elements together. Both Titan Attacks and Revenge of the Titans are available for $9.99 on Steam for PC, Mac and Linux. The Titan Invasion bundle will be Cross-Buy compatible on all three Sony systems. [Image: Curve Studios]
Tetris meets Lemmings in Mousecraft, coming this summer
Combining intrepid rodents with the gaming industry's favorite suffix comes Mousecraft, a new puzzle game from indie developer Crunching Koalas which is coming to the Vita courtesy Curve Studios. "The basic gameplay [in Mousecraft] is very simple: Your goal is to lead a group of mice through a machine to find the cheese at the other end of the level," wrote Curve Studios PR manager Rob Clarke on the PlayStation.blog. "You don't control the mice directly however, but instead control their environment through the use of many different types of classic 'Tetromino' blocks that can be dropped onto the level." "Imagine the careful strategy and planning of a game like Lemmings with the blocks and fast-paced decision making of Tetris, and you've got an idea of how Mousecraft works," Clarke added. According to the developer, Mousecraft will feature 50 stages of increasing complexity, online leaderboards, an in-game ranking system, collectables to hunt and a "fully-featured level editor available during launch." Curve Studios claims that Mousecraft "should" be available on Vita and PC at some point in May, with a PlayStation 4 version of the puzzle game following this summer. It's currently unknown what price point will be attached to Mousecraft. Update: Originally this article described Curve Studios as the creator of Mousecraft. Crunching Koalas is actually the creator the indie game, while Curve is responsible for bringing Mousecraft to the Vita. [Image: Curve Studios]
