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Ikaruga on Steam offers screen rotation, two ships on one controller
Ikaruga, the dual-tone GameCube shmup from Japanese developer Treasure, is hitting Steam with a few tweaks and tune-ups, including Double Play Mode and game screen rotation. Double Play Mode allows the player to control two ships with one gamepad, which sounds absolutely bananas. Screen rotation puts the game on a horizontal axis, like a side-scrolling shooter. Ikaruga on Steam will use the Steam Cloud, achievements and leaderboards, and supports screen resolutions up to 1920x1080 and 1920x1200. Ikaruga made it through Steam Greenlight last year and it's now under final debugging. "Won't be long before you can play it," Treasure says on its Steam page. [Image: Treasure]
Arcade management sim Arcadecraft to find new quarters on PC
Flashing lights, bleeps and bloops, and the miasma of teenagers with nothing better to do. For many of us, this is the essence of the 1980s that indie game Arcadecraft captures, and if you're PC owner who likes the sound of an arcade creation and management sim - think Theme Hospital but with dingy arcades - developer Firebase has good news for you. After shifting 65,000 copies on Xbox Live Indie Games, Arcadecraft now has a PC port that's "almost done" and will be available to Windows 7 users soon. It's now on the Humble Store for pre-order, and Firebase has a Steam Greenlight page up too. The PC port features the same arcade-building play of the XBLIG original, but with some visual touch-ups like higher resolution textures and new character models and animations. [Image: Firebase Industries]
TUG's Steam Greenlight campaign is now active
TUG: The Untitled Game has just made its debut in the Steam Greenlight program. Fans and backers of Nerd Kingdom's upcoming MMO can now choose the game's Steam fate by voting on whether or not Valve should allow TUG to be offered through the Steam digital distribution platform. For those out of the TUG loop, Nerd Kingdom describes the game as being influenced by "classic survival sandbox games with more robust multiplayer RPG gameplay, offering simplicity of design and an emphasis on player freedom." The game is currently in alpha testing with a 2015 release window.
TUG project update details alpha and beta plans
Developer of the Kickstarter-funded sandbox MMO The Untitled Game, Nerd Kingdom, has announced a new update regarding the status of the game's alpha and beta, and it's a bit of good news and a bit of not-so-good news. The not-so-good news is that the developers have "decided to push back calling the game's current state a 'beta' and keep it in the alpha phase." The good news, though, is that many of the systems the devs were hoping to implement are ready to go live, and "[the devs have] had a chance to refine many things for this next major milestone." In the update e-mail, the devs tell fans that they are entering a "new phase of development" that will require the community's help to spread the word about the game and expand the game's fanbase. In addition, the devs are making a push to open more lines of public communication with the community, such as public updates on the game's tech development, more dev blogs and vlogs, and "a stronger presence with a bunch of [TUG's] YouTube content creator friends." On top of that, the devs announce they are planning to drop the price of alpha access while also working with the internet-favorite Humble Store to "allow for a much smoother purchasing process for everyone who is supporting [the game]." Last, but not least, TUG's devs are "preparing to launch a Steam Greenlight campaign on January 29th," so fans will have the opportunity to help bring TUG to everyone's favorite online game-delivery platform. "This year is certainly going to be our year," the e-mail closes, "and we could not be more excited or grateful to have you guys here to help push us." [Source: Nerd Kingdom press release]
Not on Steam Sale postmortem says Greenlight may be a good indie ad
The Not on Steam Sale launched in October and lasted one week, offering up to 50 percent off a lineup of games that weren't on Steam (at launch, at least – that day, three games were Greenlit). By the sale's close, it hosted 63 games, and just 10 of them weren't even attempting to land on Steam. Since the sale, 23 of the games attempting to hit Steam were Greenlit, and 10 of those have launched on Steam. The stats come from indie consultant Mike Kanarek in his Not on Steam Sale postmortem. Kanarek estimates the sale sold 13,500 copies and added 42,000 Greenlight votes to participating games. He calls the sale an "amplifier," not a permanent fix. "Not on Steam did not make anyone fabulously wealthy," he says. "Our top sellers (or top Greenlight vote-getters) sold fewer than 2,000 games apiece (with an average of about 200) and may have added as many as 3,000 votes on Greenlight (with an average of about 700) through Not on Steam. In general most games fell well below these averages with a few big sellers and vote-getters pulling the average way up. Most games got a modest but respectable sales and vote increase, and a handful did enormously well." Three of the five lowest-selling games in the sale weren't on Greenlight and had no intention of entering Steam, while the top 20 best-sellers were all on Greenlight. "This suggests that a presence on Greenlight in some way encourages sales, even off of Steam," Kanarek says. "It's impossible to say whether it's because Greenlight acts to increase discovery and awareness of these games, or if there are people who simply take a game more seriously if it's on Greenlight." Check out Kanarek's full postmortem (complete with graphs!) here.
Another 50 get the Steam Greenlight including Catlateral Damage, Rain World
A further half-century of games got their stamps of approval from Steam Greenlight this week, just a fortnight after the last batch of 50. Among the highlights this time around is Catlateral Damage, the pet project of designer Chris Chung in which you play a cheeky cat knocking objects off surfaces. Speaking as the owner of two kittens who are already experts at this game, here's to reversing roles when it launches later this year. Another game with a feline(ish) flavor is Rain World, a stealth platformer starring a white slugcat (looks like it sounds) who hops around a grim industrial backdrop. The stylish presentation of the Windows PC and Mac game helped push it to its $25,000 funding goal on Kickstarter, and designers Joar Jakobsson and James Primate hope to reach $50,000 to enlist help in switching to a more modern dev tool and facilitating a Linux port. A full list of the this week's Greenlight-ed games is available here.
Indie space-cave explorer Retrobooster lands on Feb. 21
Retrobooster, a puzzle-platformer where players guide a starship through caverns in space, will launch on February 21. Retrobooster will be available for $18 through Desura, Indie Game Stand and The Humble Store, though you can pre-order Retrobooster right now on its official website for $12. In Retrobooster, players pilot a space craft through a series of progressively more difficult caverns while battling alien lifeforms and rescuing stranded humans. Split-screen multiplayer will be supported, but networked play will not. Retrobooster is currently seeking votes on Greenlight for a Steam release. Developer Really Slick tells Joystiq that Retrobooster is "65 perecent of the way to the top 100" on Steam Greenlight.
A Wizard's Lizard launches Jan. 22, scampers onto Steam Greenlight
A Wizard's Lizard, the action RPG from Lost Decade Games about a wizard's pet reptile seeking to save his master from the clutches of Death, will launch on January 22 on Desura and Gamersgate. If you've ever played Gauntlet or The Binding of Isaac, then you have a good idea of what to expect from A Wizard's Lizard. Death is a mechanic in the game: Once you die, you're taken to the realm of the dead, which offers tougher versions of the living world's dungeons. All pre-orders for A Wizard's Lizard through the official website will knock 20% off the price, bringing the game down to $12.00. A Wizard's Lizard is compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux, and is currently seeking votes through Steam Greenlight. A Wii U port is also planned for some time down the line.
See hot indie game action (and cake) in the Supershow Collective marathon
The Supershow Collective marathon begins tonight at 7PM ET and runs through the weekend, with live streams of some hot Steam, Greenlight and other indie games, plus developer interviews, special guests and giveaways. The whole spiel is organized by indie developer Robot Loves Kitty and indie PC site Greenlit Gaming. The marathon starts with the Indie Showcase from Greenlit Gaming, which will feature more than 24 hours of continuous Steam gaming and developer interviews, including bits of Kingdom Rush, Contrast, Teslagrad, Race the Sun, ANNE, Risk of Rain, Mousecraft, Tower of Guns, Drunken Robot Pornography, Monster Loves You, Dungeon of the Endless, Broforce, The Novelist and Torchlight 2. Picking up where the Indie Showcase leaves off, the Indie Dev Showcase from Robot Loves Kitty begins at 7PM ET on Saturday, featuring streams and interviews of Hot Tin Roof, 6180 the Moon, Dyscourse, Continue?9876543210, Reus, Cloudbuilt, Droquen, Crypt of the Necrodancer, Life goes On and more. The Indie Dev Showcase ends with cake at 7PM on Sunday (cake not provided). Watch (and eat) it all right here.
Eldevin making a run at Steam Greenlight
Browser-based MMO Eldevin, which launched at the end of November and was named by our own Beau Hindman as indie browser MMO of the year, is now entering the fray that is Steam Greenlight's open voting pool. Fans of Eldevin can vote for the game if they want to see it come to Steam; Hunted Cow aims to create a standalone Java-based version of Eldevin that will run on Valve's digital distribution platform. Greenlight has proven a boon to many small studios. Since its inception, hundreds of games have been greenlit for distribution on Steam with the most recent batch landing just today. If Eldevin clears the vote threshold, it might just make it through Valve's approval process and onto Steam's digital shelves. Check out the Eldevin launch trailer after the break and have a look at the game's Greenlight listing for more information.
Steam approves Depression Quest, Manos, 7th Guest 3 in latest Greenlight batch
Valve has approved a selection of 50 new games via Steam Greenlight, ensuring the future Steam release of Kickstarter-funded projects like 7th Guest 3, Manos: The Hands of Fate, and a remake of the classic adventure game Shadowgate, among other featured titles. Today's Greenlight update also spotlights Zoë Quinn's Depression Quest, marking the first time a work of interactive fiction developed using the Twine framework has been approved for a Steam release. Quinn is currently documenting the conversion process for fellow Twine authors who seek Greenlight approval. A full list of today's Greenlight-approved releases is available here.
Dead video game characters walk again in 'Continue?'
After a successful Greenight campaign, indie action-adventure game Continue?9876543210 is out on Steam for PC, Mac and Linux, looking as pretty as it did under those viridescent lightbulbs. Continue? is on sale for $8 through January 10, and then it'll cost $10. In Continue?, players are a dead video game character traveling the depressing wasteland of the Random Access Memory, talking to townsfolk, battling creatures and attempting to outrun the garbage collector. Its design resembles a 3D version of Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery with an Eldritch-y layer. It's a serious trip, developer Jason Oda says. "This game is weird," he says. "You've probably figured that out by now. Everything in it however, has a deeper meaning behind it. All of the strange places you go to, people you talk to, and scenarios you go through are part of a greater idea that I hope you spend a second or two trying to figure out and interpret ... or not. You can also just play the damn thing."
The Repopulation returns to Kickstarter, launches Steam Greenlight campaign
If you still regret missing the opportunity to support the sci-fi sandbox The Repopulation during its first crowdfunding campaign, you're getting a second chance! Above and Beyond Technologies would like to offer players even more features than are currently available and has launched a new Kickstarter campaign to reach those goals. Concurrently, the studio has also launched a Greenlight campaign on Steam to expand the game's exposure beyond its current community and offer an additional payment option. So now players have two ways to show their support for The Repopulation: vote yes to get the game Greenlit and/or pledge financial support through Kickstarter. As a thank you, those who backed the first Kickstarter campaign will receive at least one Beta preview weekend invite as well as access to the first round of closed beta. The beta preview weekends will kick off the next round of testing in March 2014. [Source: Above and Beyond Technologies press release]
Breach and Clear plans Steam Greenlight infiltration
Mighty Rabbit Studios' mobile tactical military strategy game Breach and Clear is coming to Steam, the developer has announced, and is currently up for voting on Steam Greenlight. The PC port of Breach and Clear will include everything in the mobile release on top of a new mission, squads, weapons and spec ops teams, redesigned UI elements and a permadeath mode. Micro-transactions have also been stripped out for PC. There's currently no timetable for launch on Steam, though understandably the quicker Breach and Clear gets its votes on Steam Greenlight, the quicker it is likely to launch on Steam.
Ethan: Meteor Hunter post-mortem laments poor sales, Greenlight woes
Ethan: Meteor Hunter is a punishing 2D platformer made by the "bastards" at Seaven Studio, and has been available for just more than a month on PC and the PlayStation Network. During this time, the game sold just 127 units on PC. A post-mortem on the Seaven Studio website cites issues with Steam Greenlight, translating the game into too many languages and that "good value and focus on gameplay are not appealing." The post also notes that releasing the game a month after the release of GTA5 - one of the best-selling games of all-time (probably) - and a month before the PS4 launch and Xbox One launch - which were also two of the highest-selling console launches - might have contributed to the game's lack of sales. The game is also not yet available on Steam, having only recently gotten 96 percent of the votes it needs to break into Greenlight's top 100. The post asks if gaming is in an "indie bubble where one-good-but-normal-game ([i.e.] not Stanley Parable) can only sell with sales and bundles, not full price." It also asks commenters to voice their reasons why they didn't buy the game so that "next time, if we manage to have a next time," they don't make the same mistakes.
Steam Greenlights 100 more: Light, Probably Archery, EvilQuest, Saturday Morning RPG
Steam's traffic lights turned Green again, with 100 more games zipping towards the client's Parking Lot of Distribution. Those putting pedal to the digital include carb-surd platformer Potatoman Seeks The Troof, Team 17-published stealther Light, QWOP-like sim Probably Archery. 1980s-fest Saturday Morning RPG, and villainous RPG EvilQuest, to name a few. "These titles were selected on the same criteria we have been using in the past," reads Steam's statement on the approved century. "Votes in Greenlight give us a hugely valuable point of data in gauging community interest along with external factors such as press reviews, crowd-funding successes, performance on other similar platforms, and awards and contests to help form a more complete picture of community interest in each title." The full list of games coming to a Steam near you can be found here.
Tiny Barbarian DX hits Steam following Greenlight conquest
Astroman developer StarQuail Games has released its Rastan-inspired retro side-scroller Tiny Barbarian DX via Steam, bringing its pint-sized hero to the end of a long journey from freeware experiment to crowdfunded success story. Taking its cues from muscled classics like Golden Axe and the Conan the Barbarian film series, Tiny Barbarian DX pits a miniscule warrior against armies of sword-wielding foes and mythical beasts in between bouts of tricky platforming challenges. Originally released as a freeware game, Tiny Barbarian grew larger in size and scope (if not stature) after a successful Kickstarter campaign, and later won community approval at Steam Greenlight. Tiny Barbarian DX is normally priced at $9.99, but is available for $5.99 at Steam during its launch week. Steam keys are currently being sent to Kickstarter backers.
The Novelist juggles career and family on December 10
Steam Greenlight winner The Novelist will launch on Steam next week, on December 10, for the special launch price of $15. After launch, it'll go up to $20. In The Novelist, you play as a ghost inhabiting the summer home of a family. The patriarch, Dan Kaplan, is currently juggling the needs of his wife and son while attempting to finish the book of his career. While watching the family, you learn about them, relive their memories and try to help them while staying out of sight. The Novelist will be available on both Mac and PC. All who pre-order through the game's site will receive the soundtrack, which will also be available for sale at launch.
Race the Sun crashes Steam on December 9, finally
Race the Sun was Greenlit on October 2, and as a game whose main objective is to out-pace the sun, it's unsurprisingly on a fast-track to hit Steam: December 9 for PC, Mac and Linux. Race the Sun has had a bumpy, yet serendipitous, ride until now. ... Sorry, we just got distracted picturing a pilot getting on the intercom of a packed commercial flight to say, "Buckle up; we've got a bumpy yet serendipitous ride ahead of us." That would be ridiculous. Race the Sun launched independently through developer Flippfly in August, and in its first month, it sold just 771 copies for a total of $7,400. That rocky launch almost kicked Flippfly out of original development. "As I write this, we're running out of money, and will likely need to take on some other work to keep ourselves and our families fed for a while," Flippfly said at the time. But, that blog post put more eyeballs on Race the Sun's Steam Greenlight campaign. By the time Flippfly put together the Not on Steam Sale, Race the Sun was Greenlit. The Steam version of Race the Sun includes cloud saves, achievements, trading cards, leaderboards, Steam Workshop and supports controllers in Big Picture Mode. Anyone who's bought the game or buys it in the future from other outlets gets a complimentary Steam key. "Our launch on Steam is a testament to the power of community, and sticking with something you believe in," Flippfly says. "We wouldn't be here without our fans, the support of the indie community – and perhaps a good dose of stubbornness."
Aliens kidnap an adorable creature's dog in point-and-clicker Gomo
The name alone sets the tone: Gomo. It's an adorable, cartoon-style point-and-click adventure with creepy overtones and a sweet story about a creature and his dog, Dingo, who's been captured by aliens. Gomo comes out on December 6 for PC for £7, published by Daedalic Entertainment and developed by Fishcow Studio. It should be on Steam Greenlight in the near future. And yes, even the aliens are cute in Gomo.
