Samurai Gunn nets investment from Cards Against Humanity designer
Samurai Gunn, the precision-based Bushido brawler from developer Teknopants, was nominated for Excellence in Design at the 2013 IGF awards, is one of the eight Spotlight games at this year's Fantastic Arcade, was a featured title in the EVO 2013 Indie Showcase and it has a spot in the PAX Prime Indie Megabooth, among other accolades. People seem to like this game. People like Cards Against Humanity designer Max Temkin.
Under his company, Maxistentialism, Temkin provided an angel investment to Teknopants, insuring designer Beau Blyth and his team can finish the game on time and to its full potential.
"I first got to play Samurai Gunn at GDC and I was immediately hooked," Temkin says. "Beau shared a build with me and I started taking it around to parties .... Whenever I brought it out the party would grind to a halt and everyone would gather around the laptop. I want to share that experience with everyone."
Samurai Gunn is a local multiplayer extravaganza, which jives with Temkin's expertise. Blyth is pretty fond of that aspect, too.
"The conventional wisdom is that you need to have online multiplayer for a game to sell, but I guarantee that getting a bunch of your friends in a room together will always be more fun," Blyth says.
Samurai Gunn is on its way to PC this holiday, via Steam and direct purchase. It's also (be)headed to PS4 and Vita in 2014.
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IGF Finalist Samurai Gunn Gains Publisher, Release Plans, and Trailer
A nomination for the Excellence in Game Design award at the Independent Games Festival in 2013 was only the beginning for Teknopants' local multiplayer fighting game Samurai Gunn. Now this elegant exercise in precision and skill is headed for a public release.
Maxistentialism Inc., a design company run by Max Temkin (Cards Against Humanity, Humans vs. Zombies) has made an angel investment and taken on a publisher role to ensure that Teknopants has the resources to bring the minimalist showdown to the public without compromising the game's integrity.
"The conventional wisdom is that you need to have online multiplayer for a game to sell, but I guarantee that getting a bunch of your friends in a room together will always be more fun. I'm publishing this game independently because I'd like to prove that a local experience can still sell," said designer Beau Blyth.
"I first got to play Samurai Gunn at GDC and I was immediately hooked," said Temkin. "Beau shared a build with me and I started taking it around to parties... whenever I brought it out the party would grind to a halt and everyone would gather around the laptop. I want to share that experience with everyone."
Samurai Gunn is on target to release on Steam and through direct purchase this holiday season and will also be available on PS4 and Vita in 2014.
Now back to work on the game after a development hiatus, Blyth said, "The game's been running faster than ever since I ported it to Game Maker: Studio. I've been able to feel comfortable again spending a whole day perfecting the little details like falling grass clippings."
Samurai Gunn will be available later this week at PAX Prime as part of the Indie MEGABOOTH in booth 763.
