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'Pitch Fork Parker' winner Dungeon Hearts out March 28
Dungeon Hearts, the game Devolver Digital found in the back of a bus last year, is coming to PC, Mac and iPad on March 28. Cube Roots' game combines RPGs and match-three puzzles, allowing you to perform attacks by matching "runes" on the "Fatestream." The effect is visually similar to Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy, although the scrolling line of icons has a different meaning in this game than it does in Square Enix's rhythm RPG. Dungeon Hearts has the advantage of having a title made up entirely of real words, as well.Dungeon Hearts will launch on Steam and assorted other digital distribution services for $2.99.%Gallery-180878%
Indie publishing styles: The 'Hey, kid, take a ride on my bus' tactic
The week after E3's blockbuster bombardment from high-profile, mainstream publishers seems like a proper time to step back, take a breath and remember that for many indie developers, getting a game made has nothing to do with fog machines, loud on-stage demos or awkward celebrity banter.Sometimes, indie publishing involves standing on a shady street corner in San Francisco until a bus pulls up and offers you a beer and a ride.At least, that's how it worked out for Chris Pavia, a developer who recently quit his mainstream industry job to create indie titles under his own studio, Cube Roots. Pavia's first game, a puzzle RPG called Dungeon Hearts, got picked up by Devolver Digital during its Pitch Fork Parker project at GDC earlier this year.Pitch Fork Parker had indie developers vie for a spot on Devolver Digital's bus, where they would ride around for a while and try to sell their indie games to the publisher. Pavia earned a spot on the bus with Dungeon Hearts' cohesive art style and character designs alone, and in the month before GDC he hired an animator, had his musician tweak the audio and spent all his time refining every detail he could in the first few minutes of the game.%Gallery-155933%
Dungeon Hearts was made in the back of Devolver Digital's bus, out early 2013
Devolver Digital has teamed up with Cube Roots to publish the indie puzzle RPG Dungeon Hearts on PC, Mac and mobile in early 2013. Before any of you smart alecks ask: No, it's not a mashup of Dungeon Defenders and Kingdom Hearts.Dungeon Hearts features a "nostalgic" blend of classic RPG elements and match-three puzzle mechanics for a "wholly unique experience," Devolver promises. It has 99 character levels and 16 unique environments, and players will use the matching game to perform powerful attacks in the game's mystical world.At GDC in February, Cube Roots founder Chris Pavia got on a bus with Devolver Digital's Fork Parker as part of the Pitch Fork Parker Project. Pavia pitched Dungeon Hearts, left the bus, and by the end of the night his game was signed."The original pitch was for Dungeon Hearts to be a medieval brothel simulator," Parker said. "I recommended we shift development toward the puzzle/RPG hybrid because medieval brothel simulators just don't sell anymore."%Gallery-155933%
