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Morality play Always Sometimes Monsters launches May 21
Alongside the above trailer, developer Vagabond Dog has revealed a May 21 release date for its pixelated adventure Always Sometimes Monsters. Don't let the familiarity of chunky pixels fool you, Always Sometimes Monsters isn't a sweet, saccharine affair. Vagabond Dog describes the game as an "unconventional story-driven RPG about life, love, and the lengths that we will go to find happiness in both," but fails to mention that the "lengths" it is referring to include maudlin deathbed scenes and shotgun assassinations. Though that may seem bleak, the game is not specifically designed to be a downer. Instead, Vagabond Dog has created an open world that reacts to your character, and crafts a suitable narrative around the actions you take within the pixelated reality. "Always Sometimes Monsters is designed to reflect parts of yourself as you play and possibly give you a better understanding of who you are," said developer Justin Amirkhani. "What makes it interesting is not learning whether or not you're a monster, but reflecting on how you can change." If you just can't wait until May 21 to dig into Always Sometimes Monsters, you will get an early shot at the game at the upcoming PAX East convention, where you'll find Always Sometimes Monsters in the Indie Megabooth, at booth 787. [Image: Devolver Digital]
Broforce fistbumps Steam Early Access on April 7
A true conversation between my inner bros: "Bro, for real, Broforce is out April 7." "That game is gonna crush it." "Crush it hard, yo." "Fasho, it's so sick! What's it about?" "Don't worry about it." "BROFORCE!" I hate my beautiful mind. [Image: Devolver Digital]
OlliOlli developer's next game stars a lot of death and a pixelated bunny
OlliOlli studio Roll7 is working on a new game with publisher Devolver Digital, a 2.25D, cover-based, pixelated shooter called Not a Hero. Yes, 2.25D. It hits between 2D and 2.5D, a side-on perspective with isometric elements. Players take on the role of Steve, a gun-for-hire tasked with cleaning up the city for the mayoral candidate, an anthropomorphic bunny. "Now Steve must clear five districts of crime and recruit new heroes for his cause by sliding, diving, ducking and taking cover through hundreds of full-throttle shootouts across the city," Roll7 says. Not a Hero is due out for PC this summer, Eurogamer reports. Check out the Not a Hero factsheet on Roll7's site.
OlliOlli grinds onto PlayStation 4, PC, and other platforms this summer
Rather than face plant after botching a gnarly kickflip, OlliOlli will stick the landing when it jumps from PS Vita to new platforms this summer. Roll7's pixelated skateboarding game will appear on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 as well as Mac, Linux, and PC via Steam. "The PS Vita was where Sony's big Indie push was in 2013, so that's what they funded," Roll7's Simon Bennet told Joystiq about the game's debut as a Vita exclusive. "We are hyped about playing it on a Dualshock though, it really feels more tactile when going for more complicated tricks!" OlliOlli made limited but impactful use of Vita's specific features, particularly the touch screen for navigation. According to Bennet, the transition from Vita to controllers has been smooth. He even teased a new feature. "There will be one major change which the fans will like. Touch Screen works just as well with controller input, so we see no major issues [in the transition.]" Bennet's studio is not making these ports. BlitWorks, the crew behind numerous ports like the PS Vita version of Spelunky, is working on the PlayStation 4 and PS3 versions of OlliOlli. Devolver Digital, the publisher behind Hotline Miami, is working on the Steam version. Roll7 isn't resting on its laurels, though. The studio is still trying to fix a game-crashing bug that's affected the PS Vita version, and plans to patch in that fix with a larger update soon. OlliOlli released on PS Vita in January and was warmly received by critics, receiving a 4-star review from Joystiq. [Images: Roll7]
Hotline Miami is bringing the heat to PS4 with Cross-Buy support
Publisher Devolver Digital revealed it's releasing the first Hotline Miami on PS4, and the good news is fans who bought the original game on PS3 and Vita won't have to pay to get the new version. Speaking to Destructoid at GDC, Devolver's Nigel Lowrie confirmed the 2D top-down murder-fest is retaining its Cross-Buy support on PS4. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is also in line for PS4, as well as Vita, Windows PC, Mac, and Linux. Wrong Number switches out the first game's 80s vibe for a darker 90s aesthetic, and while the sequel retains that ultra-violent core, Lowrie said Devolver plans to showcase more of what's new about it at next month's PAX East conference in Boston. "So far all [we've shown developer Dennaton] is doing is really more or less similar to Hotline Miami 1, what we've shown." Lowrie told Destructoid. "What we're gonna show at PAX East and in a trailer before PAX East is the new hotness, and really things are going to change up the game quite a bit." [Image: Devolver Digital]
Devolver Digital on mixing indie movies and games for charity
If its recent Humble Bundle proves anything, it's that Devolver isn't settling for a footprint in one entertainment medium. With its games and a series of indie films on offer in the latest bundle, Devolver mixed its two passions in the pay-what-you-want, charity-driven Humble Bundle series. Devolver's Nigel Lowrie says the company is attempting to do for film what it has done in the indie game publishing space. "We're mostly known for games but Mike Wilson, one of the partners here, is also very much into independent film and trying to replicate a lot of what we do for games on the film side, and so we have Devolver Films now," Lowrie tells Joystiq. "The Humble people have been really cool and they let us experiment. So the idea was, 'Lets try out games and films together and see if that works,' and it lined up with some charities we wanted to help." The Devolver Double Debut Bundle supports The Film Collaborative, a non-profit "committed to distribution education and facilitation of independent film" and the GoFundMe campaign for the cancer treatment of Independent Games Festival chairman Brandon Boyer.
Seen@GDC 2014: Animal masks and fan art at Devolver Digital
Surrounded by fan art inspired by its games, including the recently released Luftrausers and cult-hit Hotline Miami, Devolver Digital invites press and partners to its meeting space donning animal masks and wielding deadly mimosas. "We're a very serious business," Devolver Digital's Nigel Lowrie tells me before exiting the meeting space. When asked for his official job title, public relations rep Stephanie Schopp confirmed it as: "High school boys wrestling coach/youth pastor/philanthropist." "That's what happens when he leaves the room," she says.
Luftrausers Review: Aerial Ace
Question: When is a plane not a plane? Answer: When it's a UFO firing a laser, or a kamikaze ballerina, or a floating brick propelled by bullets, or a nuclear-equipped mecha-dolphin, or, or, or. Shorter answer: When it's in Luftrausers, where a sense of acrobatic grace and colossal amounts of customization are king. Luftrausers is the updated version of Vlambeer's Luftrauser, a free arcade shooter in which players fly the unfriendly skies and attempt to take out as many fighter planes and boats as they can before meeting their inevitable demise. The two games share the same control scheme – up to boost, left and right to rotate, X to fire – but beyond that, the upgrades make Luftrausers feel totally distinct. You'll begin Luftrausers as a simple fighter plane – you have a basic machine gun, a healthy frame, and a not-too-fast, not-too-slow engine. You'll launch from the deck of a submarine and engage in dogfights to take out enemy fighter planes, jets, boats, submarines, battleships, laser-spewing ... things, and a blimp so big it fills the screen.
Devolver Digital unveils documentary series 'Super Game Jam'
Super Game Jam is an upcoming documentary series from publisher Devolver Digital that focuses on the impromptu efforts of pairs of indie game developers attempting to cobble together something interesting and fun in under 48 hours. "Game jams have become an increasingly important part of the indie game development scene and our hope is to let everyone see what goes into these collaborations and explorations of themes through games," stated Daniel Oliveira Carneiro, a filmmaker who shares directorial duties on Super Game Jam with Bram Ruiter. The format of Super Game Jam is simple: The series visits five cities, pairs up two indie developers, then grants them 48 hours to come up with something resembling a game. The only guideline they're given is a basic theme assigned by other developers. The goal here is to document the trials and tribulations of building a functional game in such a short amount of time, and to highlight the skills and interactions of the developers. Super Game Jam will come available to the public in April. On release, each episode of Super Game Jam will be available for download from Steam alongside the game created by the indie developers who starred in that particular entry. More details on Super Game Jam, including a list of participating developers, can be found at its eponymous website. [Image: Devolver Digital]
Foul Play to enter stage left on PS4, Vita
Mediatonic's theatrical side-scrolling brawler Foul Play is heading to PS4 and Vita, the developer announced in a recent post on PlayStation Blog. Players take on the role of Baron Dashforth, a mustachioed demon hunter who retells his tales in front of a live audience, defeating waves of extras in the one-night-only performance. The co-op enabled beat-em-up doesn't feature a traditional health bar, but rather gauges the audience's interest with each passing moment, and closes the curtains for boring actors that take too many hits from the combat-trained extras. Foul Play launched on PC and Xbox 360 in September 2013 before arriving on Mac and Linux in October. Our four-star review of the game deemed the story as "superb" and the fights "frantic and fast." Mediatonic did not offer a release date for the PS4 and Vita versions as of yet, but it will be Cross-Buy compatible, so owners of both platforms need only buy it once. [Image: Mediatonic]
Devolver Humble Bundle has games, films; supports Brandon Boyer
The Devolver Digital Double Debut bundle offers a mix of screen-based activities – five games and five movies – now through March 16. It's hosted by Humble Bundle, so some items are available for whatever price you want, and others unlock if you pay more than a certain amount, this time $10. Available for any price are the games Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition and Shadow Warrior Classic Redux, plus the movies Austin High, The Poisoning and One Couch at a Time. Pay more than $10 to also snag the games Defense Technica, Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure and Cosmic DJ, and the films MARS and Good Game. This bundle marks the debuts of Cosmic DJ and Good Game. Cosmic DJ is a music-creation game designed for everyone to pick up and play, regardless of musical competence, and it's available now DRM-free on PC and Mac. Purchase will include a Steam key once the game launches there. Good Game is an independent documentary from Nine Hour Films that chronicles a year on the premiere pro gaming team, Evil Geniuses. Payments are distributed among Humble, the developers and charity, and this time the charity hits close to home for many developers. Proceeds from the bundle can go to the Brandon Boyer Cancer Treatment Relief gofundme campaign – Boyer is chairman of the Independent Games Festival and founder of game culture site Venus Patrol. Great games and a great cause, at whatever price you wish. [Image: Brandon Boyer]
Point-and-click thriller Gods Will Be Watching stares down a June launch
Gods Will Be Watching is a dark, depressing and mentally taxing point-and-click adventure from Deconstructeam and Hotline Miami publisher Devolver Digital, due out in June for PC, Mac and Linux. Note that when we say "dark, depressing and mentally taxing," we mean it in the most fun way possible. That's this game's shtick: It places Sgt. Burden in the middle of violent interstellar tensions and asks him to decide who lives, who dies, who eats and who gets tortured – including himself – in a number of unpleasant scenarios. At times, it's either his crew or the world. Gods Will Be Watching mixes puzzles and decision-making with pixelated violence and psychological struggle. "Our team set out to make a new breed of point-and click-adventure and capture the feeling of having to make heavy decisions with sometimes dark consequences," Deconstructeam founder Jordi de Paco, says in a press release. "We understand that Gods Will Be Watching is a departure for the genre but think we have an opportunity to break new ground in storytelling and the weight of decisions." Gods Will Be Watching launches on Steam, GOG and Humble in June. It started as a Ludum Dare 26 game, and you can play that original jam project right here. Pre-orders for a DRM version plus a Steam key are up now at a 10 percent discount, or $9. [Image: Devolver Digital]
Broforce hits Steam Early Access in March, bro
Aptly self-described "rogue publisher" Devolver Digital has announced an agreement with developer Free Lives to release Broforce on Steam's Early Access come March, with full-fledged PC and console releases to follow this summer. "When evil threatens the world, the world calls on Broforce - an under-funded, over-powered paramilitary organization dealing exclusively in excessive force," reads the game's official description. "Brace your loins with up to four players to run 'n' gun as dozens of different bros and eliminate the opposing terrorist forces that threaten our way of life. Unleash scores of unique weapons and set off incredible chain reactions of fire, napalm, and limbs in the name of freedom." If that last paragraph didn't grow hair on your chest, take a look at the above trailer, which depicts Broforce as a retro-styled, multiplayer platformer homage to the action films of the 1980s. You've got your classic action hero archetypes, your over-the-top machismo, and an eagle made of metal flexing in front of the American flag. Short of Sylvester Stallone arm-wrestling the ghost of Ronald Reagan, this is about as bro as it gets, bro. [Image: Devolver Digital/Free Lives]
Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition updated with cross-platform multiplayer
The Steam version of 3D Realms' classic first-person shooter Duke Nukem 3D has been updated with competitive and cooperative multiplayer gameplay modes, letting up to eight players kick ass and/or chew bubblegum in online Dukematch battles. The new multiplayer mode supports cross-platform play across Windows, Mac, and Linux, and offers over 200 user-created maps via Steam Workshop. Duke Nukem 3D is also on sale as part of Steam's Midweek Madness promotion, and is currently available for $3.99.
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number dials in Q3 2014 launch window
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number will be available sometime between July and the end of September; the game's official Twitter account locked in a Q3 launch window today. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number takes place before and after the events of the first game, which saw a nameless protagonist fulfilling murder requests left on his answering machine. The sequel ditches the 80s aesthetic of its predecessor for a more touchy-feely early 90s vibe – a large part of the game will be about touching characters' faces with baseball bats and feeling their life force drain away. The first Hotline Miami launched in October 2012 to critical acclaim and commercial success. After making its debut on PC, the game was ported over to PS Vita and PS3 in February of last year, while a Mac version followed a month later. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number will be available on PS4, PS Vita, PC, Linux and Mac OSX.
Skate punk platformer OlliOlli out on Vita January 21
Publisher Devolver Digital announced today that Roll7's side-scrolling, skateboard-flipping stunt sim OlliOlli is headed to the PlayStation Vita by the end of the month. Combining Super Meat Boy-like precision platforming with a complex stunt system, OlliOlli challenges players to survive a series of challenging level layouts while chaining together tricks and basically looking as rad as possible at all times. The game boasts over 100 levels and stunt spots, and also includes a Spelunky Daily Challenge-inspired Daily Grind mode that serves up unique levels with ranked leaderboards every 24 hours. OlliOlli will hit the PlayStation Network in North America on January 21, while players in Europe can get their kickflips on January 22.
Hotline Miami publisher to tackle crowdfunded point-and-clicker Dropsy
Devolver Digital announced that it will publish crowdfunded indie adventure game Dropsy. The game's Kickstarter project, which successfully surpassed its $14,000 goal, is slated to end on November 24. Designer Jay Tholen explained in an update on the project's page that Devolver Digital will help the developer with marketing, QA and localization of the game, and will top off development funds to ensure it reaches its stretch goals. In development since 2011, the PC, Mac and Linux game is a point-and-click adventure game in which characters guide a "misunderstood but cheerful" ex-clown named Dropsy through a "surreal, grotesque world." With his dog Eughh at his side, Dropsy journeys through the world to bring happiness to others, offering unwanted hugs to everyone, as he "doesn't recognize anyone as his enemy." Tholen notes in the game's pitch video that it is almost entirely text-free, replacing traditional point-and-click elements with symbols that players need to interpret on their own to reflect Dropsy's inability to speak. Devolver Digital noted that "any and all funds collected via Kickstarter will of course remain with the developer to fund the development of Dropsy," and that it "is not involved with money from backers nor do we have any say in how it is used." Tholen and his team sought funding on Kickstarter for the game twice before: The developer raised $1,613 in November 2011 before failing to reach its $25,000 goal in July of this year.
Forkstarter collects all Devolver Digital sales in one snarky place
Forkstarter gets its name and mission from Devolver Digital CEO Fork Parker: "Forkstarter is an extremely for profit organization created to enrich the lives of independent game developers worldwide Devolver Digital CFO Fork Parker." At least he's honest. Forkstarter displays all of the Devolver Digital Steam sales happening right now, covering Hotline Miami, Foul Play, Shadow Warrior, Shadow Warrior Classic Redux, Dungeon Hearts, Defense Technica, Duke Nukem 3D and the Serious Sam games, each up to 85 percent off. We noted a few of these deals in yesterday's Steam Weekend Sale post, though we didn't mention Foul Play, which is a real treat. Just a friendly reminder to get these games for cheap this weekend. Otherwise, you'll have to give Fork Parker even more money – though it seems he wouldn't mind.
Steam weekend deals: Devolver, Total War and Blood Dragon
Strategy, action, bloody arcade madness? Steam is having a sale on all of those this weekend! First up, publisher Devolver's dropping discounts on Hotline Miami ($2.49), Shadow Warrior ($26.79) and the Serious Sam series ($14.24 for all of 'em). Also discounted this weekend is Sega's strategic Total War: Rome 2 for $44.96, which is 25 percent off. Wrapping up the weekend deals (as far as we know, at this moment in time) is a bundle of Call of Juarez Gunslinger and '80s neon wash romp Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon at 50 percent off for $12.50 – also available at $7.50 apiece. Steam reserves the right to add even more weekend sales whenever it feels like it.
Foul Play brings Vaudevillian brawling to Mac, Linux
Beware of Foul Play on Mac and Linux ... wait, scratch that, because we recommend you get nice and friendly with Mediatonic's eccentric beat-em-up. As our four-star review put it, Foul Play is "a stylized mix of the art of South Park, the witty back-and-forth of Sherlock Holmes, and the theatricality of Puppeteer, all layered on top of wonderful co-op brawling." If that sounds like your cup of tea, Foul Play is priced $15 on Steam, and it's SteamPlay compatible. That means a single purchase grants access to Windows PC, Mac, and Linux versions, and that applies to those who previously bought the PC version.
