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Start digging with The Cave on Android
Android fans need go without oddball adventure game The Cave no longer, as the game found its way to that platform late last week. The Cave costs $4.99 on the Google Play store, and arrived a few weeks after making an appearance on Ouya. The adventure game comes from The Secret of Monkey Island creator Ron Gilbert and Double Fine, the developer Gilbert left in March. The Cave first launched in January on PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Mac, Linux and Wii U. Our review of the XBLA version considered it the "cruelest of Double Fine's games," noting its sharp writing and somewhat tiresome repetition.
Cheaters prosper in Double Fine's puzzler Hack 'n' Slash
Double Fine has announced a new hacking-themed puzzle game called Hack 'n' Slash, due in the first half of 2014 for PC, Mac and Linux on Steam. Hack 'N' Slash started out as an idea during Amnesia Fortnight, Double Fine's internal game jam, and was then chosen by the public to become a fully-realized game. It stars a young elf who uses her hacking skills to cheat at an action/adventure game. We're also told there are algorithms, which we hope is shorthand for dancing alligators. Funding for Hack 'n' Slash was achieved through a joint effort between Double Fine, Indie Fund, Humble Bundle, Hemisphere Games, make all, AppAbove Games, Adam Saltsman, The Behemoth, Morgan Webb, and Rob Reid. It's part of a two-game financing deal that also includes Spacebase DF-9, Double Fine's Early Access space station management sim.
Double Fine regains Costume Quest, Stacking rights from Nordic Games
Double Fine once again controls Costume Quest and Stacking after regaining distribution rights from Nordic Games. Nordic Games acquired the rights to Costume Quest and Stacking when it bought the properties in THQ's bankruptcy auction in April. THQ previously published both games. Nordic and Double Fine have a deal to publish retail versions of Psychonauts, Costume Quest and Stacking in North America and Europe in the first half of 2014, for PC and Mac. "I am pleased that we have regained full control over Costume Quest and Stacking, following a daring and top-secret midnight raid on the Nordic Games headquarters in Vienna," Double Fine CEO Tim Schafer said in a press release. Nordic CEO Lars Wingefors cleared the air in the same release: "We can't wait to partner with Double Fine for this upcoming retail launch of three of its most excellent games. However, I feel compelled to point out that we were happy to transfer distribution rights for Costume Quest and Stacking back to Double Fine in an entirely non-secretive and heist-free manner." As early as May, Double Fine expressed interest in regaining distribution rights for both games, though it never lost the IP rights.
Adventure Time creator contributing his voice to Broken Age
Oh, my, glob. Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward will contribute his voice to Double Fine's adventure game Broken Age, Polygon reports. The partnership was shared during the studio's Day of the Devs event, a free-of-charge gathering that has allowed fans to play indie projects from Gaijin Games, Supergiant Games and more. The announcement concerning Ward's involvement was initially made on Broken Age's backer forums, a restricted-access space meant to host discussion between the game's development team and those who donated $15 or more to the project on Kickstarter. The reveal of Ward's involvement follows the September announcement that Jack Black and Jennifer Hale are contributing to the project. The first half of Broken Age is planned to launch on Steam Early Access in January, which is hoped to generate enough revenue to fund the rest of the project's completion. Backers will get access to the first half before those on Steam Early Access and will also get the full game once it's released.
Costume Quest in iOS getup, out now
It's not a trick - Double Fine really is treating iOS players to Costume Quest, out now on the App Store for $5, with the Grubbins on Ice DLC available for $2 extra. It's an unexpected arrival for the kindergarten RPG that's an oddball mixture of trick-or-treating, turn-based RPG combat, and typical Double Fine humor. That said, it's bang in time for Halloween. We put four chocolate stars in Costume Quest's candy bucket back in 2010, our review deeming it "sweeter than the candy the game's heroes and villains pursue so relentlessly."
Psychonauts figurines now up for grabs at Double Fine's store
If your friends came home from PAX Prime with an armful of Psychonauts figures and didn't give you a single one (the jerks), Double Fine has put the full set of ten up for sale at its online store, marking the first time the collection has been available to the public at large. Featured characters include Whispering Rock campers Razputin, Lili, and Dogen, along with agents Sasha Nein, Milla Vodello, Coach Oleander, and Ford Cruller. The set also features Boyd Cooper, Dr. Loboto, and Sheegor (with bonus Mr. Pokeylope in tow). Double Fine is selling blind-packaged figures at $7 a pop, or you can purchase the complete set for $70.
The Cave's sinister spelunking reaches iOS this week
The Cave is coming to iOS this week on Thursday, October 3. Sega made the announcement on its blog today, pricing the iOS port at $4.99 (£2.99/ €4.49) for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Created by Double Fine in collaboration with Ron Gilbert, The Cave is an adventure game centered around a talking cave that lures in unsuspecting adventurers. In our review, we enjoyed the "sharply written" story, calling it "perfectly pitched through puzzles and your own wicked participation."
Fez, Mark of the Ninja, FTL head up Humble Indie Bundle 9
Humble Bundle's ever-busy organizers have launched Humble Indie Bundle 9, a pay-what-you-want compilation spotlighting Polytron's Fez, Klei's Mark of the Ninja, and other standout indie hits. Buyers will receive Double Fine's metal-infused action-RTS Brutal Legend, the DLC-bundled Trine 2: Complete Story, and stealth-action game Mark of the Ninja, which makes its Mac and Linux debut as part of the collection. The package also includes a beta version of Klei's Eets: Munchies, marking the first time the game has ever been available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Backers who beat the average purchase price will also receive Subset Games' space roguelike FTL: Faster Than Light and the dimension-twisting platformer Fez, which is newly available for Mac and Linux.
Double Fine working on DLC for 'The Playroom' on PS4
During the PlayStation Indie Arcade event tonight at PAX Prime, Sony's Adam Boyes announced Double Fine is working on DLC for PS4 tech demo, The Playroom. The DLC will be available to all PS4 owners free of charge. The Playroom, first demoed at E3 this year, includes a variety of micro-games and augmented reality experiences meant to showcase the features of the PS4. The Playroom will be bundled with every PS4 system when it launches on November 15.
Double Fine's Dropchord entrances iOS, Android and Ouya users
Double Fine's rave simulator rhythm-driven Dropchord launched for iOS, Android and the Ouya this week for $3. Dropchord assigns ends of a line to each of a player's fingers and tasks them with gathering notes and dodging scratches. The game focuses on getting the highest score possible and its leaderboards encourage competitive play with friends. Dropchord's neon visuals pulse to the beat of its electronic soundtrack and switch styles with each song. The game's Standard Mode moves players through stages while gradually adding new gameplay mechanics, while a Full Mix Mode supplies an endless session that gradually becomes more difficult. Dropchord previously launched on PC and Mac for the hands-oriented Leap Motion.
Double Fine's Dropchord on Leap Motion now, other platforms dated
Double Fine announced that its Leap Motion-powered rhythm-action game, Dropchord, is now available for Windows and Mac, with ports for Ouya, iOS, and Android set to launch next week. The Leap Motion is a movement-sensing USB peripheral that tracks individual finger joints and player gestures. Created by a team of developers who previously worked on Double Fine's Kinect Party, Dropchord challenges players to manipulate an on-screen light beam using their fingers, dodging obstacles as they collect notes and build upon a backing music track. Dropchord is priced at $2.99. An Ouya version will premiere on July 31, and ports for iOS and Android will arrive on August 1.%Gallery-194372%
Double Fine's Broken Age goes to Steam Early Access for additional funding
In order to make the version of Broken Age that it has planned, Double Fine needs more capital than the $3.3 million it crowdfunded in March of 2012 through its historic Kickstarter campaign, founder Tim Schafer has said in a backers-only update on Kickstarter. "Even though we received much more money from our Kickstarter than we, or anybody anticipated," Schafer said, "that didn't stop me from getting excited and designing a game so big that it would need even more money." Thus, a new plan was formed: Double Fine will release a refined version of the first half of the game through Early Access in January of 2014, which is expected to generate enough income to sustain production until the rest of the game is completed. Development costs will also be offset by the profits made from other Double Fine games. Folks that backed the original Kickstarter campaign will be given beta test access before the Early Access launch. They'll also get the first half of the game through Steam Early Access and a copy of the full game once it's completed.
Crowdfund Bookie, June 23 - 29: Massive Chalice, Armikrog, A Hat in Time
The Crowdfund Bookie crunches data from select successful Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns that ended during the week and produces pretty charts for you to look at. The Kickstarter campaigns for Massive Chalice, Armikrog, A Hat in Time, Our Darker Purpose, Afterland, Nelly Cootalot: The Fowl Fleet and Siegebreakers concluded this past week and there was much money to be had. Double Fine's Massive Chalice earned the most moola this week ($1,229,015), and had the most backers of the group, with 31,774 people funding the project. Afterland had the highest average pledge per person, with each funder averaging a $73.29. Take a gander at the results and our fancy charts after the break.
Double Fine's Massive Chalice finishes Kickstarter campaign with $1.2 million
Double Fine's Massive Chalice has finished its Kickstarter campaign, funding the project and earning a total of $1.2 million (minus Kickstarter's various fees) for production. In addition to the core game, which sounds like an intriguing mix of turn-based strategy and large-scale kingdom building, the team promised to grow the project's scope based on the funding received rather than rely on stretch goals. Other features and platforms will be determined as the project goes along. Development is being led by the smiley Brad Muir, above, who also designed tower-defense shooter Trenched, later called Iron Brigade. This is Double Fine's second successful Kickstarter; the first was the Adventure Game project, which resulted in the upcoming Broken Age. Massive Chalice's $1.2 million isn't quite as big as the $3.3 million earned for the game that became Broken Age, but the latest project began with a goal of $725,000, much larger than the Adventure Game's initial goal of $400,000. Massive Chalice will now start production, so it'll likely be a while before we see the game ready for release.
The Cave drops in on iOS this summer
The Cave, Double Fine's latest adventure game, is heading to iOS, Touchgen reports, citing a hands-on preview at E3 last week. Sega published The Cave on PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii U in January, but clearly that's not enough, and the game is due out this summer on iOS. The Cave on iOS doesn't have virtual analog sticks or buttons, but allows the player to tap and drag characters around the map, and choose characters with a poke on their respective icons along the bottom of the screen, the hands-on report notes. The Cave features seven characters with murky morals and, at times, even murkier gameplay, we found. There's no word on how much the iOS version will cost, but the price shouldn't be any steeper than the walls of that deep, dark, sentient cave.
Brad Muir on building trust with Double Fine's Massive Chalice
Double Fine is using a second (and already successful) Kickstarter to produce "Massive Chalice," an ambitious turn-based strategy game that hinges on the lineage of your kingdom. Project lead Brad Muir is candid about the early delta between the game's promises – allowing you to produce and raise multiple generations of heroes in a war against demons – and the reality anticipated by those committed to its crowdfunding drive, which exists independently of that for Broken Age. "We're gonna mess up in public, and that's a little bit scary, but it's also like – I think it helps build trust too," Muir told me during E3 last week. "We're totally fallible, and we're gonna trip up, but we'll figure it out and we're gonna make the game the best game it can be." Muir also responded to fears from backers who have yet to see the fruition of Double Fine's previous Kickstarter project, Broken Age, and expressed enthusiasm over developing a game with "the doors wide open on the studio."
Two new Double Fine projects being funded by Indie Fund
Indie Fund is funding two original projects with Double Fine. The news was announced during the Horizon conference by Indie Fund's Kellee Santiago and Double Fine producer Greg Rice. Santiago didn't offer any additional details, saying only that there would be more revealed in "the coming months." Double Fine is currently very busy, working on two Kickstarted games – Broken Age and Massive Chalice – the music game DropChord and now two more games with Indie Fund.
Double Fine's Massive Chalice to feature same-sex relationships
Double Fine's crowdfunded strategy-RPG Massive Chalice will include same-sex relationships and marriage as part of its generation-based gameplay, developer Brad Muir revealed while talking with Rock Paper Shotgun. Muir notes that feedback from Kickstarter backers inspired his team's decision to include same-sex options. "We did not talk about [the possibility of gay marriage] until we launched the Kickstarter," he told RPS. "We were so focused on pure pragmatic mechanics and how it would work and coupling and all these things that we hadn't [considered it]." "One of the cool things is we have the opportunity to think about it and address it because we brought it to the community," Muir continued. "We brought it to a broader group of people, and then there were some people who brought it up and wanted to talk about it. There's a raging thread on our forums." Muir previously expressed a desire to have an equality between sexes in this video discussing Massive Chalice's design. "We wanted to make [gameplay] sex-agnostic," Muir said. "[Both sexes are] both going to be super-badass on the battlefield, killing demons together." Muir notes that same-sex gameplay aspects may have never been considered, had Double Fine opted for traditional publisher-driven development. "We might just overlook something like same-sex coupling all the way until we announce the game." he told RPS. "If somebody did think about it during that whole thing, they would've probably just killed it because it is such a controversial issue. They'd probably not want to have it associated with the game at all." Massive Chalice met its funding goal earlier this month, and its Kickstarter campaign will conclude on June 27.
Double Fine's Massive Chalice brims with achieved funding
Massive Chalice achieved its Kickstarter goal today, goblet-ing up $725,000 of funding in just five days. While Double Fine's second Kickstarter game hasn't lit the touchpaper like its first one, Massive Chalice found almost 20,000 backers to get it funded with 23 days left. That means Double Fine will bring the fantasy turn-based strategy game to Windows, Mac, and Linux. According to the Kickstarter Page, Double Fine is targeting to release it by September 2014. The studio has plans for stretch goals, but hasn't announced any yet. The game itself is headed up by Iron Brigade creator Brad Muir, and sees players employ a number of heroes across a campaign that spans generations, with permadeath "inevitable" due to age. Double Fine says Massive Chalice is "built for replayability," Each playthrough features a random selection of heroes, and its intricacies will change depending on player decisions and the "whims of fate." Meanwhile, work continues on Broken Age, the studio's first Kickstarter game. Double Fine says a separate internal team will be working on Massive Chalice.
Double Fine Kickstarts PC strategy game Massive Chalice
Double Fine has launched a Kickstarter project for Massive Chalice, a feudal fantasy-themed tactical strategy game for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Headed up by Iron Brigade creator Brad Muir, Massive Chalice boasts a multi-generational single-player campaign in which heroes grow old and die as the story progresses. Taking inspiration from roguelikes, Massive Chalice procedurally generates unique characters and alliances during each playthrough, and permadeath ensures that player choices have weight and impact. Double Fine's Tim Schafer assures that work continues on the developer's previous Kickstarter success story, Broken Age, but notes that a separate internal team can begin work on Massive Chalice once it's successfully funded. Massive Chalice's funding goal is set at $725,000.