News
1 CommentThe Yawhg set for May 30 release
By Dave Tach at 3:00p 05.24.13
The Yawhg, an indie role-playing game from artist Emily Carroll and developer Damian Sommer, is scheduled for release on May 30.
The game supports up to four players and randomizes the story every time you play. The narrative concerns a town bracing for the return of the dredded Yawhg, and players' decisions and actions will decide the fate of the community. The randomly generated story includes 50 endings, with ambiance courtesy of sound designer Ryan Roth, who also worked on Starseed Pilgrim. Artist Emily Carroll's previous work includes the mysterious comic His Face All Red.
The Yawhg will be available on Windows PC for $10 at release, but you can pre-order the game from the official website for $5. For more on the game and those behind it, check out our interview from last year.
News
3 CommentsMinimalist platformer Still Time turns time into an illusion
By Samit Sarkar at 10:02a 05.24.13
Still Time, an upcoming Flash game from indie developer Alan Zucconi, is a platformer that messes with time, and Zucconi told PC Gamer that he designed it with a minimalist aesthetic so players could focus on the game's puzzles.
"In the last years there have been incredible improvements in the level of realism that games can achieve, but so few breakthrough in their actual gameplay," said Zucconi. "I wanted to create something experimental to realize exactly the opposite." When time is paused, the screen takes on a CRT-esque filter, and players must utilize copies of themselves at different points in time to get through Still Time's puzzles.
You can watch a trailer for Still Time above. A rough alpha version of the title is playable on Zucconi's website.
News
2 CommentsSuper Splatters headed to Steam in late June
By Dave Tach on May 23, 2013 05.23.13
Super Splatters, a physics-based puzzle game from developer SpikySnail, is headed to Steam in late June, according to the developer.
The game tasks players with slinging the titular goo-filled Splatters, earning combos and covering each stage with their juices as the goo balls compete for fame and fortune on "the nationwide all-popular channel Splatter TV." Super Splatters is the follow up to the developer's 2012 XBLA title The Splatters.
Check out the video above to get a feel of the sticky platforming coming to Windows PC, Mac and Linux next moth. You can also pre-order the game on SpikySnail's official website for $7, a 30 percent discount off of the regular price of $10.
News
1 CommentSpellirium beats Kickender campaign, tackles Adequately Animated stretch goal
By Jenna Pitcher on May 23, 2013 05.23.13
Untold Entertainment's Spellirium, an adventure game 'for hardcore word nerds,' met its $10, 000 Kickender campaign funding goal.
As Untold Entertainment have been working on Spellirium for five years, and is close to being finished, the studio only required funds to wrap up the game's development. Money from the campaign will be spent on the game's third act, voice-overs, sound, music, balancing difficulty, fixing bugs and general polish.
The independent funding campaign is now into its second stretch goal called Act III, Adequately Animated with 30 days to go. The developers ultimately hope raise $50, 000 in total in order to hire freelancers to help finish the game.
Those who pre-order the game are immediately granted with a playable alpha version, which consists of the first two...
News
0 CommentsFuncom celebrates Age of Conan 5th anniversary by unleashing brutal boss monsters
By Jenna Pitcher on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
Beginning May 23, Funcom will celebrate the 5th anniversary of its massively multiplayer role-playing game Age of Conan by unleashing brutal boss monsters across Hyboria and will also introduce membership improvements, according to the game's official website.
One boss monster of increasing brutality will be unleashed each day of the event until five monsters will roam the land. Players of any level can partake in the boss monster battles.
Through the membership improvements users will receive 200 Bonus Points each month, a Blessing of Asura item that doubles experience points, will earn one Alternate Advancement Point per level advancement and other perks.
As part of the celebrations, all players will be given a one-week Access Pass to the land of Khitai, which was introduced in the...
News
16 CommentsSimCity update 4.0 introduces new areas, re-enabled features tomorrow
By Megan Farokhmanesh on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
SimCity's 4.0 update, launching tomorrow, will introduce new areas, re-enable features and add additional fixes, according to a post on EA's forums.
Post update, global market prices now "dynamically" change, and region filters and leaderboards are once again active. SimCity will also show the player's current server in the options menu and include more detailed rollover information about Sim happiness.
The update also adds two new areas. Edgewater Bay is a region with seven city sites in a single cluster, and SimCity Launch Park is a special area dedicated to fans that will be available exclusively to "early adopters."
Update 4.0 also includes a few graphical, messaging and weather updates. You can read the full post for more details.
Maxis recently teased new add-on content for S...
News
0 Comments7 Grand Steps coming to PC and Mac June 7
By Dave Tach on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
7 Grand Steps: What Ancients Begat, developer Mousechief's video game tour of Western civilization, will be released on Windows PC and Mac June 7.
The Independent Games Festival-nominated title will be available for $15 on Steam and Mousechief.com. The strategy game uses board game mechanics, text vignettes and four playable social classes to chart a course across the human history.
"With each turn, you optimize the use of resources to achieve powerful legends, using a tactical board-game mechanic that empowers overarching family strategies across the generations," according to the developer's description. "Along the way, children are conceived and romances forged, discoveries are made and tragedies suffered. Will your lineage survive through the ages, or be crushed under the weight...
Video
5 CommentsElder Scrolls Online video reveals a new monster, the deadly marsh-dwelling Wamasu
By John Funk on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
A teaser posted by ZeniMax Online for The Elder Scrolls Online introduces a new monster not yet seen in Elder Scrolls lore.
The bulky, lizard-like wamasu lives in the Black Marsh where it threatens adventurers and passersby. It has some sort of innate electric power as evidenced by its lightning breath and tendency to crackle with electricity, and can knock enemies down with a powerful tail lash.
In a post on the Elder Scrolls Online site, the developers shed some light on the creature's creation. "The wamasu has never appeared in an Elder Scrolls game, and it’s rarely mentioned in existing lore, so we had some freedom to define and flesh out this intimidating foe," reads the post.
The post elaborates on how the wamasu fits in to the world of The Elder Scrolls, and how the team...
News
4 CommentsDog Sled Saga is as much about racing as it is dog husbandry
By Megan Farokhmanesh on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
In Dog Sled Saga, a Kickstarted game for desktop and mobile devices, there are two things you should remember. A well-fed dog is a fast dog. A fast dog is a happy dog.
The pixilated brainchild of Dan FitzGerald and Lisa Bromiel, Dog Sled Saga is a mix of racing, reputation building and pet management. Players step into the boots of a musher climbing the racing ranks with the help of his or her dog sled team. But the concept behind the game is less about the sport itself, FitzGerald said, and more about the interaction with your pets.
"I would boil it down to the non-verbal pet relationship," FitzGerald said. "It is absolutely about getting familiar with an animal that can't talk to you. There won't be a lot of pop-ups that tell you about your dog, but there will be signs — [this...
News
2 CommentsLeisure Suit Larry: Reloaded delayed until June
By Emily Gera on May 22, 2013 05.22.13
The launch of Kickstarter-funded retro remake Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded is being delayed until late June, developer Replay Games announced.
According to an official statement issued by Replay (via CinemaBlend), the game's original May 31 release date is being pushed back to allow for "additional polishing."
"Larry Laffer is one picky guy and he won't stop preening himself until every hair looks pristine," reads the statement "In order to show Larry as the true Casanova he is, and provide the best possible Leisure Suit Larry experience for fans, Replay Games has decided to hold off the launch of Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded until late June for additional polishing."
Replay founder Paul Trowe took to the official website to explain the decision to ultimately delay, adding that bugs...
News
1 CommentTwo-player QWOP now available on PC, Mac, Linux for some Sportsfriends backers
By Samit Sarkar on May 21, 2013 05.21.13
A two-player version of Bennett Foddy's QWOP, the toughest track-and-field game ever made, is now available to people who backed the Sportsfriends Kickstarter at the $60 level or above.
Foddy announced the bonus in mid-November during the Sportsfriends funding drive, saying he planned to use the iOS code for the multiplayer game and tweak its controls to support gamepads. But in announcing the release today, Foddy said he rebuilt QWOP in Unity with 3D graphics and new controls. Each analog stick controls one side of the avatar's body; rotating them both clockwise is the way to go, but you'll have to time it correctly.
The multiplayer QWOP is available on Windows PC, Mac and Linux; Foddy has tested the PC and Mac versions with both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 controllers. On Linux, said...
News
1 CommentReptile Games' electro beat-'em-up Megabyte Punch coming to Linux
By Jenna Pitcher on May 21, 2013 05.21.13
Reptile Games' electro beat-'em-up platforming game, Megabyte Punch,will see a launch on Linux alongside Windows PC and Mac, according to Reptile Games' official Twitter account.
In the game, players can customize their own fighter, compete in tournaments and collect parts in order to upgrade skills and abilities. The game features six different retro worlds, PvP destructible arena, 128 parts to collect, an electro soundtrack, and four player local co-op and versus mode.
Through its website, Reptile Games is currently offering DRM-free beta access for Windows PC and Mac platforms for $7.50, which also includes all futures updates for free. Megabyte Punch is collecting votes on Steam Greenlight. The game was featured at PAX East in March as part of the IndieGameStand.
News
1 CommentWorld of Warcraft patch 5.3 notes released ahead of May 21 roll out
By Jenna Pitcher on May 20, 2013 05.20.13
Full patch notes for Blizzard Entertainment's 5.3 patch Escalation for World of Warcraft are available ahead of the patch's roll out on May 21, the studio revealed today.
The patch will add four new Scenarios, along with a new Heroic mode for the four as well as for two existing Scenarios. The patch will also introduce Loot Specialization, a feature that offers players more control with off-spec loot drops. Along with general bug fixes, the patch notes offer in-depth detail on the changes made to the game's numerous components, including bug fixes, pet battles, dungeons, scenarios and PvP.
Blizzard also has a patch 5.3 Escalation information hub where players can catch up on the patch's content and features and prepare for the roll out.
The game's last update, patch 5.2 The Thunder...
Culture
12 CommentsArtist re-skins Super Mario Land with new graphics
By Tracey Lien on May 20, 2013 05.20.13
Artist Arne Niklas Jansson, who has worked on games like Cortex Command and reconceptualizes video game art on his website, Android Arts, has re-skinned [Game Boy launch title] Super Mario Land by redoing the graphics for the entire game.
Posting to his website, Jansson wrote that he played Super Mario Land for research purposes while working on another project, after which he felt an urge to do something with the sprites in Photoshop.
"I realized I could actually put the sprites in the game since the bitplane tiles are pretty easy to read and write," he said. "Then I decided to redo the graphics for the entire game, so I spent a few days doing that."
Jansson details on his website how he changed the game's color scheme, redesigned the characters and sprites, the tools he used and...
News
3 CommentsHeavy Gear Assault crowdfunding efforts continue through Kickstarter
By Megan Farokhmanesh on May 20, 2013 05.20.13
Stompy Bot Productions launched its second crowdfunding effort, this time through Kickstarter, in an effort to develop mech-centric title Heavy Gear Assault.
Heavy Gear Assault is set within the Heavy Gear universe, first published by Dream Pod in 1994. The game is a mech simulator that will feature melee combat, total customization and in-game corporate sponsorships. The video, which you can watch above, features in-game footage created over the course of three months. Heavy Gear Assault is being produced with Unreal Engine 4.
Stompy Bot is currently seeking $800,000 through Kickstarter, with reward tiers ranging from $15 to $10,000. Backer rewards include in game items, memorabilia, access to the game's beta and more.
Stompy Bot announced its plans to create a new Heavy Gear game...
Video
5 CommentsWaystone gives details on Dawngate, its new 'accessible' and lore-driven MOBA
By John Funk on May 20, 2013 05.20.13
New studio Waystone Games has teamed up with Machinima to shed some light Dawngate, a new MOBA published by EA that was teased last week.
"When I look at where [MOBAs are]," says the game's lead producer David Cerra, "It sort of reminds me of where shooters were in the mid-90s. There was a lot of recreation of design over and over again, and then the genre just exploded: larger maps, larger team sizes, vehicles and verticality; all these different dimension came into play. I feel like that's where [MOBAs are] right now."
"From the beginning, we said the map itself has to have a story. As has been said often, in a MOBA the map is a [gameplay mode]," says Cerra, "and in a way ... the map is also another character in the game." From the brief glimpses seen in the video, Dawngate...
