Twinworld Game Reviews

Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Staffordshire, UK – Lightwood Games is thrilled to announce the release of their latest word puzzle game, Just a Phrase by POWGI.

The game is already available on the PlayStation Store for PS4 and PS Vita and will launch on the Nintendo eShop for Switch later today.

Just a Phrase is a deduction game based on the classic pen-and-paper game, hangman, but this variation has a twist inspired by the pun-oriented wordplay that is typically found in the POWGI series of games.

One word in each phrase has been changed to a homophone – a word that sounds the same, but is spelled differently. For example, when the phrase “right on the money” becomes “write on the money”, it takes on a totally new meaning.

While the phrase will still sound familiar when read aloud, this simple change makes it much more challenging to deduce when choosing only one letter at a time. The puzzles usually produce a moment of revelation, when you solve a phrase by revealing both something familiar, and something unexpected!

Phrases range from the surreal (like ”making both ends meat”) to those that invite you to imagine the setup for the punchline to a terrible dad joke (like “holy owned subsidiary”).

Source: PR Email

5 February, 2020 – Valfaris developer Steel Mantis has released a free ‘Full Metal Mode’ update for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One versions of its heavy metal action-platformer. A New Game+ variant, Full Metal Mode provides players who complete Valfaris with a more formidable challenge by remixing various aspects of gameplay, as detailed in the list below:

• All weapons, upgrades, and upgrade items carry over between runs
• Enemies have increased health, attack, and aggression
• Bosses receive the same buffs – with additional attack patterns
• Therion takes more damage
• New Destroyer Class Weapon

Full Metal Mode unlocks after completing the game, so if you’ve already got a ‘Game Clear’ save file, you’ll be able to jump into the – even deadlier – action as soon as the update has installed.

NOTE: This Full Metal Mode update is only for the digital version of Valfaris. A patch to update physical versions will be released in the coming weeks.

The release of Full Metal Mode on consoles coincides with Valfaris being one of this week’s Deals With Gold on Xbox One – Valfaris is discounted by 30% until 11 Feb.

Since its release at the end of 2019, Valfaris has won praise from players for its old-school inspired action, heavy metal aesthetic, and forceful soundtrack.

About the game

Set in a far corner of space, Valfaris is a heavy metal infused 2D action-platformer and the next game from the team behind Slain: Back From Hell.

After mysteriously vanishing from galactic charts, the fortress of Valfaris has suddenly reappeared in the orbit of a dying sun. Once a self-contained paradise, the grandiose citadel now plays host to an ever-growing darkness. Therion, a fearless and proud son of Valfaris, returns to his home to uncover the truth of its doomed fate and to challenge the arcane evil at its very heart.

Brutal combat. Deadly enemies. Stunning pixel art. Savage soundtrack.

Get ready to rip the galaxy a new wormhole.

Key features

• Skulls in space! Gore in space! Metal in space!
• Savagely reduce foes to piles of gibs with an array of brutal weaponry
• Explore a diverse range of tainted environments as you venture ever deeper into the dark world of Valfaris
• Dominate ranks of deadly enemies and bosses, from the weird to the grotesque (and some that are just grotesquely weird)
• Gorge your eyes on devastatingly awesome pixel art hand-crafted by Andrew Gilmour
• Feel the power of a seismic soundtrack by extreme metaller and former Celtic Frost guitarist, Curt Victor Bryant
• Forged from the ground-up by the team behind cult hit Slain: Back From Hell

Source: PR Email

February 5th, 2020 – Sergey Noskov’s awarding winning cyberpunk puzzle adventure, 7th Sector, is now available on consoles courtesy of indie publisher Sometimes You.

Take control of all manner of machinery as you strive to solve puzzles that will help you understand an atmospheric and cold future; be the spark that drives change in 7th Sector’s unyielding dystopia.

7th Sector is available now on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PS4 for $19.99 USD as well on PC via Steam.

About 7th Sector:

Welcome to the 7th Sector, set in a mysterious cyberpunk world. Immerse yourself on this intricate path, solving different puzzles, facing its dangers, and collecting scattered information to discover the story of this world.

Gain control over several different characters, each with their own abilities that can help you navigate the world’s devices and machinery. Some of your choices and actions will determine the ending of the game.

Features:

• Atmospheric dystopian world
• Lots of varied and unique puzzles
• Control several characters
• Immersive soundtrack by “Nobody’s Nail Machine”
• Branching system with 4 different endings

Source: PR Email

PERTH, AUSTRALIA – Feb. 5, 2020 – Baron: Fur is Gonna Fly, the high-flying party showdown from Dogmelon Games, barrel rolls onto Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Steam on March 4, 2020.

Fight for the skies against up to seven other players using gatling guns, freeze rays and anvils to take out rival pilots, all while the wind blows through your fur, feathers or scales. Spin, dive and loop through cascades of bullets and avoid perilously crashing to the ground below to become ruler of the skies.

Responding to the call to arms, animals have taken to the skies in cutting-edge early 20th century aviation technology – biplanes. Fulfil their solemn duty by taking each other down in wacky combat and bringing glory to their species in literal aerial dogfights. Choose between eight cartoony critters such as Baron von Fluffe-Botte, a high-flying sausage dog or Colonel Hock, a motherly pig following her dreams of flight. These heroes each come with their own style, voice and old-timey victory theme.

Looking fly in styles of the period choose from four, semi-historically accurate aircraft. Each has its own stats balancing weight, handling, speed and armor, empowering ace-pilots or budding flyers to select the perfect plane for their aerial antics. Further customization comes from upgrading the biplanes stats between rounds, and changing up equipped special weapons.

While the aircraft may be historically accurate, animal pilots excluded, the weapons are hilariously not. If the basic barrage of bullets isn’t enough, equip one of more than 13 outlandish weapons to blow other critters out of the sky. Get explosive with the colourful Balloon Bomb, spew forth hot victory with the Flamethrower or simply repulse away the competition with the Stinky Fish. Crashing is only a minor setback as pilots return to the sky mere moments after their defeat to continue the aerial hijinks.

The variety of multiplayer and singleplayer modes might call for a bigger couch. Create an alliance to take down agile foes in team co-op, or embrace aerial chaos with in free-for-all. Solo ace-pilots can hone their skills in training mode or compete to get the highest score in Sheep Attack by rounding up flying sheep, putting an end to their aerial menace.

“In between crafting all the animal puns we can handle we’ve focused on capturing that chaotic couch multiplayer feeling,” said Anthony Wiese, Lead Developer of Dogmelon Games. “Our aim from the start was to make Baron as much ludicrous fun as possible and from players reactions so far we’ve done just that.”

Baron: Fur is Gonna Fly will be available for $20 USD on Steam for PC, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. Languages include English, Chinese and Japanese for Steam, with more to be added post-launch.

Source: PR Email

MONTRÉAL, QUÉBEC – Feb. 5, 2020 – Infini, the psychedelic puzzle-adventure from developer Barnaque and publisher Nakana.io, will launch on PC on March 4, 2020. PC players can experience this IGF finalist with the free demo, Glimpse of Infini, today. A Nintendo Switch release will follow shortly after, launching in Q2 2020.

In Glimpse of Infini, players will encounter a variety of puzzles, characters, and abilities that Hope will learn on his odd adventure, including the innovative camera manipulation mechanic. Combine his diverse abilities to avoid obstacles, manipulate the environment, and bend your mind to escape Infinity and return Hope to the real world.

The world of Infini is brimming with ambient music, psychedelic imagery, and an outlandish narrative that personifies the concepts of our daily lives. Hope’s adventure is experimental through its gameplay, visuals, and audio design, creating a delicate balance between obscurity and familiarity. While in Infinity, Hope will face more than 100 mind-bending challenges through 10 worlds filled with bizarre personalities and chances to explore the multiverse.

Infini Key Features:

• Solve puzzles, meet unforgettable allies, and make your escape from a beautifully odd alternate dimension
• Discover new abilities that can be used together to reach new areas
• Master the innovative camera manipulation mechanic to unlock 100+ levels through 10 diverse worlds
• Traverse a realm layered with allegory, symbolism, and complex characters
• Standout visuals and an ambient soundtrack with 20+ original songs
• Mind-bending gameplay that sways between meditative and chaotic

“We’re thrilled to invite everyone to get a special look at the strange void of Infinity and the creative minds of Barnaque. Glimpse of Infini leads players through 25 challenges across 4 worlds and is just a fraction of the content that will be available in our full launch next month.” – David Martin, Co-founder of Barnaque

Infini will be available for $11.99 USD when it launches on March 4, 2020 and is fully translated in English and French. The Glimpse of Infini demo is available now as a free download on itch.io and will be available later this week on Steam.

Source: PR Email

February 4th, 2020 – Manchester, NH – Skymap Games is proud announce that they’ll be bringing Rude Ghost’s Thief Town to the Nintendo Switch next week. This malevolent multiplayer mayhem is a perfect fit for the Switch, letting you take your betrayal on the go. Practice your guile as you and up to four (soon to be former) friends hide amongst a crowd of NPCs and try to stealthily ferret each other out so you can run each other through.

Thief Town will be available on the Nintendo Switch on February 11th for $7.99 USD, and is still available now on Steam and PS4.

About Thief Town

Thief Town is a local multiplayer-only stealth action game set in a pixel-perfect rendition of the Wild West. Lurk in the crowd, emulate non-player characters, and achieve backstabbing victory. Up to 4 players control identical avatars (the “Thieves”) in a single-screen arena (the “Town”), also filled with other identical NPCs. Players must identify which NPCs are secretly other players and stab them for points, before being discovered and stabbed themselves!

Thief Town comes to the Nintendo Switch and includes the “SPOOKY TOWN” update! With portable local multiplayer fun, Thief Town finally finds its true calling on a hybrid handheld-console system.

Features

• Competitive 2-4 player battles – Blend in with thieves while you search for and stab your opponents
• Multiple modes and items – Guns, smoke bombs, drunks, TNT, sheriffs, sandstorms, and killer tumbleweeds
• Multiple arenas – Sneak around the Wild West and Spooky Town, with unique showdowns and field effects depending on night and day cycles
• Stabbing friends on the go – Bring your Switch anywhere and have a showdown in the Wild West

Source: PR Email

Melbourne, Australia – Feb 3, 2020 — The human race has exhausted the earth of its resources and must travel forth to alien worlds to ensure its survival. Fellow Traveller and Jump Over the Age invite players to dip their toes into In Other Waters, a unique narrative adventure that puts players in the role of an AI assistant revealing the mysteries of the turquoise depths of an alien ocean, coming to PC, Mac and Nintendo Switch.

In Other Waters tells the story of Ellery Vas, a xenobiologist who discovers extraterrestrial life while searching for her missing partner.

When Ellery is called to planet Gliese 677Cc by Minae Nomura, only to arrive at an abandoned base, she finds herself adrift in an ocean of secrets, with little more than a malfunctioning diving suit and a strange AI to guide her. You are this AI.

In Other Waters, the 2019 IndieCade Europe Jury Prix award winner, is sci-fi without soldiers and violence focusing instead on wonder and exploration, fear and vulnerability, and the relationship between a long-dormant AI and its human pilot. The relationship between the AI and the operator unfolds over an impactful narrative uniquely interpreted by the player. The depths of Glies 677Cc contain many secrets. For life to continue, it must change. What will you discover as you track, sample and learn about life inside this alien ocean?

Developed by Gareth Damian Martin, he is the one-man team behind Jump Over The Age. An accomplished games journalist whose work can be found at Eurogamer, Kotaku, US Gamer, and more Gareth is also an artist, game designer, and writer.

Features

• Explore an Alien Ocean – Move freely in each location, discovering new areas off the beaten path. These discoveries will lead to upgrades that in turn unlock new areas in previously visited locations, additional side-quests, and unique conversations with Ellery.
• See the World Through an AI Lens – Navigate a complex, intuitive UI via touch or mouse controls. Interact with the world through observation, scanning, taking samples, studying creatures and affecting their behavior.
• Observe Your Surroundings – While on dives, scan locations for points of interest and request Ellery visit them. Scans reveal clues, creatures, objects, and features to investigate.
• Study Samples to Unlock Secrets – Sample creatures for materials and analyze them to understand how they are useful. Samples allow you to interact with the planet’s ecosystem. Deploy samples to solve puzzles, unlock new areas, scare off predators and feed grazers. Find and install upgrades to dive deeper into the ocean, and find answers.
• Build Trust with Ellery – Fail to keep her oxygen levels healthy, and you’ll damage your relationship. Lose power and your dive will be cut short. Even your conversations can encourage intimacy, despite your answers being limited to yes or no.

Coming to PC and Nintendo Switch in 2020.

Source: PR Email

January 30th 2020- Courtesy of Fabraz and Umaiki Games, Skellboy launches today on the Nintendo Switch! Take on a endless horde of squarely undead horrors with an array of items that’s as much autopsy as it is arsenal, as you swap around Skippy’s body parts and weapons to fit any situation that comes their way. It’s all in aid of defeating the dastardly Squaruman and thwarting his conquest of the Cubold Kingdom, a land exactly as pixelated as all these shape puns would suggest.

Skellboy is available now on the Nintendo Switch for $20.00 USD. There’s also some sweet merch available from The Yetee and the soundtrack will be available on vinyl courtesy of Black Screen Records. Skellboy will also be coming to Steam sometime later this year.

About Skellboy

Sometimes, when there is nobody up to the task, old heroes have to rise from the grave to save the day! Crush your enemies and make good use of their guts – literally, as you can augment Skippy with your foe’s body parts and weapons!

Help Skippy, the cubic skeleton, to fight off Squaruman’s endless forces of undead and vicious foes in this rectangular action packed cardboard adventure!

What’s inside?

• An expansive singleplayer experience across the interconnected Kingdom of Cubold full of square charming characters and edgy villains!
• A true action-rpg adventure that will test your skill and rewards exploration!
• Swap your bones for 100+ different body parts and items of friends and foes with (more or less) useful effects!
• 5 unique weapon types to clobber any foes you face!
• Special enemies and bosses that will truly test your mettle!
• A Vibrant 2d pixelart style that comes to life in a 3d world!
• Includes some rocking chiptune tracks and sounds!

Source: PR Email

SEOUL – Jan. 30, 2020 – Bookbound Brigade, the side-scrolling action platformer starring legendary characters from history and literature from developer Digital Tales and publisher Intragames, is out now on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Steam for Windows PC.

An adventure teeming with beloved figures from fiction and history, Bookbound Brigade features eight playable heroes all moving as a single unit. Wield the powers of Nikola Tesla, Robin Hood, Dorothy Gale, Sun Wukong, Queen Victoria, Cassandra, and more, each with bespoke abilities and skills that help the entire team on their journey across five literary-themed worlds.

Guide the Brigade on a quest to recover the Book of Books, a powerful tome that binds the Literary World together. Without the Book in its rightful place, every word ever written will fade from memory, causing great and iconic characters to blink from existence. Knowing what is at stake, the Brigade begins their search to retrieve the Book and rescue the Literary World.

Traverse environments inspired by real-world locations and famous imaginary settings, all filled with secrets to uncover and obstacles to overcome. Push back against the forces of evil by harnessing powers like King Arthur’s fearsome charge with Excalibur and defensive Testudo shield or escape from harm’s way entirely with Dracula’s wings. Swap between four Brigade formations to access new areas, avoid enemy attacks, and navigate precarious platforms.

Interact with more than 50 non-playable characters from history and acclaimed works of fiction. Undertake sidequests, uncover lost relics, such as the Mona Lisa, and face off against bosses like Frankenstein’s monster and the fearsome Medusa on this trip through space and time.

“Bookbound Brigade brings so many popular characters from literature and history together in a humorous and entertaining package,” said Sue Yim, Overseas Marketing Manager, Intragames. “Whether you’re a bookworm, fan of Metroidvania-style games, or both, we’re excited to share Bookbound Brigade with you on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Steam today.”

Bookbound Brigade is out now on the Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, and Steam for $19.99 / €19.99 / £17.99 / $30.00 AUD. The game features English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean, Japanese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese language options. A special Steam bundle containing Bookbound Brigade and its original soundtrack will also be available for a limited time, running from the game’s Jan. 30 launch until Feb. 29.

For more information about Bookbound Brigade, please visit the official website, please follow Intragames on Twitter and join the Bookbound Brigade community on Twitter and Facebook. The Bookbound Brigade Facebook page will be running a weekly contest for fans: like the official Bookbound Brigade page for more details and a chance to win a copy of the game!

Source: PR Email

30 January, 2020 – Indie publisher Digerati is thrilled to announce that Glass Masquerade 2: Illusions will launch on consoles next month. Developed by Russian studio Onyx Lute, the second offering in its acclaimed laid-back puzzler series gives players a wonderland collection of fantasy-inspired, stained-glass jigsaws to piece together and enjoy.

Glass Masquerade 2: Illusions will be available to download 11/12 February on PS4 (NA/EU respectively), 13 February on Nintendo Switch, and 14 February on Xbox One. There will be a 20% launch discount on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, and a 20% discount for anyone who pre-orders Glass Masquerade 2: Illusions from the Microsoft Store.

Glass Masquerade 2: Illusions continues the high-bar set by the original, with beautiful puzzles, sublime soundtrack, and calming challenge. The original Glass Masquerade has been downloaded over 250K times across PC and consoles, and both games have garnered impressive Steam user reviews with 97% and 94% positive ratings respectively.

“Glass Masquerade 2: Illusions has a darker atmosphere to the first game – we really liked the idea of bringing the weird mood of stories such as Alice in Wonderland into the glass pieces and short texts that accompany the puzzles,” says Onyx Lute’s Timur Lazarenko. “We’re really happy we’ve managed to fit so many different sources of inspiration into a single cohesive experience.”

About the game

Glass Masquerade 2: Illusions is a dreamlike collection of artistic jigsaw puzzles to piece together at your own relaxed pace. Dive into the rabbit hole of the abstract and the fantastical, putting together stained-glass fragments to solve dreams and riddles. Enjoy baroque depictions of 20th century imagination, in puzzles more intricate and complex than the original.

Key features

• Over 30 artistic puzzles to complete
• Gorgeous stained-glass depictions of 20th century surrealism and fantasy
• New options to introduce greater challenge, such as randomized shard angles
• A new original soundtrack from composer Nikita Sevalnev
• Platinum Trophy and 1000G Achievements for PS4 and Xbox One versions
• Xbox One X Enhanced for super-vivid, picture-perfect puzzling in 4K

Source: PR Email