It’s been far too many months since we’ve run one of our themed events (like our Festival of Dread, 80s August & Jolly Jinglings). So I’m happy to say that one of our longest running events is Monochrome May is back, and with it, a celebration of black and white games, comics, movies, and all things chiaroscuro. But that doesn’t
Read more
Earlier this week, A.G.E. Comics launched a crowdfunding campaign for Fall of Man issue 2, a 32-page sci-fi adventure book set in a post apocalyptic future. Written by Paul Byrd and featuring illustrations by Benjamin Worrell and colors by Jimmy G, the Fall of Man series is set in a world where the superpowered remnants of human civilization struggle to
Read more
Publisher ININ Games in cooperation with Tozai and IREM have announced that five volumes of old-school IREM arcade games are coming to consoles as IREM Collections. The first volume, planned for PS4, PS5, Xbox and Nintendo Switch, is expected to release by the end of the 2023. Several games in these collections never made their way outside of Japan, so
Read more
Farming so easy, a caveman can do it. On Tuesday, publisher Crytivo officially released Roots of Pacha on Steam PC. Console versions are planned for a later date. Developed by Soda Den following a successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, Roots of Pacha is a farming life simulator set in the Stone Age with a throwback pixel art visual aesthetic. It
Read more
ININ Games recently announced some new details for Puzzle Bobble Everybubble!, the upcoming competitive puzzle game and latest installment in the Puzzle Bobble/Bust-A-Move series. These new features come in the form of “EXtra Difficult” EX stages and a “Memory Album” where players can unlock and collect a number of bonuses including character costumes, stage music, and more. For those unfamiliar
Read more
Publisher ESDigital recently announced that the genre-blending Demon Skin is coming to PS4, PS5, Xbone, SeXbox and Nintendo Switch on 5 May. The game is already available on Steam PC. Developed by Ludus Future, Demon Skin combines elements of hack’n’slash, platforming, fighting and RPG mechanics for a combat experience set in a dark fantasy world. The console release of Demon
Read more
MGP Studios recently announced that their upcoming first-person Roguelite Unbroken is coming to Steam PC in late 2023. According to MGP, Unbroken “takes the core of Project Downfall and gives it a solid grindhouse Castlevania spin.” While Unbroken is noted to be relatively short, MGP points out that the game is designed with the multiple options and pathways from start
Read more
Independent comic book creator Aaron C launched a crowdfunding campaign for Immortal Rising, a 44-page fantasy book featuring two separate adventure stories. Written by Aaron C and illustrated by Jose Garcia (Tyger Blue, Crimson Rhen), Immortal Rising is intended as the start of a new “epic high-fantasy team adventure survival series.” Here’s the official pitch taken from the Immortal Rising
Read more
Sounds like a “flaming” good time! …wait… Terarin Games has announced that preorders are now open for Terra Flame on Nintendo Switch. Terra Flame is a horizontal 2D shoot ‘em up (or simply “shooter”, as the kids called them back when) inspired by classic games of the 90s such as the Thunder Force series and – I don’t know –
Read more
You must obey your SUPERIORS! Over the weekend, Mayhem Comics launched a crowdfunding campaign for The SUPERIORS, a 48-page graphic novel. The project is already fully funded, having raised roughly $8 thousand at the time of this writing. Written and illustrated by Clint Hilinski, The SUPERIORS is a classic-style superhero action-adventure set in a wide multiverse. Here’s the official pitch
Read more
Independent comic book creator and Sweet Comics founder Clint Stoker recently launched a crowdfunding campaign for Downcast Volume 4: Hunting Ground, an 80-page sci-fi graphic novel. This time around, the campaign is being conducted on the Sweet Comics website rather than conventional crowdfunding platforms. The project is already fully funded, having raised 138% of its original goal at the time
Read more
Ghosts in the machine? Shoot them with bullets. On Thursday, game publisher HYPERSTRANGE released the 90s-inspired FPS GHOSTWARE: Arena of the Dead via Steam Early Access. Developed by Daev Team, GHOSTWARE: Arena of the Dead features old-school arena shooter gameplay and a surrealist, reality-bending “meta-narrative” that explores the meaning of death. (43?) Players take on the role of Molly, who
Read more
On Monday, Allegiance Arts Entertainment launched a crowdfunding campaign for The Saints II: Awakening, a 44-page action-adventure graphic novel. The project is already fully funded, having raised more than $2 thousand at the time of this writing. Here’s the official pitch taken from The Saints II Indiegogo campaign page: The Man Who Knew Too Much Marked for death, a renegade
Read more
Anyone else seeing “SNESs”? Eastasiasoft has announced that 3D survival horror game SENSEs: Midnight is coming digitally to Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbone and SeXbox in June, with physical editions for Nintendo Switch and PS5 going live for preorders later this week. Developed by SUZAKU Games in partnership with eastasiasoft, SENSEs: Midnight is the first game in a planned anthology
Read more
“It appears that we now have an Outlaw Nights for an In-Law Nights!” Eh, you can’t win ‘em all. Anyway… Over the Easter holiday weekend, Ben Fuselier launched a crowdfunding campaign for Outlaw Nights issue 2, a 25-page sci-fi comic book. Written by Fuselier and featuring illustrations by Juanito Arceneaux (Dwarfs vs. Lion), colors by Marcos Martins and lettering by
Read more
ININ Games recently announced that Cannon Dancer (known as OSman in the West) is releasing both digitally and physically for Nintendo Switch, PS4 and PS5 on 13 April 2023. The Xbox version will receive a digital-only release. A side-scrolling action game in the vein of Shadow Dancer and Strider, Mitchell Corporation’s Cannon Dancer was certainly a rarity upon its arcade
Read more
Strictly Limited Games (the other small-run physical video game publisher) recently announced that preorders for limited boxed editions of Steel Empire – Chronicles will begin on Sunday, 9 April (yep, Easter Sunday). This collection includes three versions of Steel Empire (SEGA Genesis, Nintendo GBA, and the 2019 remake), as well as a bonus game Over Horizon (NES), which was never
Read more
Publisher Hamster has announced that Rezon is now available on Nintendo Switch and PS4 as part of the digital Arcade Archives series. Originally released by Allumer in 1991 for arcades, Rezon is a side-scrolling 2D shoot ‘em up (or simply “shooter” as we called them back then) in the vein of Gradius and (very much so) R-Type. Players must take
Read more
And there’s a gorilla. Independent comic book creator Ashley Land launched a crowdfunding campaign for The Unbreakable Argonauts issue 1, a giant-sized, 64-page graphic novel. Written by Land and illustrated by Daniel Max, this first issue of The Unbreakable Argonauts is intended as the start of an all-new superhero universe that promises stories that will “take the heroic team all
Read more
By Jove! Independent comic book creator Jason Sandberg recently launched launched a crowdfunding campaign for Jupiter issue 1, an ongoing sci-fi anthology series written and illustrated by Sandberg, Jupiter is an anthology The project is already fully funded, having raised $1300 at the time of this writing. Even better (if you’re a backer, I suppose), is that all work on
Read more
What do you do with it once you catch it? Publisher DANGEN Entertainment recently revealed new gameplay footage for the dark fantasy action RPG Hunt the Night, which is set to release 13 April for Steam PC. The release date for the console versions (Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox) has not yet been confirmed. Developed by Moonlight Games, Hunt the Night
Read more
Iron Age=Hammer Time? IronAge Media recently launched a crowdfunding campaign for the first issue of ANVIL: Iron Age Magazine, a sci-fi anthology that features short stories by multiple authors and creators. The project is already fully funded, having raised more than $8 thousand at the time of this writing, and everything looks to be on track for hitting the July
Read more
On Thursday, publisher Just For Games released the “expiatory story-arcade game” Saga of Sins is now available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, SeXbox and Steam PC. Developed by Bonus Level Entertainment, Saga of Sins puts players in control of a holy cleric who must battle against the seven deadly sins: envy, gluttony, greed, lust, sloth, wrath, and pride.
Read more
Independent comic book creator John Dillard recently launched a crowdfunding campaign for The Buckler: Canadian Tussle, follow-up to the first issue of The Buckler that was successfully crowdfunded in 2020. The new project is already fully funded, having raised more than $1500 at the time of this writing. This campaign also represents an early success of an entirely new crowdfunding
Read more
Why not April 15th? Playism has announced that Marfusha is coming to Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbone and SeXbox on 6 April. Developed by hinyari9, Marfusha is described as a “high-tempo tax-paying gate defense shooter” and set in a broken, dystopian future where death and taxes truly are the only things that are certain. Here’s the official breakdown of Marfusha
Read more
The heartwarming tale of a corpse and his dog. Over the weekend, independent comic book creator Per Berg (aka Narwhal) launched a crowdfunding campaign for Cerberus, a 92-page mystery graphic novel.* The project has an ambitious $30 thousand goal but is well on its way to being fully funded, having raised more than $13 thousand at the time of this
Read more
On Friday, publisher Toko Midori launched a new free-to-play, first-person shooter Bone Dust via Steam Early Access. Developed by Platonic Partnership, Bone Dust is described as a challenging “bullet-hell” arena shooter set against a “unique and unsettling art style that is sure to leave players bewildered.” Be ye wildered, dear readers? Players must use “rapid bursts of playing cards” (Oui,
Read more
Publisher Hamster has announced that Bonze Adventure is now available on Nintendo Switch and PS4 as part of the digital Arcade Archives series. Originally released by Taito in 1988 for arcades, Bonze Adventure (地獄めぐり) is a 2D arcade action platformer somewhat in the vein of Ghouls ‘N Ghosts. Here’s the quick story synopsis from Hamster: Enma, king of the underworld,
Read more
On Wednesday, X Plus Games announced that 2D platformer Bat Boy is coming to Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbone and SeXbox and Steam PC on 25 May. Developed by Sonzai Games, Bat Boy puts players in the cleats of a misplaced baseball star who must “swing, deflect, spin, and power-hit” his way through several retro-inspired stages featuring 8-bit aesthetics. Here’s
Read more
For the first time since its inception 25 years ago, Running With Scissors’ POSTAL series is now available on PlayStation platforms in the form of POSTAL 4: No Regerts. Famously known as a hyper-violent, “stress-relieving” first-person shooter scorned by governments and media types alike, POSTAL 4: No Regerts was released on Tuesday for both PS4 and PS5 (featuring cross-buy). Here’s
Read more
