News by Lindsay M., News Editor
Welcome to Digitally Downloaded’s regular catch-up news feature. With each issue we will bring you the best news that you may have missed. Grab the biggest mug you’ve got, fill it with your favourite brew, and catch up with us (and our favourite news anchor, Dee Dee)!
Animal Farm, coming soon to a computer near you
George Orwell’s infamous tale is set to jump from the pages of a book to your PC/console. Developed by Serial (Reigns) and published by The Dairymen, the game now has a rough release date in sight: this autumn (Northern). It will be launched for PC via Steam and mobile devices (iOS and Android). Check out the trailer:
Animal Farm is an adventure game where the player chooses which animals’ wishes to follow, and who gets ignored. As a result, later critical events are influences. Balance resources, defend the farm, and keep the animals happy. Essentially, you’re dropped into the middle of an allegorical revolution and get to experience the corruption of power.
The project is founded by Imre Jele, who states via a press release, “History seems to repeat itself. And once more, Orwell’s classic has become a painfully relevant warning as some Western democracies started using tools and language eerily similar to those of oppressive regimes of the past. I’ve long wanted to explore how, through video gaming, we could design an experience which immerses the player in Orwell’s vision, and in Nerial we found the perfect partner to make this happen.” The folks at Nerial seem equally excited, stating in the same release, “When we got the opportunity to work with Imre, Andy and the estate of George Orwell to bring Animal Farm to a gaming audience we grabbed it with both hands and set out to make a game that truly honours Orwell’s parable.”
Be a bear, run a B&B
That’s a lot of bees! (Because bears like honey… Okay, it was a terrible joke.) Developer Gummy Cat and publisher Armor Games Studios have announced Bear & Breakfast, a laid-back management adventure game where you play as a bear. The title is expected to come to PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch sometime next year. Take a look:
Hank the bear and his friends find an abandoned shack in the woods, and decide to turn it into a money-making scheme for unsuspecting tourists. Business isn’t the only thing expanding, as the mysteries of the wilderness intensify as time goes on.
The player will build and operate an inn, complete with guests rooms, bathrooms, parlours, and entertainment. Each room will be fully customisable, from furniture to fixtures. The goals are pretty simple: keep guests happy, earn money, and attract new customers. Story quests will give new items and perks that can be used at the inn.
Two geese are better than one!
Untitled Goose Game is an undeniable success, and very quickly went from a quirky thing a few people knew about to something talked about, meme-ified, and very loved. It originally launched for PC via Epic Games Store and Nintendo Switch last September, with the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions dropping a few months later. Since then, things have remained the same in the world of the goose… until now. Feast your eyes upon the trailer for an upcoming update:
I’m not sure what the best part of the update is: that it is free, or that it allows for local co-op action. I’ll go with both being equally awesome. Players will now be able to enjoy the game as not one, but two horrible geese, with a terrible new honk. They’ll team up to plan and execute pranks, and just be horrible to everyone around.
The update will drop on September 23. But that’s not all! (I love saying that, I feel like an infomercial announcer.) On the same day, Untitled Goose Game will be available for PC in two new ways, via Steam or via Itch.io.
Inmost is about to no longer be limited to Apple Arcade
Inmost originally launched for Apple Arcade ten months ago, in October 2019. It remained an Apple Arcade exclusive since then, but that is about to end as it jumps to PC and console. Developer Hidden Layer Games and publisher Chucklefish have announced that the title will be coming to PC via Steam/GOG/Humble as well as the Nintendo Switch on August 21. Here’s the release date trailer:
The deeply atmospheric narrative-driven puzzle platformer follows an adventurous girl, a stoic knight, and a man searching for an answer. Each of the three characters has a different story, and different styles: the knight wants to explore a deteriorating castle, the girl discovers an eerie house, and the man wanders while searching for answers. The landscape is crumbling and nightmarish. Enemies are plentiful, so you’ll be engaging with them with a sword or with traps. There are environmental puzzles in addition to the action.
The developer/publisher is careful to include a caution in the game’s description, so take note if you’re interested: “Inmost is an intimate story of loss and hope that some may find upsetting. Player discretion is advised.” It will be available to play in 14 languages: English, French, German, Russian, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, Turkish, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese.
