#forward game studios

[an-aussie-button-masher]

Short & Sweet - Five Games You Can Finish in One Afternoon

   Triple-A game titles are always boasting 80-hour-long campaigns, hundreds of hours’ worth of collectables and all sorts of other time-consuming features, but what if you simply don’t have that kind of time on your hands? Not everyone is able to sit around playing games 24 hours a day, so it’s a good thing these shorter games are around. These games can all be finished in a single session each if you want, making for a fun, no-commitment afternoon. Some might be a bit more expensive than others, but they’re all an experience worth the cost - you’ll have tons of fun playing through these quick little puzzlers and will remember them long after you put them down. Enjoy!

LEGO Builder’s Journey    This isn’t your usual LEGO game - there’s no minifigures to unlock, no gold bricks to collect, no goofy film adaptations or anything like that, and yet it’s probably the one game that truly captures the real fun of playing around with LEGO. LEGO Builder’s Journey is a simple and charming story about a father and son told through a series of short puzzles that can be solved in just about any way you can imagine. With relaxing music and gorgeous graphics that look better than actual LEGO bricks, this game tells a surprisingly heartfelt tale without saying a single word and allowing a level of creativity unlike any other puzzle game. It’s a little pricey for a 3-hour game, but lovers of LEGO and puzzles will certainly find it worthwhile.

Please Don’t Touch Anything    You’re standing in front of a mysterious red panel with nothing but a large red button on it, and told not to touch anything. Naturally, it’s time to touch everything. Like a deceptively small puzzle box, almost everything you interact with on this panel causes something new to pop out - more buttons, switches, number pads, dials, levers, tools, and so on. Pushing the right combinations of buttons, switches and numbers results in various “endings”, most of which result in the poor city shown on the monitor being obliterated in various ways. It takes only a few hours poking around to get all the endings, though some of them are a bit more obscure than others. Messing around with a virtual doomsday machine has never been cheaper or more fun!

The Pedestrian    One of the most fascinating and expertly-executed concepts for a puzzle game I’ve ever seen, The Pedestrian takes the little stick figure you see on various street signs and brings him to life. It’s up to you to guide him through a bustling city, rearranging various signs and panels around the fully-modelled 3-D environment to get the Pedestrian to his destination. Taking you through apartments, subways, warehouses, construction sites and more, the puzzles get very complicated very quickly - expect quite the challenge even for the most puzzle-minded of players. It’s a bit expensive for its length, but definitely worth grabbing on sale if you want to spend an afternoon challenging your mind to its limits.

OneShot    Don’t let the simple artstyle and short length fool you; this innocent little adventure will mess with your mind, your computer and your heart like nothing else. A lost child named Niko finds themselves stranded in an unfamiliar, dying world, and the power to potentially save it is thrust upon them. It’s up to the player to guide Niko along their journey, solving puzzles and meeting various characters still clinging to life in this cold, dark world. Also, the game knows who you, the real player, are. While it can be finished in one sitting, the endearing cast and thought-provoking writing, on top of a soul-wrenching ending no matter what choices you make, will leave you thinking about this game forever.

INSIDE    A bleak and dystopian world, eerie monsters, disturbing story elements, zero spoken words, and a lone child trapped in the middle - the developers at Playdead certainly know their strengths. The people that brought us the creepy classic Limbo give us the brilliantly unnerving follow-up INSIDE, a 2.5-D side-scrolling survival game with sinister puzzles and horrific experiments. Playdead have definitely upped their game with this one; be wary of vicious guard dogs and spine-chilling mutations, and don’t play it too late at night if you want to get any sleep! Despite taking only a few harrowing hours to finish, INSIDE will leave your skin crawling for days afterwards - and coming back for more.

   All these games and more are great for those short afternoons when you want a quick and memorable game that won’t eat up your free time. Do you know of any other games that would be a good fit for this list? Let me know! Reblogs and likes are much appreciated!    Thanks for reading!

[mortispoxi]

Seeing Twitter users recommending the People Make Games documentary as a good way to get insight on the issue is so….

I know, I’m always extremely disappointed whenever I come across someone who thinks it’s the end all be all explanations regarding the Studio ZA/UM situation.

Recommending that video always comes with a heavy caveat from me that the person needs to stop around the 40 minute mark since the interviewer shows a very clear bias that’s unbecoming of a journalist.

Regardless, now that more people are finding out about these layoffs, which might take out members of the studio that have been there since the beginning, it could finally help smack some sense into those Twitter users that actually thought, FOR SOME REASON, Rostov, Kurvitz, and Hindpere were lying for shits and giggles rather than seeing what's ACTUALLY going on which is that the investors have a very obvious agenda against the real wronged party. Hopefully this'll also open their eyes to how the People Make Games video fed into this twisted narrative that Kurvitz was somehow at fault/responsible for the theft of his own IP, but that might be asking too much from their concrete brains. Here's hoping though!

[jupi-tercreates]

With Hades 2 Early Release beginning today (go grab a copy) I thought I might upload some of my Hades art featuring my very own character.

[grapecaseschoices]

things i'd like from bg4 or any similar future games

I think BG3 is very detailed; but I would really like it if the backgrounds had mattered more. Or at least for every one. I heard if you're a drow/half-drow noble you get special dialogue with Minthara. But why didn't my Folk Hero!Tav with Wyll [or just in general?] Or my Outlander!Tav with Karlach? I love that your character gets special interaction with all and sundry, at times, re: class and race. But backgrounds make a charcacter. I don't need details. Just a bit of a nod. At least within the camp.

This brings me to point two. I wish there was a way to get friendship points. It is so strange the characters can be 'meh' about you, dislike you [and strongly], but high to exceptional bonds trigger romance. What about close friendships or growing into a family?

Speaking of, I definitely would have love some down time chatter. It is so strange to me that you get a 'this could be our last time in camp' but don't do anything with it. I appreciate the tiefling [or goblin] party. I love the idle banter on the road. But why not a couple of casual fireside chats. As a group?

I love Halsin but the fact that he is the only one we can have a polyamorous dynamic with, is bull. I'm fine with not every character being into polyam -- but maybe research more before diving into it. I am 90% sure Wyll would've been okay with Polyam - a triad too! - if it was Halsin or Astarion [maybe with Lae'zel but I have to play further to be sure]. I could see Astarion and Shadowheart swinging a 'v' dynamic, and being the best [or worst for Tav's sanity] of metamours! Maybe it would have been a hassle for coding to fit every configuration, but we deserved at least a COUPLE of Tav x Origin x Origin loving.

Also, I think we should have been able to encourage - or maybe it could have happened sans MC involvement - the npcs getting together.

[allyouneediskilly]

Seeing Redfall get absolutely awful reviews is like watching one of your best friends get actively worse because of their possessive partner who isn’t right for them at all

[demifiendrsa]

Prince of Persia The Sands of Time - Teaser Trailer | Ubisoft Forward

The remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time will launch in 2026. It is now simply titled Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, rather than Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake, and specific platforms have not been announced.

Latest details

The remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time confirmed the targeted year of release, through a poetic vision of a flame reignited. In 2026, players will get to reconnect with their beloved Prince, in an adventure rebuilt from the ground up, which captures the magic of the original game. The game successfully completed its pre-production phase and is now entering full production, with Ubisoft Toronto, Ubisoft Bucharest, Ubisoft Pune, and E-Studio joining forces with Ubisoft Montreal.

[legionofpotatoes]

about to be incredibly normal about giant squid's new game

[disembodiedvoicecrossover]

im not a super big fan of bijuu mike because in one of his fnf vs impostor videos he goes “oh hm i didnt think of red as a girl but ok” after red goes “please i have a husband and kids at home…” like cmon people are gay mike. but he was just a little helpful because i saw him post a video on shovelware studios hollywood so now i know it’s out!!

so i cant be too mad at him 😅

[vaguely-concerned]

This is a really interesting panel with the developers at Summerfall studios, giving some cool insight into how the process of making the game worked! it helped me put some words to the thing I maybe loved the most about Stray Gods -- the way that every single character in it feels very deeply loved, in all their messiness and struggles and stuckness, all the way from the writing to the art to the music. They're very different but all feel like they were somebody's favourite character, and it's nice to hear that that seems to be because it's basically true lol

Austin Wintory also has some great videos on his channel breaking down the nitty gritty of how on earth you make an interactive musical that works, as well as looking deeper at different songs and explaining things like why there're four official versions of the soundtrack (!)

[chrismcshell]

just found out about microsoft/xbox shutting down tango gameworks. why must capitalism and monopolies take everything from us

[jettreno]

I assume it’s bc of the tv show but I’ve seen a couple posts randomly dunking on the last of us but for such dumb reasons. “I want to play lighthearted silly games instead of grimdark ones” “I want to play games that are more inextricable from the video game medium, games that are less cinematic” the good news is that those games exist! the last of us is in fact only two games out of the countless video games out there, so I would recommend not playing them if you don’t want to

[satoshi-mochida]

Eternights launches in September

Gematsu Source

Eternights will launch for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store in September, developer Studio Sai announced.

Here is an overview of the game, via Studio Sai:

About

Eternights is a dating action game, blending a love story with adrenaline-driven combat as you make the most out of life during the apocalypse. Scavenge for supplies, explore dungeons… and go on dates!

Save the world, and find love along the way.

Key Features

Face the Infected – One day, something, or someone, has turned humans into dangerous monsters. All that interests them now is violence and power. They are what stand between you, a cure, and the world you want. Most importantly? You’re fighting for more than just your own survival – you are fighting for those you love.

Find Love – The impending end of the world makes for a great conversation starter! When you’re not exploring dungeons, you can choose to spend time growing closer to a cast of five quirky and loveable characters. Explore their stories and grow closer to them to unlock unique skills and spells you can use in battle.

Race the Clock – Scavenging, dungeon crawling, dating…there are just too many things to do in one day, and each area has a deadline! Will you grow closer to your confidant in order to deepen your relationship and unlock new skills? Will you scavenge the wasteland for supplies? Will you grow stronger by training with your companions? Or will you ignore all of that and go to the dungeon the first chance you get? It’s up to you, but remember, the clock is ticking.

Explore Dungeons – These dangerous areas—known as the “Wall”—are filled with mystery and danger. As the deadline looms, you will have to quickly overcome traps, puzzles, and dancing minigames to make it through in time. Luckily, you have your confidants by your side to help when things get scary.

Animated Cutscenes – There are several fully 2D animated cutscenes that change depending on who you decide to date. Immerse yourself and truly connect with the characters you are spending time with.

Watch a new trailer below.

Emergency Broadcast Trailer

[peachypizzicato]

Do you know if the Devs that made the Arcana with all the mistakes are the same that are doing Touchstarved now? I don't remember if they are all the same but if yes it means the new game will have all the same problems with not caring how they present characters

hey anon, great question!

to be completely honest, i don’t remember the details. i know the names of some of the most notorious writers and devs but i haven’t yet seen who’s working on touchstarved so i can’t say for sure

either way you’re absolutely right. i really honestly don’t have hope for ts and i haven’t ever since they revealed the characters. not only are there no female or even feminine presenting love interests AND extremely little diversity in design (hooray four more of the same fucking tall broad-shouldered relatively-thin-man shape /s), but they reuse some of the same character beats from the arcana without the charm. the short one is just twink muriel. go look at the bios n shit, they are.

frankly whether the same people who demonstrably fucked up the arcana are on touchstarved or not, i’m not paying much mind to it. its another cookie cutter all-male/masc love interest otome game very likely made by the same ignorant fujoshis. i’m gettin too old for this shit lmao

[euphor1a]

📻🧾 ꒰ receiptify tag! ꒱˖♡

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ INSTRUCTIONS: go to receiptify and share your top artists and tracks!

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ TAGGED BY: dani 🌦️ @jjunis ; smiles 🌾 @boba-beom n syria 🗯️ @baljinciaga 🎶!! thank you for the tag you guys sjdhjfhj 🥰🥰🫂🫂🥺

Sharing the previous month’s as well cause... nyeah 👾 i was supposed to post this on april but i forgor

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ TAGGING: @writingmochi ; @park-jimin-isnt-real ; @skittlez-area512 + anyone else who would like to join in! ^^ 💘

[yusuke-of-valla]

WE LIVE IN A HELL WORLD

Snippets from the article by Karissa Bell:

SAG-AFTRA, the union representing thousands of performers, has struck a deal with an AI voice acting platform aimed at making it easier for actors to license their voice for use in video games. ...

the agreements cover the creation of so-called “digital voice replicas” and how they can be used by game studios and other companies. The deal has provisions for minimum rates, safe storage and transparency requirements, as well as “limitations on the amount of time that a performance replica can be employed without further payment and consent.”

Notably, the agreement does not cover whether actors’ replicas can be used to train large language models (LLMs), though Replica Studios CEO Shreyas Nivas said the company was interested in pursuing such an arrangement. “We have been talking to so many of the large AAA studios about this use case,” Nivas said. He added that LLMs are “out-of-scope of this agreement” but “they will hopefully [be] things that we will continue to work on and partner on.”

...Even so, some well-known voice actors were immediately skeptical of the news, as the BBC reports. In a press release, SAG-AFTRA said the agreement had been approved by "affected members of the union’s voiceover performer community." But on X, voice actors said they had not been given advance notice. "How has this agreement passed without notice or vote," wrote Veronica Taylor, who voiced Ash in Pokémon. "Encouraging/allowing AI replacement is a slippery slope downward." Roger Clark, who voiced Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2, also suggested he was not notified about the deal. "If I can pay for permission to have an AI rendering of an ‘A-list’ voice actor’s performance for a fraction of their rate I have next to no incentive to employ 90% of the lesser known ‘working’ actors that make up the majority of the industry," Clark wrote.

SAG-AFTRA’s deal with Replica only covers a sliver of the game industry. Separately, the union is also negotiating with several of the major game studios after authorizing a strike last fall. “I certainly hope that the video game companies will take this as an inspiration to help us move forward in that negotiation,” Crabtree said.

And here are some various reactions I've found about things people in/adjacent to this can do

And in OTHER AI games news, Valve is updating it's TOS to allow AI generated content on steam so long as devs promise they have the rights to use it, which you can read more about on Aftermath in this article by Luke Plunkett

[vivalasthedas]

fable had such a unique art style

shame microsoft lost that when they closed down the iconic studio that made the game to begin with and then were forced to work on shitty editions like ones for kinect and a misplaced gamble about what kind of multiplayer would be the next big trend.