Indie studio Strange Loop Games has been working on Vessel since at least 2010, when it was nominated for the IGF award in Technical Excellence and was a finalist in the Indie Game Challenge -- and the game hadn't even been officially announced then. Vessel is now set to launch on Steam and through Strange Loop on March 1, and it has gameplay videos showing off its liquid-loving mechanics, as seen above and here.
Vessel follows inventor M. Arkwright as he explores an altered world of his own creation, where liquid-based Fluro machines work tirelessly across all industries. Strange Loop Games was founded by three former EA employees, John Krajewski, Martin Farren, Mark Filippelli, and a veteran visual artist, Milenko Tunjic, so you can bet nothing about Vessel will appear, ahem, watered down.
INDIE STUDIO STRANGE LOOP GAMES ANNOUNCES PC LAUNCH DATE FOR
LIQUID-PHYSICS PUZZLE GAME VESSEL
Studio's First Release Will Be Available on March 1 Via Steam and the
Strange Loop Games Web Site
SEATTLE - JANUARY 19, 2011 - Independent developer Strange Loop Games, in collaboration with indiePub, today announced plans to release its groundbreaking liquid physics puzzle game Vessel on PC March 1, through digital distribution platforms including Steam and StrangeLoopGames.com. A finalist in both the 13th Annual Independent Game Festival and the 2010 Indie Game Challenge, Vessel allows players to solve puzzles by bringing to life physically-simulated liquid (water, lava, glowing goo, chemicals and more) and animating it into living machines called Fluros.
Using the innovative Vessel engine, these liquid creatures demonstrate physics capabilities not seen in other video games. Each Fluro possesses a body composed entirely of physically simulated fluid that provides them with unique abilities including melting, reforming, mixing with other types of fluid, and re-growing lost limbs. By choosing how and where to bring liquid to life, players can solve puzzles and progress in this fantastic, mechanical world.
"With Vessel, we wanted to push the boundaries of how hardware power is used in games," said Vessel designer and Strange Loop Games co-founder John Krajewski. "Typically, hardware power put towards graphics and physics is only an aesthetic addition. In Vessel, the foundation of the gameplay and puzzles is based in liquid simulation."
In Vessel, players take on the role of Arkwright, a renowned inventor whose inventions - living liquid creatures known as Fluros - have gone awry, turning on their users and disrupting machinery throughout the world. To fix the flawed Fluros and restore order, players must create, manipulate and destroy a wide variety of Fluros and operate complex machinery to solve challenging puzzles. Vessel takes players on an exploratory adventure through four fascinating worlds, fixing the work sites where Fluros are employed and ultimately leading the player to complete Arkwright's next great invention, "The Accelerator."
Vessel will be available on Windows PC March 1 for $14.99 via Steam and StrangeLoopGames.com. Vessel will also be released on Xbox LIVE® Arcade and PlayStation®Network at a later date, to be announced.
For more information, please visit: http://www.strangeloopgames.com
For the latest Invention Report, The Fluro, please visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbPEE0tht-Q&feature=youtu.be
To check out the First Look video for Vessel, please visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24Yubu615mE
To download all press assets, including new, in-depth gameplay videos, please visit:
http://bhimpact.gamespress.com/product_page.asp?i=1259
About Strange Loop Games
Strange Loop Games is a Seattle-based indie development game studio with more than 50 cumulative years of game development experience. Its mission is to create deep, interactive simulations that explore and expand traditional gameplay boundaries. Vessel is Strange Loop Games' first studio release.
LIQUID-PHYSICS PUZZLE GAME VESSEL
Studio's First Release Will Be Available on March 1 Via Steam and the
Strange Loop Games Web Site
SEATTLE - JANUARY 19, 2011 - Independent developer Strange Loop Games, in collaboration with indiePub, today announced plans to release its groundbreaking liquid physics puzzle game Vessel on PC March 1, through digital distribution platforms including Steam and StrangeLoopGames.com. A finalist in both the 13th Annual Independent Game Festival and the 2010 Indie Game Challenge, Vessel allows players to solve puzzles by bringing to life physically-simulated liquid (water, lava, glowing goo, chemicals and more) and animating it into living machines called Fluros.
Using the innovative Vessel engine, these liquid creatures demonstrate physics capabilities not seen in other video games. Each Fluro possesses a body composed entirely of physically simulated fluid that provides them with unique abilities including melting, reforming, mixing with other types of fluid, and re-growing lost limbs. By choosing how and where to bring liquid to life, players can solve puzzles and progress in this fantastic, mechanical world.
"With Vessel, we wanted to push the boundaries of how hardware power is used in games," said Vessel designer and Strange Loop Games co-founder John Krajewski. "Typically, hardware power put towards graphics and physics is only an aesthetic addition. In Vessel, the foundation of the gameplay and puzzles is based in liquid simulation."
In Vessel, players take on the role of Arkwright, a renowned inventor whose inventions - living liquid creatures known as Fluros - have gone awry, turning on their users and disrupting machinery throughout the world. To fix the flawed Fluros and restore order, players must create, manipulate and destroy a wide variety of Fluros and operate complex machinery to solve challenging puzzles. Vessel takes players on an exploratory adventure through four fascinating worlds, fixing the work sites where Fluros are employed and ultimately leading the player to complete Arkwright's next great invention, "The Accelerator."
Vessel will be available on Windows PC March 1 for $14.99 via Steam and StrangeLoopGames.com. Vessel will also be released on Xbox LIVE® Arcade and PlayStation®Network at a later date, to be announced.
For more information, please visit: http://www.strangeloopgames.com
For the latest Invention Report, The Fluro, please visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbPEE0tht-Q&feature=youtu.be
To check out the First Look video for Vessel, please visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24Yubu615mE
To download all press assets, including new, in-depth gameplay videos, please visit:
http://bhimpact.gamespress.com/product_page.asp?i=1259
About Strange Loop Games
Strange Loop Games is a Seattle-based indie development game studio with more than 50 cumulative years of game development experience. Its mission is to create deep, interactive simulations that explore and expand traditional gameplay boundaries. Vessel is Strange Loop Games' first studio release.
