Joystiq

Dustforce devs announce FPS 'Spire'

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:20:00 EST

Hitbox Team, the developer behind Dustforce, has revealed its next project, a first-person shooter entitled Spire (not to be confused with the other indie FPS, The Spire). The game sees players doing their best to ascend a mysterious tower. "The internals of the tower are ever-changing," according to the team, and the game will be different every time, challenging players to "climb as high as possible."

Levels will be procedurally generated, though Hitbox designer Woodley Nye promises that they won't be merely random, and instead be "generated with intention." As an example, after creating an intense combat scenario, the generator "might think to then generate a scene with lower intensity to better control the emotional arc of the experience."

Furthermore, while the game has a fantasy setting, Hitbox is promising creatures and items outside of the familiar "goblins and elves" tropes we're all used to. Instead, enemies and items will be "strange and unexpected." Gameplay mechanics too, will be different than standard FPS games, using tricks inspired by Dustforce, such as jumping and sliding on walls.

Players will be able to generate random Spires for offline play, while the community will fight to dominate the leaderboards via a shared weekly Spire. Nye didn't offer a release window, saying only that Hitbox is "well into the development of Spire."

Dustforce devs announce FPS 'Spire' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Humble Indie Bundle 6 devs ask you to ask them anything on Reddit

Jessica Conditt — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 15:45:00 EST

A few of the developers with games in the rather fantastic Humble Indie Bundle 6 are hosting an AMA on Reddit right now.

In attendance is Runic Games co-founder Max Schaefer, representing Torchlight (and Torchlight 2, it seems); programmer Matt Bush and composer Terrence Lee of Dustforce's Hitbox Team; Jan Achrenius and Sampsa Lehtonen of Recoil and Rochard; Mario Wynands of Shatter's Sidhe, co-founders of MinMax Games Andrew Hume and Richard with Space Pirates and Zombies; and John Krajewski of Strange Loop Games representing Vessel.

Already the developers are discussing the likelihood of their Linux games on Steam, the benefits of being in the Humble Indie Bundle, and answering programming and gameplay questions galore. If you want to know what engines these guys use, how they handle physics or what those space pirates are doing hanging out with zombies in the first place, head on over to Reddit.

Humble Indie Bundle 6 devs ask you to ask them anything on Reddit originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dustforce sweeping up on Mac, discounted for a limited time

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:30:00 EST

Dustforce, the game about evil-vanquishing janitors that would bring Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to shame, is now available on Mac. In addition, Dustforce is this week's Midweek Madness deal on Steam. You can grab it now for $5, half the usual price.

Dustforce sweeping up on Mac, discounted for a limited time originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 May 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Getting down and dirty with Dustforce multiplayer

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:30:00 EST

This multiplayer video for Dustforce showcases the game's local King of the Hill mode, in which a janitor battles a leaf man for control of platforms. How anyone ever managed to make a game about sweeping seem so interesting is beyond us, but there you go.

Video: Getting down and dirty with Dustforce multiplayer originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dustforce cleaning out Steam's valves on Jan. 17 for PC, Mac to follow

Jessica Conditt — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST

The PC version of Dustforce, the sweeping side-scroller from indie studio Hitbox Team, is set to launch January 17 for $9.99 on Steam, with a Mac update to follow soon after. Dustforce has more than 50 disgusting levels for your janitor to spruce up, and will have an online leaderboard, 4-player local multiplayer modes and a soothing original soundtrack.

Dustforce received an honorable mention from the IGF for Excellence in Visual Art, so even if cleaning isn't your thing, we bet you can still enjoy some pretty, stylized gameplay.

Continue reading Dustforce cleaning out Steam's valves on Jan. 17 for PC, Mac to follow

Dustforce cleaning out Steam's valves on Jan. 17 for PC, Mac to follow originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dustforce trailer shows polish, polishing

JC Fletcher — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 22:01:00 EST

When we saw the protagonist walk into an old stone building in this Dustforce trailer, we felt a thrill. "This place looks like it could be really dusty," we thought. "This is going to be awesome." And then the broom-wielding character walked into a room full of flying books and scrolls, trailing dust like exhaust. And then it was awesome.

We'll get really hyped about cleaning again in January -- that's the new release window, according to a YouTube comment from developer Hitbox Team.

Dustforce trailer shows polish, polishing originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 22:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Indie game Dustforce looks so fresh, so clean

JC Fletcher — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 08:30:00 EST

We're pretty sure you've never experienced a game about high-speed platform tidying, but you will soon. Dustforce, an indie game developed by Cincinnati's Hitbox Studios, will bring sweeping action to Mac and PC in early 2012. Be sure to watch the video -- it's a lot more exciting than it sounds.

Dustforce puts players in the role of an "acrobatic cleaner" who wall-runs and jumps to sweep leaves, dust, and other detritus off of every available surface, while also defending himself with broom-based martial arts.

Along with the new video (above) and screens (below), Hitbox Team released an audio sample, by composer Terence Lee. Listen to it while you clean your house!

Gallery: Dustforce (Mac/PC)

Indie game Dustforce looks so fresh, so clean originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 12 Nov 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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