From No Time to Explain and Fearless Fantasy to Party Hard and Secret Neighbor, tinyBuild is one of those very rare game developers and publishers that just gets it right every single time. Their work on SpeedRunners, alongside DoubleDutch Games, has proved worthwhile, as they've sold well over 600,000 copies. Mainly designing games for iOS and Android-operated mobile games, they've also stretched out into Steam territory.
At PAX West this year, where a whole slew of swag and free games have been ongoing, the tinyBuild panel was a flurry of exciting news and brand new games. Held annually, the press conference was entirely streamed via Valve's Steam and is available to watch there or on tinyBuild's personal YouTube. Discussing the nature of their games and the role of tinyBuild on the gaming industry in the future, CEO Alex Nichiporchik announced a total of four new games as well as interesting details on the ones fans already well know.
Nichiporchik aptly kicked off the "Mystery Press Conference" by initiating it with one of their scariest upcoming IPs. He said:
"Once Upon a Time in Roswell is all about psychological horror. You are investigating a series of family dissappearances that are centered around the Roswell imcident in 1947. So it plays a lot like a detective game that is story driven and a mystery."
The game is rather interesting and feels very reminiscent of P.T. Following Detective Rineheart, the reveal trailer unfolds with brilliant excellence, showcasing the provocative chill one may feel in-game as loud steps and strange sounds barrage around the house, all while you firmly wield a six-shooter. The trailer gives a whole new meaning to terror in the psychological setting, weaving together black vines, supernatural experiences, and dream-state events so cleanly. Set for release sometime late 2020, it's sure to be one of tinyBuild's most anticipated games on the list.
The next game trailer revealed by Nichiporchik was a dystopian-set newsroom game that focuses on the player having complete control over the media in a dystopian society. The developer is known for its interesting titles and concepts for games, which shows tremendously in their somewhat live-action portrayal of the game. Called Not For Broadcast, the game even calls itself a dystopian newsroom simulator. It's one of their more interesting and creative titles due for release on November 26th. Even Nichiporchik himself said the game "is really, really different," which only adds weight to the talent behind the title.
Following the dystopian newsroom trailer, Nichiporchik announced new DLC content for Pathologic 2, which was met with some extreme excitement. There was also a look into the Black Skylands game, an open-world pixel art shooter that will give players the control of aircraft in order to shoot down opponents. The game is set for release sometime in 2020.
Nichiporchik also introduced SpeedRunners for the Nintendo Switch, Secret Neighbor news on its upcoming release (due for launch on Halloween), and RAWMEN, a very different type of game entirely. Nichiporchik said:
"I'm really excited to wrap up this press conference with a little game about nude men in aprons throwing soup."
It's not a joke, RAWMEN is a game all of its own accord, showcasing the depths and reaches that tinyBuild is willing to go. Though the game is still very much in development, there's plenty to await, and with much of the developer's games now being ported to the Switch, there are loads of games to keep us busy for a while. We can't wait to dive into their horror mystery, but there's still loads more left to reveal at the subtly amassing world of PAX West.