Honey Tribe Studios Recruit a New Bee
And that’s definitely not to be confused with “newbie!” Rahime Knight has joined Ryan Jackson and Shaz Yousaf on the art side of Ashley Ao, Honey Tribe Studios’ anime inspired, genre-crossing sci-fi tribute to the 16 bit era.
Like us, you’re probably wondering whether the art sample to your right is Rahime Knight’s previous work or some new concept art for Ashley Ao. Turns out it’s the latter, so we have yet another new character to look forward to. Well, make that two — find a larger version here, plus a scary-looking Cartel member and some environment art!
The Ashley Ao IndieGoGo campaign has just over two weeks to go. Keep an eye on the Honey Tribe Studios website and Twitter account for the latest news, and be sure not to miss our exclusive in-depth interview with the developers! You can also find some of Rahime’s previous work at deviantART.
Treat Your Green Thumb to My Veg Plot
Rainy weather and storm clouds got you down? Bugs putting a crimp in your backyard gardening? If you’ve got an iPad, Lavender Dog and Merge Games may have just the thing for you in the freely downloadable My Veg Plot. Billed as “hours of gentle virtual gardening,” this laid-back experience has the player turning a fallow plot into a fruit-and-veggie haven, not to mention a bastion against crop parasites. The devs brought our attention to the following gameplay features, which sound pretty cool if you’re into this sort of thing: Hidden Object gameplay for combating pests, the ability to enter your kickass garden into a virtual competition, and registering with myvegplot.com for a chance at real-world prizes!
Like many mobile publishers, Merge Games is actively scouting for new partnerships. Merge spokesman Luke Keighran says: “We support our projects with bespoke marketing and PR plans for both the launch and the lifetime of the game. The key to our success is that we give each project a very personal and tailored solution, from a talented, experienced and passionate team. If you are interested in working with us on sponsorship or developing the game, then please email [email protected].”
Ride the flood to escape extinction – Former EA Visceral devs reveal Catch the Ark
Uh oh! Three cute little critters didn’t get the invite to Noah’s Ark, and now they’ll have to catch up with it in an endless rafting adventure.
In Catch the Ark, PlaySide Studios and Surprise Attack promise to take the endless genre “to the next level,” a goal that should get a boost from minibosses, raft upgrades and multiplayer modes.
Catch the Ark should be hitting within the next few months. Check out Surprise Attack’s info page for more media and gameplay specifics, and keep an eye on PlaySide Studios’ website and Facebook page for the latest.
Teething Bites Into the App Store
Aspiring game developer and composer William Robinson was in touch to let us know that he’s teamed up with artist Robyn Nevison for Teething, which just released this week.
“Teething is a throwback to vintage videogames with its pixelated graphics, chiptune music and all that good stuff. The premise is simple: how long can you keep your tooth healthy as endless amounts of sweets pour down from above? The fast and frantic gameplay is punctuated with power ups that can make you into a tiny baby tooth, slow down time, turn the sweets into coins and even become invincible.
As well as an indie developer I’m also a composer, and the big thing I tried to do with Teething was to implement a dynamic music system, so rather than static tracks, the music will change to become more intense as you lose lives and get closer to a game over, as well accenting the power ups to make them that much more exciting.”
Check out a preview trailer below, and you can visit William’s and Robyn’s blogs to see what else these artists are up to.