Guerrilla Collective Publisher Spotlight – Hype Train Digital (Recap)

As if one showcase wasn’t enough, Guerrilla Collective followed up their main show with a smaller one called a “Publisher Spotlight”. This actually ended up being three publishers, and while I already covered what they showed in their first segment with Freedom Games (you can find that post here) this post will be about what the team at Hype Train Digital had to bring to the table. Below you’ll find every game that showed up, including links to their trailers and descriptions for each title.

Voidtrain

This first-person shooter has you managing and riding a steam train through a dangerous world full of monsters, and while it entered Early Access just last month, Hype Train already has a content update in store for players. An improved character generator and new “Void creatures” are coming soon, with further info on Voidtrain’s development roadmap available on the game’s store page on Steam.

Stormedge
Full trailer here: https://youtu.be/lGEba7hWkWE

Stormedge is an upcoming action-roguelite game where you play as a mage in command of powerful elemental magic. However, while your spells may be mighty, they risk harming you or putting you in a more vulnerable state. This challenging title is slated for a 2023 PC and Nintendo Switch release; you can add it to your Wishlist today.

Akatori
Full trailer here: https://youtu.be/ZOsSG6lVAFc

Defined as a “Metroidvania slasher platformer”, Akatori features a distinct art style that blends pixel art, vibrant colors, and fluid animation to make its world come to life. You play as a young staff-wielding woman named Mako and it’s up to you to save the world from imminent destruction. Along with some great gameplay clips are some illuminating behind-the-scenes looks at how the devs actually put the game together. The team behind it isn’t quite ready to announce a release date or which platforms it will launch on, so keep an eye out for more details in the coming months.

Rune Coliseum

Combining elements from the deckbuilding, fighting, and roguelike genres, Rune Coliseum puts you in control of a gladiator fighting their way up the ranks of the coliseum. While the trailer leaves a majority of the mechanics unexplained, it looks like you unlock cards with different abilities that you use to form a deck in each run and take into battle. Rune Coliseum is shooting for a 2024 release, so make sure to Wishlist it on Steam to receive any future updates.

Outbreak Island
Full trailer here: https://youtu.be/R7r0zgvXpiI

I don’t want to be too harsh on this game, but Outbreak Island looks like the type of survival game we’ve seen a hundred times before. You’re stranded in the middle of nowhere, spend your days scavenging for supplies, and then try to barricade yourself in a crafted base while monsters attack at night. I will admit that this one looks competently made, but there just doesn’t seem to be that one special feature or mechanic to set it apart from the competition. It’s set for a 2023 release and can be Wishlisted on Steam, so here’s to hoping we get an update soon that shows off a little more personality.

Gatekeeper
Full trailer here: https://youtu.be/d0p45rhr0jo

Gatekeeper is a fast-paced top-down shooter/roguelite combo where you blast your way through scores of dangerous foes in your search for powerful Gates. In this trailer they go over the last demo they released and talk about how the feedback helped them make some important changes to the game, and then announce an upcoming co-op demo for later this summer, allowing you and a friend to seek out the Gates together. Make sure to Wishlist this one on Steam if you want to receive future updates, like a date for the next demo.

Quasimorph

If you like your games tough as nails, then look no further than Quasimorph. This turn-based RPG/extraction game tasks you with completing increasingly harder levels where you lose all of your equipment and items whenever you die. It looks quite challenging and if you want to get a taste of it for yourself then you can check out the new prologue demo on Steam, where you can also Wishlist it before its Q3 2023 release.

Nova Lands
Full trailer here: https://youtu.be/cNi1h3WHgGM

We also saw Nova Lands during the Guerrilla Collective Showcase, but this time we got a better look at the game. Long story short, if you like building up a base, exploring alien planets, and fighting for your life, then you might this game to be right up your alley. Nova Lands is set for release on June 22 for PC, PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox, and it looks like this fusion of genres is set to make for a great experience.


FINAL VERDICT

Despite being on the shorter side, Hype Train Digital brought a handful of great-looking games for their portion of Guerrilla Collective’s Publisher Spotlight. From the risk-reward gameplay of Stormedge to the co-op shooting of Gatekeeper, Hype Train has a solid little lineup of games worth keeping an eye on, with demos releasing soon for a few of them.

– Zack Burrows