Train2Game News Ultimate Lockdown Boredom.Buster

Millie and Molly, a new puzzle game for iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac, promises to help players banish lockdown boredom and stress.

The game stars sisters Millie and Molly, who must defeat malicious monsters from 100 levels across various worlds. Players must use their logic skills to work out which route will allow them to banish the enemies.

There are no timers or lives in the game, meaning that players can solve puzzles at their own pace. If players make a mistake, the rewind and restart functions make it easy to try something else. There are no annoying ads or in-app purchases, either.

“Millie and Molly was designed to be challenging yet relaxing. We wanted players to enjoy all the satisfaction of solving each puzzle without pressure along the way. 

“These factors have made it the perfect lockdown game, because people are looking for ways to have fun, destress, and stimulate their minds,” says Carleton Handley, the Greater Manchester–based indie developer behind Millie and Molly.

The game was released for the Commodore 64 earlier this year and received rave reviews from the community, even gaining a 93% score from Retro Gamer magazine. It’s this feedback that motivated Carleton and artist Saul Cross to bring the game to modern devices, complete with 8-bit and 16-bit graphics and retro-style tunes.

“I received so many messages from Commodore 64 players who said that they’d been playing Millie and Molly with kids, friends, and partners who’d never shown an interest in retro gaming before.

“When Covid-19 took a hit on my freelance workload, it presented the perfect opportunity for me to work on a version for modern devices. One of my proudest achievements is that my wife finished all 100 levels on her iPhone, as she’s never completed a game before!”
Editor’s notes

Game trailer: https://youtu.be/kYjQUnIUd8E

Train2Game News Outriders Release Date

SQUARE ENIX® is excited to announce that OUTRIDERS™, the RPG-Shooter where survival demands aggression, from People Can Fly, the developers of Gears of War: Judgment and BULLETSTORM, and Square Enix External Studios, the minds behind SLEEPING DOGS® and JUST CAUSE®, will be releasing on February 2nd, 2021.

OUTRIDERS will feature full cross-play compatibility across all formats, meaning players across PS4™, PS5™, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Stadia will be able to play together regardless of what platform they are on.

Players who purchase OUTRIDERS on current-gen consoles will be able to upgrade from PlayStation®4 to PlayStation®5 for free. Players can also upgrade from Xbox One to Xbox Series X|S for free with Smart Delivery.
 

Watch the OUTRIDERS Release Date Announce Trailer Here:
https://youtu.be/lVB98xP6gds


“We’re very happy to announce that we can offer full cross-play support and a free next-gen upgrade plan for OUTRIDERS players. The great thing about this system is that even if you’re not picking up your PS5 or XSX quite yet, we’ve got you covered and there’s no need to wait. If you buy the current-gen version of OUTRIDERS, we’ll give you the next-gen version for free,” said Jon Brooke, Co-Head of Studio at Square Enix External Studios.

“We’re taking a little bit longer to ensure players have the best possible experience with OUTRIDERS, we’re also including new features like Cross-Play which will make our game much more accessible on all platforms,” added Lee Singleton, Co-Head of Studio at Square Enix External Studios.

OUTRIDERS will release on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on February 2nd, 2021 and Google Stadia later in 2021.

For more information, visit www.outriders.net

Train2Game News Baldurs Gate 3 Early Access

Larian Studios is excited to announce that its long-awaited RPG Baldur’s Gate 3 today released into Early Access on Steam and Gog on PC/Mac and, Google Stadia.

Players all over the world are now able to enjoy the first act of the game, which spans roughly 25h of content, 46.000 dialogue lines in english, 600 NPCs and 146 spells and actions. The extensive Character Creation within the game will let players pick from 16 races and subraces as well as six different classes with each their own subclasses.
 
Today’s release into Early Access marks the beginning of a long journey towards full release. Working directly with the community, the team will continuously iterate and improve the game, adding new content along the way. RPGs this large, with so many permutations, thrive from feedback as new features and fixes are incrementally added to the game. Early Access gives players a chance to participate in development and it gives the team an opportunity to explore different game ideas with a live community.
 
A parasite planted in their brains, they wake up on board a burning Nautiloid Ship, racing across hell and at the very center of an epic fight between Mind Flayers and red dragons. And that will only mark the very beginning of their journey. Players will encounter many challenges upon their return to the forgotten realms in a tale about fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival – and the lure of absolute power.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Gnf6Z-15K9A?wmode=transparent

Baldur’s Gate 3 is an expansive, cinematic, player-driven RPG based on 5e D&D. It features a
rich character creation system where players can create an avatar based on 16 different D&D races and subraces, select their cantrips, skills & abilities, and enter a world where their actions truly define the story.
 
Baldur’s Gate 3 expands on Larian’s award-winning narrative gameplay both through the
advent of cinematic storytelling, and with dice-rolls for key decisions throughout the game, in
and out of combat. Dialogue options often have multiple responses, and some responses may
require a dice roll to succeed, defined by both luck as well as the attributes of the player
character, or circumstances of the situation.

The Forgotten Realms are a vast, detailed and diverse world, and there are secrets to be discovered all around – verticality is a vital part of exploration. They can sneak, dip, shove, climb, and jump as they journey from the depths of the Underdark to the glittering rooftops of the Upper City. How they survive, and the mark they leave on the world, is up to them:

  • Online Multiplayer for up to 4 players allows players to combine their forces in combat, and split their party to follow their own quests and agendas. They can concoct the perfect plan together… or introduce an element of chaos when their friends least expect it.
  • Evolved, turn-based combat, based on the D&D 5e ruleset. Team-based initiative, advantage & disadvantage, and roll modifiers join combat cameras, expanded environmental interactions, and a new fluidity in combat that rewards strategy and foresight.
  • Defining the future of the forgotten realms through their choices, and the roll of the dice. No matter who they play, or what they roll, the world and its inhabitants will react to their story.
  • Player-initiated turn-based mode allows the players to pause the world around them at any time even outside of combat. Whether they see an opportunity for a tactical advantage before combat begins, want to pull off a heist with pin-point precision, or need to escape a fiendish trap. They can Split their party, prepare ambushes, sneak in the darkness – and create their own luck!

Baldur’s Gate 3 today releases into Early Access on Steam, GOG, Google Stadia and Mac which marks the beginning of the games journey towards full release.

Train2Game News Gayming Awards Coming 2021

Today Gayming Magazine are happy to announce that they will be rolling out the virtual pink carpet to celebrate the Gayming Awards on 24th February 2021 20:00 GMT.

The show will be streamed to viewers around the world alongside a plethora of exciting sponsors, including presenting partner EA Games, Square Enix, Green Man Gaming, Jagex and Creative Assembly amongst others to be announced. 

Colin Blackwood, UKI Country Manager from presenting partner EA Games had the following to say on the awards, “EA are delighted to be sponsoring the first ever Gayming Awards. As one of the founding partners of the #RaiseTheGame pledge, we’re committed to celebrating diversity and inclusion within the games industry and the Gayming Awards is a great opportunity to do just that.”

Additionally, the voting window for public nominations for Industry Diversity Award, Best LGBTQ Indie Game and Best LGBTQ Streamer closes on October 31st. You can find the other award categories here.

The Gayming Awards aim to commemorate the achievements of the wider, global gaming industry and how they have championed LGBTQ people through the creative medium of videogames. Critically-acclaimed queer comedian Suzi Ruffell will be hosting the evening, best known for her appearances on Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week, Go 8 Bit and more. Suzi Ruffell has also had five sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Festival with stand-up shows racking up critical acclaim from reviewers and audiences alike.

All games released in the calendar year of 2020 will be eligible for the Gayming Awards and voting will take place through November and December 2020.

You can find out more information on the 2021 Gayming Awards here: http://gaymingawards.com

Train2Game News YouTube Fall Guys Tournament

YouTube has announced a live charity gaming tournament featuring an all-star gaming creator lineup competing in Fall Guys Season 2.

Starting at 11 a.m. PT on Friday, Oct. 9, this two hour celebration will debut the new medieval Season 2 content, including new costumes, emotes, levels and more.

The winners of the tournament will receive a $100,000 donation to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on their behalf as well as a custom YouTube Gaming Fall Guys crown.
 
The tournament will be live streamed on the official Fall Guys YouTube Channel and feature prominent creators AyChristine, CouRage, ItsFunneh, JeromeASF, Jazzyguns, KreekCraft, Logdotzip, and more. Creators will compete in teams of two and accumulate points over a set number of matches for a shot at the Grand Finals, with the top two teams squaring off to see who takes the crown and charity donation.
 
“The explosive growth Fall Guys has seen on YouTube has been nothing short of jaw-dropping. In less than one month, Fall Guys related content on YouTube has seen over 1.3B views and over 650,000 videos uploaded alone,” said Ryan Wyatt, head of gaming, YouTube. “I love seeing our amazing community of creators come together to support UNICEF and its great cause. I look forward to seeing which creators take the crown!”
 
This tournament is a part of YouTube’s commitment to provide high quality and competitive live stream content for gaming fans globally while bringing awareness to important causes. YouTube Gaming is a gaming destination that gives gamers endless ways to enjoy the games they care about and connect with creators and communities that share their same passion. Viewers can find personalized gaming content, the top live games, gaming creators on the rise and trending videos all in one place

Train2Game News Steam Digital Tabletop Fest

The first ever Steam Digital Tabletop Fest, celebrating games that cross between physical and digital, will make its debut 21- 26 October 2020.

Produced in collaboration with Auroch Digital, the event will feature virtual let’s plays, panels, talks and more streaming activities that explore the fusion between physical and digital games with legendary designers, upcoming studios, and you.

DIGITAL TABLETOP FEST – MORE INFO
 

Working with Valve, indie studio Auroch Digital is helping curate the program of events and line up speakers such Sandy Petersen (Call of Cthulhu RPG, Quake, Cthulhu Wars and more!), Steve Jackson (Munchkin, Ogre, Car Wars and many more), Ian Livingstone (Co-founder Games Workshop and Fighting Fantasy, Chairman Sumo Group plc), Elizabeth Hargrave (creator of the hit game Wingspan) and author and New Yorker writer Simon Parkin talks about how a board game helped the allies win WW2 and many more!

Here’s a look at just some of the other wide-ranging activities happening during the event:

  • Plague Inc: Evolved (where James Vaughan, game designer of the digital and physical version plays the digital game’s boardgame scenario while discussing the design of both versions)
  • Othercide (the tactical-RPG blending strong art style, unique lore and challenging tactical gameplay, presented by its Art Director and Lead Game Designer)
  • Gloomhaven’s stream, featuring the developers, will discuss the upcoming content for the next major update of Gloomhaven’s Early Access on Steam.
  • Virtual panel on games about Mars, where game creators will be joined by actual space agency staff and scientists to ask what games get right and wrong about Mars.
  • Virtual panel on Cthulhu games, where some of the most notable Cthulhu-themed designers from digital and physical ask about the cultural impact of such titles and more.

How to get involved

Join in during the live broadcasts to chat to the devs about the topics of conversations and their games, or catch them via VOD if you can’t make the live steam. More panels and talks will be announced as the event gets closer.

The Steam Digital Tabletop Fest features games that run across the lines between digital and physical games; this can be a digital port of a physical game, a game which has produced a physical version from the digital one, a game that simulates the physical play experience, or a digital game whose aesthetics are inspired by tabletop games. 

To learn more and to sign up to be reminded when the event begins, please visit this link.

Train2Game News Golden Joystick Awards Now Open

Voting goes live today in the 38th Golden Joystick Awards, the world’s biggest public-voted games awards.

Every year millions of fans show their support by voting for the games, developers, publishers and personalities who have entertained and thrilled them the most over the last 12 months.
 

Now in its 38th year, the Golden Joystick Awards show has been confirmed for this November with a new all-digital format and global focus.
 

Daniel Dawkins, Content Director, Games and Film explains more:
 

“Last year the Golden Joystick Awards were held in central London with awards being handed out to developers who had flown in from all around the globe. This year the event will be a truly global, all-digital, affair with a variety of exciting guest hosts, exclusive game trailers and editorialised video features. We strongly believe this will allow us to reach millions more fans, with the Golden Joystick Awards 2020 being hosted on gamesradar.com, currently enjoying a year of record traffic. Our revamped digital show will be produced by the team behind the recently-launched Future Games Show, which attracted 23 million views for its E3 and Gamescom shows. We can’t wait to celebrate the best games of the last 12 months and look forward to the next generation of consoles and creators.”
 

The Golden Joystick Awards are brought to you by GamesRadar+, the world’s fastest-growing major games website. GamesRadar+ recorded its all-time audience record of 35.5m global users in April 2020, and has seen phenomenal growth over the year with a 92% rise in users across the globe*.
 

Voting starts today across 18 categories, including PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, Mobile, eSports and PC Game of the Year, as well as Best Family Game (NEW for 2020), Best Multiplayer Game, Best Indie Game, Best Gaming Hardware, Best Game Expansion, Best Game Community (NEW for 2020), Best Studio and more.
 

Fans can also cast a vote for online games that they can’t give up playing in the ‘Still Playing’ award, as well as the game they are most looking forward to in the hotly-contested ‘Most Wanted’ award category which was won by Cyberpunk 2077 in 2019.
 

Daniel Dawkins said:
 

“Our judging panel has worked hard to narrow down the shortlist to just eight games in each category**. Some games are so good they have made it into more than one category, with multiple nominations for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, The Last of Us Part II, Fall Guys and more. We have also added in two new categories – ‘Best Family Game’, which reflects the fantastic family games that have been released this year, and ‘Best Gaming Community’ a nod to the increased role games have played in keeping us connected to our friends and fellow players in 2020.”
 

Voting opens today and closes on November 2nd 2020.

For more information visit www.goldenjoysticks.com or follow The Golden Joysticks Awards on Twitter and Facebook

Train2Game News 5th One Special Day

This Friday, the gamers’ charity SpecialEffect will celebrate their fifth One Special Day fundraiser.

In a new record for the event, over 75 games industry partners have now pledged their support, ranging from mobile and PC developers, through to media and trade bodies.

With demand for the charity’s services increasing and other fundraising events being cancelled or postponed due to COVID-19, this year’s One Special Day has taken on an extra significance, as SpecialEffect’s Founder and CEO Mick Donegan explains: 

“Despite the challenges of recent months, SpecialEffect has been continuing its work to bring the joy of video games and technology to some of the most disabled people on the planet. Our staff have worked tirelessly to respond to an increasing number of enquiries from all over the world, carrying out remote assessments and providing specialist equipment and advice. Meanwhile, the R&D team have been working hard to finish some exciting new accessible gaming projects, such as Eye Gaze Games, which have the potential to open-up the world of gaming to 10,000s more people world-wide. Securing the future of these services is vitally important for the people we support, which is why One Special Day 2020 is more important than ever.”

Since its inception in 2016, One Special Day has raised over $1,000,000 towards the work of SpecialEffect to help people with disabilities in the United Kingdom and all over the world. The companies supporting the event raise money by donating revenue, holding events and contributing to special Humble Bundles. This year, many will also be staging virtual fundraising challenges, including Zoom quizzes, socially-distanced physical challenges and livestreams.

Some campaign highlights to look out for include: 

  • One Special Bundle, which is available now on the Humble Bundle website and features titles from nine partners. 
  • One Special Night, which takes place on Thursday 1st October from 8pm and sees SpecialEffect hosting eight of the games industry’s leading lights, including Double Fine’s Tim Schafer, for an evening of exclusive online talks. 
  • One Special Game, a competition where fan-artists have been given the opportunity to create their own poster for iconic games such as Mass Effect, Stardew Valley, Monument Valley and Need for Speed, with the winners announced on Friday 2nd October.

The range of events and activities, coupled with the number of games industry companies rallying to the call, makes this the biggest One Special Day yet. And that’s very good news for disabled gamers all over the world!


If you’d like to get your company involved in One Special Day, there’s still time. Go to www.onespecialday.org.uk to donate or, for more information, contact Nick Streeter at nick@specialeffect.org.uk

Train2Game News Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Story Trailer

Today, Ubisoft released a new Assassin’s Creed® Valhalla story trailer and a new podcast documentary series, Echoes of Valhalla, that gives insight into Viking stories and highlights the historical inspiration behind the game.
 
The story trailer offers players a new glimpse of Eivor, a fierce Viking raider torn between their duty to their brother Sigurd and a personal quest for glory.

Driven from Norway by endless wars and dwindling resources, Eivor’s clan must secure a future among the kingdoms of England. During their journey, Eivor will come across the Hidden Ones, and face powerful figures including Saxon kings and the warmongering sons of Ragnar Lothbrok, as well as a mysterious, growing threat that could determine England’s destiny”.
 
In addition, Ubisoft announced Echoes of Valhalla, a podcast documentary series starting today that unveils the historical background of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. In Echoes of Valhalla, Vikings tell their very own story to give a new voice to the warriors who have travelled and shaped the world.

To discover more about the podcast series Echoes of Valhalla, please visit: https://open.spotify.com/show/32D0s4zdgKVDplzPf8GZBO?si=YXZV_5tSRJi5DA2yaC1MEg
 
With development led by Ubisoft Montreal, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla offers players the captivating experience of playing as Eivor, a legendary Viking raider, in a beautiful and mysterious open world set against the brutal backdrop of England’s Dark Ages.

Players can take advantage of new features, including raids, weapon dual-wielding, and settlement building. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will release worldwide on 10th November, 2020 on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PlayStation®4, the Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Store on Windows PC, as well as on UPLAY+, Ubisoft’s subscription service and  Stadia. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will release on PlayStation®5 alongside the launch of the console from 12th November, 2020.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will launch on Amazon Luna alongside the launch of the Ubisoft channel.
 
For more information about Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, please visit: assassinscreed.com

Train2Game News Collection Of SaGa Final Fantasy Legend

During SQUARE ENIX PRESENTS at TGS 2020 Online, SQUARE ENIX® showcased a new trailer for COLLECTION of SaGa FINAL FANTASY LEGEND™ on the Nintendo Switch™ system, available to watch here: https://youtu.be/D7uT3iT7BxA.

Packed with brand new features to enhance the experience, including speed boosts and a retro display mode, this digital collection made up of THE FINAL FANTASY LEGEND, FINAL FANTASY LEGEND II, and FINAL FANTASY LEGEND III maintains the charm and wonder that made the pioneering original games so special 30 years ago.

RPG fans can begin their journey fighting monsters, exploring towns and discovering fantasy worlds when COLLECTION of SaGa FINAL FANTASY LEGEND launches on Nintendo Switch digitally on December 15, 2020. This classic RPG collection is available to pre-purchase now from the Nintendo e-Shop.

COLLECTION of SaGa FINAL FANTASY LEGEND is rated E10+ (Everyone 10+) and will be available digitally on Nintendo Switch on December 15, 2020. For more information visit: https://square-enix-games.com/en_US/games/collection-saga-final-fantasy-legend.