Following today’s flawless Volv-E presentation, Devolver Digital is proud to take credit for two brand new independently developed video games. Firstly, the hilarious Baby Steps from Ape Out creators Gabe Cuzillo, Maxi Boch and Bennett Foddy combines physics and walking for the first-ever fully realized true immersive walking simulator. Want to do more than walk? Then you should simply walk to the next game, buddy. Additionally, the jaw-dropping Human: Fall Flat 2 from No Brakes Games was revealed. If you’re a fan of physics with far less walking, Human: Fall Flat 2’s wacky puzzles will leave you enraged/and or satisfied with your skills.
Baby Steps
Baby Steps is coming in 2024 on PC and PlayStation 5, and tells the story of Nate, an unemployed failson with nothing going for him until one day he discovers a power he never knew he had: Putting one foot in front of the other.
Explore a world shrouded in mist, one step at a time. Hike the serene mountains by placing each footstep yourself, in original physics-based gameplay from the minds behind Ape Out and Getting Over It. Take in the sights, fall in love with the local fauna and try to find meaning in a wasted life.
Get ready to fall for Nate in Baby Steps, a literal walking simulator featuring fully simulated physics-based walking in a world that seems to come alive with a dynamic soundtrack built out of 420 beats and vibes. Take a trek up a lengthy mountain-sized mountain that you can explore at your own pace, or slower, in your fully dynamic onesie soilage system. Also, there are non-collectible hats.
Human: Fall Flat 2
Also revealed today is an astonishing followup to the hit game Human: Fall Flat, as Human: Fall Flat 2 (humanfallflat.com) is officially in development from the big brains of original developer No Brakes Games. Human: Fall Flat 2 is the bigger, better and clumsier sequel to the puzzle-platformer global sensation featuring brand new levels, customizable characters and even wilder physics-based fun.
Each intricate level comes packed with new toys and devices to fiddle with as you solve a range of fiendish puzzles on your own or in teams of up to eight friends.
A new physics engine, new gameplay interactions and new mechanics will make every session uniquely silly and more dynamic than ever before. Along with refined controls, visuals and music, Human: Fall Flat 2 is a slapstick experience unlike any other.
The Talos Principle II
Alongside the new announcements, Croteam’s The Talos Principle II solved the question of what it will look like by showing the world what it looks like in Volv-E’s world-exclusive gameplay reveal.
Revealing a massive new world of puzzles, The Talos Principle II arrives on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S later this year (talosprinciple.com). The Talos Principle II greatly expands on the beloved original with more mind-bending puzzles to solve, new puzzle mechanics, a richer storyline, more secrets to uncover and the biggest, weirdest world Croteam has ever built.
Set in a distant future where humankind has long been extinct, human culture lives on through interminable robots made in our image. Embarking on a quest to investigate a mysterious megastructure, you will be confronted with questions about the nature of the cosmos, faith versus reason and the fear of repeating humankind's mistakes.
Familiar puzzles will return in The Talos Principle II, accompanied by unique new gameplay including mind transference and gravity manipulation. There's also a deep character-driven story with multiple endings to lose yourself in, and a series of strange, stunningly beautiful environments to explore—including a city on the brink of a paradigm shift and an island holding the keys to the future.
The Talos Principle II is the biggest, most ambitious, most thought-provoking game Croteam has made yet, and you can play it in 2023.
Wizard with a Gun
Also, the magical sandbox of Galvanic Games’ brilliant upcoming Wizard with a Gun dropped a brand new single-player demo on Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1150530/Wizard_with_a_Gun) alongside a deep overview trailer showcasing the desolate, broken world you’ll explore, gun in hand, when it launches later this year. Thanks, Volv-E.
The demo is a small but wonderful slice of Galvanic’s survival sandbox for you to explore, craft and battle against the forces of chaos. Starting from the beginning of your wizard’s arrival upon The Shatter - a broken world slowly being invaded by chaos - it’s up to you to adventure through this world to collect resources, build out your tower and the helpful machinations within and push back the encroaching chaos. There is a helpful tutorial along the way, though a lot is still left to mystery and for you to discover.
The experience ends after the first boss is defeated in the starting biome - The Imperium. However, eager wizards can keep exploring The Imperium as long as desired to find and experiment with higher-level loot dropped by downed Gunslingers…
The full game will see players opening up more and more of the world with new biomes and even more complex crafting recipes and more imposing enemies. Additionally, the game will support online cooperative play at launch.
Wizard with a Gun will unload on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC later this year. Visit wizardwithagun.com for more information.
Sludge Life 2
Volvy’s hype-filled pre-show featured the exciting June 27 release date announcement of SLUDGE LIFE 2, along with an exclusive standalone Steam demo that offers up a short slice of what happens to GHOST and the crew before BIG MUD "sells out."
Announced today with a new gameplay trailer during the Devolver Direct, this standalone teaser for SLUDGE LIFE 2 tasks players with helping Big Mud rediscover his mojo by exploring his recording studio, interacting with idiots, uncovering secrets and photographing cats.
Glide on over to shopsludgelife.com to pick up some muddy threads while you wait for this PC exclusive and wishlist at https://store.steampowered.com/app/2275150/SLUDGE_LIFE_2.
Volv-E provided a breathtaking look into the simplicity of creativity, demonstrating his frictionless use of generative algorithms and deep-learning techniques to autonomously create video games without any direct input from developers at all.*
Learn more about all of the upcoming games, see the trailers, watch the presentation again and grab a big handful of classic Volvy swag at devolverdirect.com
*EDIT: Following shareholder feedback, Volv-E has been placed on indefinite hiatus.