Land of The Witcher and Home of the Devs – What are Polish Developers working on?
In the past few years Poland has become one of the countries where video games can be considered a national asset. This article gathers all the available information regarding the upcoming Polish games – both from big studios and independent developers.
Poland – a country that currently has over 38 million inhabitants – was still behind the Iron Curtain when companies like Atari, Sierra, LucasArts or MicroProse worked hard on making the gaming industry matter. However, we’re not going to talk about the history of Polish game development, because there is already a book in the works – Not only The Witcher. Story behind Polish video games by Marcin Kosman (and as you can see the title of our article is strongly inspired by that book) – that covers that subject extensively.
Our aim is to focus on the present and the future, as for the past few years Poland has seen a noticeable increase in the number of active game development studios, and video games themselves have become a major export good of the Polish entertainment. According to Adam Kicinski, the CEO of CD Projekt RED, “Polish companies are doing better and better on the gaming market. Video games are the ambassadors of the Polish innovative economy with about 95% of income coming from export.”
Thanks to the commercial and artistic success of The Witcher franchise and games like Dying Light, This War of Mine or The Vanishing of Ethan Carter the market is currently witnessing a snowball effect. The employees of big studios like Techland or CD Projekt RED have started a natural exodus, founding their own, smaller companies, and as a result young people feel motivated to self-educate in order to show off what they’re capable of on the job market. Some of them, however, choose the indie way, giving us games like SUPERHOT, Darkwood or The Way.
This article contains a list of the most important games currently in development by Polish studios; the list excludes titles that are in Early Access, those that employ free-to-play formula, as well as web and mobile games.
11 bit studios
Industrial
Release Date: Q2 2017
There are two things about Industrial that we know so far. First: the current title is certainly not the final one – the studio has no intention of provoking speculation about what the mysterious project actually is, and according to the company's CEO the disclosure of the actual name of the project would reveal too much about the game itself. Second: the production aims for a much greater commercial potential than their previous hit, This War of Mine, as 11 bit would like to create a whole franchise based on their new work. And then there's the thing that 11 bit recently developed cooperation with Platige Image and currently have the largest budget in the history of the studio at their disposal. What we have here is certainly one of the most intriguing Polish projects.
Ahoy Games
Unannounced project
Release date: TBA
During Digital Dragons we had a chance to see the first fragments of Ahoy Games' new project, heading to PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. We can expect a gangster story delivered in the form of a top-down shooter with open world and car driving. So basically, a Polish remake of GTA 1 and 2 sporting superior visuals? Maybe – but the details will be revealed no earlier then during this year's Poznan Game Arena.
Anshar Studios
Detached
Release date: Q3 2016
If you leave two powerful corporations to compete on their own terms, it will never end well – and Detached will give us the opportunity to experience it first hand. Announced as a "first-person experience", the game is developed with VR sets in mind, and its main course includes a variety of puzzles, fight for survival, exploration in search of resources, and PvP where instead of the power of the fist we will rely on traps and fast thinking.
Apogee Games
Half-Pluszzz
Release date: TBA
In this slightly toungue-in-cheek production from Apogee Games, created under the auspices of the Game Dev School course, we will fight for... the sound sleep of a child, defending it from a horde of stuffed zombie animals. It's a simple FPS with a rather interesting idea for both its locations (the first portion of the game has rather modest visuals, but the slightly psychedelic level design are likable) and its weapons (a crowbar taken straight from Half-Life and rubber ducks used as grenades!).
Artifex Mundi
Grim Legends 3: The Dark City
Release Date: 2016
Continuation of the series based on fairy tales and legends, but with a twist transforming them into dark, gloomy tales with elements of psychological horror. This time we will pursue a rogue member of an Order of monster hunters, who stole an artifact containing a powerful being – The Nightmare. Once again, we can expect a rather simple adventure game for casual players and with lots of hidden objects – after all, Artifex Mundi is one of the world's largest creators of HOPA games.
Enigmatis 3: The Shadow of Karkhala
Release Date: 2016
The finale of the trilogy that began in 2011 with Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek. No revolutions here: we get a classic adventure game giving us the chance to find numerous hidden objects (the studio has so much experience with this genre that a failure is simply not an option), in which we follow a mysterious preacher to the mountains of Tibet and discover the secrets of mount Karkhala.
Awesome Games Studio
Unannounced project
Release Date: 2017
The latest project from Awesome Games Studio, the developer which some of you may know as the creators of Oozi: Earth Adventure or Yet Another Zombie Defense, will be released on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One next year. And that's pretty much everything we know right now. The developers will tell us something more in the next few weeks.
Bloober Team
Scopophobia
Release date: TBA
The next project from the Krakow-based team is an asymmetrical network game in which we play as a group of small children fleeing from a basilisk, a beast capable of turning people into stone or another basilisk. The game will feature a story campaign, but the main attraction will be the multiplayer mode, offering diverse character classes and numerous maps. We had the chance to play an early build of Scopophobia back in 2014 – the game was kind of rough back then, but if there was a thing it nailed, it was the atmosphere of constant threat and the feeling of being cornered.
Medium
Release date: TBA
What is Medium? That is a secret known probably only to the developers at Bloober Team – and they are anything but eager to share it. The project was first heard of in 2012, but since then we were able to acquire only scraps of information. The game will take place in Krakow, one of the biggest Polish cities – the city even became the title's official partner. Other than that, the game will feature supernatural elements, and the scenario is said to be dark and mature. The Krakow-based studio is convinced that innovations and a somber atmosphere will ensure that their production gains recognition even beyond the borders of their homeland – that's one reason to keep an eye out for Medium.
>observer.
Release Date: 2016
The most recent project from Bloober Team is a big enigma, except for the fact that it will be a horror featuring cyberpunk aesthetics. However, given that >observer is slated for release later this year, we can probably expect relevant information to begin surfacing shortly.
Carbon Studio
Alice VR
Release Date: Fall 2016
2016 seems like the year when virtual reality finally hits the masses (or at least the wealthier citizens), so it's no wonder that also Polish developers are increasingly eager to employ this technology. Alice VR is the development of the idea behind A.L.I.C.E. – a short mobile game created in April last year for Samsung VR. In the full-fledged version of this production, heavily-inspired by Alice in Wonderland, we will be cast onto an unknown planet whose inhabitants have disappeared in mysterious circumstances. Our task will be to learn the fate of the natives, which we will achieve by exploring and solving a variety of puzzles.
CD Projekt RED
Gwent: The Witcher Card Game
Release Date: 2016
Little is known about this project from CD Projekt RED. What we did learn about it, however, appears to be shouting that it will be a stand-alone version of the Witcher's popular mini card game – Gwent (especially with the recent news that the studio registered Gwent’s trademark and logo). For starters, one of the job offers posted on CDPR’s website was for a developer familiar with the Unity engine and mentions an "exciting opportunity to create a video game set in one of the most acclaimed RPG universes,"; the second argument in case is the fact that at PAX East the team was asking players whether they would be interested in a mobile version of Gwent. During the conference that took place in March the CEO at CD Projekt RED, Adam Kicinski, also revealed that the project will employ a format which is "new for the company." Another little clue pointing to the fact that the Warsaw-based company would like to have their own Hearthstone in their portfolio is a quote from the financial statements concerning the expansion plans for GOG Galaxy, which would include adding "features and networking technologies required to support a new game from CD Projekt RED."
Cyberpunk 2077
Release Date: 2018
Departing from the familiar fantasy universe created by Andrzej Sapkowski with their latest project, Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt RED have decided to try their hand at science fiction. This production will be based on a table-top role-playing system created by Mike Pondsmith back in the 80's. The game will present a dystopian vision of the future, drawing in spades from film classics like Blade Runner. The main feature of the game will be the extensive character progression system, focusing mainly on various biomechanical implants. According to the creators, Cyberpunk 2077 will be even larger than The Witcher, and it will be completely different as well. All the more pity that we probably have a long wait in front of us just to get some new info on the game, not to mention the game itself. Although the title was announced back in 2012, the devs at CDPR have just recently revealed that the game is still in early stages of production.
Unannounced AAA RPG
Release Date: before 2021
This production, announced at an investor call, is shrouded in mystery and subject to nothing but speculation. When asked in December 2015 on the TV about the continuation to The Witcher 3, the CD Projekt RED CEO Adam Kicinski stated the following: "It's not like we have forgotten about the franchise. It would be unfair to the fans."
However, during a recent interview with Eurogamer’s journalist, the co-founder of the company Marcin Iwinski said that the company doesn't have a new Witcher in works nor does it plan to. So… a completely new franchise from CDPR?
CI Games
Lords of the Fallen 2
Release Date: 2017
Lords of the Fallen is perhaps the most successful project from CI Games. Although its continuation was confirmed less than two months after the release of the initial installment the premiere is still miles away. To be honest there were dark clouds hanging over this project from the beginning: first, Tomasz Gop, the lead designer of the first game, transferred to Techland, then the company dissolved the contract with Deck13 Interactive, which played a significant part in the production of the game. Luckily, in February this year, a deal was signed with the German team (although it is not known whether they will be working on Lords of the Fallen 2 as they have plans of their own now, namely The Surge), and in March Gop returned to CI Games to work as a designer.
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3
Release Date: 2016
The Sniper: Ghost Warrior series never quite gained the great ratings nor managed to rise above the shadow of its main competitor, Sniper Elite. However, there are chances that the third installment is going to change this – CI Games will spend as much as 55 million PLN (that's roughly 12 and a half million Euro), of which nearly one-third will be spent on marketing. In terms of gameplay, the upcoming installment is to focus more on scouting vast areas where we get to undertake and complete our missions, and visibly less on shooting. We will be given the ability to craft makeshift weapons, assist in negotiations between two warring parties, set traps, and attack targets using drones, which greatly diversifies the daily task list of a sniper. The initial promo materials promise some really nice visuals powered by CryEngine 3 – let's just hope that the rest of the game doesn't lag far behind.
Code Horizon
Giant Machines 2016
Release Date: 2016
Giant Machines 2016 is exactly what you would expect upon seeing its title: the simulator of the history's most powerful machines used for the toughest of tasks. We'll start from operating cranes, and end up on the huge, often weighing more than ten tons, excavators – I have to admit that even to a person who has never felt comfortable playing simulations, the production from Code Horizon is interesting, to say the least. Throughout the 12 missions we will dig, demolish, and transport, dealing with flammable materials when the job is simple, and with a fully functional spacecraft when it's not.
CreativeForge Games
Unannounced project
Release date: TBA
Although so far the developers were reluctant to talk about their next title, we already know that they will employ the experience gathered during the production of their two previous games – Ancient Space and Hard West – which means that if there is something certain about this game, it's the fact that it will feature elements of strategy. Unfortunately, before we get to learn any details, we will have wait – the game is in early stages of production which means that it'll be a long time before we actually get to see it. Interestingly, this time CreativeForge Games don't intend to limit themselves only to PCs and their latest work will be available to console owners as well.
CVLT
Lovecraft Tales
Release date: TBA
Video game developers seem to have a weak spot for H. P. Lovecraft – and the Polish CVLT Games is yet another studio that decided to draw inspiration from the works of "the man that was Providence". Lovecraft Tales has been in development for three years now, and recently we finally got to see a working demo. The game is a climatic combination of a sidescroller and an adventure game (although utilizing fully three dimensional visuals powered by Unity engine), enriched with such elements as a night and day cycle and world exploration.
Daniel Halat
The Last Journey
Release date: May 2016
Procedurally generated world, search for new planets and systems, upgradeable spacecraft, and plenty of exploration – these are the basic elements of the Polish, pixel-art version of No Man's Sky – The Last Journey. The project from Daniel Halat, who has been working on it, alone, for the last two years, is, unfortunately, not likely to secure financial support from a publisher; thus it would be difficult for it to go toe-to-toe with the work from Hello Games – but it may be able to become a smaller, independent alternative. And as such, it was appreciated by the players, who have recently enabled the game to join the Steam Greenlight program.
Deep Water Studio
UBOOT
Release date: January 2017
PlayWay has established itself as a publisher of all kinds of simulators and, in a sense, UBOOT can be classified as such. On the other hand – it would be a slight abuse of the definition. The player's task is to manage the eponymous WWII submarine, but focusing mainly on its crew. The gameplay boils down to giving orders to the crew members and making sure that none of them is too tired, hungry, or stressed out – poor morale will sink your boat before the enemy does. Now, let's add boat maintenance to the mix, and the ability to freely sail the seven seas. Currently, the developers are trying to raise funds on Kickstarter and they already got 150% of their initial funding goal.
Destructive Creations
Unannounced project
Release Date: 2017
The games from Destructive Creations have previously put us in the shoes of a psychopath, murdering anyone in sight, or allowed us to send thousands of IS fighters to their graves. Their next, larger project, however, will be better than that, as we were assured in an interview with the head of the studio, Jaroslaw Zielinski. We have no details so far, but you should keep an eye out for the news from the team – if only to see if they can break up with their reputation of developers gaining spotlight exclusively by controversy.
EXOR Studios
Unannounced project
Release date: end of 2016 / beginning of 2017
The new project from EXOR Studios, the dev team known mainly for Zombie Driver, will be announced in the next few months and that's also when we can expect the first details on the said project. For now, we know only that the title is to hit PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4, and will be a mix of action and strategy. Moreover, the title will be developed using an in-house game engine.
Flying Wild Hog
Shadow Warrior 2
Release date: Q4 2016
The sequel to the remake of the classic FPS from the 90s significantly expands on the formula of its predecessor: the second installment will have bigger stages appearing in several randomized variants, we will also get a lot more weapons and weapon improvements, and the game itself looks very nice, as shown on the initial promo materials. It will also feature a cooperative mode, in which, together with up to three friends, you will be able play through individual campaign missions. Thanks to the humor, the open character of its locations, a character progression system based on collecting all kinds of gear, and gameplay which emphasizes primarily casual fun, the game bears some resemblance to the Borderlands series – which does not necessarily have to appeal to the fans of the first game.
Unannounced fantasy FPS
Release date: TBA
During our visit at Flying Wild Hog studio the developers have revealed that they are currently working on three separate productions – while we already know of Shadow Warrior 2 and Hard Reset Redux, and quite a lot at that, the third project remains a mystery. The developers' website mentions only that it will be a fantasy FPS, to be released on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
GreyWizard Innovative
Galaxy of Trian
Release Date: 2016
After the huge success of the board game of the same title (the Kickstarter campaign initially aimed to collect a bit under $ 20,000 – eventually, the devs ended up with 130 thousand dollars on their hands) it is time for the digital version. According to the authors, it is almost ready – the beta-tests began recently, and the production was accepted into the Steam Greenlight program. The game itself is a turn-based strategy, the rules of which in large part coincide with the table-top version – we expand our sphere of influence by placing triangular tiles on the board, which symbolize various objects.
Home Net Games
Polanie Remake
Release Date: 2016
One of the first real-time strategies created in Poland (it was even dubbed as the "Polish Warcraft”) will see the release of a refreshed version most likely later this year – and thanks to Miroslaw Dymek, the creator of the original game. The remake will not change the fundamental principles of the game: we will gather resources (among them... milk, the pillar of economy), develop our settlement, and wage wars on our enemies. The changes will include mainly the audiovisuals, which will be upgraded to meet modern standards. In January Dymek assured that a prototype is already playable, so the final version of the game shouldn't keep us waiting for too long.
Ice Code Games
Deep Blue
Release Date: second half of 2016
During Digital Dragons we had the opportunity to play several puzzle games, but Deep Blue was probably the most demanding one among them. The gameplay revolves around one task: making sure that the blue ball reaches the end of the level by manipulating the board itself. The thing is that the controls are not exactly intuitive, at some point we get a time limit, and the level itself becomes riddled with objects, the touching of which equals instant failure.
Cult
Release date: TBA
The second project from the independent studio Ice Code Games is a far more elaborate game. Cult is a real-time strategy, in which the collapse of the great religions allowed for a chance to spread to a variety of minor sects and cults. As a priest of one of the newest cults, we need to recruit new followers for various tasks (such as fighting rival cults or converting NPCs), and face various challenges, usually revolving around armed skirmishes. At this point, the game doesn't really impress with the visuals, but the original premise behind it certainly has some potential, and that – after some polishing – is what has a chance to make this a truly interesting proposal.
ifun 4All
Serial Cleaner
Release date: TBA
Video games are the medium with some of the highest body counts in fiction, but what happens after the gun smoke dissipates and we are left with nothing but a mass of bloodied corpses? That's when the main character of Serial Cleaner comes into the fray; the man who conceals the evidence against us, cleans the blood, and removes the bodies right under the cops’ nose. This stealth game from ifun4All is inspired partially by Hotline Miami and partially by movies such as Pulp Fiction and Fargo, and its design seems to be pulled out straight from the 70s in American cinema – tight pants, mustache, and large sunglasses are the necessary minimum.
IMGN.PRO
SEVEN: The Days Long Gone
Release date: TBA
Born from a collaboration with Fool's Theory, an isometric, post-apocalyptic RPG, and inspired by Thief to boot? This mix would spark an interest in almost any player. Moreover, its creators being the guys who worked on The Witcher 3 and Kholat, the game pretends to the title of one of the most anticipated Polish productions. The initial promo materials and new information only serve to increase our appetite: from the progression system, focusing on all sorts of thieving abilities, through an interesting visa system, dividing the world into different zones, and up to... isometric parkour, which, according to our colleagues from the editorial section, works like a charm! And then there are the visuals, powered by Unreal Engine 4 – here's definitely something to look forward to.
HUSK
Release date: TBA
Announced at this year's PAX East in Boston, this first-person horror game HUSK aims high – among its inspirations the creators mention Alan Wake and the Silent Hill franchise. Will IMGN.PRO together with UndeadScout be able to scare the players as much as their cult inspirations did? For now, the creators promise a very somber atmosphere.
Jakub Rozalski
A project in the universe of 1920+
Release date: TBA
The universe of 1920+ gained significant popularity in the past two years, and not only in Poland – first, a board game was funded via Kickstarter, and now the creator of the original concept, Jakub Rozalski, is up for an interactive digital rendition of his creation. The said production will be a strategy game inspired in equal measure by Dawn of War II and Company of Heroes, with an extensive single player campaign and three playable factions. It's primary attraction, however, is an alternative vision of history, in which the industrial revolution at the turn of the century eventually led to the development of powerful mechs to be used as weapons (but not only). Interestingly, the production will not be given to a Polish developer but to a "medium-sized western team" – the game was, however, included on this list due to the strong involvment of Rozalski in the process of its creation.
Jujubee
Kursk
Release date: end of 2016
Announced last year, from day one Kursk aroused much controversy among the Russians, who believe that making a game out of their national tragedy is something definitely in bad taste. The Katowice-based developer assures, however, that the subject was approached with due solemnity and will spawn a whole new genre – the quasi-documentary video game, in which real events are supported by a dash of fiction. And they sound rather convincing, seeing as the studio does not try to take advantage of the wave of indignation in Russia and use it as a sales-boosting factor, publishing development materials very sparingly. The first presentation of the game will take place at this year's gamescom.
Realpolitiks
Release date: TBA
At first glance Realpolitiks' visuals may resemble the Europa Universalis series, but there is one major difference: in the title from Jujubee, instead of leading the selected state throughout centuries of war, we take on the role of a leader of a democratic country during a period of apparent peace and prosperity. This does not mean, however, that the game will lack intrigue and morally ambiguous choices. The main feature of the game remains the management of different sectors of the state (economy, military, social attitudes), which decides if and how we mark our presence on the political map of the world.
Jutsu Games
911 Operator
Release date: December 2016
The Indie Showcase at this year's Digital Dragons has seen a lot of more or less promising independent productions, but it was 911 Operator that won the 1st prize. Gameplay-wise the game from Jutsu Games doesn't particularly stand out – we get to drive police cars, ambulances, and fire engines and dispatch the appropriate vehicles to crime or accident scenes reported every minute. And while deciding what needs to go where isn't something that will excite everyone, the decision which call requires a response and which can be ignored bears a different kind of excitement. As the number of calls increases and the number of available vehicles rapidly drops, it's not easy to keep calm under the increasing pressure.
Last Qubit
Submarine Engineer
Release Date: Summer Holidays 2016
This arcade game starring a submarine, employs a premise that is very simple, but at the same time difficult to fully master. The are no special traits to this game: we collect oxygen and spare mechanical parts, repair the damaged machines and turbines, and avoid objects falling from literally everywhere... Submarine Engineer looks like a solid mobile production material, and the developers haven't ruled out porting their work to mobile devices. For now, however, their priority is the PC.
Lichthund
Lichtspeer
Release Date: 2016
During last year's Digital Dragons Lichtspeer managed to ensnare the whole editorial team we dispatched to the event – and there are good reasons behind it. It's a very simple (maybe that's the number 1 reason) yet very addictive arcade game in which we throw a spear at the approaching enemies. The aesthetics of this thing are unbelievable – the game employs cartoonish visuals and depicts a futuristic, icy world, full of creatures native to Germanic mythology. So where's the problem? When we played Lichtspeer at Digital Dragons, the title was already in an advanced stage of production, last year it joined the Steam Greenlight program, and yet there's not a trace of the game to be seen on Steam so far.
Lore Corridor Developments
Aega
Release date: TBA
Every year at Digital Dragons, there’s at least one really bizarre game. This time, the honorable title went to a game by Lore Corridor Developments named Aega. It will be a rather simple platformer with fighting elements, inspired by Ancient religions. It supports co-op for two players as well; the players will eventually take control of two opposing characters – just imagine the possibilities this introduces in dialogues (which will be held in a weird mix of Old- and Present-day English).
Low Poly Wolf
Angry John
Release date: Q3/4, 2016
At first glance the game by Low Poly Wolf may not look particularly interesting – just a simple top-down shooter with simple graphics and simple rules. And that’s precisely what’s going on gameplay-wise: Angry John offers procedurally generated levels full of aliens who are exterminated by the player by means of an array of different types of weapons. However, the game is complimented by a story full of humor, where the protagonist doesn’t actually care about saving the world from the invasion – his angle is to retrieve the chickens stolen from his farm. Maybe we’re not getting a GOTY, but a pleasant shooter – sure enough.
Madman
Hollow
Release date: sometime in 2016 or 2017
The Madman Studio isn’t extremely eager to share info about Hollow. We’ve only been able to see some screens in March (courtesy of Graczpospolita.pl), and since then, there was nothing... The only thing we do know is that it’s going to be a sci-fi horror that’s first headed for PC, and then for PlayStation 4 as well as Xbox One. There are some clear Dead Space inspirations visible, and the info on the dev’s website seems to suggest that the game will support VR, but that’s only speculation.
Madmind Studio
Agony
Release date: Q1 2017
A new studio, owned by the quickly-growing PlayWay, is working on an intriguing game powered by Unreal Engine 4, where the quest is to escape from hell ruled by the Red Goddess. Agony will be a survival game, where apart from solving puzzles, there will also be stealth elements, and an ability to possess demons and humans confined in hell. Agony will be released for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Moonwolf
Dwarf Heroes: One Wave to Grave
Release date: June 2016
How should we describe Dwarf Heroes: One Wave to Grave in short...? Probably as an offspring of a passionate love of three genres: Tower Defense, RPG, and MOBA. After choosing one of many available dwarves, the player runs around the map setting turrets wherever they can, waiting for the enemy to come in great force. During the battle, the main task is to finish off any remaining resistance in hand-to-hand combat – such jovial mowing of enemies will last until the next level is unlocked. This game’s a lot of fun, even if the controls still need some polishing.
My Next Games
Soulblight
Release date: TBA
During the last year’s Digital Dragons, My Next Games, represented by Jakub Lisinski, unveiled The Shadowborn – a roguelike which was arguably the most interesting game of the event. Yet, since then, the project has underwent some serious changes – in fact, it actually became a brand new game. Soulblight is a spiritual heir of The Shadowborn – the most intriguing element of that game was the character development system, influenced by even the most insignificant actions of the player. More about the game should be revealed in July.
OhNoo Studio
TSIOQUE
Release date: October 2016
There’s still some time left until the release of TSIOQUE, but the game can already boast a couple of successes: it was already featured on some of the major gaming sites, and – thanks to the support of gamers – managed to come out of the other end of Steam Greenlight. Most notably, though, the OhNoo studio have completed a good Kickstarter campaign, which earned them almost $40,000. This point&click adventure game is heavily influenced by games such as Day of the Tentacle or Heart of Darkness, and draws attention with impressive graphics – the game was hand-drawn frame by frame. If you’re interested, there’s already a demo available. The devs point out that it doesn’t represent the quality of the final product, but you can get a taste of what’s to come yourself.
One More Level
God’s Trigger
Release date: Q2 2016
As I was going through the first promo materials of God’s Trigger, I was happy to learn that at its core, the game is basically a Hotline Miami clone, only with much better graphics. Top-down perspective – check. Finishers (during which the camera switches to 3D) and gore – check. Protagonist dying after one shot – check. At the same time, One More Level further expands Dennaton’s idea by introducing cooperation, bullet-time, and character development based on skills and equipment.
Pentacle
The Works of Mercy
Release date: TBA
Pentacle studio decided to follow the path spearheaded by P.T. – a playable demo of the unreleased Silent Hills. This will be a psychological thriller set in a small-scale location – in exchange, we’ll get near-photorealistic graphics. Many games of this genre resort to trivial ‘jump scares’ to cause fear; in The Works of Mercy we’ll enter the mind of a man forced to commit murders in order to save his family from the hands of a psychopath – the players will witness his mind slowly relinquishing to madness.
People Can Fly
AAA Shooter
Release date: TBA
The main project of the studio which last year was renamed back to People Can Fly (from Epic Games Poland), is going to be an “AAA Shooter” unrelated to previous franchises. As the devs say themselves, they do what they can do best. After Bulletstorm and Painkiller, a sudden change of genre would be rather surprising.
A smaller project
Release date: TBA
The second announced project is a smaller game. What is it going to be is anybody’s guess. Judging by job offers, which can be found on the studio’s site, the game will probably be set in a cyberpunk world.
Pixelated Milk
Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs
Release date: October 2016
Wait a sec. Did anyone ever say that jRPGs can only be developed in Japan? Apparently not, or if someone did, not many people paid any attention – at least judging by the successful Kickstarter campaign run by Pixelated Milk studio. Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs introduces a couple of original ideas; the game will have elements of 4X strategy – most notably settlement development – and an unspecified amount of procedurally generated content.
Pixel Crow
Beat Cop
Release date: Q4 2016
After gloomy and dismal This War of Mine, 11bit Studios will release a game which is going to be an absolute opposite – a pixel art adventure, Beat Cop. The game, developed by Pixel Crow, exhibits such a strong aura of an 80s cop-movie that each copy of this game will probably come with a donut. The main character is Jack Kelly – a detective who’s been framed for murder, then relegated, and now issues tickets for parking violations. When he’s off duty though, he runs his own private investigation in order to clear his name. In a nutshell, Beat Cop is going to be a non-linear, humoristic adventure game with multiple endings.
Plastic
Bound
Release date: 2016
Revealed during this year’s Digital Dragons, Bound caused some trouble in Krakow – the area around the booth of this game was packed with people. This year’s DD wasn’t short on games that were pretty, but this PlayStation 4 exclusive managed to trample them all into the ground. The abstract stylistics of Bound, it’s weird color palette, together with swift movement of a masked dancer make an extraordinary impression.
PlayWay
Farm Expert 2017
Release date: 2016
Last year’s installment of Farm Expert 2016 hardly came out ahead of its rival – Farming Simulator. However, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and so this year, people from PlayWay are going to throw down a gauntlet to Giants Software, by offering more machines, more crops, and less glitches. Turns out It’s actually hard to start a revolution in virtual farming...
Demolish & Build Company, Robot Squad, Ship Special 2016
PlayWay is also working on at least three more simulators, but there aren’t any specifics available. The premise of the first game can be guessed from the title. The second one, Robo Squad, will allow us to act as an operator of remote-controlled military robots; Ship Special 2016 will probably be a simulator of a huge container ship.
Polyslash
Phantaruk
Release date: June 2016
We’ve had a chance to see Phantaruk during Digital Dragons – literally weeks before its release. The premise behind the debut game by Polyslash resembles Alien: Isolation a lot (although the devs assured that the similarities are circumstantial): the main objective is to stay alive and avoid the beast living aboard the ship – the beast has already murdered the whole crew and now is the master on the vessel. Another issue is a parasite living inside the protagonist, reminding the hero of its existence every now and then. At the stage of development that we were able to play the game, the verdict was that there’s a decent, though not without some shortcomings, horror game approaching.
Be A Ghost
Release date: TBA
The other project looks like it’s going to be a more upbeat production. We play as a ghost who attends to a... stuffed fish. There’s a variety of tasks: from ordinary haunting and spooking the home’s inhabitants, through completing various rituals, to defending a local church from zombies. Right now, the game is planned only for PC, but this may still change.
Unannounced project
Not much information has been revealed about this game. Polyslash has only recently finished assembling a team which is going to develop it. The devs have, however, said that the game will feature pixel-art stylistics, and the background for the story will be the French Revolution.
Psilocybe Games
Pigsodus
Release date: TBA
Yeah, I know. "Pixel art, pixel art everywhere”. Psilocybe Games made no surprises when they employed pixel-art visuals in their next game. On the other hand, the story of a brave pig which sets out to rescue its friend – a hen tortured by its owner – is pretty unusual. The game will feature plenty of humor (often the dark kind), but the game isn’t going to be making jokes the whole time. The devs stated that they were very much inspired by classic RPGs, and their small game will surprise us with the possibilities offered by the character progression system and non-linearity. Before the release, there’s a Kickstarter campaign planned – it was supposed to begin around January, but is pending since.
Reality Pump
Two Worlds II Remastered + two expansions
Release date: 2016
When TopWare revealed their plans for Two Worlds III, they’ve also announced a remastered edition of Two Worlds II with a severely upgraded graphics engine and eight new multiplayer maps. Furthermore – and that’s almost five years after its release – Two Worlds II will get two story-driven expansions. The first, Call of the Tenebrae, will show the fate of a mysterious tribe of “The Chosen Ones”, the second, Shattered Embrace, remains a mystery – there’s not even a release date.
Two Worlds III
Release date: 2019
That’s seemingly the most surprising game here. Despite the fact that last year, we’ve witnessed rumors of Reality Pump studio going bankrupt after the terrible Raven’s Cry, the publisher – TopWare – says that the studio is alive and kicking. Kicking so hard, in fact, that they’ve already started a three year development cycle for Two Worlds III – the third installment in their own RPG franchise. We don’t know anything about the game itself, but it’s hard not to approach this project with a dose of skepticism.
Reikon Games
Ruiner
Release date: 2016
The debut project of Reikon Games is strongly influenced by cyberpunk stylistics. The game presents a dystopian vision of 2091’s Earth, where social stratification allowed the rich to live in virtual reality, obviously at the expense of the poor. The gameplay is conveyed in an isometric view; the combat will feature both cold weapons and firearms. The first trailer shows the game as bloody, dynamic, and immersive. It instantly brings Hotline Miami to mind; after all, Ruiner will also be published by Devolver Digital. You can also read our hands-on impressions of the game.
Si7 Studio
Train Mechanic Simulator 2016
Release date: November 2016
As Car Mechanic Simulator turned out to be quite a success, the publisher – PlayWay – decided that there’s no point in waiting for the iron to grow cold. The question is whether the players are going to be equally interested in repairing trains as they were in repairing cars. The devs want to convince them with 9 types of trains (steam, diesel, and electric), and over a thousand repairable parts, attainable at three different rail yards scattered over 25 square kilometer of open world.
Sleepless Clinic
Symmetry
Release date: Spring 2017
Sleepless Clinic’s production has already been shown at Poznan Game Arena and Pyrkon, but it’s still in alpha stage. We can already see that the graphics will be interesting; the devs also mentioned, quite a couple of times, that during the game we’ll often be seeing a parallel, symmetrical world – this may suggest some interesting mechanics. So far, we only know that the game is going to be something between survival and time management game, with a big emphasis on the plot, which brings to mind Sheltered.
Star Drifters
Driftland: The Magic Revival
Release date: Fall, 2016
Driftland: The Magic Revival is going to blend RTS with 4X strategy, the difference being that instead of issuing specific orders to units, the players will only be able to specify more general tasks. The game will be using Unreal Engine 4, and will present a vibrant, procedurally generated world.
Suicide Penguin
Rage Disco
Release date: between 2016 and 2017
If you’ve ever been to a party so good that you hoped it would never end, Suicide Penguin will show you the other side of the coin. In Rage Disco, the protagonist is desperate to get out of a club full of neon lights where people are constantly shooting lasers at him. The floor is full of glasses of beer, shots, and bottles of wine, which effectively hamper any attempt to sober up; and to make matters worse, every now and then he stumbles upon suspicious pills that cause various effects. This doesn’t sound like a terribly ambitious game, and, well, it isn’t. Still, the frenzied laser dodging and thrilling pill consumption, set in an achingly colorful world provide lots of undemanding fun.
Techland
Open-world fantasy game
Release date: TBA
During the Digital Dragons conference, we’ve had the opportunity to talk with Techland’s CEO – from what he said, we learned that the studio is already working on two projects. One of them is top-secret; about the other we know only that it’s going to be an open-world fantasy game with RPG elements, available in single player and co-op. When is any further information coming? Probably not very soon, since the development of both these titles, the combined budget of which is roughly 100 million dollars (!), is going to take around two to three years.
Unknown project
Release date: TBA
This one is a total mystery, and we can only try to guess what’s it going to be. It’s certainly not Hellraid, which was suspended for now. Most probably it will be Dying Light 2, considering the success of the first part.
Telepath’s Tree
Inner Chains
Release date: 2016
While Inner Chains is a debut of the Telepath’s Tree studio, the combined amount of experience accumulated by its employees is noteworthy, to say the least. This blend of horror and FPS, set in an eerie futuristic world in which the nature has merged with technology, has already gained some acclaim. The Kickstarter campaign was completed in only a couple of weeks (though let’s admit that the sum wasn’t incredibly high); it has also successfully went through Steam Greenlight. If the atmosphere of the final game will be at least half as evocative as it is in the promo materials, we can hope for a truly unforgettable game.
Teyon
FPP game using a well-known license
Release date: TBA
So far, Teyon is known only for the disturbingly horrible Rambo: The Video Game, a rail-shooter released back in 2014. We hope that the devs were able to learn from their mistakes; their next game is also going to be based on a license (not yet specified), and is also going to be an FPP game, but this time without linear shooting – instead, the team from Krakow is going to create a semi-open world, powered by Unreal Engine 4.
The Astronauts
Unknown title with open world
Release date: TBA
Since the release of the beautiful The Vanishing of Ethan Carter for PC, PlayStation 4 and VR platforms, Adrian Chmielarz’s studio has been silent. Make no mistake, though, The Astronauts didn’t go on holiday – around the end of 2015, they’ve announced their next project, which is supposedly an adventure game set in an open world. Contrary to the previous game, our task isn’t going to be limited to exploration and puzzle-solving; this game will also contain combat elements.
The Farm 51
Get Even
Release date: TBA
We’ve been waiting for Get Even since December 2013, when The Farm 51 have announced their incredibly ambitious project. The main premise of this game is innovation; from near-photorealistic visual layer, to the campaign which will combine single- and multiplayer, depicting a fight of two characters. Things were somewhat quiet for a while – The Farm 51 were probably busy with the development of Chernobyl VR and World War III – however, this doesn’t mean that this project was dropped.
World War III
Release date: 2017
There’s plenty of f2p shooters around the Internet, but The Farm 51 doesn’t just want to add another game to the array. World War III’s setting will be a conflict in the near future, but that’s not all there is to it. According to the team, the game will faithfully depict military operations of special units from all over the world, and provide realistic weapon behavior – accomplished thanks to cooperation with the Polish defense industry.
The House of Fables
Eventide 2: Sorcerer’s Mirror
Release date: TBA
After the positive reception of Eventide: Slavic Fable, The House of Fables established a cooperation with Artifex Mundi to once again immerge in Slavic tales. The game will obviously be set in a genre that Artifex are well familiar with – HOPA. Expect extra emphasis on story and probably not many visual fireworks.
An open-world strategy, with VR support
Release date: between 2016 and 2017
We’ve reached out to the studio before the Digital Dragons and learned that apart from Eventide 2: Sorcerer’s Mirror and another project utilizing the VR (all evidence seems to be pointing at Wrath of Loki, which will probably be released only for mobile platforms) The House of Fables will also be making a much more ambitious game. Sadly, save for an approximate release date and the game’s genre, we know next to nothing about this title.
The Moonwalls
Bohemian Killing
Release date: 2016
Court cases aren’t necessarily the most interesting material for a video game, unless you’re Moonwalls. A mix of non-linearity (for example there’s a possibility to set someone else up), interesting background (19th century Paris), and great attention to the smallest details are what makes the game by one-man studio one of the most interesting entries on this list. It’s supposed to provide a totally different experience during each playthrough, and attach significance to even the smallest decision, which can determine the outcome of the story.
Thing Trunk
Return 2 Games: Book of Demons
Release date: September 2016
Book of Demons is certainly an important project for Thing Trunk; it’s supposed to be the beginning of a brand new franchise. The task isn’t easy, but the first installment in Return 2 Games series seems to be interesting and planned carefully enough as to be able to easily find a proper audience. It’s a hack’n’slash, but one based on building a deck of cards – representing the character’s skills – procedurally generated levels, and a system for setting the length of missions according to the amount of time the player wants to spend. How does that look in practice? We’ll be able to see for ourselves soon enough, as the beta-tests are supposed to be launched in Q2, 2016.
Toucan Studio
Selma and the Wisp
Release date: Q3 2016
Judging only from the gameplay, it’s hard to find anything that would stand out in Selma and the Wisp. Just another logic sidescroller where players collect lights and solve simple riddles. However, much like in Limbo, which served as a great inspiration for the devs, the most important factor of the game will be the mood. The eponymous protagonist, Selma, will visit a bizzare, nightmarish land that will surely be full of dangers providing numerous opportunities to depart from this vale of tears. The fact that we’ll control not one, but two characters, should make things sufficiently harder.
Two Mammoths
Archaica: The Path of Light
Release date: 2016
We’ve had a chance to try out Archaica – a logic game with relatively simple rules – on two occasions. Although the riddles themselves were not particularly captivating, the game made a good impression with its very nice visual aesthetics and an interesting setting. As far as mechanics are concerned, there’s no rocket science here: we control different elements of the environment in order to aim beams of light at the right spot.
Viking Potatoes
8Suns
Release date: TBA
The self proclaimed “Diablo with mechs” – as the devs themselves call it – will not be released for quite a while. The idea for this game was born in 2014. During the Digital Dragons this year, we’ve only been able to see a tech demo. The game is being remotely developed from different cities, which doesn’t make things any simpler. Still, we shouldn’t underestimate Viking Potatoes; the game already looks pretty good and it’s powered by their own, in-house engine – Barok. And then let’s keep in mind that good hack’n’slashes in dystopian-industrial setting don’t usually grow on trees.
Vile Monarch
Crush Your Enemies
Release date: July 13, 2016
Crush Your Enemies, an RTS by Vile Monarch, is supposed to stand out mostly with its ridiculing attitude towards well known fantasy stereotypes and clichés. Instead of engaging in pointless escapades to save princesses Z from big dragon A, our company of bandits will rather focus on plundering everything that can be plundered, and drinking so much beer that every brewer in the land of Generia will become a millionaire. There’s a lot of potential for a pleasant, lighthearted game. The brains of this operation are provided by Kacper Kwiatkowski, one of the designers behind This War of Mine during his time in 11bit Studios.
Werewolf Team
Werewolf
Release date: June 2017
Werewolf is supposed to be the virtual entertainment’s response to a table-top that used to be very popular in Poland about ten years ago, namely Werewolves of Miller's Hollow. The question is whether the developers will manage to translate the decade-old rules into the world of a video game, while not losing any fun factors in the process. During Digital Dragons we’ve been able to test a very early version of the game, but since this game is designed as a multiplayer, we could only run around the place while trying not to get torn apart by werewolves or stabbed by angry villagers. There’s still a year left until the release, so it’s hard to say what the final result is going to be.
