Sumer Sees Success On Switch While Development Continues

Published: August 26, 2018 1:30 PM /

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sumer - played at play nyc 2018

Sumer is a title that holds a dear place in my heart for neatly combining tabletop games and video games into one fun package. It first debuted on Kickstarter in 2016 before eventually making its way to Steam and the Nintendo Switch. I got to preview an early version of the game, and ever since then I've been watching the development of this game with anticipation. I caught up with Studio Wumpus' Geoff Suthers at Play NYC 2018 to have a quick chat about how things are coming along. The key point I was most interested in was how online multiplayer was progressing. Sumer is certainly playable on the PC with a few controllers, but I personally would like to play it with people who live a little away from me. Mr. Suthers told me that they're making good progress but that there are just too many variables to be able to give me a definitive timeline on when the feature would be out. In short, we'll see online multiplayer for Sumer when it's ready. "No one wants Sumer to be done more than I do," Mr. Suthers said. If that's the case, then that would put me in a close second for wanting to see the game completed and with online multiplayer. It's not an easy challenge, I'm sure; Sumer is very dependent on platforming elements and you need to get the netcode just right. It would have likely been much easier if this was some kind of a turn-based game, I'm sure.

sumer played on switch
The Nintendo Switch version of Sumer was playable at Play NYC 2018.
Sumer doesn't require very complex controls and that made it a natural fit for the Nintendo Switch. I asked Geoff how things were going on that platform and he had something rather interesting to tell me—the Switch version of the game sold around three times better than the Steam version. It certainly makes sense to me, as the style of gameplay fits the platform well. You only really need two buttons and a directional pad to move around, which makes it a perfect fit for the Joy-Con. There are currently no plans to bring Sumer to other platforms like the Xbox One or PlayStation 4 despite its success on the Nintendo Switch. Since online multiplayer is still in the works, I feel like this is probably a smart move on the part of Studio Wumpus. For the moment, they're focusing on continuing the development of the game's core features as well as a brand-new content update for people who already own the game. Sumer is a great digital tabletop game that's enjoyable for people of all ages. I'm looking forward to when I can play it online, but I certainly can't knock it as a shared screen multiplayer title for now. If you'd like to grab a copy for yourself, you can pick it up on Steam Early Access for the PC & Mac and on Nintendo's eShop for the Nintendo Switch for $14.99 or your regional equivalent. You can also swing by the game's official website. What do you think of Sumer? Do you think online multiplayer is critical for this kind of game or is shared screen multiplayer enough to get the job done? Let us know in the comments below! Check out what else we saw at Play NYC by going to our Play NYC 2018 Coverage Hub.

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A photograph of TechRaptor Senior Writer Robert N. Adams.
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One of my earliest memories is playing Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I've had a controller in my hand since I was 4 and I… More about Robert N