Coffee Stain Studios, the team that worked for years on Sanctum before hitting it big with Goat Simulator, has published a few smaller games over the years, but they're looking to make a big splash with their latest acquisitions as they transition to become another in a long line of new indie-focused publishers.
First off, Huntdown is a nostalgia-tinged side-scrolling shooter reminiscent of the SNES Robocop and Terminator games. First announced last year around E3, Huntdown is filled with wonderfully named gangs of criminals to take down and a wide arsenal of firearms to master. Swedish developer Easy Trigger founded in late 2015 and has been working ever since on perfecting their vision of futuristic 80s gang warfare. The game was originally developed with phones in mind but has transitioned onto consoles and PC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZuoyIqTZ1w
For Deep Rock Galactic, Coffee Stain is not only publishing the game, but they've also published a minority stake in the developer Ghost Ship Games. The game in question is a first person dwarven mining game just about to hit the Alpha stage. Unlike something like Minecraft, Deep Rock Galactic is all about the act of climbing deep into a planet and fending off hordes of nasty insect foes to get the minerals they desire. The trailer shows that the game already features an impressive array of hardware to use, and the game could be a good step up for those who really enjoy resource gathering in other games. If you like what you see, you can sign up for the game's Alpha on their official website.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cMWNojL8AI
Quick Take
I am all for more indie developers having the safety net of a publisher as they start off with their first or second games, but I do have to wonder just how many publishers the industry can really sustain. Part of the appeal of such a company is the reputation that the publisher brings to the table, and companies like Devolver Digital, Adult Swim Games, and tinyBuild bring credibility to projects instantly just based on their history. Will Coffee Stain's name bring the same amount of cachet? Will the Goat Simulator fanbase gravitate to these games based on brand loyalty? Most importantly, will these games be any good? Only time will tell.
What do you think of Coffee Stain's two new publishing projects? Are you excited to see more from the minds behind Goat Simulator? Remember Sanctum? Answer these questions in the comments below!
