Elderborn cover
Elderborn screenshot
Genre: Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Indie

Elderborn

Hyperstrange showcase at Realms Deep 2021



Hyperstrange was one of the most notable studios/publishers at Realms Deep 2021. True to our roots, we treat the "boomer-shooter con" as our main event of the season. Yes, with the amazing help and support we've received from the organizers (3D Realms, New Bloods, and others), Realms Deep is our E3 this year. And it wouldn't be a E3-styled event if we didn't announce a whole lot of stuff. Did you miss it? Here's what went down!

New Hyperstrange studio games announced



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BLOOD WEST, an immersive Wild West FPS where a revenant desperado takes on the twisted demons and eldritch horros in a cursed, desolate mining town. Hell is empty and all the devils are here! Plan your steps, be stealthy, gain advantage, manage your resources, and paint the world dark red! Wild West FPS games are few and far apart, so if you enjoy this setting and gameplay type, please support Blood West by adding it to your wishlist!


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RAYZE is a genre-defying hyper-paced music-filled first-person skillrunner. Godlike FPS precision & superhuman reflexes are welcome, but not required. Welcome to your new casually hardcore obsession. Adrenaline rushing, dopamine pumping, electronic pulse beating! 3.. 2.. 1.. Let's RAYZE! If you like a challenge, please consider adding the game to your wishlist, but you can also check it out right now, as there's a DEMO available!


New Hyperstrange publishing projects revealed


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Supplice is a stylish throwback shooter inspired by the mid-90s FPS glory days and the legendary Doom modding community. Mixing the retro stylings of 90s era shooters with colorful graphics and frantic gameplay, it creates an experience that's ever so familiar but also exciting and fresh. The team behind the game is a real hot pot of Doom modding and FPS development legends, starting from Brett 'Mechadon' Harrell, the project founder, through Aleksander 'Cage' Kowalczyk, the lead artist also known for his work with Ion Fury, to James 'Jimmy' Paddock, the lead composer, known from his midi soundtracks to Sigil, Prodeus, and many other talents. Please add the game to your wishlist if you want to stay up to date with its development.


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Skullstone is a true to its form dungeon crawler with grid-based movement, real-time tactics combat, and first-person view. Lead a party of adventurers into the under-realm, looking for glory, gold, and a solution to the ancient evil plaguing the town above. Well, adventurer? Get crawling! Or, actually, let's start by wishlisting Skullstone, so you don't miss the demo that's heading to the October Steam Next Fest.


New HOT release


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Jupiter Hell is a turn-based shooter from the depths of cosmic hell, built on a classic roguelike framework updated with modern 3d graphics. Rip and tear zombies, demons, and heavy metal monstrosities with chainguns and chainsaws. Like chess... with shotguns! This spiritual successor to Doom Roguelike launched in full on August 5 to both player and media acclaim. “A Turn-Based Triumph - Jupiter Hell is an engaging and commendable recreation of DOOM's style in turn-based roguelike form that will please just about everyone.” writes Screen Rant, giving the game 4,5/5 stars, while Kotaku calls it "an absolute gem".


New gameplay reveal


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POSTAL: Brain Damaged is our flagship in-development title that we create as an original IP based off the infamous POSTAL series, under the watchful eye of MikeJ, Vince Desi, and the rest of the Running With Scissors crew. First announced at Realms Deep 2020 in early pre-alpha stage, it quick became somewhat of an obsession with the POSTAL community, and there's a lot of people who have been asking, no, demanding to see some final-quality gameplay footage. That's exactly what we delivered at Realms Deep 2021... plus something extra. If you are a POSTAL fan or a general boomer-shooter enjoyer, please add Brain Damaged to your wishlist and follow the project, so you don't miss the chance to play the Demo that will be featured on Steam Next Fest this October!


Notable milestones


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While Frozenheim, our serene Norse city builder with RTS combat, didn't make the cut for the already lengthy stream, there's an announcement that we're stoked to make. Today marks the 100 000 Steam purchases milestone for Frozenheim. That's one hundred thousand Vikings in our Frozen North! This is the second game in our catalog to reach the 100k player tier, following our debut title, ELDERBORN, which - as per our Realms Deep announcement is coming soon to Xbox (alongside our bite-size FPS, CROSSBOW: Bloodnight)

All this is a huge step for Hyperstrange (or a whole marathon, actually), as a small indie studio with just one game published a year ago, to a... slightly larger indie studio that's becoming a hub of game development and publishing. If you're reading this - please know, that you have our utmost gratitude - we couldn't have done any of this without the tremendous support our games are receiving from the Steam community! That is it for today, be excellent to each other!

Yours truly,


PS. Thank you, Ty!

ELDERBORN Boomercore Update is live. Get the game 50% off this week!

WARRIORS!



Hyperstrange is hard at work developing the ultimate throwback shooter, POSTAL: Brain Damaged. But that doesn't mean we're not going to keep updating and expanding our beloved Doom-Souls slasher. ELDERBORN might be the eldest child in the family, but that doesn't mean we're kicking them out and setting up a gym in their bedroom. This newest update was intended to increase stability and decrease load times. Regular maintenance. Boooo-ring! So... We've added 4 special rendering modes and an in-game jukebox, to make things FUN! Getting in touch with the game's 1990's DNA, the new display modes are designed to take you back in time to the VHS era. That's why we called the whole thing... the Boomercore Update!

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If haven't launch the game yet to check them out, and you're wondering about the specifics, here's the general changelog:

  • Added in-game Jukebox, so you can pick your favorite tracks during gameplay.
  • Added Render Modes: "Your dad's VCR", "DMX Drops", "PC 1996", and "Artsy-Fartsy".
  • Further scene optimization improving loading times
  • Profile frame updates correctly after removing ng+ saves
  • Pad sensitivity now framerate independent
  • Some fixes in pad navigation in menus
  • normal difficulty now default, instead od ELDERBORN
  • Default framelimit now 240, was 60
  • Smaller bug-fixes and optimisation

The game is 50% OFF for entire week!


So that's one more reason, to check it off your wishlist. Tell your friends while you're at it - especially that one friend you used to play Quake with back in 1996, when pixels were large by default and gluten wasn't illegal in 34 states.

Fight well, Warriors!


Yours,

Hyperstrange presents: Frozenheim


Hyperstrange wants YOU to become a legend of the Frozen North, and make Odin proud in Frozenheim, a serene Norse city builder with elaborate management gameplay and RTS tactical combat. Because Vikings are Metal AF, too.

We're proud to announce our partnership with Paranoid Interactive. We are publishing their Viking-themed strategy game, that is headed to Steam Early Access as soon as May 20, 2021. After six-seven months in Early Access, following a tight, monthly update schedule and incorporating player feedback (just like ELDERBORN did), the game will launch in full in early 2022. If you enjoy city-builders, RTS combat, or simply like to feast your eyes on Unreal-powered Fjords, please..

WISHLIST AND FOLLOW FROZENHEIM


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About the game: Prepare for brutal RTS combat that will put your tactical skill into a test. As you launch exploration parties on foot and by boats you will not only discover resources you can exploit but also draw the attention of the enemies who will seek to destroy you. To prove yourself an Earl worthy of sagas, you will:

  • Build and expand a Viking village from nothing to a rich, unconquerable settlement
  • Forage, hunt, fish, grow your food, and keep your clan safe as the seasons pass
  • Find your own progression path as you learn to utilize new buildings and units
  • Explore the fjords of Midgard, launch raid parties on foot or set sail in your drakkars
  • Seek the blessings of ancient shrines and build temples to win the favor of Asgard
  • Raid other players or form alliances with them in multiplayer matches
  • Capture the raw beauty of the Frozen North in photo-mode

We're very excited to welcome Frozenheim into our growing catalog of badass games. We hope you'll enjoy it - we know we do, and we did even before that other Viking game became popular.

Fight well, Conquerors!

Yours,

Jupiter Hell joins Hyperstrange catalog



Enjoyed our Soulslike Doom? Now try Roguelike Doom!



At Hyperstrange, we strongly believe that badass games should stick together. That's why we've teamed up with ChaosForge to bring their Jupiter Hell out of Early Access and into your black, brutal hearts. This spiritual successor to fan favorite Doom, the Roguelike (a free game later renamed to DRL, for obvious copyright reasons) is a Metal AF game and we've been its great fans for years before taking on the role of its publisher.



Jupiter Hell takes the classic, turn-based roguelike gameplay and puts it in a detailed and dynamic 3D, 90s flavored sci-fi environment. Jupiter Hell stays true to the staple qualities of the roguelike genre: procedural level generation, providing endless possibilities for another run, character permadeath, and brutal, yet fair difficulty level.

Make no mistake - this game is special. When it was doing its rounds on Kickstarter, it became the very first gamedev project backed by John Carmack. It also cought the eye of XCOM's designer, Jake Solomon. Then came Fallout's Brian Fargo and backed it as well. They all got their copies on August 1st, 2018, when Jupiter Hell launched in Early Access. It's retained a 'very positive' review score ever since, and it spawned a large community of dedicated players, who frequent the game's Discord.



We're hyped as hell to stand side by side with ChaosForge and announce the date of Jupiter Hell's full release: August 5, 2021. The game just received a major update and is currently available 20% off if you don't want to wait that long. Go grab it, or wishlist it and get it in August.

May RNG forever be in your favor!

Chinese language support added - Happy Lunar New Year!

Warriors!



If your preffered language in which you play games is Chinese, we're happy to report you can now chose that option in ELDERBORN!

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The game is available 40% off in the Steam Lunar Sale, so why not get it now, and unleash your inner barbarian?

If you like the game, and want to keep track of what Hyperstrange is up to (and there's a LOT of that!), please consider connecting with us on Twitter, and following Hyperstrange on Steam.

Good hunting, and...

Stay Metal, Warriors!


ELDERBORN anniversary OST update

Warriors! Metalheads! Friends!



ELDERBORN has graduated Steam Early Access an entire year ago, and ever since the full release it's gaining momentum, meeting a lot of praise, and making the life of thousands of players around the world a little more badass, thicc, and barbaric. We've made a habit of giving you more, more, and MORE with each ELDERBORN update - small or big - and this time's no different.

To mark the anniversary, here's ELDERBORN Extended Sountrack! This is a soundtrack-only update, but it's so HUGE we're marking it as a 'major update'. Here's why.



With all the added tracks, the album running time is now a little over an hour and a half, and it's all packed to the brim with metal, wailing of Turkish duduk, drums, and electronic beats. We love it so much, that our friends at Ivory Tower Soundworks are here to stay. Not only they made some very unique music and sounds for our CROSSBOW Bloodnight (now also available on Nintendo Switch! - our first game on consoles, yay!), but are also already working on the sick abomination that will become the POSTAL: Brain Damaged OST!

Call to arms!



It's been an amazing year for Hyperstrange. We're still very much indie, but we went from a development studio with one game, to development and publishing studio with several titles, and MANY more to come. Wanna know more? Please head to our publisher profile and click that FOLLOW button. You can also stay in touch with us via Twitter and Discord.

Stay metal, Warriors!



EQI - our trippy gift to the world



Synthwave is now a game!



...and you can play it for free.

EQI is a trippy first-person arcade game with spatial puzzles, and a synthwave soul. You find yourself in a digital world that twists and changes around you, challenging your senses, focus, and reflexes. Interface with the great mystery and transcend.



We want you to:
- Explore and solve over 20 stages, increasing in size and difficulty
- Control your own movement and shift the world around you
- Solve puzzles, see through illusions, and master challenging obstacle courses
- Immerse yourself in the electronic pulse of the game's OST

Yes, full, complete FREE game, with no bullshit microtransactions, no strings attached, because we love you, and we need you to love us back!

If you want to support the dev, Chopin et al., and the publisher - that's us - please download and play EQI. If you enjoy it, leave a nice review and maybe tell some friends. You will help us to bring you more nice things in the future!

Now, why don't you go ahead and...

Play EQI!



Sincerely, yours

ELDERBORN 50% off for the first time ever! & Press [E] to get respec'd!

WARRIORS!



Yuletide is here, or whatever you call it. Treat yourself to ELDERBORN with a 50% Winter Sale discount!

So, you haven't played ELDERBORN yet? What have you been doing all this year? You can clearly see it HAS TO BE GOOD, as attested by hundreds of Steam reviews. If that didn't convince you, GmanLives' video review should do the trick. So... why just keep ELDERBORN on your wishlist? Ah... you're a man of culture, who knows well enough that patience pays off. Good on you. There you go - the game's 50% off for Steam Winter Sale, and we're cutting our own throat here. Don't count on any deeper discounts anytime soon - so go grab it, play it, enjoy the savagery, and do tell your tribe about it!

But we're not just about getting new players. We also do our best to keep the ones we already have happy. The sale coincides with an oft-requested update to the game:

The Shrine of Respec





Playing an NG+ and you'd wish you could test a different character build right away? Now you can! Just seek out the newly-added Shrine of Respec in the catacombs. Using it will free all of your allocated skill points, so you can distribute them again among the attributes, choosing a new character balance and picking your action skills from the scratch. Like a new-born barbarian warlord! Memory fades. Power remains!

As usual, Hyperstrange has more news for you soon, so if you want to stay up to date, please drop by our publisher profile and click that FOLLOW button. You can also stay in touch with us via Twitter and Discord. It will make our winter holidays so much more blessed!

Have a wonderful time, and...

Stay metal, WARRIORS!


Please nominate ELDERBORN for The Steam Awards 2020

WARRIORS!



A long, hard battle lies ahead, and we need your swords, so our tribe can emerge victorious!

If you're reading these words there's a good chance you're among the thousands of players enjoying ELDERBORN. It might also be, that you're not new to the game. Maybe you even got it in Early Access, or for our January full 2020 release. If that's the case - you might have some outlook on just how much extra effort Hyperstrange has been putting in our debut title, and that we continue to do so (as reflected in the recent GmanLives video review). You know that ELDERBORN is our labor of love. But we'd love the others to know as well!

Please nominate ELDERBORN in the "Labor of Love" category in the Steam Awards 2020 event, so we get a chance to step into the arena and meet other amazing games in a trial by combat!



On the note of adding MORE to ELDERBORN, we are preparing an update of the original sound track included in the Metal AF Edition. We'd like to know what extras you'd like to see in the update, so please head to the ELDERBORN steam discussion thread, and speak your mind. One of the musicians who brought you the beats that accompany you while you plow through the City of Jurmum is there to talk to you!

There's a lot more coming from Hyperstrange, so if you want to stay up to date, please drop by our publisher profile and click that FOLLOW button. You can also stay in touch with us via Twitter and Discord. We will greatly appreciate if you do.

Once again, thank you for your support!

Stay metal, WARRIORS!


ELDERBORN October Update is LIVE

WARRIORS!



As the Halloween promo starts and you can get ELDERBORN 40% off, we make sure that your experience with the game is as great as you expect! Those minor problems that affected the gameplay for some people, or were reported by the players as annoying and persistent? Gone. But that's not all - we keep polishing the game as a whole. This time around - we re-recorded the female character voiceover for the cutscenes. They should sound a little less like they were recorded in a cupboard. But that's not all - we've prepared for you a whole new set of achievement icons, that look much more like the ones we've originally envisioned. Behold their pulp comic book glory!



Are they nice? Or are they super nice? They will pop up in Steam very soon. And now, onto the full...

CHANGELOG




  • The elusive, yet persistant shader bug that caused the Essence Conduits to spawn a "black void" around them was fixed
  • Persistant controller bug - workaround added (*instructions below)
  • The female character voiceover in the cut-scenes has been re-recorded
  • The annoying navigation bug during the last wave of the epilogue will no longer haunt you
  • Spears will now properly work with the speed stat
  • Spear collision bugs have been fixed
  • There are no longer any missing characters in the Hungarian language version
  • The New Game+ bug with missing weapons is fixed
  • Unity patch applied


* Some players reported a problem where the plugged in controllers would continuously send errant input to the game. You can now launch the game with a "-kbm" parameter set in the launch options, to force Keyboard+Mouse only mode, and prevent that from happening.

Now, enjoy the game 40% off, and please tell all your friends about it. Our other little bundle of creepy joy - CROSSBOW: Bloodnight is (obviously) also celebrating Halloween with an all-around update and a special sale. And please also check out the very first third-party game to be published by Hyperstrange in early 2021 - EQI, a free, trippy synthwave cyberspace action-puzzle. Please support us by adding it to your wishlist!

This is it, for today. Happy Helloween, and...

Stay metal, WARRIORS!