we want to bring you some new information about our project and co-op mode :)
First, we were awarded in this year's edition of the Game Prototype Design Competition 2022!
The competition mentioned above helped us create some new mechanics for First Dwarf, our upcoming Action RPG set in the world of Driftland. Those mechanics evolved into a full-fledged, asymmetrical co-op mode of the game, which we implemented in its build! Thank you to the co-organizers of the competition: Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Poland, Centrum GovTech Poland, and CRPK, as well as Copernicus Game Jam 2022 - during which the diplomas were handed over and everyone who supported us along the way.
How does our co-op mode work?
In this asymmetrical co-op 🐉 player can take control over the mech or one of its pilots: Tru or Ragna. Each of them has its own, separate skills to develop and upgrade. All characters have their strengths and weaknesses so it’s important to choose the characters wisely when preparing to complete certain tasks.
In a single-player game, the player can switch between characters, completing tasks with the one with better skills in a given field. Tru, Ragna, and the Mech will have different skill trees. Tru will be a better Mecha pilot, Ragna can e.g. fly, and the Mech can be treated as a kind of armored vehicle, so without a pilot it will not work.
Below you can see what our WIP (Work in Progress) footage of the asymmetrical co-op mode looks like.
Look out for First Dwarf 🎮 - we can't wait to tell the tale of Tru and Ragna (i.e. the game's protagonists)!
But wait, before you go, visit the Discord 👾 server of the game and follow Star Drifters 🚀 on FB, Twitter 🐦 and Instagram. 📷
Yours Star Drifters 🚀
Dev.Play 2022 – First Dwarf named the best game of the conference
Dear Mages!
Dev.Play is a yearly celebration of indie games and their developers. Game creators from all over the world come to Bucharest to present their titles and experiences. The event ended on Tuesday with an award gala. First Dwarf received 3 awards, including for the Best Game of the Show.
First Dwarf won prizes for Best Game of the Show, Best Visuals and Most Popular Game.
Our game is set in an open world that once was a whole planet, but a great war shattered it into drifting islands. Players will step into the shoes of Tru, a scouting engineer in a mech who is tasked to explore unknown lands in search of a new settlement for the fading dwarven civilization. Accompanied by his dear friend, female dragon Ragna, Tru will gather resources, collect mana to fuel and upgrade his mechanical armor, build bases, set up their defenses, and engage in close combat with local fauna to accomplish his mission.
See the full list of Dev.Play 2022 awards:
Best Game of the Show: First Dwarf / Star Drifters
Best Innovation: Liberte / Superstatic Studio
Best Visuals: First Dwarf / Star Drifters
Best Game Design: Bear and Breakfast / Gummy Cat Studio
Most Popular Game First Dwarf / Star Drifters
Outstanding Achievement for the Romanian Gamedev Industry: Mihai Pohonţu / Amber
But wait, before you go, visit the Discord 👾 server of the game and follow Star Drifters 🚀 on FB, Twitter 🐦 and Instagram. 📷
Star Drifters x PGA 2022 🕹️
Salute! 🚀
When we’re writing these words, we’re on our way to Poznań - one of the biggest cities in Poland. At the beginning of every Autumn, MTP Poznań Expo is transformed into the location of one of the largest computer, console, and multimedia entertainment trade show in Central and Eastern Europe…👀
Poznań Game Arena, here we come! 🎮
📅 Save the date: 07-09.10.2022
📍 Booth 23 at Pavilion 7
Be there with us for the whole weekend - from Friday’s morning till Sunday’s evening!
We’re so happy to be a part of it once again. So, without further ado - we would like to invite all of you to…
This year, we’ll be showcasing four games.
First Dwarf, our upcoming Action RPG ⚒️
This will be the first time we’ll be presenting the game in Europe! 💥 We truly can’t wait to see what you guys think about Tru and Ragna. Our team was polishing the build for the last few weeks especially for PGA. In case you missed the info - First Dwarf is our new game expanding the Driftland franchise.
Scorchlands, the adorable city-builder with bird-like characters (they’re actually called Giwis 🐦)
Just a reminder - the demo version of Scorchlands is now up on Steam - we submitted it to Steam Next Fest. Seems like everybody digs the cute Giwis communities. You’ve got to check Scorchlands out! Poznań Game Arena is a great place to do so.
Brewpub Simulator, the game for all pub enjoyers 🍻
Psst… That’s the sound of a beer can being opened. We’re more into taps and craft beers - you will be able to verificate our passion about the golden drink by playing the demo version of Brewpub Simulator! We never showed it to anyone, this will be the first time EVER. We can’t wait for your feedback about this project! 🍺
Lumencraft 🕷️
This is a project that we announced last year - a lot of things happened along the way. The game’s currently in Early Access, what’s more - feel free to download the demo version and see how much stuff was added, tweaked and re-shaped since the start of EA. Lumencraft looks great, runs smoothly, and feels just like we imagine it - it’s a little tricky and spooky. What’s more, if you own a Steam Deck - this is definitely a game you want to try on this handheld.
Oops, looks like we’re already in Poznań. It’s time to set everything before you visit our booth! See you on-site - don’t be shy and come say hi. 👋
Yours truly,
Star Drifters 🚀
PAX West Summary 🚀
Dear Mages,
The excitement of this year's PAX West in Seattle is slowly falling down, so it's time for a little recap. Foremost, we would like to thank you 🙏, Gamers, for visiting us at the Indie Games Poland booth to play one of the first versions of First Dwarf!
Your reactions surpassed our expectations, and the feedback provided will certainly influence the further development of the game, already at this stage. It was 4 days full of interesting conversations, laughter and a unique atmosphere created by countless players, cosplayers, journalists, or industry representatives. See you next year! 🤜🤛
Did you visit the Indie Games Poland booth at the Seattle Convention Center? Let us know in the comments about your impressions.
🚀 There will be another opportunity to play First Dwarf in October - Poznań Game Arena 2022 is coming!
🚀 We still have a lot of work ahead of us, and we encourage you to follow our progress on our Discord. The most active players will soon receive access to the test version of First Dwarf!
BTW. The trailer on IGN channel has already been viewed 140k times! First Dwarf itself, has already hit the 10k wishlists on Steam, wow! 🤩
PS Greetings to the guy who was not satisfied with the ending of Driftland: The Magic Revival. We hope the shirt fits 😉
But wait, before you go, visit the Discord 👾 server of the game and follow Star Drifters 🚀 on FB, Twitter 🐦 and Instagram. 📷
Your, Star Drifters Team 🚀
First Dwarf is here! Say hello to Tru and Ragna 🐲
Hello everyone,
This is Tru speaking. I’m the guy in a mech 🤖. Yep, I’m a dwarf, I’ve got a mohawk and goggles 🕶️, but I would be nothing without my beloved dragon friend Ragna (she’s young, and a bit immature, so you see her chilling on my mech’s arm). So, I heard that Star Drifters 🚀 are cooking a game about our adventures. Good, good. We survived some tough situations. But what’s more important, we enjoyed every minute of our teamwork.
I’m here to introduce you to…
First Dwarf - an immersive open world action adventure RPG with base building elements, set in the world of Driftland: The Magic Revival.
When you read these words, you probably already saw the trailer of Star Drifters’ 🚀 game, published on IGN channel. In case you missed it, here’s a video:
More about me: as I said before, my name’s Tru. Cheers! 🍻 I’m the hero of the First Dwarf. You’ll control a digital version of me and my mech. I’m determined to save my clan (dwarves’ clans are like very big families, but with a hierarchy system, it’s a bit complicated so don’t worry, you’ll get it playing the game).
Ragna 🐉 is a bit smaller than other dragons, so some warriors of our lands did not want to work with her. She was upset and after some crying here and there Ragna started to learn dwarven speech. Now she’s my best friend. I can’t imagine working on my own, I’m always smiling when she’s by my side. I’m not a warrior myself, I’m just a simple engineer.
Do you want to find out more about the game?
Main features: 🍺 Explore the world in mana-powered mechanical armor. Upgrade it to unlock new exciting abilities that will help you with discovering new locations in the vast open world in the clouds. 🍺 Build various structures to defend yourself and to establish a new colony for your people. 🍺 Fight the numerous dangers of the Driftland’s wildlands: barbarian tribes, wild creatures, or natural disasters. Secure the area and make it more hospitable for dwarven settlers. 🍺 Unveil the mysterious secrets of the ancients, while unveiling the story of the hero’s family.
You can also check our animated trailer:
I don’t want to say too much - the developers from Star Drifters 🚀 are moderating my every word. I’m always open to telling my story to the others, but in this case you’ve got to wait for another Steam News like this one to find out more about First Dwarf. I’ll end my first letter to you there. Stay tuned for more info!
