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Evolving a Bulwark
Nothing about publishing indie games in 2024 is straightforward, thus we are proudly presenting another unconventional step by offbeat solo developer Tomas Sala
game_press
September 4, 2024
5 Min Read
[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Game Developer and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press]
Wired Productions :
Watford, United Kingdom — September 4 2024 | The Ursee is changing forever. Indie Publisher Wired Productions and solo developer Tomas Sala have once again changed the name of Tomas’ game, Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles, henceforth Bulwark: Evolution. However, this time the title change is not born of frustration or silly rage-baiting, he’s gone and changed the nature of the game and truly evolved it beyond the already unique and innovative city builder it already was.
Following extensive feedback from players, Bulwark: Evolution now features three distinct ways to play with each mode providing a completely unique experience:
The Original Bulwark Experience: Players will explore the Great Ursee as they build their grand civilisation, scavenge for resources, create trade routes, and form alliances with other factions scattered across the waves.
Freebuild Mode: Create without consequence in this cosy mode, free from the conflict and challenges of standard play, where players can experiment and build without limits.
Total Conquest: The beacons are lit, the fires of war are here! In this challenging new mode, players start Bulwark at war with every possible faction. There’s no diplomacy and the frequency and scale of raids is like nothing they’ve ever seen before. Building alone won’t suffice — players will need grit, determination and strategic know-how in order to survive the onslaught of the Great Ursee.
On top of this the game has doubled its open world content, added clearer progression, more strategic options and tons of new mechanics,such as new fortresses to unlock as well as being able to sailing your own ocean-going flagship into battle against enemies that now are more capable and deadly than ever before.
Available on PC today, Bulwark: Evolution changes everything players know about this city-building sandbox, while still offering the freedom to play the way they have known and loved.
"You cannot get someone like me to run an Early Access campaign, I don’t even know at launch where the game is gonna end up in 6 months , it’d be a disaster" said solo developer Tomas Sala.
“And here we are 5 months after launch and I’m still working away as if every week is a new launch. The driver for this is community engagement. Folks coming in and fantasising what the game could and should be, or sharing their frustration where the game doesn’t mix their expectations. This has been a learning experience for me. Ever since my days modding (Moonpath to Elsweyr), I’ve been looking at a way to get back to a more communal form of development. I don’t like premade systems and settled expectations, thus first the evolving demo and now Bulwark Evolution came about. My own way of creating a workable relationship with my audience and community, something modern, flexible and rapidly evolving, where updates come daily not monthly and communication is direct and without intermediates. Bulwark Evolution isn’t the endgame; for me, it marks what I consider as close to a 1.0 version as I can deliver, but it’s just another jumping off point.”
Following the Evolution update, Bulwark will be part of Steam’s Daily Deal on Friday 6th September with a 50% discount starting at 10am PDT, 1pm EDT, 6pm BST 7pm CEST and supported by the release of the first paid DLC offerings - both priced at £1.69/$1.99:
The Mad Lector: A disgraced Mancer Lector offers players electrifying upgrades for their settlements that charge up in storms and target attackers with arcing lightning bolts, and an ancient Shocklance upgrade for their surveyor to defend itself with.
The Mongres Trader Pack: Three indispensable Mongres trader Captains are available to unlock and hire in the Soul Tree. Utilise their potential to provide unmatched Splinter income for your Settlement, allowing players to expand and upgrade faster!
For more details, see the full list of patch notes here.
For those interested in providing developer Tomas Sala with more feedback to help continue to shape Bulwark alongside him, players can check out his Discord here. They can also explore The Great Ursee with Tomas on Twitter/X, as he shares regular, behind-the-scenes developer updates!
Bulwark: Evolution is available on PC today, with the update coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, EGS, GoG, Utomik and the Xbox family of consoles later in September. Bulwark will be on sale on Steam at 6 pm BST/8 am PDT Friday 6, 2024 for 50% off to celebrate this evolution and welcome new players to the Ursee!
Players can find details of where to buy Bulwark here and follow the game on Twitter/X.
PR Contacts
Wired Productions: Anastasia Denisova – [email protected]
About Wired Productions
Wired Productions is a true Indie Publisher proudly presenting a diverse range of specially curated games from some of the greatest storytellers and independent developers. Named as “Indie Publisher of the Year” at the MCV / Develop Awards, Wired is home to an award-winning collection of titles including: Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles, Arcade Paradise VR, Tin Hearts, Martha Is Dead, The Falconeer, The Last Worker, and Deliver Us The Moon. Upcoming titles include Gori: Cuddly Carnage, Hotel Architect, DIG VR and KARMA: The Dark World.
Find @WiredP on YouTube, Discord, and Twitter/X or search Wired Productions on Google.
About Tomas Sala
BAFTA-nominated Tomas Sala is an independent game artist and designer as well as the co-founder of game studio Little Chicken Game Company. Known to most gamers for his exotic Skyrim Mod series: Moonpath to Elsweyr, Tomas has developed a unique visual style over the years that have helped turn games such as Rekt! (iOS/Switch), SXPD (iOS) and TrackLab (PSVR) into unique visual and interactive experiences, before creating the critically acclaimed The Falconeer.
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