Slug Disco Studios announced as publisher of solo-developed game.
January 20, 2023
[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Game Developer and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press]
inDirection Games |
Liverpool, England - Friday 20th January - Developer Robert Kaufmann, Founder of inDirection Games, is pleased to release the demo for upcoming cosy garden-builder “Horticular”, as well as announce their partnership with indie-publisher Slug Disco Studios.
Horticular Announcement Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt2WnQlG5sA
Horticular is a cosy garden-builder that begins with mysterious gnomes summoning you. Their wish? For you to breathe new life into a long-lost garden, abandoned by its previous caretaker.
Enter a magical world where you build up and expand a lush garden at your own pace. In your journey, you attract adorable animals to inhabit every corner; uncover helpful upgrades; and assist quirky characters for rewards and story development—all while juggling decay and fending off corruption sent by your nemesis!
Further info:
Creative Freedom: Build and expand the garden of your dreams with hundreds of unlockable surface types and items. You set the pace and what to do next, whether it be developing a new vegetable area, progressing a lucrative story arc, or just sitting back and admiring your creation. Your horticultural creation will be unique to you!
Animal Ecosystem: Create and preserve animal habitats to attract adorable creatures. Each species has its own requirements to fulfill before they pay you a visit, so you have to plan ahead if you want them all. Should you not take proper care of your inhabitants, they may leave you in pursuit of better luck elsewhere!
Immersive World: Immerse yourself in your personal horticultural garden diorama, complete with a day-night cycle and weather effects. But while a rainy and lantern-lit evening may be cozy, it is not just for show! You will find that darkness attracts unsavory characters, some animals prefer specific weather conditions, and lightning strikes loom under stormy skies.
Maintaining Magic: Nurture your garden with magic. Over time, you will have to deal with unhappy animals, garden decay, and strange corrupted agents sent by your nemesis. But with a combination of helpful gnomes and your own magical gardening gloves, you are sure to keep an everblooming environment.
Garden Upgrades: Choose how your gardening journey develops by upgrading abilities to suit your play-style and investing in new items to rebuild with. Since you make the decision, every playthrough is personal.
Pen Pals: Encounter multiple quirky characters writing you letters throughout the story. Each individual has their own specialty, and they frequently give you tasks to carry out in exchange for a reward. What you decide to pursue is completely up to you, and there is always something waiting to be done.
Robert Kaufmann, Developer, said:
"When Slug Disco reached out, I instantly recognized them as a good partnership fit. They are a down-to-earth team that not only share enthusiasm for Horticular, but has reinvigorated my own passion after a long solo-development cycle. Since our partnership began, our reach has dwarfed that of my previous efforts, and I’ve been able to execute my vision without compromise, receiving actionable feedback in a supportive environment. As a result, I’m confident we are truly giving Horticular the chance it deserves to be enjoyed by players everywhere."
Daniel Postlethwaite, Product Marketing Manager, said:
“After receiving the first build of Horticular from Robert, I was immediately hooked by the one-more-day gameplay loop, and the cute, cosy, colourful pixel art graphics. After chatting with Robert we realised his vision for the game was very exciting to us as a publisher of nature-themed games. Our job now is to help get the word out about Horticular, getting the demo into as many players' hands as possible, and allow Robert to focus on his passion for development.”
About inDirection Games:
inDirection Games was founded by Robert Kaufmann as a means to develop games that dare to be different. Robert has long dreamt of finishing at least one game that he could take pride in. In early 2021, he made the opportunity to follow that dream and started work on Horticular, inDirection Games’ debut game.
About Slug Disco:
Slug Disco Studios was founded by 3 friends: Matt, John & Liam, who met back in school and lived together through university. The company was set up to support their dream of producing a video game all about ants. With a combination of freelance educational software contracts, a grant from Creative England, and a kickstarter campaign, they were able to see their first major video game project "Empires of the undergrowth" through to Steam's Early Access programme in December 2017. Following the success of Empires of the Undergrowth, they have acted as publisher for a series of independent game projects. Horticular will be the fourth such game.
For press enquiries, such as interview access or follow up answers to questions please email: [email protected]
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