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Five years ago today we received notice that our then-student game dev team “Petricore” was officially now our indie game studio Petricore, Inc. The day after that we all graduated, and we started our first official day of work.

If you had asked me then if we’d still be doing this five years later, I would have probably told you “no.” We went into founding a business on caution, I told most of the team we could expect to fail within the first year and to plan for that (yeah, I’m not the most optimistic person.) Here we are though; five years later, still in business, and far improved from where we were then. Saying that I’ve learned a lot over these last five years would be an understatement. 

I’d like to take some time to share with you some of the things I’ve found most important to growing our business.

To provide some context before we get started, we’ve bootstrapped the studio for all 5 years. That means we’ve received no outside investment funding, so instead we provide work-for-hire services as many indie studios do. As of this year, we’ve done almost $2 million in work-for-hire sales since founding. We’ve also worked on several of our own original titles including our mobile 2D puzzle game Mind the Arrow and our upcoming zany air combat game for PC and consoles, DogFight.

When I speak about certain things I may mention work-for-hire specific issues, rather than things you would experience if you receive angel or VC investment. Also please think of this as some ideas that I hope can be of help, but are not the “right” way to do this. I’ll speak more about this in the blog post – but this all comes from my own experiences and some of this might not be right for you. Lastly, we’re US-based, so some programs I speak about may only be available here. With this context in mind, let’s get started.

#1 Networking, Networking, Networking.

Does it feel like you’ve heard how important networking is about ten million times at this point? Great, here it is again: Networking is very important.

It was extremely important for me, since we’d started Petricore right out of college, and I didn’t have previous connections from employment in games. Instead of networking though, we should all think about it as relationship building. It’s going out, finding things in common, and making friends that work in the same industry as you. 

Networking is not a mad dash to hand out as many business cards as you can at an event. It’s not asking someone how they’re doing, nodding but not listening, and going immediately into your sales pitch. It’s not a one-way street to only benefit you. It’s important that you understand what you can get out of the relationship, but it’s equally important to understand how you can help this person too.

Networking is also about being in the right place, at the right time, and being on someone’s mind. How many times do you see an advertisement for something you need, and end up getting from that brand? It probably happens more than you even know. You are advertising yourself, and every event you attend, coffee you grab, and email you send is a commercial for you. 

Lastly, there are many styles of networking. Not everyone is good at going to events, shaking hands, and meeting people. I very much enjoy in-person networking, but I prefer small one-on-one meetings to large events. Other people I know only do online social media based networking, which works well for them. Figuring out what you’re most comfortable with, and works best for you is a great way to effectively network.

#2 Mentorship

We’d founded Petricore while we were all in our senior year of college, and I can say with one hundred percent certainty that we would not still be in business today without our mentors. Having experienced people to help you though starting a business is a must. Having a great mentor is like having an amazing boss, teacher, friend, and therapist rolled into one person.

I’ve found the best qualities in mentorships I’ve found have been people who’ve been very successful in their careers, but also had their share of failures. Someone who ran a successful business is extremely valuable to get advice from, but someone who was part of three failed businesses also has a lot to share in what went wrong. Look for people who will tell you about what they did wrong as much as what they’ve done right. Likewise I’ve found that I gravitate to advisors who give me blunt advice. Like anyone, I love being told nice things about myself, but I’m looking to grow and learn from mentorship. I’ve found straightforward, no frills feedback, to be the best delivery mechanism.

If you’re starting out with a small network, and relatively unknown in the industry, finding mentors who’ve been in the industry longer, are trusted, and have a large network is really important. We started with no track record, and a very small portfolio of work. Our first few work for hire projects were a direct result of a mentor who helped create trust and confidence in us, which slowly over time allowed us to develop a greater portfolio of work. It took me about 16 months to get our first client that wasn’t through a friend or mentor, and even to this day the “cold call” projects are significantly harder to close than “warm” introductions though mentors/friends.

My main mentor came through a college professor with a lot of prior experience, and I hear this from a lot of recent students turned founders. If you’re not in school, there’s other ways to meet with mentors. SCORE is a program that connects experienced mentors with founders, they partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration, which also runs other local mentoring programs.

You may not connect with someone in the games industry, but I found that non-games mentorship helped me with other aspects of running a business. If where you are has game industry meetups, that’s a great way to meet more senior game developers in your area. If you’re more removed from an industry hub, you can always follow other game industry professionals on Twitter and social media. 

I’m constantly seeing experienced people offer their time for free to help up-and-coming game developers, and it’s a great way to develop mentor relationships.

#3 Feedback/Advice

In the process of starting and running your business you will become very quickly enamored with lots of feedback and advice. You’ll receive feedback from friends, family, your teammates, game industry folks, people at tradeshows, random strangers, and if you’re still reading this – me! I’ve found that getting and accepting feedback is just as important as the act of understanding where that feedback comes from and choosing to not move forward with it.

It can often be easy to just look towards experienced people for advice and just follow it, but everyone’s experiences and ideas are so tied to their own personal experiences the advice that you’re getting might not suit you at all. It could be leading you towards a completely wrong direction. 

I’ve found my best process for this is actively listening to everyone’s feedback and asking some questions to further understand where they’re coming from. Afterwards, I like to take time to think about the feedback and how it applies to me and the particular issue. It’s just as important to think about the person who gave you the feedback. 

Would you say you’re similar to them in many ways? Do they understand your particular issue, or was their issue this feedback worked for not the same as yours? Do you trust this person’s opinion on this issue? Understand that no one is purposefully trying to give you bad advice or steer you in the wrong direction, we just can only speak from our own point of view – and sometimes that just isn’t a good fit for you.

I can speak endlessly about starting your own business, and ways to go about it, but in the end that advice will only work for a few people in similar situations to me. It’s easy for a white man from a middle class family to talk about how great/the easy steps it is to just start a business, but for a lot of people it’s much, much harder. 

All advice is coming from a good place at heart and meant to be a useful tool – you just have to figure out if it’s a tool useful for your personal toolbox.

#4 The “unsexy” stuff

Going to conferences to show off your shiny new game on the showfloor, giving a talk on your work to a captivated audience, and accepting awards for your work. This is the “sexy” stuff you get to do, but behind the scenes of that there’s a whole lot of “unsexy” work that needs to be done. Legal work, taxes, accounting/bookkeeping, payroll, HR, networking events, keeping track of cash flow, and on-and-on. These things are all extremely important, but not always looked at with the same level of glory – and are most likely not what you set out to do when starting your studio. They are however, the thing that will determine if you sink or swim, and learning to love (or at least appreciate) these activities will be crucial.

This might seem really obvious, but it’s also something that is really easy to lose sight of and become too focused on other aspects of the business that are more “fun.” No one wants to spend their day hounding down clients for overdue invoices, but if you don’t make sure to prioritize that things can very quickly get out of hand. I’ve found that over time though I’ve come to enjoy some of these aspects of the business more. I’ve found that mentally framing them as essential services to a game development business that allows for a talented team of people to work on games, helps me feel better about focusing on these parts of the business. 

Unless you’re starting out with heaps of cash, you’ll most likely not be able to afford to hand off all these roles to other people early on. You may choose to prioritize a lawyer first, and handle your own bookkeeping and taxes while you bootstrap. Over time, as money starts to come in, you can (and should) start to hand these roles over to trusted professionals that can help you with all these activities. Before you can get there though, It’s best to assume that you’ll be doing this yourself.

#5 Look Local

This is something that I don’t see mentioned as much, but I’ve found to be really helpful for us getting started. Look at your local community and see what is available there for help/services, and what you can do for them. We’re located in Worcester, Massachusetts, which is actually the second largest city in New England but often lives in the shadow of Boston. 

I had moved here for college and at first hated it. Overtime living here though, and as I started to explore and learn more about the city – I fell in love. When we graduated, and had decided to do Petricore full time we decided to stick around in Worcester rather than try and move to a larger gaming hub like Boston. A big part of this decision was financial given that Worcester is much more affordable than Boston.

There was something beneficial that came out of being the only game in town though, we were novel and fit really well into what our alma mater, Becker College, and the city both wanted. The city supported us through a start-up program they offered which provided free membership to the local Chamber of Commerce and other local networking events, and Becker College provided us with subsidized space to work out of. Just about every local news outlet covered us over time, and as non-local press came by we also got showcased as one of the new things happening in the city.

Is this the same as being globally recognized for a smash hit game? Of course not, but this gave us a small boost locally that helped us succeed in early days where every small thing mattered.

Depending on where you’re located and your network there may be programs and services that could help you get started as well. Many cities offer microloans to jumpstart businesses, some have leadership programs that bring you in contact with local businesses and government, and joining your local Chamber of Commerce can help with networking to establish connections with local services such as accountants and lawyers that you will need. Spending some of your time to become more engaged locally can be of help to your business no matter what it does, including games.

In the end we are also a part of this community, as are you, wherever you’re located. It’s important to understand what your community offers for services, but also to understand what you can do for your community. We try and give back by attending local events like STEM fairs and Career Days, and personally I’m a huge proponent of supporting local small businesses, especially now. Your local community wants to see your business grow and succeed, and leaning on them for help early on might surprise you with what it can offer, just don’t forget to return the favor.

It’s helpful, especially now as we celebrate 5 years as a studio, to look back and reflect on the journey and what I’ve learned. I could have gone on with hundreds more topics of things I’ve found useful and important, and this is in no way a complete list of steps to start a successful business. However, I hope that in here you found an idea or two that helps you on your journey towards a successful business. I know that I’m very much still on my way there too, with much more of the journey to go.

If you’d like to stay up to date with everything happening at Petricore, I invite you to follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Additionally, if an over-the-top air combat game featuring humankind’s best friends battling against the evil cat empire sounds right up your alley, consider adding our upcoming game, DogFight, to your Steam wishlist!

Remember to always be kind, and thank you for reading,

– Ryan Canuel

1. Capture and create family video, automatically.

2. Help the kids create something fun.

3. Create ‘honey-d❤️’ certificates.

4. Put together a family photo slide show.

5. Apart but want to show you care?

The latest Nintendo Download update for Europe has arrived, and it’s bringing new games galore to the eShop in your region. As always, be sure to drop a vote in our poll and comment down below with your potential picks for the week. Enjoy!

Switch Retail eShop – New Releases

Spirit of the North (Merge Games, 7th May, £15.99 / €16.79) – Awaken… begin a quiet journey of discovery and companionship after rousing the slumbering Spirit of the North. Spirit of the North is a single-player 3rd-person adventure game inspired by the breath-taking and mysterious landscapes of Iceland. The story takes root from various pieces of Nordic folklore. Breathe in your surroundings to solve various puzzles and speculate the meaning of a lost ancient civilization. With the help of your new companion, shed light on the ruins of the past and overcome obstacles.

Switch eShop – New Releases

80’s OVERDRIVE (Insane Code, 7th May) – 80’S OVERDRIVE is a 2D pixel art racing game, designed to take you back in time to when 8 and 16-bit consoles and arcade games ruled the world. Compete against opponents in career mode to unlock new races, buy new cars, and upgrade them with state-of-the-art technologies! Try your skill in time attack mode and see how far you can get in this race against the clock! Create your own tracks with built-in track generator and easily share them with your friends!

Bomb (Sabec, 7th May, £8.09 / €8.99) – Bomb is a fun and easy to play arcade game where the goal is to defeat your opponent. Each player places bombs on the ground which explode within a few seconds and if you blow up one of the hidden bonus objects you could win a Power-up which will make you explosions bigger or an extra bombs which will let you place multiple bombs at a time. With several different kinds of randomly created playing levels to play, no game will be the same. Play against a friend or against the smart AI player, either way, winning won’t come easy in this fast-action deathmatch game.

Cloudbase Prime (Floating Island Games, 7th May, £3.59 / €4.09) – You are lost in the depths of a gas giant mining station where things have gone very, very wrong. Move terrain to clear paths, launch enemies, and fling yourself skyward. Get ready to shoot a lot of robots and jump into the colourful clouds of Cloudbase Prime! The abandoned world in those clouds is full of weird and wonderful dangers. Discover friendly robots, discover murdery robots, grappling-hook onto enemy airships, fight giant bosses, and swim inside huge floating jellyfish.

Dark Burial (£3.59 / €3.99) – A dark army approaches your lands. It is your duty as first witness and sentinel to report to your people as soon as possible. Or is it too late? Not if your aim is fast and smart! Armed with your sturdy crossbow, slay skeletons, witches and other abominations who will regret leaving the underworld. The way ahead is unfortunately also full of pitfalls and hazards… but, again, nothing that a well-placed arrow can’t answer! Take your courage (aka crossbow) in both hands and go light the signal fires! It is your sentinel’s job, don’t let your people down.

Feathery Ears (£8.99 / €9.99) – A retro-styled 3D platformer that lets players come at challenges from whatever angle you want. Ashley Dengra is a 9nth grade artist with a sketchbook to doodle her “Original Characters” like Misa Ikko, the green-haired, feathery-eared fire sword girl with a great fluffy green tail.

Fledgling Heroes (Subtle Boom, 7th May, £7.99 / €8.99) – Leap from the nest into a fun-filled adventure! Meet cute feathered friends, each with their own wondrous story to tell, as they dodge dastardly pirate lizARRrds, dash through frozen forests, dive under sunken temples, and flap their way from fledglings to fully-fledged heroes!

Fury Unleashed (£17.99 / €19.99) – It’s a game you can even beat in one ultimate combo. Are you up to the task? Explore the pages of a living comic book where ink is your most valuable resource and each room is a comic panel. Find out why John Kowalsky, creator of acclaimed Fury Unleashed series, is having a creativity crisis and see if you can help him deal with it.

Gerritory (Digital Crafter, 7th May, £6.79 / €7.5) – Gerritory is a 4-player action party game with unique game rules and minimalistic visuals. You and your friends control cube characters to move in various levels and colour tiles to score points. The one who is behind the scoreboard can kill another player with a higher point by stepping on them. If you reach the goal point or have the highest point when the time is up, you win!

Ghost Files: Memory of a Crime (Artifex Mundi, 7th May, £8.09 / €8.99) – They say a good story begins with an earthquake and works its way up to a climax. The story of Arthur Christie begins with a painful wake up in a dark basement with an unknown murder victim and memory gaps larger than bullet holes. A moment later the building is surrounded by howling police sirens. And all this before the sun even reached noon. The day began lousy and chances for improvement are slim – so now he has to start his own investigation and prove his innocence.

Highrise Heroes: Word Challenge (£1.49 / €1.74) – Following a sudden earthquake, Seb must escape a crumbling skyscraper. Along the way he will make some intriguing new friends, and together they might just unravel the sinister origins of the ‘quake, assuming they can evade the mysterious stalker in close pursuit. . . Starting at the top and working down, the game’s 90+ levels take place inside the skyscraper. The player creates words on a grid of letters and obstacles, clearing a path for Seb and friends to descend. Give your brain a workout with this charming word puzzle game.

Infinite – Beyond the Mind (Blowfish Studios, 7th May, £7.99 / €8.99) – Infinite Beyond The Mind is a slick 2D action-platformer where you take on evil Queen Evangelyn Bramann, ruler of The Beljantaur Kingdom as she works towards her dream of world domination. Play as either Tanya or Olga, two girls who have the power to stop the Beljantaur Kingdom’s growing army and take down the evil Queen. Take on a range of different bosses in either single-player or co-op across a variety of stunning chibi pixel art style backdrops as you explore the Beljantaur Kingdom.

Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl (The Media Indie Exchange, 7th May, £12.29 / €13.69) – Play as Jay and Silent Bob in a retro 8-bit sidescrolling brawler. Go solo or team up with a friend. Pummel enemies with hard-hitting combos, dash attacks, and elbow drops as well as a random assortment of weapons as you battle your way out of the mall and back to the Quickstop. – Read our Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl review

Jet Ski Rush (Cool Small Games, £3.59 / €3.99) – Jump on your jet ski and get lost in the water madness of JetSki Rush! Can you complete the water course filled with obstacles and traps? Your task is to go as far as you can while collecting coins and doing crazy acrobatic manoeuvres on your jet ski. You have to be fast, agile, and have superb reflexes to win!

Lonely Mountains: Downhill (Thunderful, 7th May, £17.99 / €19.99) – Just you and your bike – take it on a thrilling ride down an unspoiled mountain landscape. Make your way through thick forests, narrow trails and wild rivers. Race, jump, slide and try not to crash – all the way from the peak to the valley! – Read our Lonely Mountains: Downhill review

Megabyte Punch (£13.49 / €14.99) – Megabyte Punch is an electro beat ‘em up game with platforming elements in which you build your own fighter while playing! Megabyte Punch takes place in a computer universe where you have to protect the Heartcore of your village. You defend your people from the Valk Empire and the dreaded Khoteps in 6 different levels, each with 3 stages and a boss fight! As you travel through the worlds, you battle other creatures to get their parts. Parts have their own powers and bonuses, like gun arms for a shoot ability or powerful hips for a devastating pelvic thrust attack.

Monochrome World (CFK, 7th May, £7.19 / €7.99) – The world lost its colour all of a sudden. And only the grey remained. Nobody knows how much time has passed since then. I just kept falling from the sky to the ground over and over. I am a raindrop. Then one day, I fell to the place I’ve never been before. The power unknown led me to the colour I thought was lost. I had no idea what it meant…

Our Two Bedroom Story (Voltage, 7th May, £19.99 / €24.99) – The Story: You work for a publishing house and decide to start living on your own. But a coworker’s in your new home? ! “This is my house… but you could live with me.” When your new roommate hands you the key, your secret life together begins…

PONG Quest (Atari, 7th May, £10.79 / €11.99) – PONG Quest is a new take on the seminal arcade smash. Take control of a brave young paddle and traverse treacherous lands – each loosely based on various classic Atari hits – in this uniquely PONG-themed dungeon-crawling RPG. Dress up your paddle and equip special balls with unique abilities to battle aggressive foes in Quest or online opponents in a new take on the classic PONG gameplay.

Reed 2 (£4.99 / €4.99) – Reed awakens… to the memories of the old supercomputer… Reed failed. The reboot failed and now the digital world is once again breaking down. Before the old supercomputer malfunctioned, it gave Reed backup files that must be delivered to the Developer. Collect information cubes once again in a desolate version of the last remnants of the digital world. Dodge floor spikes, razor blades, enemies, and wall arrows to reach the next stage! Find hidden survivors trying to escape from the new horrors of the corruption. The virtual world is now doomed, can you get to the Developer?

Relic Hunters Zero: Remix (Akupara Games, 7th May, £8.30 / €9.23) – From the creators of the massively popular Relic Hunters Universe comes Relic Hunters Zero: Remix. Alongside a community of millions of fans from around the world, meet the Relic Hunters as they prepare for landing on their console debut! Follow the crew of the Spaceheart as they run, gun, and dodge their way through unrelenting force as they race for the ancient relics against the evil Ducans.

Slayin 2 (FDG Entertainment, 7th May, £7.01 / €7.79) – Engage endless hordes of monsters up close as a valiant knight, or shower them with arrows, bombs, and spells using 8 unlockable heroes with completely different skillsets and playstyles. Face the forces of darkness alone or team up with a friend in local co-op with a drop-in multiplayer feature. Watch each other’s backs, hoard treasures, revive your fallen teammate and keep up your combos in your endless pursuit of fame and fortune. Unravel ancient mysteries, defeat legendary bosses and discover hidden areas while you explore the world of Slayin 2.

STONE (£13.49 / €14.99) – G’day, I’m Stone. Play this feature-length interactive story (don’t expect shooting or winning or losing) and see what happened. Yeah, it was rough, but a good life lesson. Enjoy, and remember don’t do this at home ya bunch of crazy animals. By the way, this story really isn’t going to be for everyone. So enter at your own risk, mate.

SuperMash (£16.99 / €18.99) – Mash together iconic genres to create never-before-seen gaming experiences. Jump through classic Platformer levels with a tactical Stealth character, fight as spaceships in engaging JRPG battles, and more! Anything is possible with SuperMash’s emergent game system, which creates a unique game every time you play. Think the Mash you made is impossible? Share its MASH Code with a friend or streamer and see if they can beat it!

Task Force Kampas (£4.31 / €4.79) – Drawing inspiration from the golden age of Japanese shoot‘em ups, Task Force Kampas combines retro action with modern conventions, adding new mechanics and randomly generated stages with hand-crafted bosses. In a unique twist, the game can be finished, but skilled players will find a way to continue past the ending and claim even higher scores! Rhythmic gameplay and a pulsing soundtrack work together to create an intense audio-visual experience.

Tennis Club Story (Kairosoft, 7th May, £11.69 / €13) – Aim for the ace position of tennis club prestige in this simulation! Your leadership decides if players make it to the big time or bust! Customize your training menu to focus on power or technique, moulding players as you please for competitions, fame, and snazzy sponsors! Sponsors will fund hard-working athletes with big bucks, in addition to providing top-notch gear, items, and more. Some corporations might even build you a hot springs spa or restaurant!

The Bullet: Time of Revenge (Art Games Studio, 7th May, £3.64 / €3.99) – Become a Bullet – eliminate bad people using many kinds of weapons, exploring features like driving cars or tanks, flying helicopters or a jet plane. There are many achievements and unlockables that will help spread chaos in the city.

The Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game (Hidden Achievement, 4th May, £14.49 / €15.99) – Play Harry Dresden and his friends as they take on the cases from the bestselling Dresden Files novels in the ultimate what-if scenario—what if Harry was on the scene with allies who weren’t there in the original story? The core game includes Harry, Murphy, Susan, Michael, and the Alphas and plays through the first five novels as well as Side Jobs, a random scenario generator based on the short story collection of the same name.

Tonight We Riot (Means Interactive, 5th May, £13.5 / €15) – In a dystopia where wealthy capitalists control elections, media, and the lives of working people, we’re faced with two choices — accept it or fight for something better. Tonight We Riot doesn’t have just one hero. Instead, you play as a movement of people whose well-being determines the success of your revolution.

Void Bastards (Humble Bundle, 7th May, £24.99 / €29.99) – Forget everything you know about first-person shooters: Void Bastards asks you to take charge, not just point your gun and fire. Your task is to lead the rag-tag Void Bastards out of the Sargasso Nebula. You make the decisions: where to go, what to do and who to fight. And then you must carry out that strategy in the face of strange and terrible enemies.

Switch eShop – Pre-Orders

Ion Fury (1C Entertainment, pre-order from 7th May)

Switch eShop – Special Offer Highlights

DLC / Add-On Content

Nintendo Switch game with new DLC this week:

So that’s your lot for this week’s Nintendo Download. Go on, be a sport and drop a vote in the poll above, and comment below with your hot picks!

The latest Nintendo Download update for North America has arrived, and it’s bringing new games galore to the eShop in your region. As always, be sure to drop a vote in our poll and comment down below with your potential picks for the week. Enjoy!

Switch eShop

Void Bastards (Humble Bundle, Today, $29.99) Forget everything you know about first-person shooters: Void Bastards asks you to take charge, not just point your gun and fire. Your task is to lead the rag-tag Void Bastards out of the Sargasso Nebula. You make the decisions: where to go, what to do and who to fight. And then you must carry out that strategy in the face of strange and terrible enemies.

SuperMash (Digital Continue, Fri 8th May, $19.99) Jume’s game shop is in trouble, and she needs her brother Tomo’s help to save it! Mash together iconic genres to create never-before-seen gaming experiences. Jump through classic Platformer levels with a tactical Stealth character, fight as spaceships in engaging JRPG battles, and more!

HUNTDOWN (Coffee Stain Studios, Tue 12th May, $19.99) In the mayhem-filled streets of the future where criminal gangs rule and cops fear to tread, only the bounty hunters can free the city from the corrupt fist of felony. Lay waste to the criminal underworld and make a killing in this hard-boiled action-comedy arcade shooter.

Lonely Mountains: Downhill (Thunderful, Today, $19.99) Just you and your bike – take it on a thrilling ride down an unspoiled mountain landscape. Make your way through thick forests, narrow trails and wild rivers. Race, jump, slide and try not to crash – all the way from the peak to the valley! Read our Lonely Mountains: Downhill review.

Cloudbase Prime (Floating Island, Today, $9.99) You are lost in the depths of a gas giant mining station where things have gone very, very wrong. Move terrain to clear paths, launch enemies, and fling yourself skyward. Get ready to shoot a lot of robots and jump into the colorful clouds of Cloudbase Prime!

Dark Burial (Drageus Games, Fri 8th May, $3.99) A dark army approaches your lands. It is your duty as first witness and sentinel to report to your people as soon as possible. Or is it too late? Not if your aim is fast and smart! Armed with your sturdy crossbow, slay skeletons, witches and other abominations who will regret leaving the underworld.

Feathery Ears (Ultimate Games, Fri 8th May, $9.99) A retro-styled 3D platformer that lets players come at challenges from whatever angle they want. Ashley Dengra is a 9th-grade artist with a sketchbook to doodle her “Original Characters” like Misa Ikko, the green-haired, feathery-eared fire sword girl with a great fluffy green tail.

Finding Teddy 2 : Definitive Edition (Storybird) A little girl enters a portal to a world of fantasy called Exidus attempting to save her favorite plush friend… In Exidus, King Tarant rules over his kingdom with the love of his subjects. But this harmony creates envy and hatred among the most malicious subjects.

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted is a collection of classic and original mini-games set in the Five Nights universe.

FLATLAND Vol.1 (QUByte Interactive, Thu 30th April, $4.99) FLATLAND – Vol. 1 is a fast-paced hardcore platformer featuring hand-crafted levels and Lightning-fast respawns. Help Square survive his journey to the depths of Flatland, a minimalist neon-style 2D world.

Fledgling Heroes (Subtle Boom, Today, $9.99) Leap from the nest into a fun-filled adventure! Meet cute feathered friends, each with their own wondrous story to tell, as they dodge dastardly pirate lizARRrds, dash through frozen forests, dive under sunken temples, and flap their way from fledglings to fully-fledged heroes!

Fury Unleashed (Awesome Games, Fri 8th May, $19.99) It’s a game you can even beat in one ultimate combo. Are you up to the task? Ever-changing comic book – Explore the pages of a living comic book where ink is your most valuable resource and each room is a comic panel. Find out why John Kowalsky, creator of acclaimed Fury Unleashed series, is having a creativity crisis and see if you can help him deal with it.

Gerritory (Digital Crafter, Today, $7.99) Gerritory is a 4-player action party game with unique game rules and minimalistic visuals. You and your friends control cube characters to move in various levels and color tiles to score points. The one who is behind the scoreboard can kill another player with a higher point by stepping on them. If you reach the goal point or have the highest point when the time is up, you win!

Ghost Files: Memory of a Crime (Artifex Mundi, Today, $14.99) They say a good story begins with an earthquake and works its way up to a climax. The story of Arthur Christie begins with a painful wake up in a dark basement with an unknown murder victim and memory gaps larger than bullet holes. A moment later the building is surrounded by howling police sirens.

Gravity Rider Zero (QubicGames, Fri 8th May, $6.99) In Gravity Rider Zero, you will be climbing over obstacles, discovering trials to overcome in each level. Giant ramps, lasers, spikes, or good old gravity will try to get in your way. Enjoy a classic solo career progression system: after 3 trails you move onto the next stage.

Highrise Heroes: Word Challenge (Fallen Tree Games, Sat 9th May, $7.99) Following a sudden earthquake, Seb must escape a crumbling skyscraper. Along the way he will make some intriguing new friends, and together they might just unravel the sinister origins of the ‘quake, assuming they can evade the mysterious stalker in close pursuit.

Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms (Codename, Today) Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms is an official Dungeons & Dragons idle game. Idle Champions challenges players to assemble a party of Champions and master the art of Formation Strategy. Players unlock new heroes, upgrade them to reveal special abilities, and collect epic gear.

Infinite – Beyond the Mind (Blowfish Studios, Today, $9.99) Infinite Beyond The Mind is a slick 2D action-platformer where you take on evil Queen Evangelyn Bramann, ruler of The Beljantaur Kingdom as she works towards her dream of world domination. Play as either Tanya or Olga, two girls who have the power to stop the Beljantaur Kingdom’s growing army and take down the evil Queen.

Island Saver (National Westminster Bank, Wed 13th May) Welcome to Savvy! A group of amazing islands need your help! Horrid plastic waste has washed up and you need to sort it out with your trusty Trash Blaster! But look out for the Litterbugs. They love mess and they’re out to muck things up. You need to wash away gloop, collect litter, earn coins and rescue the bankimals!

Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl (The Media Indie Exchange, Today, $14.99) Play as Jay and Silent Bob in a retro 8-bit sidescrolling brawler. Go solo or team up with a friend. Pummel enemies with hard-hitting combos, dash attacks, and elbow drops as well as a random assortment of weapons as you battle your way out of the mall and back to the Quickstop. Read our Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl review.

Jet Lancer (Armor Games, Tue 12th May, $14.99) You are Ash Leguinn: badass pilot, highly paid mercenary, and flight-school dropout. Your day job is fine – the daily grind of dealing with Sky Pirates pays the bills – but nothing compares to the rush of demolishing a ninety-ton mechanical monstrosity at the speed of sound. And you’ll have your chance.

Megabyte Punch (Team Reptile, Fri 8th May, $19.99) Megabyte Punch is an electro beat ‘em up game with platforming elements in which you build your own fighter while playing! Megabyte Punch takes place in a computer universe where you have to protect the Heartcore of your village. You defend your people from the Valk Empire and the dreaded Khoteps in 6 different levels, each with 3 stages and a boss fight!

Monochrome World (CFK, Today, $9.99) The world lost its color all of a sudden. And only the gray remained. Nobody knows how much time has passed since then. I just kept falling from the sky to the ground over and over. I am a raindrop. Then one day, I fell to the place I’ve never been before.

Our Two Bedroom Story (Voltage, Today, $24.99) The Story: You work for a publishing house and decide to start living on your own. But a coworker’s in your new home? ! “This is my house… but you could live with me.” When your new roommate hands you the key, your secret life together begins

PONG Quest (Atari, Today, $14.99) Embark upon an epic adventure in PONG Quest as you take on the challenge for King and country in a journey across numerous themed dungeons populated with all manner of paddles, puzzles and balls. Customize your hero and take up the challenge in new PONG battle gameplay featuring over 50 different types of balls each with their unique abilities.

Reed 2 (Ratalaika Games, Fri 8th May, $4.99) Reed awakens… to the memories of the old supercomputer… Reed failed. The reboot failed and now the digital world is once again breaking down. Before the old supercomputer malfunctioned, it gave Reed backup files that must be delivered to the Developer.

Relic Hunters Zero: Remix (Akupara Games, Today, $12.99) From the creators of the massively popular Relic Hunters Universe comes Relic Hunters Zero: Remix. Alongside a community of millions of fans from around the world, meet the Relic Hunters as they prepare for landing on their console debut! Follow the crew of the Spaceheart as they run, gun, and dodge their way through unrelenting force as they race for the ancient relics against the evil Ducans.

She Sees Red – Interactive Movie (Rhinotales, Wed 13th May, $9.99) Someone has killed several people at a popular nightclub. A lone detective has been assigned to the case, following every clue … wherever it may lead. In this provocative interactive thriller, NOTHING is as it seems! Make choices. Affect change.

Slayin 2 (FDG Entertainment, Today, $11.99) Engage endless hordes of monsters up close as a valiant knight, or shower them with arrows, bombs, and spells using 8 unlockable heroes with completely different skillsets and playstyles. Face the forces of darkness alone or team up with a friend in local co-op with a drop-in multiplayer feature.

Spirit of the North (Merge Games, Today, $24.99) Spirit of the North is a single-player 3rd-person adventure game inspired by the breathtaking and mysterious landscapes of Iceland. The story takes root from various pieces of Nordic folklore. The game is unique in that it purposefully has no dialogue or narrative. Players must breathe in their surroundings to solve various puzzles and speculate the meaning of a lost ancient civilization.

Stone (Convict, Fri 8th May, $14.99) G’day, I’m Stone. Play this feature-length interactive story (don’t expect shooting or winning or losing) and see what happened. Yeah, it was rough, but a good life lesson. Enjoy, and remember don’t do this at home ya bunch of crazy animals. By the way, this story really isn’t going to be for everyone. So enter at your own risk, mate.

Super Mega Baseball 3 (Metalhead Software, Wed 13th May, $44.99) Super Mega Baseball 3 refines the series’ formula with the deepest on-field simulation yet, comprehensive online and offline game modes including a brand new Franchise mode, and vastly improved graphics.

Task Force Kampas (eastasiasoft, Today, $5.99) Drawing inspiration from the golden age of Japanese shoot‘em ups, Task Force Kampas combines retro action with modern conventions, adding new mechanics and randomly generated stages with hand-crafted bosses. In a unique twist, the game can be finished, but skilled players will find a way to continue past the ending and claim even higher scores!

Tennis Club Story (Kairosoft, Today, $14.00) Aim for the ace position of tennis club prestige in this simulation! Your leadership decides if players make it to the big time or bust! Customize your training menu to focus on power or technique, moulding players as you please for competitions, fame, and snazzy sponsors!

The Bullet: Time of Revenge (Art Games Studio, Today, $4.49) Become a Bullet – eliminate bad people using many kinds of weapons, exploring features like driving cars or tanks, flying helicopters or a jet plane. There are many achievements and unlockables that will help spread chaos in the city.

The Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game (Hidden Achievement, Mon 4th May, $16.99) Play Harry Dresden and his friends as they take on the cases from the bestselling Dresden Files novels in the ultimate what-if scenario—what if Harry was on the scene with allies who weren’t there in the original story? The core game includes Harry, Murphy, Susan, Michael, and the Alphas and plays through the first five novels as well as Side Jobs, a random scenario generator based on the short story collection of the same name.

The Elder Scrolls: Blades (Bethesda Softworks, 12 May) From Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of Skyrim, comes The Elder Scrolls: Blades – a classic dungeon crawler reimagined. The Blades, the Empire’s top agents, are forced into exile. On the run, you return to your hometown to find it destroyed. Experience stunning dungeon adventures; create and customise your city, restoring it to greatness; conquer your friends and rivals in epic one-on-one Arena battles; create any character you want and discover unique weapons, armour and abilities; master the never-ending Abyss with a cutting-edge combat system.

So that’s your lot for this week’s North American Nintendo Download. Go on, be a sport and drop a vote in the poll above, and comment below with your hot picks!

Where to Go From Here?

Enough theory, let’s get some practice!

To become successful in coding, you need to get out there and solve real problems for real people. That’s how you can become a six-figure earner easily. And that’s how you polish the skills you really need in practice. After all, what’s the use of learning theory that nobody ever needs?

Practice projects is how you sharpen your saw in coding!

Do you want to become a code master by focusing on practical code projects that actually earn you money and solve problems for people?

Then become a Python freelance developer! It’s the best way of approaching the task of improving your Python skills—even if you are a complete beginner.

Join my free webinar “How to Build Your High-Income Skill Python” and watch how I grew my coding business online and how you can, too—from the comfort of your own home.

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Rider is a .NET IDE by JetBrains, currently heavily focused on Unity game developers.  Recently JetBrains launched a early preview of Rider For Unreal Engine.  Wait a minute you might say… isn’t Rider for C#, while CLion is their C++ IDE, and isn’t C++ the primary language for Unreal Engine developers.  Why yes, you are correct astute reader.  JetBrains however are focusing Rider toward game developers, which includes C++ and to a lesser degree Blueprint support, in addition to C#/.NET support that already exists in rider.

The top 5 reasons to choose Rider according to JetBrains:

1.

A Fast IDE with native C++ support

Rider is powered by ReSharper C++, which offers native and cutting-edge support for modern C++. Users are helped daily by its 250+ code inspections, 50+ context actions, solution-wide refactoring, and code generation abilities.

This is all combined with the IntelliJ Platform’s solid IDE features, such as super-fast navigation, integrated version control, and extensive plugin support. Rider provides this rich feature set without compromising speed or responsiveness.

2.

Knowledgeable about Blueprints

Rider for UE4 doesn’t just work with your C++ code. It also reads the Blueprints (BP) from your project and the Unreal Editor, along with plugins from both. This allows Rider to show the usages in BP files, as well as the values of the overridden properties. When navigating to BP objects, Rider opens them in the Unreal Editor.

3.

Assists with the reflection mechanism

UE4 reflection macros are more than just simple text! To speed up the process of game development, Rider provides code completion for reflection specifiers and shows the documentation in the Quick Documentation popup.

4.

Takes care of the UE4 code style

Rider accommodates UE4 naming conventions across all its actions, which helps keep your code easy to read. Inconsistent UE4 naming inspections detect names that don’t follow the rules and suggest a quick fix.

5.

Profound code analysis & RPC support

Rider ensures that your UE4 code is accurate with the help of specialized UE4 inspections for missing or incorrectly set UE4 reflection macros. Similarly, code navigation and generation actions are set up to deal with UE4 Remote Procedure Calls correctly.

If you want to check out Rider for Unreal Engine, the signup is available here.  You can learn more about Rider for Unreal Engine and see it in action in the video below.

GameDev News Tools Unreal Unity

Angelos

Starting with Visual Studio 16.6 Preview 2 the Connected Services tab offers a new experience called Service Dependencies. You can use it to connect your app to Azure services such as Azure SQL, Storage, Key Vault and many others. Wherever possible local emulation options are also available and more are planned for the future.

Add a new Service Dependency

You can easily and quickly get the right NuGet packages, start-up code and configuration added to your project for every supported Azure service. You simply click add, pick the service from the list and follow the 2-3 steps in the wizard. Here is an example of adding Azure Cosmos DB

Provision a new instance of an Azure service without leaving the IDE

In the above example we re-used an existing instance of Azure Cosmos DB, but you can also create new instances of all the supported Azure services without leaving the IDE. Here is Azure Cosmos DB again as an example of provisioning Azure resources from within Visual Studio

Configure service dependencies for remote environments

Using Visual Studio to publish your app to Azure App Service gives you the opportunity to configure these dependencies for the remote environment you are publishing to. Right click > Publish on your project in Solution Explorer and go through the wizard to create a new publish profile for Azure App Service. At the end you will see a Service Dependencies list already containing all of your application’s dependencies ready to be configured for this remote environment

How it works under the covers

To support all of this Visual Studio creates two new files visible in Solution Explorer under Properties called serviceDependencies.json and serviceDependencies.local.json. Both of these files are safe to check in as they do not contain any secrets.

Visual Studio also creates a file called serviceDependencies.local.json.user which is not visible in Solution Explorer by default. This file contains information that could be considered a secret (e.g. resource IDs in Azure) and we do not recommend you check it in.

Service References

While working on the Connected Services tab we took the opportunity to consolidate our UX and make it the new home for the existing OpenAPI & gRPC Service References table. With everything being in one place now we have routed the Right Click > Add > Service Reference… context menu item in Solution Explorer to the consolidated Connected Services tab.

Feedback

Please give all of the above a try and let us know what you think. Do you wish we supported a feature or Azure service that we don’t already? Please let us know! You can submit a new feature suggestion, leave us comments on this post and report any issues you may encounter using the built-in tools.