Outstanding Games From Baden-Württemberg

The variety of games developed in Baden-Württemberg is truly remarkable, from experimental adventures to rescue games, from 4X browser universes to reimagined classics and cozy experiences.

##### OGame: Gameforge

Although Gameforge is now better known for publishing MMORPGs such as Metin 2, Runes of Magic and Aion, the company from Karlsruhe first made a name for itself with OGame. Released in 2003, the browser game — which stands for “online game” — is still in operation today, meaning it has been running for over 20 years. It is a 4X space strategy game that runs in real time, even when you are not logged in. Players start with a planet, develop it, build economic and military infrastructure. Then they research new technologies, expand their empire, form alliances with other people and fight against others. The success of the game is due to the fact that it‘s easy to get into, fast to play (although some buildings can take days to build) and new players are somewhat protected. The combination of combat, economy, expansion and conquest is generally well received, following the concept of “easy to learn, hard to master”.

Halls of Torment: Chasing Carrots

In just a few weeks, Halls of Torment by Chasing Carrots from Stuttgart has become a phenomenon with six-figure sales and a Steam CCU peak of 26,061, despite its Early Access. The game, which costs just under five Euros, is a mix of Diablo and Vampire Survivors, or rather a horde survival game with a pre-rendered retro look reminiscent of late 1990s RPGs. “A Diablo for in between”, is how project leader Paul Lawitzki described the vision. Several streamers, including Retromation, who attracted a lot of attention with the demo, and Asmongold, who called the title his “favourite game” in a stream, had been generating more and more attention. The title focuses on quick and casual 30-minute runs, quest-based meta progression and a large selection of different abilities, traits and items to create synergies. The team previously released Good Company, an in-depth management sim about building a technology company.

Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams: Black Forest Games

The remakes of Destroy All Humans! and Destroy All Humans! 2 were made by Black Forest Games from Offenburg. The company, which emerged from the bankruptcy of Spellbound in 2012, managed to generate enough interest for a new Giana Sisters with a Kickstarter. In 2013, Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams — Rise of the Owlverlord was released, a fast-paced platformer with two contrasting dream worlds and twisted puzzles, each dream layer has its own musical style with tracks from Chris Hülsbeck and Machinae Supremacy. Since August 2017, Black Forest Games has been a subsidiary of THQ Nordic. Their first joint project was the single-player and co-op survival adventure Fade to Silence, set in a post-apocalyptic world frozen in an eternal winter. The studio is currently working on TMNT: The Last Ronin (The Game), a game set in the world of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In a battle-ravaged New York City, a lone surviving Turtle embarks on a mission to seek justice for the family he lost.

A Juggler‘s Tale: kaleidoscube

The first game from kaleidoscube, based in Stuttgart, is the award-winning A Juggler‘s Tale, which was released on PC and console in 2021. It was praised for its approach to the player-narrator dynamic. In the game, players must guide Abby, a string puppet, through a fairytale world. They must solve puzzles, avoid traps and shake off pursuers on their way to freedom, but can Abby take control of her fate with all the strings attached? The team members first met at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg in 2015, where they developed a passion for creating engaging games. After collaborating on several projects, they founded the studio in 2018. Their next, yet-to-be-announced project will take a more gameplay-driven approach, incorporating a time-based mechanic.

Sticky Business: Spellgarden Games

With Sticky Business, Spellgarden Games from Ludwigsburg, has hit the nail on the head in the cozy games market. In this sticker shop simu­lation, players can create sets from hundreds of colourful sticker templates, wrap them up nicely and send them out to customers. Whether it‘s plants, animals, witches, feelings or di­nosaurs, there are nearly no limits to creativity in Sticky Business. Customers visit the sticker shop to place orders and tell their personal story. In addition to the creative sticker creations, the packaging can also be customised to make customers even happier.

Emergency: sixteen tons entertainment

Founded in 1993, developer studio sixteen tons entertainment started out with Mad News and then went on to create the hugely successful Emergency franchise, proving that real-time strategy games don‘t have to be about warlike conflicts, but can also be about controlling and coordinating rescue forces in the event of accidents and disasters. The first Emergency game was released in 1998, with the sequel following in 2002. Since then, numerous new instalments and mobile versions have followed, as well as Emergency HQ, which was released on iOS & Android in 2018 and also on Switch. It has more than seven million players. The latest instalment, just called Emergency and distributed as a free-to-play title, was released on 15 August 2023 and focuses on cooperative missions.

Screw Drivers: Creactstudios

Creactstudios, based in Karlsruhe, attracted attention this year with Screw Drivers. It‘s a physics-based construction and racing sandbox game on PC via Steam Early Access, in which players can build racing vehicles from a collection of parts, including engines, axles, gears and more. They then race them in single-player and multiplayer matches. The game is free to play. To support development, the devs and publisher Headup are offering paid supporter packs as DLC with a focus on cosmetics. In addition, Screw Drivers is the first graduate of publisher Headup‘s Prototype Programme, where players are invited to provide feedback on the ideas behind a game based on early prototype versions. Headup then takes this feedback into account when deciding whether to greenlight a full release of the game. Creactstudios‘ previous titles include the Cube Racer series, Hotspots Rush and Roopocket.

City Bus Manager: PeDePe

Developer PeDePe from Konstanz and pub­lisher Aerosoft have just released City Bus Manager in June 2024. The game has been in Early Access for almost a year and a half, while the publisher considers this period a success. In this Tycoon-style bus simulation, players build their own bus depot, complete with parking bays, garages, warehouses and maintenance stations, as well as service centres for ticket sales. But it is not just the passengers and customers that need to be taken care of, but also the staff. From their depot, players create bus routes that connect tourist attractions and take passengers to their destinations. Using OpenStreetMap data, players can choose to improve the bus timetable in their hometown, at least virtually, or in a place on the other side of the world. The map is made up of real data, bus stops and points of interest, with the exception of cities in China. The game features bus modding and Steam Workshop integration.

The Inner World & Say No! More: Studio Fizbin

The first game from Studio Fizbin, founded in 2011 in Ludwigsburg, was The Inner World. The 2D point-and-click adventure in a creative world with ambiguous humour was released on PC and consoles. With the help of the mys­terious thief Laura, his best intentions and no clues, the protagonist Robert embarks on an adventure to unravel the mystery of the disappearance of the wind. In 2016, production began on the sequel The Inner World — The Last Wind Monk, which was released on all major platforms in autumn 2017. In May 2021, the studio caused a stir with Say No! More, an NPG (NO!-Playing Game). Basically, you play as an intern with a burning desire to say NO! to everything and everyone. “Touching on timeless and modern issues such as social etiquette, friendship, and workplace standards, this hilarious adventure also has tender depth”, the developers wrote.

The Longing: Studio Seufz

A game as unique as it is extraordinary, The Longing by Studio Seufz is a kind of an idle adventure at the slowest of slow speeds. In total loneliness, deep below the surface, it‘s your task to wait for the awakening of your king... for 400 days. The trick is that as soon as the player starts the game, an inevitable countdown to the 400 days begins — even if the player is not playing and exits the game. The countdown continues even if you quit the game or shut down your computer. The Longing, which can certainly be described as experimental, is not only about depression, loneliness and waiting, but also allows you to explore extensive cave systems, solve puzzles, read literature and discover secrets that may even speed up time a little. Publisher is Application Systems Heidelberg, also from Baden-Württemberg.