18 Jan

News about our upcoming game

Albeit we’re trying to sort out a few technical issues right now, we’ve not stopped working! In fact, we started 2024 working hard! We’re thrilled to announce that we’re hard at work on a new Match 3 game project, as we commented previously. While we can’t reveal all the details just yet, we couldn’t contain our excitement and wanted to share a sneak peek into what’s to come. Rest assured, there’s plenty to look forward to! First and foremost, we’re planning to release not just one, but two versions of the game: a standard edition and a Collector’s Edition, following a similar approach to our management of Nocturnarya and Spooky Dwellers 2. We believe that this will cater to the diverse preferences of our gaming community. Whether you’re a casual player or a dedicated collector, we’ve got you covered!

The development process is in full swing, with all the levels of the game already designed (90 for the standard version, 150 for the Collector’s Edition). Our artist is currently pouring her creativity into crafting stunning visuals that will transport players into a captivating setting. The game will revolve around a female lead who is determined to beat the odds and surpass those who have disparaged her.

However, we must admit that there’s still a lot of work ahead. We’re currently focused on designing the minigames and other essential elements that will make this game stand out. Stay tuned for more updates in the upcoming weeks as we reveal more about this new project. We like how the game is coming out and can’t wait to share it with all of you!

26 Dec

Nocturnarya among the best Match 3 games of the year!

Hello fans and players of Nocturnarya! We are thrilled to announce that our vampire-themed Match 3 game has captured the 3rd spot in the Best Match 3 games of the year on Big Fish Games, the largest casual games portal! For a small studio like us, this is an incredible achievement! You can see the full list of winners here: Best games of 2023 on Big Fish Games.

Big Fish Games Best Match 3 games of 2023

First and foremost, we want to extend our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you who has supported and played Nocturnarya. Your enthusiasm, feedback, and dedication have been instrumental in making this achievement possible. We couldn’t have done it without your continuous support, and we are truly humbled by the overwhelming response to our game. We want to thank our artists, beta testers, and especially you, the fans of Nocturnarya.

Incidentally, in 2022, we also clinched that 3rd spot on Big Fish Games with Spooky Dwellers.

Big Fish Games Best Match 3 games of 2022

We’d also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the other winners of the Best Match 3 games of the year. It’s important to acknowledge the remarkable talent and hard work put into creating these amazing games, from well-established franchises. Furthermore, we want to extend our appreciation to all the developers of the Match 3 games released this year, and we commend your efforts in pushing the boundaries of this genre. I feel that the Match 3 games released this year were really good.

Once again, thank you for being a part of our Nocturnarya journey. We are excited to continue delivering captivating and enjoyable gaming experiences to all of you. Stay tuned for more updates and new games!

20 Dec

Merry Christmas and happy 2024!

Dear Players,

As 2023 comes to a close, we’d like to take a moment to wish each and every one of you a merry Christmas and a happy 2024. We hope this festive season brings you joy, laughter, and precious moments with your loved ones.

IKIGames Merry Christmas

Looking ahead to 2024, we’re already hard at work on exciting new projects. One of our main focuses is the development of a brand-new Match 3 game. We can’t wait to share more details with you in the coming months. Additionally, we have plans to create a hidden object game. All our latest games include hidden objects minigames, but a full fledged hidden object game is a complex beast. Ultimately, the realization of our hidden object game in 2024 will depend on a variety of factors. We’re exploring all possibilities.

Before we bid farewell to 2023, we want to express our deepest gratitude for your unwavering support throughout the year. Your enthusiasm for our latest games, Nocturnarya and Spooky Dwellers 2, has been truly heartwarming. We are humbled by the messages and encouraging words you have shared with us. Your invaluable feedback motivates us to push boundaries and deliver the best gaming experiences possible.

We’re excited to continue this journey with you, our amazing players. Together, let’s make 2024 a year filled with unforgettable adventures, thrilling challenges, and countless moments of fun.

Once again, we extend our warmest wishes for a merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Thank you for being a part of our gaming community!

22 Nov

Localization of Nocturnarya is completed

The localization of Nocturnarya took exactly one month. It was a complex project, with numerous dialogue lines and a few challenging sections, as discussed in a previous post. Some terms posed difficulties during translation, such as Blood Cartridge, Fang Sword, Bloody Spirit, Diabolical Nurse, and others. We included the option to switch between vampiress and vampire identities for narrative purposes, without any impact on gameplay (our tests confirmed that there were no bugs resulting from this feature).

Raphaela speaking in French
Raphaela speaking in French

Submissions of the localized versions of Nocturnarya (German, French, Spanish, Dutch, Italian and Portuguese) are already underway, to our regular publishers. These localized versions will be available for Windows only, and there are no plans for a Steam release. All in all, considering both the time spent on localization and the development of the original English game, Nocturnarya stands as our largest project to date. Since Spooky Dwellers 2 was already localized in September, we can now shift our focus towards developing a new game.

Regarding this new project, we’re still discussing a few ideas. One of our goals for 2024 is creating at least one Match 3 game, that’s for sure. However, we’d like to explore other genres, if time and budget permit. We’ll likely write a post when we have clearer ideas about our next title. Stay tuned! 🙂

11 Nov

Nocturnarya: localized versions

Our current project is the localization of Nocturnarya Collector’s Edition. As usual, our target languages are: German, French, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. It’ll be a Windows-only release. This localization is a daunting task, which comprises a few intricate parts:

  • The Story: Nocturnarya’s story is a bit long, as the game builds a particular vampire lore, with adventure, scheming, military invaders, treasons and loyalty. The game portrays several characters of which the most important is you, the player. At its core, it’s a battle between you and Grysmore, the boss of the human invaders.
  • The vampire and the vampiress: In the original English game, you can choose how you want to be referred to as the story progresses: as a vampire, a vampiress, or a rockstar renegade. Localizing this is tricky, because of articles and genre-specific details in all the target languages. We’ll be removing the rockstar renegade option, and will do our best to keep the vampire and vampiress options. However, if it proves to be too error-prone we’ll just scrap this option altogether.
  • The Village: The game has a section that allows you to build a 3D village for your vampire tribe. However, the help window and the tutorials amount to a lot of text to translate.
  • The Match 3 levels: This includes all the help texts, instructions and user interface of the Match 3 levels.
  • Collector’s Edition goodies: Last but not least, we’ll have to translate the extra stories and minigames offered as Collector’s Edition exclusive bonuses.

If everything goes smoothly, this localization should be completed by the end of this month.

Nocturnarya Sammleredition
Nocturnarya Sammleredition
04 Nov

Spooky Dwellers games on Steam

Finally both Spooky Dwellers games are on Steam! Are you ready to embark on a thrilling and spine-chilling journey? Spooky Dwellers 1 is a Match 3 game that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Dive into a haunted world filled with mysterious dwellers and challenging Match 3 puzzles. With its unique blend of match-making and puzzle-solving, Spooky Dwellers 1 offers an immersive gameplay experience that will leave you craving for more. Unleash your strategic skills as you match tiles to lead the light of sacred talismans to banish the spooky dwellers!

But the excitement doesn’t end there. Brace yourself for even more thrills with Spooky Dwellers 2 (we announced the game release on Steam in this post). Building upon the success of its predecessor, Spooky Dwellers 2 takes the spooky dwellers gameplay to new heights with even trickier challenges and an enhanced 3D playground. Spooky Dwellers 2 will keep you entertained for hours, as you strive to conquer each puzzle within the dark corners of a ghostly house.

So, if you’re ready for an adventure that will test your wits and send shivers down your spine, look no further than Spooky Dwellers 1 and its sequel, Spooky Dwellers 2. Get ready to match, solve, and unravel the mysteries that await in this hauntingly addictive Match 3 game! And get all the Steam achievements in both games to prove your mastery of Spooky Dwellers!

31 Oct

Happy Halloween with Spooky Dwellers 2

Are you ready to immerse yourself in a spooky Match 3 adventure this Halloween? We have the perfect game for you, and it’s now 30% off. Step into the eerie world of Spooky Dwellers 2 Collector’s Edition and cast out ghosts, solve mind-bending puzzles, and unravel macabre stories that will send shivers down your spine.

And that’s not all. Spooky Dwellers 2 offers a spooky playground where you can unleash your creativity and embrace the Halloween spirit. Imagine being able to purchase spooky houses, haunted buildings, and an array of Halloween objects that will make your hair stand on end. Then, unleash your inner designer as you strategically place these bone-chilling elements on a 3D terrain. With Spooky Dwellers 2, the possibilities are endless. Whether you prefer a haunted house or a graveyard filled with eerie tombstones, you have the power to create your own frightful masterpiece. Also, here’s a guide for the game, comprising the tricky levels. And the best part? It’s now available at an incredible 30% off on Steam for a limited time only. So don’t miss out on this spooktacular opportunity. Grab your discounted copy today and let the Halloween festivities begin.

Get ready to cast out ghosts, solve creepy puzzles, read macabre stories, and create your own terrifying world. Happy Halloween!

05 Dec

Next game: Nocturnarya

We’re currently focused on our next Match 3 game, entitled Nocturnarya. At the time of this writing, the vampiric story is fully completed and all the new code for level design is already tested. Regarding the gameplay, our goal with Nocturnarya is to include a few levels with a bit of screen scrolling, and also a new type of path on the boards. And some Match 3 puzzles, of course.

According to our plans, the game should be completed by Q2 2023. Hopefully. For the time being, here’s the logo and Raphaela’s guidance.

Nocturnarya’s Logo
Raphaela

The kingdom of Nocturnarya has been done in by the human troops. Follow Raphaela or perish!

Update (September, 2023): Nocturnarya is now available here on ikigames.com, both the Collector’s Edition and the Standard edition. And the guide for Nocturnarya can be found here. Furthermore, a lot of things were changed in the final version of the game, including the logo originally presented in this post.

21 Sep

Coming Soon: Spooky Dwellers

Spooky Dwellers

Update: Here’s a guide for Spooky Dwellers, comprising levels from both the Standard and the Collector’s Edition.

After several months of hard work, our new Match 3 game is complete. The name of the game is Spooky Dwellers and it features a cool and fun mechanic. Essentially, on most of the Spooky Dwellers boards there are ghosts on the edges (the dwellers), and there are also sacred talismans that emit a light to repel those ghosts. Your goal is to destroy obstacles on the board and direct the light towards the ghosts. Of course, there are also several mini-games, such as hidden objects.

Furthermore, the game will have 2 versions: Standard, and Collector’s Edition (which includes 60 bonus levels, more mini-games and many other features). These versions will be available for Windows and, hopefully, macOS (still a work in progress).
The game should be available for sale next month. We hope you like it 🙂

09 Apr

Coming up: Suddenly Meow 3

After helping the fairies in Suddenly Meow 2, Tim is gearing up for a new adventure. If everything goes well, we should have a beta of Suddenly Meow 3 by the end of this month, looking forward to a May release. In this new version we’ll be adding more usability features and further Match 3 challenges! 90 new levels with plenty of Match 3 puzzles! You’ll have to put your thinking cap on!

Suddenly Meow 3 Teaser
Spooky and Tim