Happy August! This month was not the time I was expecting to hear about Silksong news. September 4th huh? I have Hollow Knight in my library but have yet to play it… Err distracted! We’ve been a bit more quiet this month but that doesn’t mean we don’t have more exciting things that happened during the month! From our first title live on Gamepass to a dev log talking about our most recent beta, there’s still plenty of news to go through.
This Dev log will include
- Rain World
- GIGASWORD
- Montabi
- Echo Weaver
- Future Vibe Check
- Airframe Ultra
- Akupara Games
Rain World | Base Game Now on Game Pass
Rain World is our first ever game to join Game Pass!
If you or a friend has been on the fence about checking out Rain World then this is a great time to check it out!
https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/store/rain-world/9PNPFBPLGCMW
GIGASWORD | Coming out on October 2nd
GIGASWORD is one month away from launch! To be honest, we were a bit worried about Silksong news impeding this launch but I think we lucked out there.
GIGASWORD is an adventure metroidvania where you must balance the weight of the Gigasword on your adventure. The Gigasword is not only great for slashing your enemies but also allows you to unlock doors and push down pressure plates. However, with the weight of carrying such a huge sword does come with the downside of your movement being impacted. Will you be able to conquer the rooms that lay ahead of you?
Wishlist GIGASWORD!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1885930/GIGASWORD/
I talked with Jack on how they are preparing for the launch of GIGASWORD.
Hi there giga-friends!
GIGASWORD’s release is right around the corner – October 2nd, to be exact. To celebrate its release, I’d like to take this opportunity to give you guys a comprehensive rundown of what you can expect from the finished game.
A sprawling, maze-like, metroidvania world: Explore 8 unique locations within the Nestrium, a towering and ancient structure that has served as the home of the elusive Nocturne for over five thousand years! Each area features its own unique mechanics and enemies, as well as multiple unlockables and hidden paths to uncover. It’ll take the ultimate adventurer to fully explore this tower… think you’re up for the task?
Epic boss fights: Of course, no heroic quest would be complete without some massive bosses to slay. Muster both your brains and brawn as your face off against foes such as a corrupted plant, a demonic werewolf, and plenty more.
Tons of secrets: GIGASWORD is absolutely PACKED with collectibles. From feathers that increase your max health, to scrolls that offer insight into the lore of the world, to secret portals that transport you to another realm; this tower is chock full of hidden goodies to collect. And for those of you who are particularly explorative, you may just encounter a fuzzy friend who needs your help…
A focus on narrative: Layered on top of all the puzzle solving, enemy slaying, and secret finding is a fully fleshed-out story rich with emotion and brimming with meaning. My greatest hope for this game is that players grow to truly care about these characters I’ve created, as well as the world they inhabit.
I’ve spent the last six years of my life making this game. Now that it’s done, I can confidently say that, despite all the blood, sweat, and tears it took to get here: it came out exactly how I always wanted it to. GIGASWORD is a tapestry of the games that have inspired me most throughout my life. Everything I have ever loved about video games has found its way into this project, either consciously or subconsciously. Since I was maybe five years old, I’ve dreamed of being a developer. It’s surreal to see this dream finally becoming reality. That being said, none of this would have been possible without the support, encouragement, and love that I have received from so many of you.
I want to give a massive thank-you to Akupara Games, who have been the absolute coolest publisher I could have possibly been blessed with. I want to thank all of GIGASWORD’s Kickstarter backers, who have believed in this project since way back in 2022, when all I had to offer was a demo and some Tshirts. I want to thank the GIGASWORD discord community (the GIGA-cord) for being the most encouraging and hilarious group of fans I could ask for. I want to thank my friends and family for endlessly having my back throughout this whole thing.
And I want to thank you. Not only for taking the time to read this, but for showing even the slightest interest in this thing I’ve created. It means the world to me.
Tons of love from me to you,
Jack
Montabi | Playtesting starting now
Playtesters have been trying out the newest build and they have been enjoying it! There are 13 new Montabi that the team wants testing alongside some other cool features.
Montabi is a creature-collector roguelite deckbuilder where you tame creatures and gather a team of Montabi to battle other tamers. Positioning is key! Move your Montabi in a 3×3 grid to advantageous positions to deal the most damage while avoiding the attacks of the enemy. Train your Montabi to grow stronger and learn new skills that you can add to your deck!
I recommend joining the Montabi Discord to keep an eye on sneak peeks and any news on any possible future playtest sessions.
There is a demo out if you want to check that out before deciding if you want to test the new build. It won’t have the new features in the testing but should give a good idea on what to expect and maybe practice.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3141630/Montabi/
Montabi also participated in Hari Game Indonesia with a new trailer! If you missed it, then you can view the trailer here!
I talked with Mankibo, the developers on Montabi, about the beta and what they are working on!
Hi Tamers and Montabi friends,
I hope you’re all doing really well. Once again, thank you for following us, and special thanks to those of you who joined our playtest last month.
In August we focused on adding early drafts for all planned Montabi in the game. In the demo there are 9 species lines of Montabi that players can try, including their evolutions. Now we have added early drafts of 12 new species lines, with evolutions included, making a total of 36 new Montabi.
Early Iteration of New Montabi
Disclaimer: all of this new content is still in an iteration stage. We are currently using placeholder illustrations and icons. The main goal is to test playstyles and validate them with the community. Speaking of validation, we held another community playtest session after gaining a lot of insights during the one at the end of July. So once again if you’re interested in trying out content in development, join our Discord and stay tuned for the next playtest opportunities.
Compared to the last playtest build, this version allows players to try more content:
What’s New in This Version:
- Starter charm for the trainer
- 3 New Elite Bosses
- El Puncho
- Frostmark
- Spikekrieg
- 12 new Montabi species (with evolutions)
- Pylo, Cone Montabi
- Yi Pao, Panda Montabi
- Kaibug, Beast Bug Montabi
- T-1LO, Traffic Light Montabi
- Vem, Vending Machine Montabi
- Cressie, Croissant Bee Montabi
- Blizblaze, Lighter Fire Montabi
- Kyuchi, Samurai Dog Montabi
- Tygo, Boxing Tiger Montabi
- Chottle, Turtle Tree Montabi
- Flamble, Firewood Montabi
- Cacto, Cactus Knight Montabi
- Karabi, Spicy Ramen Montabi
That brings the current total to 22 species lines of Montabi, with 66 Montabi in total including evolutions. Each Montabi above has its own primary playstyle, and many of them can be combined for fun mix-and-match strategies and synergies.
What’s Next:
As mentioned in the previous devlog, our main focus is still on implementing Montabi, iterating, and making them fun to play. This August playtest helps us collect valuable feedback and opinions about the new Montabi. Once again, this was a closed playtest, but you can join our playtester group on Discord.
We will also be focusing on adjusting and adding new content to support these Montabi:
- Adjustments to existing charms and equipment
- New charms
- New equipment
- New supplies
- Additional Elites and Bosses
Thank you so much for all your support! Come hang out with us on Discord, share Montabi with your friends, and if you enjoyed the demo, don’t forget to hit that wishlist button. See you next month!
Future Vibe Check | Featured in Tiny Teams
Every time I bring up Future Vibe Check I think how cool it would be to make a factory of different theme songs. Future Vibe Check was featured in Tiny Teams which is a showcase exhibiting tons of games being developed by small teams.
https://store.steampowered.com/sale/TinyTeams2025
We talked to Unwise, the developer behind Future Vibe Check, about developing his first title in this short podcast!
Something I have learned over the few months of working with him is that he is very knowledgeable in music theory and has the skills to blend that in with game development. Unwise this month wanted to talk about melodies in Future Vibe Check.
Unwise here. Let’s talk about melodies and how we approach them in Future Vibe Check. This builds on top of our previous post on chord progressions which you can find HERE.
- Understanding Melody: The Core Concept
In music theory, melody refers to a sequence of pitches arranged in a linear fashion, forming a recognizable line that conveys emotion and narrative. Unlike harmony, which involves simultaneous notes (as in chords), or rhythm, which governs timing, melody emphasizes the succession of individual tones over time. It serves as the “voice” of a composition, often the most memorable aspect, guiding the listener through tension and resolution.
Melodies derive their character from intervals (the distance between pitches), contour (the shape of the line, such as ascending or descending), and rhythm. In human perception, effective melodies balance repetition for familiarity with variation for interest, adhering to principles like Gestalt psychology, where the brain seeks patterns and closure.
- Melody in Future Vibe Check: Procedural Generation and Gameplay Integration
In Future Vibe Check, melody generation is handled by a dedicated system within our procedural music engine, ensuring that melodies align with the game’s harmonic foundation (chord progressions) and rhythmic structure (dynamic measures). This is achieved by intelligently selecting pitches based on player-influenced parameters and what has been crafted in the automation loop.
First, we select a chord tone to maintain harmonic coherence. This method randomly selects a chord degree (e.g., root, third, fifth, or seventh) from a predefined seventh chord structure and an octave from available ranges. We then map this to actual pitches by offsetting from the current key, mode, and scale, ensuring the melody fits the progression generated at measure boundaries (as detailed in our chord progressions log).
We then incorporate redundancy avoidance: if a note would repeat redundantly from the previous step, there’s a probability (tunable) to shift it, preventing monotony.
Next, we determine an appropriate melodic motion, or how the pitch feels in relation to the previous one in the melody. Should the pitch support a conjunct (connected to the previous pitch), disjunct (leaps to introduce a bit of energy), ascending (build anticipation), descending (provide resolution), or undulating (create balance) motion.
Finally, as a melody is being generated, there is a craftable parameter to have a repeating melody where the melodic structure and “motion” is stored and can be repeated based on its timing within a progression. This means that melodies can “fit” the player’s composition in an emergent fashion but can be repeated for consistency, to mirror real composition.
We have a lot of exciting plans in melodic generation in the future including things like leitmotifs (reusable theme structures…think Imperial March from Star Wars) too!
In our next entries, we will discuss a bit more about our evolving conveyor belt model, MIDI support, and the road to BETA!
Much Love,
Unwise
Echo Weaver | New Demo
First off before I dive into Echo Weaver, I made a Pizzacat Pizza! How did I do?
For those who don’t know Pizzacat, this is Intermind! A helpful little cat who appears in Echo Weaver and guides you through the loop!
Speaking of the demo, if you were watching The MIX, you would have seen that Echo Weaver has a completely new demo that was released last week!
If you would like to meet Pizzacat, you can check out the new Echo Weaver demo. Remember to keep moving though, you only have 10 seconds to get through the door.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2184080/Echo_Weaver/
Airframe Ultra | Beta 3 Dev Log
Last month we ran Beta 3, which includes the new map of Ocean Drive with a wall filled with community art and brought back the track Storm Drain with a new rain mechanic which affects the visibility and water level throughout the map.
I went into deeper details and displayed some of what the community made and found during the beta in this dev log!
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2522120/view/668340807104726000
Akupara Games | Fae Monique shortlisted in MCV/DEVELOP Women In Games Awards 2025!
Our very own senior social media manager Fae Monique joined the shortlist in the MCV/DEVELOP Women In Games Awards for Games Campaigner!
I talked with Fae on this surprise and how they feel about being nominated!
I’m honored to be nominated in the Games Campaigner category for the MCV/DEVELOP Women in Games Awards 2025!
Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of launching multiple titles with UK developers across platforms, from Cabernet and Sorry We’re Closed to Cryptmaster’s console debut. My approach centers on giving audiences authentic glimpses into each game’s story and core vision, even within limited word counts or short-form video formats.
What drives my work is championing the unique voices behind these games. Each title represents deeply personal creative expression from developers whose stories deserve worldwide recognition when showcased effectively. I’m particularly passionate about elevating games like Cabernet and Sorry We’re Closed, which feature meaningful LGBTQ+ narratives and diverse casting.
Video games offer something no other medium can: the power to literally let players walk in someone else’s shoes. I believe in using this unique quality to foster greater understanding and showcase stories from all walks of life.
Thank you to whoever nominated me!
If you want to hear more news on these titles, then join our Akupara Discord, or follow us on Bluesky, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram!