Rock Paper Shotgun Frozen Synapse Feed

enWed, 03 May 2023 16:24:11 +0000The 50 best strategy games to play on PChttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-best-strategy-games-on-pcKatharine CastleFri, 06 Nov 2020 13:00:18 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-best-strategy-games-on-pcMohawk GamesTantalus MediaXbox OneCompany of HeroesSplash DamageTindalos InteractiveImperator: RomeFuncomSix Ages: Ride Like The WindThird personDesperados 3Mode 7 GamesPS4THQ1c-SoftClubIron Lore EntertainmentBattlefleet Gothic: Armada 2Endless LegendHumankindTHQ WirelessDune II: The Battle for ArrakisiOSWarhammer 40000: MechanicusNintendo DSTotal War: Warhammer IIBestest BestsIntroversion Software2KDistant Worlds: UniverseBlizzard EntertainmentCrusader Kings IIIMultiplayer CompetitivePCMacMimimi GamesMultiplayer CooperativeNeptune's PrideAge of Empires II: Definitive EditionTotal War: Shogun 2Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War - SoulstormTextXbox Game StudiosDefconHellbent GamesPuzzleCreative AssemblyStardockWarhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - DaemonhuntersUbisoftUbisoft EntertainmentThey Are BillionsXCOM 2Nintendo SwitchParadox Development StudioAMPLITUDE StudiosAnno 1800Xbox Series X/SFrontier FoundryHeroes Of Might & Magic IIITotal War: Three KingdomsXbox 360Supreme-CommanderStrategy: Turn-Based StrategyCommand & Conquer Remastered CollectionUbisoft Blue ByteInto the BreachStarCraft II: Wings Of LibertyAspyrKasedo GamesGas Powered Games2K GamesElectronic ArtsMarvel's Midnight SunsSide viewAction AdventureFocus Home InteractiveSid Meier's Alpha CentauriUFO: Enemy UnknownSlipwaysCard GamesPS5EAStrategyIceberg InteractiveHarebrained SchemesStoicGears TacticsInvisible Inc.SegaKlei EntertainmentBulwark StudiosStellarisStardock CorporationFTL: Faster Than LightOffworld Trading CompanyBattleTechIndieShiro GamesPS1Europa Universalis IVPlayStation VitaRPGVersus EvilSingle PlayerThe Banner SagaBlitWorksRelic EntertainmentSimulationFiraxis GamesAndroidParadox InteractiveBird view / IsometricDruidstone: The Secret of the Menhir ForestKitfox GamesFocus Entertainment1C CompanySid Meier's Civilization 6The Creative AssemblyMutant Year Zero: Road To EdenTHQ NordicNorthgardUnity of CommandFrozen SynapseBeetlewingStrategy: Real-Time Strategy

Strategy games is an enormous genre in PC gaming, with real-time, turn-based, 4X and tactics games all flying the same flag to stake their claim as the one true best strategy game. Our list of the best strategy games on PC covers the lot of them. We like to take a broad view here at RPS, and every game listed below is something we firmly believe that you could love and play today. You'll find 30-year-old classics nestled right up against recent favourites here, so whether you're to the genre or want to dig deep for some hidden gems, we've got you covered. Here are our 50 best strategy games for 2023.

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Mode 7 co-founder leaves to do brain sciencehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/mode-7-co-founder-leaves-to-do-brain-scienceAlice O'ConnorMon, 18 Mar 2019 16:50:13 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/mode-7-co-founder-leaves-to-do-brain-scienceFrozen SynapseFrozen CortexBusinessFrozen Synapse 2Mode 7 GamesStrategy

Ian Hardingham, the co-founder of Mode 7 Games, has left the Frozen Synapse studio and the games industry altogether for a new career as a bona fide brain science man working on detecting Alzheimer's disease. Goodness me. This does sadly mean that Mode 7 are winding down development a bit, still making the odd small-ish game or two and publishing others but no longer planning "large-scale" games of their own. That's a shame as they've made some crackers but I suppose it is also good to, y'know, work against a horrifying disease.

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Wot I think: Frozen Synapse 2https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-2-reviewNic ReubenThu, 13 Sep 2018 16:00:22 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-2-reviewReviewsFeatureFrozen Synapse 2Mode 7 GamesWot I ThinkFrozen SynapseStrategy

Frozen Synapse 2’s campaign puts you in charge of a security force in a sprawling, cyberpunk metropolis where a rogue AI threatens the safety of the populace. It also lets you choose your character’s name, honorific, and organisation. So, naturally, it was time for Grand Moff Godzilla Johnson to lead the CyberBois to victory.

This is, of course, the sequel to 2011's Frozen Synapse. Through procedurally generated, isometric, neon maps, you’ll gradually fill out snaps of real-time play with tactical minutiae. Individual units can be commanded to move from point to point, to turn and aim, to duck and stand, to cover certain zones, to focus on or ignore certain enemies, and to wait for specific periods of time before and after doing any of these, in any combination.

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City-scale cyberstrategy game Frozen Synapse 2 launches and executes next weekhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-2-out-september-13thDominic TarasonWed, 05 Sep 2018 17:56:54 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-2-out-september-13thFrozen SynapseFrozen Synapse 2Mode 7 GamesStrategySimulation

Maybe there's something to all these tactics games. They're sneaky - you blink, and you're flanked with nowhere to hide. Today's second surprise announcement in the genre is that Frozen Synapse 2 launches next week on Thursday, September 13th. Jack me in.

Frozen Synapse 2 is a vastly more ambitious beast than its purely tactical predecessor. Developer Mode 7 have taken the tense turn-based combat of the first game and transplanted it into a dynamic campaign set across a procedurally generated city. Check out the new trailer below, giving a tantalising peek at its glowing neon world erupting into flames.

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Shock! Horror! Frozen Synapse 2 delayed into 2018https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-2-delayed-to-2018Alice O'ConnorThu, 21 Dec 2017 16:39:47 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-2-delayed-to-2018delayFrozen SynapseFrozen Synapse 2Mode 7 GamesStrategy

If you've set up a second advent calendar for the release of Frozen Synapse 2, knowing that the turn-based tactical squad shooter's release window of "2017" means we can only be days away from its launch, ah, I'm sorry to bring bad news. While a delay has seemed clear as the year ticked down, developers Mode 7 have now made that official. Frozen Synapse 2 is now due some time in 2018. Perhaps you'll use the Christmas hols to create a new 365-day calendar counting this new window of possibility. For now, here, see some pretty simulated cities and top-down action in this new dev video:

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The 23 best bite-size games for busy liveshttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/best-short-gamesAlec MeerFri, 05 May 2017 18:00:58 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/best-short-gamesXbox OneEdmund McMillenHexcells InfiniteNadeoThe Signal From TölvaThird personDevolver DigitalMode 7 GamesPS4No CodeProteusSquare EnixThe Binding of Isaac: AfterbirthiOSTwisted Tree GamesHitmanThirty Flights of LovingCROWS CROWS CROWSAbzuDinosaur Polo ClubFeatureArcade80 DaysBlizzard EntertainmentMultiplayer CompetitiveMMORPGValve SoftwarePCinkleMacMultiplayer CooperativeTextRacingPuzzleKentucky Route ZeroUbisoftNintendo SwitchShooterXbox 360PlayismStrategy: Turn-Based StrategyTrackmania Turbo505 GamesStories UntoldElectronic ArtsSide viewFrogwaresAction AdventureSorathHer StoryCard GamesCardboard ComputerGiant SquidPlatformerFirst personSportsValveValve CorporationActivision BlizzardStrategyPS3Devil DaggersPoint and ClickCurve DigitalIndieOverwatchPlayStation VitaRPGTri SynergyRocket LeagueSingle PlayerRhythmPlaydeadVirtual RealitySam BarlowMicrosoft StudiosSimulationEd Key, David KanagaInsideBird view / IsometricNicalisMini MetroPsyonix StudiosPortalDr. Langeskov The Tiger and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind HeistTharsisIO InteractiveFrozen Synapse

I am dad, hear me whinge. Too many games, not enough spare time, for all my non-work hours are spent kissing grazed knees, explaining why you cannot eat the food in that cupboard, constructing awful Lion King dioramas out of toilet roll tubes and being terrified that the next jump from the sofa to the armchair will go fatally wrong. I'm lucky in that my job to some extent involves playing games, so by and large if there's something I really want to check out I can find a way to, but I appreciate that there are many long-time, older or otherwise time-starved readers for whom RPS is a daily tease of wondrous things they cannot play.

Now, clearly I cannot magically truncate The Witcher 3 into three hours for you, but what I can do is suggest a few games from across the length and breadth of recent PC gaming that can either be completed within a few hours or dipped into now and again without being unduly punished because you've lost your muscle-memory.

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Flame on: Frozen Synapse 2's tactical weaponryhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-2-tacticalAdam SmithWed, 16 Nov 2016 13:58:29 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-2-tacticalFrozen SynapseIndieFrozen Synapse 2Mode 7 GamesStrategy

Frozen Synapse 2 [official site] continues to be one of the more exciting games on the horizon, which is a relief given that I'm quoted saying almost exactly that in the latest trailer. It's the AI factions and simulated city that acts as a backdrop to the tactical action that I'm most excited about, but the good ol' tactical combat of the original game is the foundation on which the rest is built. Here you can see how new weaponry will change that, and marvel at how smoke grenades and flamethrowers look so lovely in the game's visual style.

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Apocalyptic Incursions: Frozen Synapse 2 Dev Videohttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-2-xcomAdam SmithMon, 06 Jun 2016 09:52:33 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-2-xcomFrozen SynapseIndieFrozen Synapse 2Mode 7 GamesStrategy

Frozen Synapse 2 [official site] is the game I'm most looking forward to this year. Yes, there's the not insignificant matter of Civ VI out there on the horizon, but there's something about the combination of Laser Squad and X-COM Apocalypse that really gets me hot and bothered. In case the Apocalypse connection weren't already explicit enough - the simulated faction-filled city as backdrop to strategic combat game being the clue - the first devblog for the game namechecks the least-imitated X-COM game almost immediately. You can enjoy the blog, which covers the central incursion mechanic, in either text or video format. The latter is below.

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Impressions: TASTEE: Lethal Tacticshttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tastee-lethal-tacticsAlec MeerTue, 10 May 2016 19:00:16 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tastee-lethal-tacticsStrategyimpressionsFrozen SynapseFeature

I'm surprised it took the world this long to do a smash'n'grab on Frozen Synapse's extremely clever 'turn preview' approach to turn-based strategy. Mode 7 themselves are working on an open-world, slightly more singleplayer-focused follow-up to their 'simultaneous turn-based tactics' squad shooter, but in the meantime we get the rather more colourful, appallingly-named TASTEE. For once, I'm not going to hurl XCOM compari-bombs around the place, and look instead to another old dear of TBS: Jagged Alliance.

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From Alpha Centauri To Apocalypse: The Design And Inspirations Behind Frozen Synapse 2https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/from-alpha-centauri-to-apocalypse-the-design-and-inspirations-behind-frozen-synapse-2Adam SmithWed, 20 Apr 2016 20:00:42 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/from-alpha-centauri-to-apocalypse-the-design-and-inspirations-behind-frozen-synapse-2PreviewsFrozen Synapse PrimeFrozen CortexFeatureFrozen Synapse 2Mode 7 GamesFrozen SynapseStrategy

Frozen Synapse 2 [official site] is, without a doubt, one of the most exciting games I've ever seen. I've spent a long time considering how best to put my thoughts about it into words, having met with Paul Kilduff-Taylor, composer of lovely electronica and co-founder of Mode 7 Games, to see how development was progressing. The simple fact is, it ticks so many boxes in the 'dream game' column that extreme enthusiasm is entirely appropriate. Here's why.

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Frozen Synapse 2 Reveals Gorgeous Procedural Citieshttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-2-procedural-citiesAdam SmithFri, 11 Mar 2016 13:05:49 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-2-procedural-citiesFrozen SynapseIndieFrozen Synapse 2Mode 7 GamesStrategy

We learned that Frozen Synapse 2 [official site] was in development last month and now we know what it is. Yes, it's a tactical combat game, featuring customised squads controlled using a simultaneous turn-based system. But what about this open-world malarkey that was promised?

It looks like the gorgeous offspring of Syndicate Wars and Introversion's cancelled Subversion, which was set to feature procedurally generated cities with breachable buildings. That's true here as well - a new city every time and you can infiltrate every building. The trailer, below, is as exciting as any I've seen this year.

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Open World Tactics: Frozen Synapse 2 Announcedhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-2-announcedAdam SmithWed, 10 Feb 2016 14:52:45 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-2-announcedFrozen SynapseFrozen CortexFrozen Synapse 2IndieMode 7 GamesStrategy

What a time to be alive. Not a moon pie in sight but 2016 is already looking like a fantastic smorgasbord of tactical treats. It's early February and yet we've already seen XCOM 2 and Darkest Dungeon. Now, to make my turn-based existence even more exciting, Mode 7 have announced a full-blown sequel to the supremely entertaining Frozen Synapse . Rather than going with Endzones or Cortexes, as with their sporty spin-off, the team have gone with the self-explanatory Frozen Synapse 2 [official site]. Details are thin on the ground but it'll be "open world" and it's coming this year.

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Wot I Think: Frozen Cortexhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/wot-i-think-frozen-cortexFraser BrownTue, 24 Feb 2015 13:00:11 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/wot-i-think-frozen-cortexSportsFrozen CortexReviewsFeatureMode 7 GamesWot I ThinkFrozen SynapseFrozen Endzone

Frozen Cortex [official site], formerly Frozen Endzone, is a futuristic American Football analogue where surprisingly graceful robots take the place of fleshy, armour-clad men. It's evocative of Speedball and Blood Bowl, but it's really Frozen Synapse wrapped in the theme of competitive team sports. The result's a purely strategic and tactical game, entirely absent RNG, with players taking their turns simultaneously. I'm quite bad at it.

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Have You Played... Frozen Synapse?https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/have-you-played-frozen-synapseAlec MeerTue, 02 Dec 2014 15:30:59 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/have-you-played-frozen-synapseFrozen SynapseHave You PlayedFeature

Have You Played? is an endless stream of game recommendations. One a day, every day of the year, perhaps for all time.

It's bittersweet that so many games are doing the XCOM thing lately (not to mention that they're not doing the X-COM thing). The great thing about the great turn-based, squad-based strategy comeback was it picking up a ball that had been dropped years ago, but now perhaps we're in danger of the whole thing atrophying. There's a whole lot more to experiment with there, rather then rest on genre laurels. For example, Frozen Synapse, which does turn-based combat as rapid-fire prediction.

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Frozen Synapse Prime PC Announced, Reforges Originalhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-primeBen BarrettSun, 02 Nov 2014 13:00:28 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-primeDouble ElevenMode 7 GamesFrozen Synapse PrimeFrozen Synapse

Hang on, that's not the contrasting green, blue and red I'm used to! There's been a robbery of extreme colour, replacing it with bluish greys and skyline backdrops! Just one of the changes made to Frozen Synapse in the Prime version that's coming to Steam on November 14th. It's a port of the Vita, uh, port with some added goodies. I actually quite like the old Synapse art, it's simple but unique and nicely abstracted enough from the usually quite extreme violence being committed. Fit the tactical feel of the game as a whole, too. The other changes are less controversial and there's a trailer to show them off.

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Mode Seven Explain Why Frozen Cortex Left The Frendzonehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-cortexAlec MeerTue, 22 Jul 2014 12:00:07 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-cortexFrozen CortexFrozen EndzoneMode 7 GamesFrozen Synapse

Frozen Synapse developers Mode Seven have been quietly talking about changing the name of their exceedingly clever but regrettably-titled strategic robo-sports game Frozen Endzone for some time now. Tired of all the friendzone puns and concerned about how much it overstated the American Football aspect, they've only gone and done it. Frozen Endzone is no more: as of today we have Frozen Cortex. Or, Frendzone is no more: now we have FroCo.

The name isn't all that's changed. As of any minute now, Frozen Cortex also boasts a new, more heavily sci-fi look, revamped AI, a big performance boost and Mac/Linux builds. This is a major update, not a mere rebrand. I had a chat with Mode Seven's Paul Taylor and Ian Hardingham about why they've changed so much after so long - including their reasoning for (and risks of) that rebranding. Read on for that and a glimpse of the new-look game.

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Player Stats & Pitch Editors: Frozen Endzone's Patchzonehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-endzone-patchAlec MeerMon, 09 Dec 2013 15:00:52 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-endzone-patchFrozen EndzoneMode 7 GamesFrozen Synapse

I dug strategy/futuresports robo-tournament Frozen Endzone, but while I'm well aware it's just in beta form for now I'm very much in need of more personality (and in the game, etc) and variety if I'm to be in it for the long haul. Fortunately devs Mode 7 have detailed their plans for the game's first major update, and it sounds as though they'll be tackling HAHA LIKE IN SPORT quite a few of grumbles I grumbled its way, grumblily.

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Impressions: Frozen Endzonehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/impressions-frozen-endzoneAlec MeerThu, 05 Dec 2013 08:00:45 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/impressions-frozen-endzoneimpressionsFeatureMode 7 GamesFrozen Synapsehands onFrozen Endzone

Frozen Endzone is a primarily multiplayer turn-based strategy game about robots playing American Football. Calling it the result of XCOM and Speedball having one hot night together wouldn't be entirely inaccurate, but it has rather more in common with its acclaimed predecessor, Frozen Synapse. Its beta is out today.

Yes, yes, Friendzone, Cold Arse, jolly good, we've all giggled about it enough times now. I'm going to give you thirty seconds to get it all out of your system.

(I really would have changed the game name if I were Mode 7, but I do admire their resolve).

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Synapse Judgment: Frozen Endzone Trailer Touches Downhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/synapse-judgment-frozen-endzone-trailer-touches-downNathan GraysonTue, 03 Dec 2013 08:00:40 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/synapse-judgment-frozen-endzone-trailer-touches-downFrozen EndzoneMode 7 GamesFrozen Synapse

Are you ready for some hard-hitting, neon-sweat-slick (but not like in those silly Gatorade commercials) eSports? I mean that literally, too: Frozen Synapse developer Mode 7 has devised its very own electronic sport. Balls are thrown, touchdowns are scored, lives are at stake. OK, maybe not so much that last one, but that's not to say that Frozen Endzone is a total departure from Frozen Synapse's simultaneous turn-based battle of wits and weaponry. For one, it reprises the latter's brand of two-steps-ahead-or-else-you're-dead strategy, and also an inordinate number of things are blue. Something for everyone! Watch it in action and learn about the right-around-the-corner beta below.

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Frozen Endzone Beta Will Touchdown In Novemberhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-endzone-beta-will-touchdown-in-novemberCraig PearsonWed, 06 Nov 2013 11:00:16 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-endzone-beta-will-touchdown-in-novemberFrozen EndzoneMode 7 GamesFrozen Synapse

Frozen Endzone, Mode 7's futuro-sports game that I would like to take on the cheeky little nickname of Frozone, is not out yet. For the people who want to play it this a problem on many levels. I sympathise, and at least have some news that'll excite and thrill you. Frozone's beta is about to go public, and you'll be able to buy into it sometime in November. When in November? No idea. This November? I am 99% certain the November they mention in the press release is this November. Anyone buying a copy will receive an extra copy of the full game when it's released, a generous trick they pulled with Frozen Synapse.

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Frozen Synapse Ipad Vs Frozen Synapse PChttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-ipad-vs-frozen-synapse-pcCraig PearsonThu, 02 May 2013 18:00:57 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-ipad-vs-frozen-synapse-pcWWEMode 7 GamesFrozen Synapse

Crossplay used to be what happened to me when I played Team Fortress 2, but after a restraining order from my mouse pad and some anger management classes, I no longer feel the need to be angry at Pyros. Now the world has moved on, the word has taken on a new meaning: what happens when one gaming system and another defy all cultural boundaries and work together. Frozen Synapse is about to do just that with its iPad version: you'll be able to play multiplayer across the PC and the iPad, and if you own both versions then you can continue your game you were playing on whatever system you have at hand. Toilet time just got tactical.

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Frozen Endzone's Influences, Singleplayer & Unsportinesshttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-endzone-preview-2Alec MeerThu, 21 Mar 2013 13:00:49 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-endzone-preview-2InterviewFrozen EndzoneMode 7 GamesFrozen Synapse

As well as pointing my tragically non-robotic eyes at robot futuresports / strategy game Frozen Endzone last week, I also had a long natter with Mode 7 founders Ian Hardingham and Paul Taylor about their follow-up to the splendid Frozen Synapse. Read on for its origin story, how it's not really like American Football, their roguelike-like plans for the game's singleplayer mode, inevitable comparisons to Blood Bowl and Speedball, and Luigi fanfic.

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Hut Hut Hut: A Frozen Endzone Previewhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-endzone-previewAlec MeerTue, 19 Mar 2013 15:30:31 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-endzone-previewFrozen SynapseFrozen EndzoneMode 7 GamesFeature

Frozen Endzone is a turn-based futuresports game from the creators of asynchronous strategy game Frozen Synapse. I went to see it last week. I drove there in a car and everything. I returned with the following words and thoughts.

I was anxious, worried, scared: this I will admit. Me, a 5'6", nebbish man of words and screens whose strongest-ever investment in sport was playing badminton once a week for a year, on my way to see a game ostensibly about American Football? Out of my depth, surely. I read a Wikipedia page about American football before I set off to visit Frozen Synapse, and now Frozen Endzone, developers Mode 7 in their Oxfordshire studio, but it only made me more confused.

Turns out I needn't have worried. Frozen Endzone is sports in theme only - in practice it's turn-based strategy, and a natural heir to the men vs men tactical gunplay of Frozen Synapse despite its complete lack of metal tubes which go bangbangbang.

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Frozen Endzone: The Frozen Follow-Up To Frozen Synapsehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-endzone-is-the-frozen-follow-up-to-frozen-synapseAlec MeerFri, 15 Mar 2013 14:13:03 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-endzone-is-the-frozen-follow-up-to-frozen-synapseFrozen EndzoneMode 7 GamesFrozen Synapse

Juuuust a quick one, as I shall be returning on Tuesday with vastly more fulsome news on Frozen Endzone, Mode 7's next game after the wonderful Frozen Synapse. But they've just gone live with a trailer and a Greenlight page, so see what you think. It's a future sports game. It's a strategy game. In other words, it's a sports game that isn't really a sports game. And it looks well flash.

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Mulling Mode 7 Man's Management-Centric Maiahttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/mulling-mode-7-mans-management-centric-maiaAlec MeerFri, 06 Jul 2012 18:00:48 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/mulling-mode-7-mans-management-centric-maiaSimon RothMode 7 GamesMaiaFrozen Synapse

Simon Roth is best known as the newest recruit to Frozen Synapse creators Mode 7, but he's also one of the most veteran developers in the entire history of the world, if my research is correct. And he's moonlighting on a side-project all of his own, the Bullfrog/early Maxis-inspired sci-fi management game Maia. This isn't a matter of keeping colonists happy with space ice cream and zero-grav toilets - we're promised the likes of 'up to 2KM X 2KM X 2KM of procedural world', water and lava simulation, defensive structures to fend off hostile wildlife, bipolar robots and a first-person mode.

Oh, dare I dream 'sci-fi Dungeon Keeper'?

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Saw Red: Frozen Synapse Expands, Gains Co-ophttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/saw-red-frozen-synapse-expands-gains-co-opNathan GraysonWed, 30 May 2012 09:00:33 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/saw-red-frozen-synapse-expands-gains-co-opDLCMode 7 GamesFrozen Synapse

The indie darlings of yesteryear are back with a vengeance. I mean, with titles like Wrath of the Lamb and Red, what else could they possibly be out for? A pleasant stroll? A picnic? No, this is a declaration of war - or at least "Hey, we still exist. Notice us." And I have! So everything worked out. Thank goodness. And wow, Frozen Synapse: Red, I must note in my trademark eloquent and considered fashion, contains a lot of stuff. Foremost, the entire single-player campaign's been retrofitted to include co-op, and there's now another 15-mission campaign to top it off. You're also looking at challenge missions, mutators, deployable cover, riot shields, and a new multiplayer mode. But most importantly, levels can be red now. Yes, that's right: Mode 7 has included a new color. Take that, Unreal Engine 4.

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Frozen Synapse's Changed Ending: A Mass Indie Effect?https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapses-changed-ending-a-mass-indie-effectAlec MeerThu, 22 Mar 2012 14:30:43 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapses-changed-ending-a-mass-indie-effectMass Effect 3Frozen SynapseMode 7 GamesFeature

All the important games are changing their endings these days, you know. If you want a high profile, that's the way to go - and as Mass Effect 3 teaches us, preferably after initially concluding your narrative with a last-minute bodgejob riddled with continuity errors, then subsequently bowing to fan ouctry. Frozen Synapse developers Mode 7 Games did no such thing, but have sensibly realised that the route to true success entails screwing around with their creative vision willy-nilly to suit whatever their community demands, and as such a new, happier (and far sillier) ending to their splendid turn-based strategy game will go live later today.

"I don't mean this to be critical of Bioware even slightly," Mode 7's Paul Taylor tells me. "It's just an experiment. I was so bowled over and fascinated just by the fact that such a change would even be considered, so I thought I'd see how it felt to do it."

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A Fortnight Of IGF Demos Starts On Onlive Todayhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/a-fortnight-of-igf-demos-starts-on-onlive-todayCraig PearsonTue, 28 Feb 2012 10:51:44 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/a-fortnight-of-igf-demos-starts-on-onlive-todayOnLiveDustforceTorenTo the MoonVG247Atom Zombie SmasherDear EstherNitronic RushFrozen SynapseBotaniculaSpaceChemEnglish Country TuneFTL: Faster Than Light

Onlive and the IGF are spooning for a fortnight. The sensual lovers are celebrating the Indie Gaming New Year by giving you access to 30 minute demos of 16 IGF finalists. The alphabetically sexy list of games is: Atom Zombie Smasher, Be Good, Botanicula, Dear Esther, Dustforce, English Country Tune, Frozen Synapse, FTL, Lume, Nitronic Rush, Once Upon a Spacetime, POP, SpaceChem, To the Moon, Toren, and WAY.

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The More Or Less Complete IGF Factor 2012https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-more-or-less-complete-igf-factor-2012Alec MeerMon, 20 Feb 2012 10:51:05 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-more-or-less-complete-igf-factor-2012IGF Factor 2012rps-ultromegafeatureTo the MoonFeatureAtom Zombie SmasherDear EstherFrozen SynapseSpelunky

They said it would never end. And then, on Saturday, it did. We've been posting our series of chats with the many splendid finalists in this year's Independent Games Festival over the last couple of months, and, with the exception of English Country Tune (dev was worried about sounding boring), Mirage (dev didn't reply) and Fez (dev wouldn't confirm the possibility of a PC version) we managed to get mini-interviews with all the PC/Mac indie developers in the running for a gong.

In case you missed a few, didn't understand what the hell it was all about or just like looking at neatly-ordered lists, here's the complete series for your relaxed perusal. It's a fascinating and diverse bunch of games in the finals this year, and if nothing else, it's a rare chance to see what 18 different developers would say to the monsters in Doom if only they could talk to them.

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Frozen Synapse DLC Mutateshttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-dlc-mutatesCraig PearsonWed, 25 Jan 2012 16:05:49 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-dlc-mutatesDLCFrozen SynapseIndieMode 7 Gamestime travel

The year is 1999 and the crazy chaps at Epic Games have just came up with the concept of mutators, little mods that you can use to tweak game types. But just as they're about to implement it, a cheap-looking wibbly effect appears in front of Cliffy A (Cliffy B is a clone) and a mysterious figure steals his PC! Mark Rein enters the room, asks what smells all wibbly and allows a distraught A to tell him what he's crying about. “Is that all? We have backups.” But he kills A for showing weakness. And thus the Unreal Tournament series' mutators survived. But what of that mysterious time-traveller? I have figured out who it is: step forward Mode7's Ian Hardingham. J'accuse!

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IGF Factor 2012: Frozen Synapsehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/igf-factor-2012-frozen-synapseAlec MeerFri, 13 Jan 2012 15:32:45 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/igf-factor-2012-frozen-synapseigfFrozen SynapseIGF Factor 2012Feature

In 2010, we ran a series of cheerful chats with (almost) all of the lovely indie developers whose PC games had been nominated as finalists in that year's Independent Games Festival. In 2011, we forgot. In 2012, we haven't forgotten. We're the best! So, here's the first: Ian Hardingham and Paul Taylor from Mode 7 Games, whose high-speed turn-based strategy game Frozen Synapse is in the running for both Excellence In Design and the Seamus McNally Grand Prize. Read on for what went right and wrong with their game, how they feel about their IGF rivals, what comes next and their answer to the most important question of all.

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LittleBigBunchLaunchesAtLasthttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/littlebigbunchlaunchesatlastAlec MeerWed, 14 Dec 2011 14:07:42 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/littlebigbunchlaunchesatlastLittleBigPlanetNew Star Soccer 5Serious Sam: Double DOddworld: Munch's OddyseeFrozen Synapseexplodemon!

"What did you do during the great bundle wars of Winter 2011, daddy?" "I posted about them, sweetheart. I posted about them all. I... I've seen so much. I'll always carry that with me."

We already know about pay-what-you-want charity bundle LittleBigBunch, but until 2pm today we weren't able to so much as look at its website. Now we can, for it lives and is live. It's a grand old package of PC games - Frozen Synapse, Explodemon, Serious Sam Double D, Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee and New Star Soccer 5. A pleasantly varied package, I'd say.

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Good Grief: Yet Another Indie Bundlehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/good-grief-yet-another-indie-bundleAlec MeerWed, 07 Dec 2011 13:03:24 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/good-grief-yet-another-indie-bundleLittleBigPlanetNew Star Soccer 5Serious Sam: Double DOddworld: Munch's OddyseeFrozen Synapseexplodemon!

Today I feel like the Sisyphus of games blogging. "You believe you have completed your trial of posting about a pay what you want indie games bundle, mortal? You fool. For now you must immediately post about another one! Ahahahahahaha. Yes, there are worse circles of hell to be in, but I trust you'll agree this one is slightly annoying."

Oh well, c'est la news-vie, non? LittleBigBunch - due next week - ups the charity factor, as it's orchestrated by sterling industry philanthropists GamesAid. And it's got some pretty cracking contents. Frozen Synapse! Explodemon! Serious Sam Double D! Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee! New Star Soccer 5!

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Yay! SpaceChem Joins Humble Bundlehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/yay-spacechem-joins-humble-bundleAlec MeerWed, 05 Oct 2011 17:20:49 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/yay-spacechem-joins-humble-bundleSpaceChemFrozen Synapse

Hopefully this is happier indie price-experimentation news than the below... What began as really little more than pay what you want for one game - that being Frozen Synapse - has been slowly expanding to be some games, as appears to be Humble Bundle trends. You'll be very glad to hear that the very, very good Space Chem is the latest addition, joining Trauma which was bundled in earlier this week. And yes, this works retroactively for people who already bought the FZ bundle. So, whatever you have given or are prepared to give, you'll end up with FZ, SpaceChem and Trauma - and if you beat the average price you also get a package of Frozenbyte games to boot.

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Frozen Synapse Unfreezes Its Pricehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-unfreezes-its-priceAlec MeerWed, 28 Sep 2011 18:34:37 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-unfreezes-its-priceMode 7 GamesFrozen Synapse

The 'Humble Bundle' tag by this point surely guarantees that any indie games blessed with it have the money hose turned on 'em. Latest is Mode 7 Games' most excellent tactical strategy affair Frozen Synapse, which has just now gone pay what you want under the trusty Humble banner - but only for the duration of the next 14 days. If you don't have FZ already, then I thumb my teeth in your general direction. And also suggest you swoop right now.

Beat the average price- currently a genuinely humble $4.17 - and you'll get the earlier Frozenbyte bundle (comprising Trine, Shadowgrounds, Shadowgrounds Survivor, a preorder for Splot and a prototype of Jack Claw) thrown in for free. Frozen Synapse normally costs $25, so this is a splendid deal from a punter's point of view. Celebratory announcement video below!

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Frozen Trynapse: Frozen Synapse Demohttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-trynapse-frozen-synapse-demoJim RossignolThu, 11 Aug 2011 15:58:36 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-trynapse-frozen-synapse-demoDemosMode 7 GamesFree gamesFrozen Synapse

Frozen Synapse now has a demo, which totally demolishes any excuse you might have made to not try this turn-based combat thingum. Other reasons to pay attention to it include this preview essay by Gillen, this AAR by Gillen, and this review by Meer.

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Frozen Synapse: Beating Mike Gapperhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-beating-mike-gapperKieron GillenSun, 12 Jun 2011 16:26:42 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-beating-mike-gapperFrozen SynapseMode 7 GamesFeature

There is more to Frozen Synapse than beating fellow games-journalist Mike Gapper, but I figure that's as good an entrance point as any into its work of turn-based-tactical-manoeuvring. In lieu of a Verdict or a WIT or something, I figured I could try and explain some of the details of the game which make it so appealing to me, by yabbering over some video footage. Without a script. Or a plan. So, I set my newly-registered copy of FRAPS rolling and talked about the game. Go yabber! Go yabber beneath the cut!

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Spotlight On Biscuit - Frozen Synapsehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/spotlight-on-biscuit-frozen-synapseQuintin SmithSat, 28 May 2011 10:20:16 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/spotlight-on-biscuit-frozen-synapseSpotlight On BiscuitFrozen Synapsecynical brit

I think the singular of synapse should be synap. What do you think? Ah, Saturday is no kind of day to be worrying about those things. This week's Spotlight On Biscuit sees PC gaming celebutante Total Biscuit talking us through indie tactics sensation Frozen Synapse. It's been released, you know! 55 mission single player campaign, comprehensive multiplayer, the whole bit. Meanwhile, I've been thinking (and eating) my favourite biscuit of all time. What could it be?

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Frozen Synapse: Here, Reviewed By Meerhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-here-reviewed-by-meerAlec MeerFri, 27 May 2011 09:40:57 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-here-reviewed-by-meerMode 7 GamesFrozen Synapse

Mode 7's turn-based yet lightning-quick combat strategy game Frozen Synapse finally got a proper, big-boy release yesterday. A fair chunk of you will have played it already, as it's been in a purchasable beta form since the beginning of time or thereabouts, but if you've not glanced back at it since the early days, you're in for a meaty treat. In addition to a host of improvements to the UI and multiplayer, the singleplayer elements have worked out far better, and far more substantial than I'd imagined.

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Frozen Synapse Thaws Soon - New Trailerhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-thaws-soon-new-trailerJohn WalkerTue, 24 May 2011 09:35:22 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-thaws-soon-new-trailerFrozen SynapseMatrix GamesscreenshotstrailersIndieMode 7 Games

Kieron and Quintin's excitement about Mode 7's Frozen Synapse has been somewhat infectious, which means it's safe to say there's rather a lot of people looking forward to the imminent release of the fast-paced simultaneous turn-based action strategy-em-up. It's so soon! This Thursday! And it's found itself a publisher in Matrix Games. There's some new pictures, one of them moving, below.

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Frozen Synapse SP Campaign Releasedhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-sp-campaign-releasedQuintin SmithFri, 06 May 2011 07:30:47 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/frozen-synapse-sp-campaign-releasedIndieMode 7 GamesFrozen Synapse

"Give me 1,200 words. I'm going to make you pre-order something you've never even heard of," began Kieron's preview of turn-based tactical squad combat game Frozen Synapse.

If you haven't read it yet, now's the time to blow the dust off and take a look. With the game's release just around the corner, developers Mode 7 have today released the game's 55 mission single player campaign into the open beta that's available to all pre-order customers. Yes, fifty five.

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Interview: Defrosting Frozen Synapsehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/interview-defrosting-frozen-synapseAlec MeerFri, 11 Feb 2011 23:26:54 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/interview-defrosting-frozen-synapseInterviewMode 7 GamesFrozen Synapse

You know what we haven't talked about for a while? Frozen Synapse - the high-speed tactical strategy game from Oxfordshire developers Mode 7. It takes the spine of X-COM, adds a little procedural generation and tweaks it into something fresh, fast, instant and accessible. And it's still not been released, despite having been released last year. Oh, "beta," you beautiful, confusing word, you. I recently caught up with Mode 7's joint MD Ian Hardingham to find out what's happened since I last got shot to death in neon freeze-time, what comes next and how they're planning to make it as strong a singleplayer offering as it is a multiplayer one. It's an open and entertaining chat, I think, but also includes the worst joke I have ever made in my entire, pitiful life.

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I'll Buy That Fr'ay Dollar: Fray Announcedhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ill-buy-that-fray-dollar-fray-announcedQuintin SmithThu, 10 Feb 2011 08:19:11 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ill-buy-that-fray-dollar-fray-announcedIndieFrozen Synapse

Paris-based indie dev Brain Candy has announced Fray, and by the sounds of things Frozen Synapse will soon have some competition. Fray will be a "turn-based, multiplayer, real-time strategy game" where players issue orders to their squad of four simultaneously, then these actions play out in real time. No screenshots at present, but I have located a couple of positive signs. First, check out this art. You'll notice it's labelled "Light Armour". Light?! Well, okay. And there's also an entertaining video of the Brain Candy guys making use of the motion capture tech over at Quantic Dreams.

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LAN Party Politics: Election Night Offershttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/lan-party-politics-election-night-offersKieron GillenThu, 06 May 2010 19:13:19 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/lan-party-politics-election-night-offersPositech GamesFrozen SynapseMode 7 GamesDemocracy 2

If indie developers know one thing, it's how to turn national political warfare into cheap-and-nasty monetization. Mode 7 Games are having 20% off their Frozen Synapse Pre-order (including Beta Access) in their Tactical Voting offer. You can order it here, and need to enter the coupon code WELLHUNG to get the reduction, before 1pm tomorrow. I fear that code's pandering to my twitter rubbishness. I rambled about Frozen Synapse here, if you don't remember. In short: Aces! Also, Positech are celebrating the decline of our democratic values with a decline in the prices of their Democracy 2. There's a massive 50% off today. And now to get drunk and stare at the TV in mounting horror, I suspect.

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Preview: Frozen Synapsehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/preview-frozen-synapseKieron GillenMon, 19 Apr 2010 11:25:06 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/preview-frozen-synapsePreviewsFrozen SynapseFeatureIndieMode 7 GamesBeta

Give me 1200 words. I'm going to make you pre-order something you've never even heard of.

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Turning Test: Frozen Synapsehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/turning-test-frozen-synapseKieron GillenTue, 19 Jan 2010 15:37:44 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/turning-test-frozen-synapseMode 7 GamesFrozen Synapse

This excited me when I first heard about it, and excites me even more now that footage has been released and I can see it in motion. Mode 7 Games' first game Determinance was something which I think most of RPS feel the team over-reached themselves by going full-3D realistic 3D. Frozen Synapse couldn't be more different. It's a simultaneous turn-based game with really iconic looking graphics. Think of a non-e-mail-based Laser Squad Nemesis with Introversion's 80s-neon aesthetic. And if that leaves you confused, the following footage should explain all...

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