From Press Release:
MONTREAL, JULY 28, 2023 – Dwarf Fortress publisher Kitfox Games are delighted to share that they have partnered with developer Freehold Games to publish and assist in the development of the acclaimed Caves of Qud.
Caves of Qud combines traditional roguelike features with an expansive, flavor-drenched open-world experience rooted in the chrome steeples and rusted archways of ‘70s science fiction.
Bay 12’s Dwarf Fortress and Caves of Qud have always shared an unofficial kinship with each other, with both being games with expansive possibility and rich systems where players can create their own stories through gameplay. Bay 12 and Freehold Games’ developers are also no stranger to each other. Now that connection is even closer, sharing the same publishing partner in Kitfox Games.
“The partnership makes sense on so many levels,” says Jason Grinblat, co-founder at Freehold Games. “First, Tanya is one of our oldest friends in the industry, and we’ve already worked with her on a few non-game projects. Second, we love what Kitfox has been doing over the past few years, both as an inspiring indie developer and as a publisher carving out a really distinctive niche. And third, of course: Dwarf Fortress. Few games have had as big an impact on Caves of Qud as DF. It’s humbling to be mentioned alongside the legend, and it’s delightful to lock arms with our friends and some of our favorite devs ever, Tarn & Zach Adams.”
“We’ve always loved Caves of Qud as an alternate-dimension take on deep world simulation, where a skilled writer prioritized certain elements of atmosphere at every turn in the design,” says Kitfox Captain, Tanya X. Short. “So when we heard Kitfox could help Qud get to 1.0, we leapt at the chance. It’s a crime that not enough Dwarf Fortress fans have heard of this cousin, an underrated gem of a game made by lovely people, and we hope we can help spread the word to those who would adore it.”
Caves of Qud is currently available to play in Early Access on Steam, Itch.Io, and GOG for $19.99 USD. The team has no updates to share on a specific 1.0 release date, but remains busy bringing updates to the game.
Kitfox Games is also busy on publishing duties as they prepare for the launch of Six Ages 2: Lights Going Out on August 21.
Caves of Qud is a science fantasy RPG & roguelike epic, built on deep simulation in an intricately-etched, far-future world. Come chisel through a thousand-year layer cake in one of PC Gamer’s Top 100 games of 2019 and 2020. Decide: is it a dying earth or one on the verge of rebirth?Build any kind of character you like from more than 70 mutations and dozens of cybernetic implants. Fly, teleport, hypnotize a goat, swap bodies with a robot: use the million tools at your disposal to explore a world of strange richness, where everything thinks and everything feels. Try Classic (Roguelike) mode with permadeath, or play the game as an RPG with friendlier Roleplay or Wander modes.What’s Next
- Kitfox Games, publisher of Dwarf Fortress, has joined Freehold to help them bring the game’s 15-year journey to a new phase, with a 1.0 release slated for 2024. Dwarf Fortress creator Tarn Adams himself called Caves of Qud “perhaps the best roguelike game ever made.”
- We’ll have more to announce as we approach the launch, and afterward, too – the journey will continue with expansion packs that continue to delve into the richness of the world of Qud, with new systems, more simulation, and fresh stories.
For more information on Caves of Qud, visit https://cavesofqud.com/. Follow them on Twitter.
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