On top of the (already known about) Headhunter
As much as our eyes can glaze over when skimming through game publishers’ financial reports, sometimes, there are head-turning tidbits about upcoming games we’d actually like to play. In this case, it sure seems like Thunderful has big plans for the wider SteamWorld series — four new games are in the works, including SteamWorld Headhunter, a body-swapping robot cowboy adventure we learned about last year.
According to the Thunderful Group’s report for January through March 2022 (via IGN), SteamWorld Headhunter is on deck for 2023, and there are three other titles on the way:
- A SteamWorld puzzle game codenamed “Strawberry” (2023) (Mobile)
- A SteamWorld city-builder codenamed “Coffee” (2023) (PC and Console)
- A SteamWorld turn-based tactical shooter / strategy game codenamed “Caramel” (2024) (PC, Console, and Mobile)
A mobile puzzle game isn’t much to go on, but my mind is whirling up thinking about the possibilities for a city-builder in this charming robot universe. Likewise, as much as SteamWorld Dig and its sequel are my favorites, I know plenty of people who prefer SteamWorld Heist — and a “tactical shooter” sounds like it could be in that wheelhouse.
Thunderful’s upcoming games through 2024
Looking through this list of upcoming games, I also couldn’t help but notice Coatsink’s “Jurassic World IP game,” codenamed “Jaffa,” which is categorized as survival horror and listed for release during the second half of 2022 across consoles and VR. Sick, right? It took me a minute to connect the dots, but that sure sounds like Jurassic World Aftermath, a “suspenseful VR survival adventure” that’s already playable now on Meta Quest.
Interestingly, earlier in the report, Thunderful specifically mentions that “Coatsink has been chosen to develop a launch title for Sony’s next-generation VR console, PSVR2.”
Thunderful said this “cements Coatsink’s top role in the VR industry, and through them we are now in a great position to influence the future of VR business and technology.”
While we don’t have concrete dates yet, I’m eager to see what other studios Sony has courted for the PlayStation VR2 launch. And as someone who’s been with SteamWorld since the beginning, it’s cool to see it continue to grow in new ways. I’m not expecting to love all four upcoming games (not without more info), but I’d be happy with just a couple.
Whoever’s coming up with these codenames, you’re killing it.
