One of the most inspiring stories in the gaming world over the last year has been the long road to—and eventually successful release of—Owlboy. Simon Anderson and his ragtag team of five developers, known as D-Pad Studios, spent an emotionally harrowing ten years working on the game, putting their lives on hold to see through a project they believed so deeply in. The game itself, a staggeringly beautiful, touching, and inventive pixel-art Metroidvania title, was a critical success and sold well over 100,000 copies on Steam. Nearly a year after its November 2016 release, the studio is ready to give it another shot in the spotlight.
As part of its anniversary celebration of Owlboy, D-Pad has announced that the game will be coming to PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch on February 13, 2018. To generate interest, Owlboy is also 40% off on Steam for the rest of the day, until 10AM PST on November 2.
Aside from its emotional, resonant story and interesting flight mechanics, Owlboy‘s success and popularity have been defined by its presentation. The game is part of what D-Pad calls the “hi-bit” genre, or the trend of games that hearken back to NES, SNES, or Sega Genesis-style graphics, updated with a modern sheen. Shovel Knight, Hotline Miami, Stardew Valley, and Sonic Mania would all fit into this category, but few can match the sheer beauty of Owlboy. Its pedigree, look, and feel make it a perfect fit for the Switch, but it’s so capably executed that gamers on PS4 and Xbox One will surely eat it up as well.
In collaboration with Dutch publisher SOEDESCO, the title will also be receiving a boxed retail release, with platforms and a release date coming soon. The story of Owlboy‘s development—and the narrative within the game itself—is a tale of determination, hardship, and overcoming enormous obstacles. However, the story of its success appears to be much brighter, and it looks like it’s only getting started.