Tiny Invaders goes live

Posted September 1, 2011 by Richard Plant in Editorial

Rising like a phoenix from the flames of Bizarre Creations, plucky UK indie developer Hogrocket has released its first new game, a puzzle title named Tiny Invaders. Exclusively on the iPhone and iPod Touch running iOS 3.1.3 and above, the game can be downloaded from the iTunes Store.

Bizarre Creations, best known for their Project Gotham Racing and Geometry Wars titles, closed its doors in 2011 after owner Activision failed to sell the business as a going concern. Designer Stephen Cakebread, level designer Peter Collier and community manager Ben Ward announced shortly afterwards that they intended to form their own studio, Hogrocket, and explore the possibilities of indie development.

When we spoke to Hogrocket about the feeling of launching the company’s first game, they were overjoyed. “The feeling of achievement is huge, even more so having done so off our own backs,” said Peter Collier. “Creating something on this scale and putting it out to the world is a great feeling and I’ve kind of been on a euphoric high for a few days now as we geared up for our launch.”

When asked whether working for themselves allowed them to set their own schedule, rather than being beholden to corporate shareholders, Collier replied, “I wouldn’t say relief is the right word for being able to set our own pace… Because it is up to us to make this a success, I’ve put more stress and a sense of urgency on myself than I ever did in employment.”

Tiny Invaders is the team’s first project, an action puzzle game which asks players to take on the job of directing an army of alien germs sent from outer space to secretly control the minds of humanity. By finding efficient paths through levels and avoid biological defences, the infectious extra-terrestrials prepare the ground for the takeover of Planet Earth.

We are yet to try out Tiny Invaders, due to our Android obsession, but mobile gaming site TouchArcade called the game “an excellent debut” and “a great pairing of action and puzzle, one that deserves your time and attention”.

We’re happy to see innovative developers recovering from the blow that fate, and Activision, struck them, and look forward to hearing more from Hogrocket in the future.