Sabotage Studio

Factsheet

Developer:
Sabotage Studio
Based in Quebec City, QC, Canada

Release date:
August 30, 2018

Platforms:
Steam
Nintendo Switch
PS4
Epic Games Store
Microsoft Store
GOG

Website:
https://themessengergame.com

Regular Price:

USD	$19.99
EUR	€16.79
CAD	$26.99
GBP	£15.99

Description

As a demon army besieges his village, a young ninja ventures through a cursed world, to deliver a scroll paramount to his clan’s survival. What begins as a classic action platformer soon unravels into an expansive time-traveling adventure full of thrills, surprises, and humor.

History

First born from the mind of an 8 year old kid from the 90s who never got over Ninjas, The Messenger is a celebration of good old retro-platforming. Created by a core team of 8 people gathered around the idea of capturing what made the classics great, Sabotage spent its first two years of operations developing its own ‘definitive edition’ of this beloved genre. Leveraging expectations as a main ingredient, the vision for The Messenger was to create an experience that would deceive with its simplicity at first sight, later taking players on an epic journey of time travel supported by 8bit to 16bit real-time transitions, while also delving into philosophy and storytelling on a scale unexpected from the premise.

Features

Dynamic, acrobatic gameplay and ultra tight controls worthy of an epic ninja adventure.
Character upgrades, new abilities, hidden levels, and branching paths to discover.
Meticulously designed 8-bit and 16-bit sprites, animations, and backgrounds in the spirit of the classics.
A memorable cast of offbeat villains, bosses, and associates.
Original soundtrack by renowned chiptune composer Rainbowdragoneyes, handmade using Famitracker.

Videos

The Messenger - Gameplay Trailer YouTube

Shinobi No Kikan - The Messenger Live Action Trailer YouTube

Behind the Schemes: The Messenger YouTube

Keyart

Images

Logo & Icon

Awards & Recognition

"Winner of the Game Award for Best Debut Indie Game of 2018" Los Angeles, December 6, 2018
"Winner of the E3 2018 Dualshockers Best Indie Game Award" Los Angeles, June 14, 2018
"Winner of the E3 2018 CG Magazine Best of Show Award" Los Angeles, June 14, 2018
"Winner of the E3 2018 PS Nation Best of Show Award" Los Angeles, June 14, 2018
"Winner of the E3 2018 Shacknews Best Breakthrough Indie Award" Los Angeles, June 14, 2018
"Winner of the GDC Best of The MIX 2018 Award" Los Angeles, March 21, 2018
"Grand Prize Winner of the Ubisoft Indie Series 2018 Award" Montreal, March 15, 2018
"Winner of the Montreal Independent Games Festival Gameplay Design Award" Montreal, November 19, 2017
"Winner of the Montreal Independent Games Festival Music composition Award" Montreal, November 19, 2017
"Winner of the NUMIX Award for most promising Startup in the Indie Games category." Montreal, May 5, 2016

Selected Articles

"The 25 Best Nintendo Switch Games"
- Mike Williams, US Gamer
"I can't remember being this excited about an indie platformer since Shovel Knight."
- Rich Meister, Destructoid
"Le top 10 des meilleurs jeux vidéo auxquels Pixels a pu jouer à l’E3, le salon de Los Angeles"
- Corentin Lamy, LeMonde.fr
"The Messenger Could be the Next Shovel Knight"
- Kat Bailey, US Gamer
"The Messenger stands apart from decades of Ninja Gaiden wannabes by presenting players with the tightest controls I've ever encountered in a game of this style."
- Jeremy Parish, Polygon
"Tight controls define this retro homage to Ninja Gaiden"
- Ethan Gach, Kotaku
"De quoi faire saliver tous les nostalgiques du genre"
- Paul Blais et Charles Prémont, voir.ca