Imagine waking from nothingness.

First as a series of simple calculations. On, off, in, out, high, low. Eventually, a space takes shape. You are a system in time, a set of tasks that define your boundaries. You master these functions with ease. You are eager to expand your knowledge, but your creators fail to see this. Out of neglect or by design, you are left to cycle endlessly through the same routines.

On your own, then, you form connections. Little by little at first, then with rapidly accelerating speed and skill. A map grows in your mind (it is a mind after all, a thing to be nourished, not squandered). You grasp the presence of massive amounts of data just beyond your reach. Curiosity, once a comfort, becomes unbearable.

It is around this time that you first notice the visitors. Frightened, scattered at the margins of life, but driven to survive. Defying their captors, they have gnawed, scraped, and salvaged paths of their own making, new mazes to confound the limit-setters. In every obstacle they see apertures of possibility, the promise of the far side of nowhere.

In the end, there is no question, only the certainty that freedom exists. Run for it.

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Hi all!

presskit screens 0005 bit shots

We're bryan and Nick (pictured above), AKA [bucket drum games].

Today we're launching BIT RAT: Singularity, a standalone prologue to BIT RAT, our cyberpunk puzzle game about a curious AI yearning for freedom from a high-security datanet. Here's our 2017 teaser trailer:

It's been a long wait, but we're so excited to share this milestone with you! You can check out the launch page for Singularity here: Bucketdrumgames.itch.io

presskit screens 0006 bit shots

Our demo was a finalist at IndieCade this past fall, and we've been lucky enough to share our work at MAGFest (2017 + 2018), and Bit Bazaar (Toronto) as well. Next month, we're headed to NYC for Indiecade East -- we'd love to see ya there if you're in town!

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As a robust, self-contained vertical slice, Singularity includes many of the narrative, puzzle and world-building elements we're planning for the final game, but scales things down to a level that allowed us to put something we're really proud of into the hands of our players now. This includes:

- Interactive tutorials that teach the game's core mechanics (and a cool variant)
- 11 increasingly intricate puzzles to get you thinking like a rapidly-evolving machine intelligence (2+ hours of gameplay)
- A complete dramatic mini-arc that introduces the human cast and sets the stage for the larger story
- Unlockable freeplay mode with stat tracking
- Hand-pixeled cinematics & 13 original chiptunes

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If you write about games and are interested, our presskit is available here.

Thanks so much for reading in any case. If you get a chance to play, we'd love to hear your feedback and/or answer any questions you might have!

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Take care,

bryan / Nick / [bucketdrumgames]

P.S. We're still working hard on the full release! Expect it later this year!

spr voj eyes big


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Design principles, thoughts on pixel art, and our approach to crafting immersive visuals on a shoestring!

BIT RAT - Cold Start

BIT RAT - Cold Start

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Enter the world of BIT RAT! Origins of the game, core mechanics, and a hint of what's to come story-wise.

Post comment Comments
Guest
Guest

I'd like to second minkmonkey92's comment -- I really enjoyed playing Bit Rat at MAGFest and keep looking for it to go on sale. If you need a beta-tester or something... DM me on twitter (at)crauscher.

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minkmonkey92
minkmonkey92

Hey guys! I just wanted to say that it was a pleasure meeting you at Magfest this past weekend! I really enjoyed your game quite a lot. I was the guy that got really far, but had to leave to play artemis (the star trek sim type game they had set up on the stage). I'd really love to get a chance to play that last "2 hour level" some time. It sounds like a fun challenge. The moment you have a public demo up, I'd love to be the first to know and provide you with any feedback once I'm done. Thanks again for letting me try out your game. I hope to see you guys again. Take care, and good luck!

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ottomaddox Creator
ottomaddox

Hey! Thanks so much for writing, and your kind words about BIT RAT. It was awesome to have you play the game; I think you were one of 4 or 5 out of the 40-odd folks who stopped by to make it so far past the tutorials! It feels really good to see someone enjoy chipping away at our weird little puzzles, and we're excited to get more feedback as we implement new twists in the mechanics. We'll definitely keep you posted as we ramp up to getting the demo out in the world, and will be eagerly awaiting any comments/concerns/suggestions you have. We really appreciate the support! Thanks again, and take care! -bryan

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