Factsheet
Developer:
Heart Shaped Games
Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Founding date:
October 2010
Website:
heartshapedgames.com/
Press / Business Contact:
scott@heartshapedgames.com
Social:
Scott: @brodiegames
Company: @heartshapedgame
Game: @caretakersgame
FB: Heart Shaped Games
Releases:
Hero GenerationsHero Generations: ReGenHighgroundsBrave HandWe Are The Caretakers
Address:
Phone:
Description
Heart Shaped Games is a design-centric indie game studio founded in 2010 by 20-year game industry veteran Scott Brodie. We're a diverse remote team of developers from all over the world. Our mission is to have an impact by creating meaningful and memorable hit games that players love. Our award-winning games include We Are The Caretakers, Hero Generations, Brave Hand, and Highgrounds.History
Studio BackgroundHeart Shaped Games is a design-centric independent game studio founded by industry veterans Scott Brodie and Kate Brodie. Scott Brodie has been making games professionally since 2002, including work as an Xbox LIVE Arcade Producer for Microsoft Game Studios. He worked with talented independent developers on games like Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, Scrap Metal, Aegis Wing, and Snoopy Flying Ace. Heart Shaped Games (HSG) was founded in late 2010. Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, we strive to create meaningful and memorable games that players love. We focus on original gameplay, elegant design and deep systems, while never losing sight of being fun first.
Hero GenerationsHSG's first release, Hero Generations, is a roguelike/4X strategy game where each turn is 1 year of your hero's life. Described as "The 5-Minute Civilization", you must find fame and seek out a mate to have a child with before you die. Hero Generations was a finalist and showcase game at IndieCade 2011, was successfully funded on Kickstarter in April 2014, then launched successfully on Steam in April 2015.
HighgroundsAn original multiplayer Collectible Card Game with over 240 collectible characters. It's been called "Magic: The Gathering without the cards." Battle opponents online, either live or in a play-by-mail style. It is playable now for free at www.highgroundsgame.com.
Hero Generations: ReGenThe ultimate remake of the innovative Roguelike/4X Strategy game Hero Generations. Every turn is one year of your life. Explore, find a mate, build a home, and raise a child before you die to keep your legacy going. Based on an all new game engine, ReGen is packed with hundreds of redesigned, re-tuned, and enhanced features. Praised as "the offspring of Sid Meier's Civilization, Jason Rohrer's Passage, and The Legend of Zelda. Available now on Steam, the iOS App Store, and Google Play.
Brave HandBrave Hand is a beautifully simple, original single-player card game of luck and skill by designer Scott Brodie. As you play, you unlock the story of the Wanderer and the Guardian, depicted across 16 gorgeous hand-painted themes. An elegant design that combines the simplicity of classic card games like War and Solitaire, the test of will of Poker, and the strategy of collectible card games.
We Are The CaretakersWe Are The Caretakers is an afrofuturist sci-fi squad management RPG where you recruit, train, and organize an arcane team of protectors to defend the endangered, energy-charged wildlife you rely on from a mysterious alien arrival. Blending squad-building, RPG and RTS gameplay inspired by Ogre Battle, XCOM, Darkest Dungeon,and more, We Are The Caretakers is a strategy game like nothing else you've played before.
Future WorkHeart Shaped Games continues to incubate and build original games with our team of talented partners. We build games players love!
Videos
We Are The Caretakers Early Access Release Date Trailer (2021) YouTube
Images
There are far more images available for Heart Shaped Games, but these are the ones we felt would be most useful to you. If you have specific requests, please do contact us!
Awards & Recognition
- "EGX Leftfield Collection - We Are The Caretakers" - EGX Leftfield Collection 2021
- "Unity Awards Finalist 2021 - We Are The Caretakers" - Unity Awards Finalist 2021 Best Social Impact
- "IndieCade Finalist 2011 - Hero Generations" - Culver City, CA, 8 October, 2011
- "Google Play IGF Finalist, 2017 - Brave Hand" - San Francisco, CA, 23 September, 2017
- "SAAM Arcade Selection 2019 - We Are The Caretakers" - Washington DC, August 3rd 2019
- ""Hero Generations: Truth in Game Design Applied" Keynote presented at Meaningful Play 2014" - East Lansing, MI, 20 October, 2011
Selected Articles
- "4X strategy zoomed in to the individual and personal level. It’s my favourite Kickstarter pitch since Meriwether."
- Adam Smith, Rock, Paper, Shotgun - "...a multiplayer strategy game so ingenious and accessible that you should probably just stop reading this and go play it."
- Mike Fahey, Kotaku - "Highgrounds is 'Magic: the Gathering' for the web generation"
- Ben Popper, The Verge - "...a surprisingly fun deck building game."
- Penny Arcade Report,
Additional Links
Development Blog
Game design blog with articles from Scott Brodie and news about Heart Shaped Games. medium.com.
Gamasutra: Truth in Game Design
A feature article by Scott on building truth into game systems. gamasutra.com.
Truth in Game Design Applied
Presentation to Meaningful Play 2014 about building truth into Hero Generations. slideshare.net.
gameindustry.biz: How to win at Kickstarter
A feature article by Scott on how to create a successful Kickstarter campaign. gamesindustry.biz.
gameindustry.biz: Being Indie: A Survival Guide
Scott shares lessons learned from 5 years of keeping the lights on. gamesindustry.biz.
gameindustry.biz: What your game's price really means
A feature article by Scott about how to price your game. gamesindustry.biz.
Team & Repeating
Collaborators
Scott Brodie
Founder, Creative Director
Kate Brodie
Studio Manager
presskit() by Rami Ismail (Vlambeer) - also thanks to these fine folks