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Crimson Capes to launch February 12th, bringing the Souls Formula to 2D 

Studio Poor Locke has announced that Crimson Capes will be coming to PC via Steam on February 12. Crimson Capes is a sword-and-sorcery action adventure that reimagines the core pillars of the Souls formula in two dimensions, blending deliberate combat, non-linear exploration, and online multiplayer into a high-adventure fantasy world.

Players step into the role of Milon the Tempest, a witch-hunter tasked with dismantling a growing conspiracy of wizards across the kingdom of Amvros. Leading the Crimson Capes – a guild of elite witch-hunters – players will take on contracts throughout the realm, slowly uncovering darker forces at work and coming face to face with the true cost of power.

Combat in Crimson Capes is built around deliberate, animation-commit swordplay inspired by realistic fighting techniques, where feints, thrusts, cuts, and guards create a deadly back-and-forth defined by timing, positioning, and mastery. 

Each of the four playable heroes features a distinct weapon style, moveset, and skill tree, encouraging experimentation, while magic is woven directly into combat through elemental abilities such as wind, thunder, fire, and darkness.

Exploration follows a Souls-inspired philosophy, rewarding curiosity and player choice. Ruined towers, forgotten caverns, mystical forests, and ancient strongholds can be tackled in any order, with artifacts, abilities, and narrative threads waiting off the beaten path.

Crimson Capes also brings classic Souls multiplayer into two dimensions. Players can join forces in online co-op to hunt together as Capes, or invade another hunt as a Deathblade, introducing unpredictable PvP encounters that reshape each mission.

Visually, the game features pixel art animation and hand-drawn environments, with rotoscoped graphics. Inspired by classic pulp sword-and-sorcery tales such as Conan and Elric, Crimson Capes embraces a raw, mythic atmosphere rooted in classic fantasy adventure and discovery.

“From the very beginning, Crimson Capes was built around deliberate combat that rewards initiative, precision and quick thinking,” said Dimitris Tsatsis, programmer at Poor Locke.

“We wanted to bring the tension, discipline, and satisfaction of the Souls experience into 2D, by rethinking how the level design, vibe and multiplayer interactions work in a side-scrolling space.”

KEY FEATURES

  • Souls-like, 2D combat with tight reads, punish windows, and build variety
  • Boss fights that will test your mettle
  • Sword-and-Sorcery adventures in a fantasy world filled with secrets
  • Online Co-op & PvP: Play online with a friend, or invade other witch hunters
  • Optional Dynamic Hunts with unique enemies and bosses, randomly generated each time (reminiscent of Bloodborne’s Chalice Dungeons)


AVAILABILITY
Crimson Capes will launch on February 12 at 10am PT / 6pm GMT for PC via Steam
Price : 15$
Launch discount: 10% for 9 days
Instruction Manual & Game Guide PDF files along with a printable world map will be included in the game files
Console versions will release at a later date

About POOR LOCKE
POOR LOCKE is an independent game studio led by programmer Dimitris Tsatsis, with art by Kostas MacFarlane and music by David Wurczel. The studio focuses on crafting hand-made, mechanically rich experiences driven by strong artistic identity and player agency. Previous titles include Windmills and Unbeliever. Crimson Capes represents the studio’s most ambitious project to date, merging classic sword-and-sorcery fantasy with modern Souls-inspired design.

Indie developer Tom Daly reveals upcoming game Protect the Pit

Indie developer Tom Daly has revealed their upcoming incremental tower defense game Protect the Pit. Their previous games Tranquil Isle (“I enjoyed every second.” – Thumbculture) and Little Aviary (“Little Aviary is a companion worth keeping” – Ladies Gamers) released in April 2025 and November 2025 respectively.

About the Game:
A short incremental clicker game that blends tower defense with the depth of sprawling upgrade trees. Build your own winding mazes to repel the oncoming hordes!

It’s up to you to stop the hordes of the forest from destroying your glorious pit!

Play your way
Build your own mazes to guide the hordes of oncoming monsters and fill them with as many traps as you possibly can! Upgrade towers, traps, economic buildings, and your cursors auto attack to defend your PIT!

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Links:
Steam page
Reveal trailer

Veteran Indie Duo Announces School Janitor Simulator, coming soon to Steam

Veteran Argentine developers José Luis Scolari and Sebastián Gioseffi announce their first game as a duo: School Janitor Simulator, a cozy and deeply relaxing job simulator about the everyday life of a school janitor. 

The game channels the methodical, restorative gameplay of titles like House Flipper and PowerWash Simulator into the uniquely atmospheric setting of the Ford-Taylor School, a pretentious institution that’s seen better days and has decided to outsource its janitorial duties.

The core experience is built around a satisfying, varied task loop. A subtle progression system and quirky collectibles reward the player’s work, while a deeper narrative unfolds organically through the environment itself.

Some of the key tasks that players will be in charge of are:
 

  • Paint walls: Make sure to maintain the pristine state of the walls by regularly applying a new layer of paint when the old one peels off.
  • Unclog pipes: Sometimes, the plumbing overflows with the enthusiasm of youth. Make sure it flows smoothly again.
  • Clean up floors: The minds of our students are so often into the high realms of learning that they forget about the material reality of garbage. Clean their oversight.
  • Remove graffiti: The artistic inclinations of some of our more sensitive students take them to express themselves on many surfaces. Remove this unauthorized expression of individuality.
  • Fix electrical fixtures: This spark is not of genius, but of dangerous voltage! Prevent costly accidents by replacing and rewiring broken electrical fixtures.
  • Repair broken furniture: Nothing escapes entropy. Deal with its effects, before someone gets hurt.
  • Keep the greenery alive: A green, healthy yard might use a lot of water, but it looks really good in promotional pictures.
  • Tidy up messy areas: Look, there is only so much we can do to force the kids to put away everything at the end of the class. You take care of the rest.


School Janitor Simulator is scheduled for release on PC via Steam and itch.io by the end of 2026, with a public demo coming soon. The game is now available to wishlist.


Steam Page


About The Developers


A duo of veteran game developers, José Luis Scolari and Sebastián Gioseffi have a combined experience of more than 30 years, both in big companies and small indie studios. In their first foray as a team of two, they decided to venture into the job simulation genre they always loved.

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