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Demo for Upcoming Horde Survival Action Roguelike Ground Zero Hero now available on Steam

The free Steam demo for Ground Zero Hero, the upcoming horde survival action roguelike from Acclaim, Inc., and Australian solo developer Rowan Edmondson is now available.

Featuring a vibrant hand-drawn art style inspired by The Simpsons and Rick and Morty, Ground Zero Hero challenges players to explore a post-apocalyptic wasteland as they face off against massive hordes of marauding mutants. Pummel piñatas, crunch candy, and absorb the irradiated guts of monsters to unlock new mutations and become the ultimate mutant.

Available now, the demo drops you into the game’s first wasteland, Doomsday Desert, offering a taste of the chaos to come. You can experiment with 14 of the game’s 19 total mutations, beginning with five and unlocking nine more as you progress. Each mutation also features a wild “bonkers” form that can be discovered within the demo, giving you an early look at the game’s most unhinged power-ups. Best of all, all progress made in the demo will carry over to the full release.

To celebrate the demo’s launch, Acclaim, Inc. has released a new trailer showcasing the over-the-top action, insane mutations, and cartoonish chaos that await you. 

Watch the Ground Zero Hero Demo Launch trailer here

Download the Ground Zero Hero Steam Demo here

On crafting a game that revolves around the historically important themes of candy-crazed genetic mutations, piñata destruction, and giving birth to a man in a chicken suit, creator Rowan Edmondson summed it up as only he could:

“I worked hard on this nonsense,” said Edmondson.

Those craving mutations and mayhem won’t have to wait much longer to get their hands (or tentacles) on the game. Ground Zero Hero launches on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, Switch 2, and Steam this summer.

Key Features:

UNLOCK an ever-growing list of powerful mutations and permanent upgrades

DISCOVER devastating combinations to craft your ultimate mutant

EXPLORE multiple wastelands, each with its own unique interactive elements

BATTLE to a dynamic soundtrack that changes with gameplay

SURVIVE the apocalypse by destroying piñata for that sweet, sweet candy

GIVE BIRTH to a man in a chicken suit

About Acclaim:

Originally founded in 1987, Acclaim established itself as a leading global developer, publisher, and mass marketer, bringing beloved franchises such as Mortal Kombat, Turok, and NBA Jam into homes worldwide. Today, Acclaim carries its legacy forward with an unwavering commitment to supporting talented indie developers and delivering high-quality, premium indie games to a global audience. Acclaim’s modern revival stands as a testament to the strength and enduring appeal of its iconic brand.

Cozy-Weird ‘Snowguelike’ Froggy Hates Snow launching on PC and consoles May 7th

Digital Bandidos and solo developer Crying Brick today announced that Froggy Hates Snow, the charmingly strange “snowguelike” survival roguelite, will launch for PC & consoles on May 7th


A demo is available now on Steam and Xbox, with Steam progress carrying over to the full game.
In Froggy Hates Snow, you guide a small frog beyond the safety of his heat bubble and into a frozen wilderness filled with treasure, secrets, and danger. By digging through deep interactive snow and reshaping the terrain around you, you will uncover gems and upgrades that help you survive longer, push further, and discover more with every run.


But Froggy Hates Snow is more than a survival challenge. Alongside its roguelite progression, combat, and risk-reward decision-making, the game has a distinctly cozy and offbeat tone, combining playful exploration, oddball charm, and a world that feels as inviting as it is unpredictable.


Players can also activate Peaceful Mode for a monster-free experience focused entirely on digging, discovery, and exploring at their own pace. As you unlock and upgrade your equipment – such as flamethrowers, snowblowers and drills – clearing snow becomes a relaxing, powerwashing-style experience as you seek to completely uncover each map.


Each run offers different ways to play. Players attempt to survive ten waves of shadowy creatures and take on the deadly level boss that follows, or search for the escape door and collect enough keys to unlock it before the boss arrives. How far they venture, how long they stay exposed to the cold, and how aggressively they play is entirely up to them.


Key features in Froggy Hates Snow include:
 

  • Dig, Tunnel, Reshape – Use a unique snow-digging mechanic to carve paths through the world, uncover treasure, and turn the terrain itself into part of your strategy
  • Cozy, Quirky, and a Little Chaotic – Play as one of ten lovable coat-wearing frogs, each with their own unique abilities and quirks in a frozen world that blends warmth, weirdness, and danger
  • Two Paths to Victory – Battle through ten waves of enemies and defeat the boss, or find the escape door and enough keys to make it out alive
  • Build It Your Way – Experiment with flexible upgrades, unlockables, and run-defining choices that support a range of playstyles
  • From Shovels to Flamethrowers – Clear snow and fight back with an expanding arsenal that includes snowblowers, dynamite, cluster bombs, flamethrowers, and more
  • Amazing Allies – Recruit helpful companions, from penguins and owls through to flame-throwing robots, to help explore and survive
  • Peaceful Mode – Turn off enemy encounters entirely for a more relaxed experience centered on digging, discovery, and exploration
  • Highly Replayable Runs – New treasures, dangers, upgrades, and routes help make every attempt feel fresh

“It’s been amazing to watch players and creators connect with Froggy Hates Snow,” said developer Serhii ‘Serge’ Riabtsev. “I always wanted it to feel a little unusual. It has danger and pressure, but it also has this cozy, playful side where you can just enjoy digging through the snow and seeing what you find. Getting to finally share the release date feels really special.”


“From the moment we played it, we knew Froggy Hates Snow had a personality all its own,” said Steve Escalante, CEO of Digital Bandidos. “It’s odd but charming, instantly watchable, and full of the kind of emergent moments that players and creators love. What makes it especially exciting is that it can feel tense and replayable one minute, then surprisingly cozy and relaxing the next.”

Players can wishlist Froggy Hates Snow on Steam, PlayStation Store and Xbox Store now.

For more information about this title and others from Digital Bandidos, visit www.digitalbandidos.com. Media inquiries can be directed to press@digitalbandidos.com.


About Digital Bandidos
Digital Bandidos, established by Versus Evil veterans Steve Escalante and Lance James, is a new publisher with a secret behind its mask: decades of combined experience in indie and AAA game publishing, hundreds of titles published, and a lifelong passion to empower independent developers and their creations – no matter who is publishing their games. In addition to publishing Bullet Heaven hits Soulstone Survivors and Let Them Come: Onslaught, the company also created Indie Fan Fest, a curated digital exhibition to highlight upcoming indie games ahead of Steam’s Next Fest events. www.digitalbandidos.com.


About Crying Brick
Founded in 2025, Crying Brick is the developer of cozy-core survival game Froggy Hates Snow. Based in Poland, the studio consists of Serhii ‘Serge’ Riabtsev, a sole Ukrainian developer who loves frogs as much as he hates the cold.

Arcade shoot ‘em up OBLITACRATER available now on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam

 Indie developer Strangely Named is excited to confirm that their latest title, OBLITACRATER, is out now on PS5 & Xbox Series X|S, alongside its full release on Steam. Built around high-risk, high-reward runs, in OBLITACRATER you will battle an onslaught of enemy swarms while managing a single, ever-growing score that can be lost in an instant.

Capturing the essence of arcade classics like Space Invaders, OBLITACRATER blends pick-up-and-play accessibility with modern roguelike design and bold, fast-paced action. Players battle through endless waves of enemies and adapt their ship with powerful upgrades. But the real challenge is knowing when to escape.


In OBLITACRATER, every drop onto the beautifully stylised planet is a high-stakes gamble as you’re always contributing to one single running score. The goal is to build up your score, rise through the leaderboards and decide on the best moment to end your run because death in OBLITACRATER hits harder than ever. Your running score (and leaderboard position) reset to zero when you’re defeated, effectively putting you back to square one. It’s your choice how you want to play. Do you risk one more drop with your powerful loadout, or escape safely and continue building your score in the next run?

As you progress through each run you’ll have the opportunity to unlock powerful upgrades to your ship, which range from stat boosts, like increased movement speed, to secondary fire modes, like rockets and mines. The riskiest (and often most fun) options are the random upgrades, which could give you a powerful upgrade… or a painful downgrade.

Key Features:

  • 10 Horrifying (and yet oddly cute) alien critters to blast!
  • Ranked, Friends and Timed Leaderboards
  • 50 unique upgrades
  • A range of high powered weaponry including Rockets, Lasers and Mines
  • Fast paced movement and dodging
  • Smooth Traversal on a full 3D spherical planet
  • Support for hundreds of enemies on screen
  • Challenge yourself in Dead Run Mode, where just one hit from an enemy is lethal

Excited to see players across all platforms drop in for the first time, developer Sen says: “We’re thrilled for players to drop into OBLITACRATER and start climbing the leaderboards. We’ll be right there with you, chasing that number one spot. And once you’ve got the hang of things, jump into Dead Run mode, where the real challenge begins!”

Survival Roguelike BARDA launches today in Steam Early Access

Independent studio Mudita Games had released BARDA in Early Access on Steam today as part of the TurnBasedThursdayFest 2026.
 

BARDA is a chaotic inventory survival roguelike where keeping your backpack organized is the key to staying alive. Instead of focusing on combat the game challenges players to climb an ever-changing mountain by carefully managing the items they carry.
 

Players attempt to reach the summit to scatter their late grandfather’s ashes while dealing with survival conditions such as hunger, fatigue, and madness. In BARDA, these conditions are not simple meters — they physically appear inside the backpack disrupting the inventory players rely on to survive.
 

Each run takes players through procedurally generated zones filled with items, obstacles, and difficult decisions about what to keep or discard.
 

BARDA is available now in Early Access on Steam.

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