Not many franchises are brave enough to venture into multiple genres, and even when they do, they usually fail. The only one that comes to mind for me is Yakuza, which recently had a brilliant transition from an action series into turn-based RPG with Yakuza: Like a Dragon. However, one franchise has been doing it for much, much longer: SteamWorld. Since the first entry in the franchise back in 2010, a tower defender, the SteamWorld games have managed to keep it fresh with new ideas each time around. That trend is likely to continue, as Thunderful Games is hard at work developing multiple new SteamWorld games.
If you’re a fan of the SteamWorld games you may be wondering why I named Thunderful Games as the developer. That’s because Image & Form, the original developer for the SteamWorld franchise is also officially rebranding today. On Twitter, the developer not only announced that multiple new SteamWorld games are in development, but that the company is also changing. Specifically, it’s just rebranding as Thunderful Games, bringing it more in line with its parent company.
In 2018, Image & Form and Zoink Games were brought together by Thunderful Games. The company then purchased Coatsink, the developer behind Phogs!, Cake Bash, and Gang Beasts in 2020. Image & Form’s rebranding simply brings it closer to the amalgam of companies that is Thunderful Games.
What’s next for the SteamWorld franchise?
It’s nearly impossible to guess what Thunderful Games has planned for the SteamWorld franchise, mainly because it doesn’t seem like there are any limits. The franchise’s first release on PC, SteamWorld Dig, was a platform miner. Later games would have players fill the roles of bank robbers and medieval adventurers. Simply put, it seems there isn’t any situation the wonderfully rusty cast of characters in the SteamWorld universe won’t find themselves in. Unfortunately, since they’re all still in development it’s hard to say when we’ll see any new SteamWorld games.
Howdy! We’re thrilled to share that several new SteamWorld games are in the making!
With this in mind, we'll dedicate this space to SteamWorld games old and new! Image & Form is @ThunderfulGames nowadays. Same folks, new name! Follow us there for news on The Gunk and more games! pic.twitter.com/FQPpXS1t9i
— SteamWorld Games (@SteamWorldGames) May 12, 2021
