Finland-based Angry Birds maker Rovio Tuesday teased its brand new iOS game titled Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage. The game will be published under a new Rovio Stars label and follows the adventure of a lone Viking. Rovio Stars focuses on “the best new games from talented and innovative developers” and files as Rovio’s first foray into including third party titles in its game line-up.
Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage is being developed by UK-based studio Nitrome and is hitting iOS “soon.” The game will be followed by Tiny Thief by Barcelona-based third-party developer Ants Studio. I’ve included teaser videos after the break…
According to the blurb, Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage combines “dynamic ice-slicing mechanics with an offbeat sense of humor.”
Here’s the announcement trailer.
As for Tiny Thief, it launches this summer on mobile platforms and Mac and PC desktops. The game will challenge you to solve 30 puzzles along five distinct chapters and steal over 85 hidden items in this “unique mind-boggling adventure.”
Here’s the Tiny Thief teaser.
A media release states that Rovio Stars is the next logical step as Rovio strives to move into publishing. Kalle Kaivola, Rovio’s Director of Development, says the new label is interested in “games with memorable characters and entertaining gameplay.”
The company will help third-party developers polish their warez and publish them on the App Store, benefitting from Rovio’s clout and brand power. They are focusing on quality rather than quantity so each Rovio Stars launch “will be an event of its own.”
And with more than 1.7 billion downloads and hundreds of millions of monthly active users, Rovio can certainly push other people’s games to a massive audience.
Developers who are interested in Rovio Stars can find more information here.
The official web sites for Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage and Tiny Thief have more information on these respective titles.