Alientrap
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | Lee Vermeulen |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | Nexuiz, Capsized, Apotheon |
| Website | Alientrap.com |
Alientrap Games Inc. (commonly referred to as just Alientrap) is an independent video game developer led by Lee Vermeulen and Jesse McGibney. It has released the games Nexuiz, Capsized, Apotheon, Cryptark, and Wytchwood.
Games developed[edit]
- Nexuiz – Windows, Mac OS X, Linux (2005)
- Capsized – Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, XBLA (2011)
- Autocraft – Windows (2014)
- Apotheon – Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4 (2015)
- Maximum Override – Windows (2016)
- Cryptark – Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4 (2016)
- Modbox – Windows (HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, MagicLeap) (2016)
- Wytchwood - Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One (2021)
- Gunhead - Windows, PlayStation 5 (2023)
Nexuiz[edit]
Alientrap was founded in 2002 by Lee Vermeulen to develop Nexuiz, a first-person shooter built on Quake engine derivative DarkPlaces.[1]
During the development of Nexuiz, the Alientrap team consisted of head designer Vermeulen, DarkPlaces engine programmer Ashley Hale, programmer Andreas "Black" Kirsch, and a variety of contributing artists and level designers. It was released as free software under the GPL in 2005.[2] Nexuiz was later remade as a commercial product in 2012, published by THQ.[citation needed]
Capsized[edit]
Alientrap re-formed in 2009 under Lee Vermeulen to create a new game, Capsized, in collaboration with Jesse McGibney. Vermeulen started the project as a computer science student at the University of Saskatchewan bringing on McGibney, a longtime friend then studying illustration at Sheridan College. Vermeulen served as programmer and McGibney as art designer, while sound design was handled by freelancers.[3]
Both Vermeulen and McGibney submitted an early version of Capsized as their final undergraduate assignment,[1] and continued development full-time after graduation as Alientrap Games Inc.. Capsized was released in April 2011 on Steam and is in development for iOS and Android platforms.[3]
Apotheon[edit]
In mid-2011, Alientrap began work on Apotheon, an action role-playing metroidvania game set in ancient Greece. Art designer Jesse McGibney drew inspiration from the painting style of ancient Greek pottery. Alientrap director Lee Vermeulen compared the free-roaming level design of Apotheon to that of the classic action-adventure game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.[3] Apotheon was released on February 3, 2015, for Linux, OS X, Microsoft Windows, and PlayStation 4.[4]
Cryptark[edit]
On June 20, 2017, Alientrap released Cryptark on Steam and the PS4 store. It is a side-scrolling 2d roguelike that tasks players with boarding and fighting inside large alien spaceships so they can be salvaged.
Modbox[edit]
On April 5, 2016, Alientrap released Modbox on Steam Early Access. It is a virtual reality multiplayer Game Creation System initially released for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. It won a Technical Achievement award at the 2016 Vision Summit,[5] and Best Educational Game at the 2016 Canadian Video Game Awards.[6] A MagicLeap version was released in 2020.[7]
Wytchwood[edit]
Wytchwood is a crafting adventure game set in a land of gothic fables and fairytales. Released on December 9, 2021, on Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
Gunhead[edit]
Gunhead is a FPS roguelike sequel to Cryptark. Released on November 8, 2023, on Windows, PlayStation 5
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Epic Brew Interviews "Capsized" Developer, Lee Vermeulen". Epic Brew. 9 September 2011. Archived from the original on 5 May 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
- ^ "Forest Hale interview about Nexuiz and open-source". TimeDoctor Dot Org. 23 March 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
- ^ a b c Johnstone, Cody (22 December 2011). "Interview – Alien Trap talks Capsized and Apotheon". Gamesugar. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
- ^ "AlienTrap Games - Apotheon Press Kit". Alientrap. February 3, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
- ^ "Vision Summit". Unity.
- ^ "Video Game Awards". CanadianGameDevs.
- ^ "MagicLeap World". MagicLeap.
