What Warhammer, and Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, means to Auroch Digital

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Auroch Digital’s Studio Director, Tomas Rawlings, is a long time Warhammer fan. When we say long time, we mean he started playing Warhammer with 3rd edition Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000 with 1st edition (both launched in 1987!)

We’ve just announced Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, make sure to check out the Store pages, Steam page, watch the trailer, and wishlist the game!

With this announcement Tom wanted to share a few thoughts on how much this game means to us as a studio, and what Warhammer means to him personally.

The reply to 14 year old Tom’s letter to Games Workshop with some design ideas.

Unsurprisingly, as a long time fan, this project is something I’m both hugely excited to work on, and to play. It’s a dream project.

For me there’s a certain full circle here, as back in 1989 was my first attempt at some game design that was vaguely commercial when I wrote some rules for both Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40K and sent them in to Games Workshop. They were kind enough to reply.

Here we are 33 years later from that amateur game design work, yet Games Workshop and Warhammer are still a huge part of my life. And now I’m part of a Warhammer project with Games Workshop, one that references my past love of the setting, yet is very much a future-facing game with the technology and gameplay that powers it.

So now imagine me, in one hand I’m raising a tankard of Bugmans and in the other a Boltgun, both up to the sky in salute of a constant that has been in my life for over 35 years and I can’t ever see it not being a part of me.

If you want to hear some more on my thoughts here, we did a podcast looking at the early genesis of the mighty Warhammer 40,000. So please do Wishlist Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, and then have a listen.

For the Emperor! For Sigmar!

- Tomas Rawlings, Auroch Digital Studio Director

Make sure to check out the trailer for Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, announced by us and Focus at the Skull Sale! We are incredibly excited about the game and really proud of our awesome trailer:

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Auroch Digital

Steve Jackson’s multi-award-winning Ogre is out now on consoles!

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Ogre is available to buy on Xbox, Switch and PlayStation now, plus a big update for Steam players!

Auroch Digital first brought the legendary and multi-award-winning strategy war game from Steve Jackson Games to PC in 2017, and now we’re excited to announce that it is coming to console too! You’ll be able to find Ogre on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and play the updated PC version right now! 

In Ogre you engage in turn-based, near-future warfare, using armoured hovercraft, superheavy tanks, infantry, and giant cybernetic war machines called Ogres. 

Check out the new and improved trailer here! 

Learn more about Ogre 

Variety 

With two factions to choose from, the North American Combine, and the Paneuropean Federation, you’ll be able to play differently each time. Add to that a whole host of different unit types; from Light, Superheavy, and Missile Tanks, G.E.V.s, Infantry, Marines, Howitzers, all the way to Ogres (Mark I – Mark VI), you’ll be able to play your way, a different way, every time.  

 
 

Compelling gameplay 

Ogre’s gameplay has withstood the test of time for over forty years since it was first released on tabletop, and then more recently on PC. Take control and compete for power on the irradiated battlefields of the future, as you play your part in an endless world war. Console players will now get a chance to play the definitive version of Ogre, which includes the expanded G.E.V. rules. 

Achievements 

With the console editions comes achievements! Xbox and PlayStation players will be able to collect achievements as they play Ogre again and again. 

Listen to our podcasts about Ogre!

Game designer Steve Jackson talks about the origins of Ogre and the process of bringing Ogre to the LastGameboard, a digital platform that bridges the gap between digital and physical boardgames.

David Rock, AKA granitepenguin, has a chat with us about his journey with Steve Jackson Games' Ogre. David tells us how he started as a fan of the TTRPG and our digital adaptation for PC, and tells us of his experience as being a Line Editor at Steve Jackson Games. 

Ogre, the image of the Ogre supertank, and the pyramid logo are registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Ogre is copyright © 1977-2022 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All rights reserved.

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Auroch Digital

Marketing and Community Managment for Auroch Digital in Bristol, UK.

How games can help mental health and wellbeing

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In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Week, Auroch Digital take a deep dive into how games can have a positive impact on our mental health and wellbeing.

Junior Business Development Associate here at Auroch Digital (and neuroscientist), Jess Rutland, is passionate about discussing real-world issues in relation to games – from climate change to mental health. 

Here, Jess takes us on a journey into the mind and how gaming can help wellbeing, boost serotonin and improve our overall mental health. 

Jess, JRutland@aurochdigital.com

“Demand for ‘cosy’ and ‘wholesome’ games has soared over the last two years, with games like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley bringing this genre to the mainstream over the pandemic.”  

“With global lockdowns abound, many turned to online games for their daily dose of social interaction as it became critical for everyone to develop and foster tools for interacting online. The most obvious example of this is Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which launched just as COVID-19 cases began to creep and whisperings of lockdowns had started. Released by Nintendo, the game provided many with an outlet to live out their wholesome, sim-self lives and offered people a sense of escapism as they explored an island paradise surrounded by cute fuzzy neighbours. Not only did this game offer a relaxing landscape to explore, but it also became a huge social platform for millions of players to interact with each other and exist in a virtual space together.” 

“And so, the cosy game became a mental health haven for players around the world – but what is it about this genre that soothes our brains so much? Well, to explore how everything from aesthetic, to gameplay, to audio affects our minds, let’s look at Auroch Digital’s upcoming title: Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator. The game is an authentic, homebrewing simulator where players can design and craft their own beers at their own pace; it’s thematically cosy, adaptable and welcoming.” 

Environment: We’ve designed this game so that the environment players find themselves surrounded by is a pleasure to be immersed in and is filled with warm colours often associated with the cosiness of autumn – think burnt orange, emerald green and gentle brown tones. The design of this manages to balance being impactful enough for players to want to spend time in the world of Brewmaster, but not so overwhelming that it distracts from the gameplay. 

Music: The music chosen for Brewmaster is gentle and has a cadence which repeats in an easy-to-follow rhythm – something cosy games are amazing at using. There’s a huge amount of evidence linked to repetitive music having a calming effect on the brain, as when the rhythm aligns with the oscillation frequencies our brain operates at, it’s shown to improve attention, emotional wellbeing and boost a plethora of other brain functions. If you’ve ever listened to lo-fi music when trying to focus, this is exactly why. In fact, we’re becoming ever more aware of the calming effects repetitive beats can have on our brain, with Google searches – which have been on a steady increase over the past two years – reaching an all-time high in February this year.  

UX/UI: Accessibility is a huge key focus for us at Auroch Digital. It’s no surprise that some design decisions meant to improve accessibility for those living with disabilities, such as dyslexic friendly fonts and accessible colour contrasts, also have a soothing impact on people who may be neurotypical in those areas. Whilst it isn’t to say that all accessibility improves all experiences for all people, for Brewmaster we were mindful to use colours which contrast whilst remaining soft to keep a gentler atmosphere for our players. 

“There’s also a lot to be said for how players play and how their chosen platform impacts their experience. We’ve found that console players – particularly Nintendo Switch players – are more drawn to ‘cosy’ experiences which is something that continues to inform the directions we go in when porting games. Our people at Auroch Digital began console porting and publishing to support fellow developers in their goals to bring the games players love to new platforms, like The Colonists or Megaquarium. Our porting pillar is something we’re very proud of and want to continue expanding in this direction.“

“Of course, for some, how they play a game is irrelevant and it isn’t always ‘wholesome’ or ‘cosy’ games that offer players relaxation – you can often find players seeking their recharge by playing brutal, action-packed games like Call of Duty or Dark Future. These types of games often sit alongside strategy games (such as Mars Horizon) in being so involved and full-on that there’s often no space to think about the areas of life causing stress to players. Often, these games take up maximum cognitive load and exercise our brains in ways that are occupying, rewarding and invigorating – allowing players to come away feeling replenished. There’s also a lot to be said about how these games can be supplementary to mental health management techniques like CBT or DBT which both benefit from using the same dopaminergic reward systems – think about trophies, badges, collectables, unlockable content; all ways players can receive instant gratification from their work.”  

“At the end of the day, why do we play video games? Above all else, it’s for entertainment and for escapism, but when it comes to wanting to relax and unwind, they can be an incredibly powerful tool to allow us to ‘switch off’ and support our wellbeing. There is no right or wrong game to help players find peace – even if just for an hour or two – as relaxation is entirely subjective, so whilst some of us find designing and talking to adorable animal friends soothing, others prefer to go a few rounds with some zombies to reset their brains after a long day.” 

“I would say the three key types of games which allow us to recharge and reset are: 

  • Games that push for relaxation through the atmosphere they foster – from lo-fi music to cosy colour palettes, 

  • Games that have high cognitive demand which might be selected to override negative thoughts or feelings, 

  • Games that are delightfully simple and require minimal tactical thinking or planning, allowing us to rely more on muscle memory and less on cognitive demand. 

“The games industry can often be on the receiving end of negative press for not only making games that can be seen to be damaging to our mental health (which has been demonstrated by research to be untrue), but also for the culture of working in the industry. Wider conversations are happening to ensure people are supported and not pushed to their limits to deliver games, and it’s only at the beginning of that journey. 

“Here at Auroch Digital, the mental health and wellbeing of our people is something we’re incredibly passionate about and take very seriously. We’re so proud to be an anti-crunch studio and work in patterns that suit the wellbeing of our employees – including flexi-time for our people and encouraging paid time off for therapy and counselling sessions. Communication is encouraged, but privacy is always respected – our goal is to foster an environment of trust and transparency and support our people however we can. 

“So next time you’re looking for a way to unwind, why not revisit an old favourite and treat yourself to some nostalgia (three of my favourites are Kingdom Hearts 2, Hollow Knight and Pokémon Emerald), discover a new calm cosy game or head into battle for some breathe-easy time. Sit back, relax and recharge.” 

Brewmaster: The Beer Brewing Simulator is available to Wishlist now. 

Interested in discovering opportunities with Auroch Digital? All current roles are available on the Careers Page. 

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Auroch Digital

Marketing and Community Managment for Auroch Digital in Bristol, UK.

We’re on the main stage for Steam Simfest: Hobby Edition happening March 28 – April 4 🎮🔨

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Auroch Digital are part of Steam Simfest | Hobby Edition, which is running from March 28th to April 4th. Check out the event page and schedule, which is now live! 

The Steam Simfest: Hobby Edition is a week-long celebration of simulation games, with a focus on Hobby Simulation, featuring discounts, a main stage of streaming content, and more! A Hobby Sim is a simulation game that authentically simulates a hobby or job (or both!). This is the first time we have run Simfest, but we have had two big successful Steam events before, in Digital Tabletop Fest 2020 and Digital Tabletop Fest 2021: RPG Edition. We are excited to highlight a different genre of games, and we can’t wait for you to see what we have in store.  

If you’ve been to either of our previous events, you’ll know how this works. If you’ve not, then what you can expect to see is a main stage of streaming content which has been carefully curated by us, hosted on the top of the event page. This content starts on April 1st, and the full schedule can be found on the events page. 

Make sure to sign up to watch some of the amazing panels and stream’s we’ve organised. Highlights include Welcome to Planet Zoo, the ultimate zoo simulation!, House Flipper - Pets DLC and Lunar New Year news with the developers, and PowerWash Simulator: Where it started, where it's going, and more.  

Keep reading to see the talks and livestreams we’re going to be a part of! 

  • Date 1st - 2nd April between 6pm - 6pm UK time  

  • Jack and Jemima from Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator are joined by Justin Hawke, Head Brewer and owner of Moor Beer Company, to talk about all things brewing. Learn how Moor Beer make their award-winning beer, what it's like to work at an industrial brewery, and how brewing on this scale differs from homebrewing. You can also get some great tips for your own home brewing! Jack talks about the chemistry simulation behind Brewmaster and talks about what the team decided to simulate when creating this homebrewing game and why. You'll also see loads of awesome footage of our visit to Moor Beer Brewery! 

  • Featuring: Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator

🚚 Panel: Can hobby sims teach you to do a real life Job? 🚚 

  • Hobby sims are more popular than ever with games that allow you to do everything from running a farm, to running a zoo, to driving a truck. The teams behind popular simulation games discuss the appeal and importance of this rising genre. But can these games actually teach you how to do their respective activity outside of the game? Or is there more value to be found in providing a digital recreation of a hobby or job to people who may not be able to do it otherwise? And how did the teams faithfully recreate the job or hobby in their titles? 

🏗 Panel: What is a hobby Sim and why do people play them? 🏗 

💝 Hobby Sims Favourite Club 💝 

Join our Discord 

If you want to talk to like-minded people about video games, you can join the Auroch Digital Discord and you'll have lots of people to chat to. 

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Auroch Digital

Marketing and Community Managment for Auroch Digital in Bristol, UK.

Brewmaster and Moor Beer Partnership

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We are very excited to announce a new partnership with award-winning craft brewery Moor Beer Company for our upcoming game Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator.

The partnership will see Moor Beer featured as the sponsor of a special in-game challenge, where players who successfully brew a winning beer will be rewarded with an unlockable cosmetic to show off their accomplishment. Moor Beer glasses will also appear in-game which players can use to serve up their creations.

We’re delighted to be partnering with Moor Beer for Brewmaster. This collaboration adds another exciting layer of authenticity and immersion for players. Working with Moor Beer for this partnership has been a great experience, they are so knowledgeable and passionate about brewing and beer. We are very excited to show fans much more on Brewmaster soon as we get closer to launch.

About Moor Beer

Started in 2007, Moor Beer Company are one of Britain’s most respected craft brewers, with sites in Bristol and London. They were the originators of Natural Live Beer, the vegan beer movement, and can-conditioned real ale, all of which forever changed the world of brewing and paved the way for many others to follow. They have been awarded countless times, including Brewer of the Year by the British Guild of Beer Writers and were one of only 16 breweries, and the smallest and youngest, to be given a Golden Award by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) in their 50th anniversary honours. More about Moor at www.moorbeer.co.uk.

“Working with Auroch has been great and we’re thrilled they chose us. I grew Moor Beer out of my homebrewing background, so it was really nostalgic and fun to see this replicated virtually – even down to my original orange picnic cooler mash tun! This will be a great game for people to dip their toe into the world of brewing, and if you get immersed in it as much as I did then you might also wind up with your own brewery.”
— Justin Hawke, Head Brewer and owner of Moor Beer

Brewmaster and Moor Beer at Simfest 2022!

As part of Simfest 2022 (28th March – 4th April), a Steam festival celebrating simulation games, fans can also look out for a special stream with Auroch Digital and Moor Beer Company to talk about all things brewing.

Find out more about Simfest and the feature spots we are a part of in our Simfest Blog Post.

Simfest Stream with Moor Beer!

  • Stream: Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator - IRL vs Digital homebrewing plus a trip to Moor Beer Brewery

  • Date: 1st - 2nd April

  • Time: Looping between 6pm - 6pm UK time 

  • Where: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/simfest_hobby

  • About: Jack and Jemima from Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator are joined by Justin Hawke, Head Brewer and owner of Moor Beer Company, to talk about all things brewing. Learn how Moor Beer make their award-winning beer, what it's like to work at an industrial brewery, and how brewing on this scale differs from homebrewing. You can also get some great tips for your own home brewing! Jack talks about the chemistry simulation behind Brewmaster and talks about what the team decided to simulate when creating this homebrewing game and why. You'll also see loads of awesome footage of our visit to Moor Beer Brewery! 

👩‍🍳Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator - IRL vs Digital homebrewing plus a trip to Moor Beer Brewery 🍺

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Jemima Crow

Megaquarium’s Freshwater Frenzy is out now!🐟🐠

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Megaquarium’s Freshwater Frenzy is out now on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox! 

Buy Megaquarium Freshwater Frenzy on Switch, PlayStation 4, or Xbox One.

Freshwater Frenzy is the first Deluxe Expansion for Megaquarium. It adds a brand-new environment for you to explore and master – freshwater, and now it's coming to console! 

Megaquarium is a theme park management tycoon game with an aquatic twist. Design your displays, look after your fish, manage your staff and keep your guests happy.

New Features in Freshwater Frenzy 

  • 5 levels in a freshwater-focused campaign 

  • 30 freshwater species 

  • 7 new tanks 

  • 4 accessories to equip your staff 

  • Dozens of new objects including decorations, plants, equipment and posters 

  • 4 brand new paints to keep your aquarium looking “fresh” 

Meet your new inhabitants, rear cute baby fish, and take a masterclass in Freshwater! 

Freshwater Frenzy adds a whole new freshwater-focused campaign to the game that gives you five new levels, a new environment, new tanks, new fish, new reptiles, and more. Read on to learn about the new additions coming with Freshwater Frenzy! 

New inhabitants – including reptiles! 

Freshwater Frenzy brings 30 – yes, THIRTY – new species of fish, and three species of reptiles; Eastern Long-necked Turtle, Dwarf Crocodile, and Green Anaconda. Each of these new inhabitants have new care requirements, new tanks, new challenges and the reptiles need tanks that will allow them to live on land and in water. 

Breed and hybridise 

You’ll be able to breed and hybridise fish for the first time ever in Megaquarium history. Make sure you check each animal’s individual breeding requirements which could be anything from a location to lay their eggs or a specific temperature. But it doesn’t stop with just breeding them, you’ll also have to give these baby animals your full attention so that you can raise them well.  

As well as breeding, you’ll also be able to create hybrids of some species and uses selective breeding to be able to create colour and pattern combinations that are to your personal tastes.  

Keep an eye on the pH scales 

Freshwater Frenzy also adds a new challenge in the form of pH scales. Some of the new animals you’ll meet will need you to maintain a specific pH scale in their tanks, which you can do through passive sources or leave it up to the machines to sort out! 

Educate and entertain your guests 

Pass on the knowledge that you learn through posters that can teach your visitors facts about the exhibits they’re connected to. Make sure you’re being fun and informative, and choose the exhibits they’re connected to wisely! 

New equipment, tanks, and perspectives 

Freshwater Frenzy is not only bringing new animals, but also there are tanks with suspended platforms, which allow your guests to view tanks from a whole new perspective and also can bridge different areas of your aquarium together. There are new tanks for your reptilian friends too, ones that accommodate both land and water, so they can be happy reptiles. 

Bringing Megaquarium to Console 

The PC version has been a big hit! On Steam it holds a Very Positive rating from 1,900+ reviews. It has also reviewed well in the press with PC Gamer awarding it 86/100 and deeming it a “charming watery theme park management game where fish are friends, not food.” 

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Auroch Digital

Marketing and Community Managment for Auroch Digital in Bristol, UK.

The Year 2021 in Review

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Wait, wasn’t it just 2020? This year went by too fast but we hope you had time to relax and enjoy good moments with your friends and loved ones. A lot has happened to us over the last year, we’d like to say a big thankyou to our community and players for going on the journey with us. You’re all awesome!

Don’t forget to sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date with us or join us on our Discord to chat about all the things we’ve done this year. Here is our End of year round up of 2021 🎊

January  

Start of 2021! Everyone has new year, new me vibes, right? Well here at Auroch we decided to help everyone who's resolution was to make a game.  We started the year off giving advice for how you can make your own game.  

♟Want to make a boardgame? That’s great! You don’t need to be technical to be a designer, you just need passion.  🎮 Want to make a video game? There are loads of free software you can use for free. 
Check out our blog post and see for yourself.  

February  

Well, as it is the shortest month, we spent all our time planning for what became one of our busiest years to date... 📃

Mars Horizon new DLC launch Early Observation with images of Mars, Nippon 1, Nippon 2 and the SPOT satellite

Mars Horizon Early observation DLC

March 

The beginning of spring brought the beginning of Mars Horizon updates.  This first one was called Early Observation and included the SPOT satellite mission and rockets Nippon 1 and Nippon 2 to the game.  

 Not only did spring bring us an update, but it also announced our newest game from us, Brewmaster, the homebrewing simulator.  We announced our newest title over on the PlayStation blog. We gave you the first sneak peaks into what the game is about, showed off a bunch of screenshots and premiered our trailer. 

 April 

No sooner as the Early Observations had landed, we launched the next Mars Horizon update, Distant Observations. This update allowed for extra satellite to be crafted and a new rocket.  Talk about a quick launch time! 

Also, remember those cute little space robots? We finally revealed that they would reach consoles on the 4th May... 

 

May 

Now May, was a busy month, with two bank holidays we had a lot to do.  Firstly, the Colonist finally landed on all consoles which was amazing! There were tips, blog posts and love from content creators galore.   

Secondly, we got a whole new logo! This was an exciting reveal, but we also wanted to share with everyone how we went about designing one as you don’t tend to change logos often.  This process did go through the works, but we love our cow – thanks @eirawave!  

Lastly, we bid farewell to chainsaw warrior.  Our publishing rights stopped so we had to end all sales.  It was a special place in our CEO’s heart, and you can see how much it means to him. 

June 

What’s that we hear, you wanted more from Mars Horizon? Well, we gave you Expanded Horizon which was our biggest update to date.  It went to all platforms and included new missions and payloads such as the Mars Perseverance and the Ingenuity helicopter.  Out of this world, right?  

The best part of this update, was the sandbox mode which was highly requested by our community so they can experience Mars Horizon however they choose.  

July 

 July was not only a scorcher weather wise here in the UK, but also hot off the Kickstarter press, Auroch Digital has two games going onto the Gameboard. 

 For those who are don’t know, Gameboard is the next dimension in tabletop, a complete gaming system that you’ll be able to play with anyone, anywhere, and with any game piece you have on hand!  We are working hard to bring two of our games Gameboard, Ogre and Mars Horizon: BLAST OFF!  

August 

With covid cancelling all the carnivals, we decided to write some blogs to keep us busy and you entertained.  The first blog post was aimed at content creators and getting game codes.  Now, we are not saying that following this post means you will 100% get a key from a company, but it is always nice to know what we are looking for when we are receiving emails.  

Remember our new year's resolution we made about making a game? Well, we wanted to give you some realistic advice on how much it cost to make a game.  

Did you know that game developments are split into three tiers; 

  • Indie game - This is a game made by a solo developer (or small team) and released onto Steam (or similar storefront). Good examples of this type are our games (so far!) such as Mars Horizon and Dark Future: Blood Red States. 

  • AAA game - This is the major publisher release that most people think of when they think of a ‘game’, so your FIFA and Battlefield titles, for example. 

September 

We became one big happy family within the Sumo group in September. We joined 15 studios which span across the UK, Poland, Canada India and the US.

We are looking forward to our future with our new family!

“We have a shared desire always to improve the quality and depth of the games we make, a commitment to being a positive and respectful workplace, a desire to invest in new talent, and a shared wish to make a lot of fun, engagement and gameplay for all. Auroch Digital joining Sumo Group really is the natural next step in our journey and we're really excited to be taking it together.“ - Tomas Rawlings, Auroch Digital Studio Director

October 

We organised and ran Steam Digital Tabletop Fest | RPG Edition, which is a multi-day celebration of tabletop gaming. This is the second year we have done this event since last year was a big success. This year we had a special focus on Role-Playing Games.    

Just after the festival w then announced our Brewmaster Alpha would be live from 23rd r –29th November and gave everyone a brief look into what they can be expecting.  

Finally, as more and more people are looking for jobs in games, we made a brief video on what it's like to work here, at Auroch Digital.  Look out for our easter eggs and company mascot Coco! 😀  

November 

We know what you are thinking, we have been a bit too quiet on the Mars Horizon front the past few months but don’t worry, we have a juicy one coming. We announced our new update, Daring expeditions with a bang.  Not only did we announce it on the anniversary of the Rosetta mission which is included in the new update, we also had a stream with an ESA special guest who was one of the original team members.  Oh, and Mars Horizon turned one at the same time.  

The Brewmaster Alpha ran from 23rd November – 29th November.  We had so many delightful comments and feedback from our community during this whole time.  We have learnt so much and we are so grateful to everyone who took time to tell us their thoughts.

For those who haven’t seen this on our social media, here is a video we made of streamers playing the alpha: 

December

Ok, so we haven’t really finished the month yet but it deserves its own space as we announced that we are now Patrons of the Sunflower ward of Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.

The children in the Sunflower ward undergo extensive medical treatment and if there was ever a time where games and joy were needed, here is a prime example. We recently gave a holiday update on how they are celebrating with some amazing pictures from the children. 🎄 We will continue to support and promote the ward going forward, we are proud to be a patron of such an important case and ward.

If you would like to donate towards the Sunflower ward, their wishlist is below 🌟

What’s to come in 2022? Well, if we told you that, we would have no surprises left 😉

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Auroch Digital

Marketing and Community Managment for Auroch Digital in Bristol, UK.

Auroch Digital is a patron of Bristol Royal Hospital for Children Sunflower Ward 🌻

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In Bristol’s Royal Hospital for Children, there is an amazing ward full of happiness and hope where it is needed most. The Sunflower ward is the neurological rehabilitation ward for children and Auroch Digital has signed up to be a patron of the ward.

Who does the ward help? 🩺

Admissions come from near and far, short term and long term. They can be planned admissions and referrals from across the Southwest region but, due to the nature of the specialists on this ward, they also get young people from all over the world. 

Here is a clip of a recent Sunflower Ward Patient Jayden being discharged after a year of treatment. Isaac, Health Play Assistant for Sunflower Ward, said: “Jayden really worked hard and love to make jokes while on the ward. He is an avid gamer and greatly made use of the VR headset The Grand Appeal donated to the ward!”

Why are we patrons to The Sunflower Ward? 🌻

This ward does such important work that we wanted to support them through donations and raising awareness. The sunflower ward has health play assistants, like Isaac. The play team members are qualified childcare practitioners whose job is to ensure the patients can experience play and a sense of normality, while also assisting with medical procedures.  

Sunflower Ward 🌻

You know how we all like to come home and play a few games? These kids are exactly the same. After they have had procedures done, being able to socialise with other young people brings them joy in such a difficult time and helps with recovery.

Why is play so important? 🎮

Play is more important than we realise. The interaction with others and need to have fun is inside all of us and since these children are already undergoing such a stressful time, they need that normality even more. Playing games in a team, laughing with friends, and being creative are all things the Sunflower ward helps these kids to do.

Everyone loves a movie night, watching anime with friends and laughing at the silliness that happens. Recently, Sunflower Ward got an Xbox one so that the teenagers can do exactly that. Depending on the demands of the ward there can sometimes be a teenager on a bay with three toddlers so having the space and facilities for them to do something more grown up and just for them is really key, and well needed!

We recently donated a load of items to the ward from their Amazon Wishlist and Isaac was kind enough to let us know how some of these have helped.

We gifted the ward some fairy lights and a teenager currently staying in the ward with sensory sensitivity issues has been using these. She can control the brightness and colour which she is really enjoying. 

We also donated a load of Lego from the Amazon wishlist which has been a big hit, especially with Lucas. He sent us a really lovely hand made card saying how much he liked them. Thank you so much Lucas, we love your drawings! 😁

Some of the games and toys in the ward

How can you help? 🏥

If you’d like to support the Sunflower Ward as well there are loads of things you can do:

  • 🎁 Choose some items to donate from their Amazon wishlist - The Sunflower Ward has a wishlist of items you can choose to donate from. The kids have helped select these items and donating any of these will make a child’s day.

  • 🍰 Raise money for donations - Take part in a fundraising event, or organise your own! These can be bake-offs, marathons, or other sponsored activities. The money you raise can go on donations for the ward. For ideas and events you can join check out the official charity for Bristol Children’s Hospital - The Grand Appeal.

  • 🔊 Raise Awareness - Share their Amazon wishlist link, or any posts you see about the ward, including ours! Raising awareness of the important work they do and how people can help makes a big difference.

  • 🐦 Follow them on socials to stay up to date - Follow Isaac (Twitter and Instagram) and The Grand Appeal (Twitter and Facebook) on socials so you can stay up to date with their work, help raise awareness, and get involved with events as they come up.

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Auroch Digital

Marketing and Community Managment for Auroch Digital in Bristol, UK.

Mars Horizon's Daring Expeditions free update now live, plus a special stream to celebrate

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Take new risks in Mars Horizon's Daring Expeditions update 🚀

Expect new dangerous missions, new flags, and plenty of Spacepedia updates. The Mars Horizon Daring Expeditions update is now live on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch!

Get a look at one of the new missions in our special stream. We played the Rosetta mission, which saw the Philae probe successfully land on a comet, as part of its 7th anniversary with a member of the European Space Agency who worked on the mission. You can watch our special Rosetta mission stream here.

Read on to find out what else is included in Mars Horizon's next update and get more details about this amazing stream 👩‍🚀

Mars Horizon's Daring Expeditions update 🌠

New Mission: Space Tourist 👩‍🚀

We've added a space tourist mission where you can elect to send a billionaire or an educator into space on their request. This is a high risk mission for your agency, possibly wrecking your reputation or granting you huge rewards. We've also added new narrative events and cinematics for this mission.

New Mission: Chinese Rover Zhurong

This adds a new mission for players who are playing the Chinese space agency in the game; Chinese Rover Zhurong as a payload to send to Mars! We took inspiration from this recent dramatic accomplishment by the CNSA and have put it into our game along with brand new cinematics which reflect the activity of the mission.

New Mission: Philae / Rosetta Mission

This adds a playable new mission where the comet that the Rosetta mission targeted appears in the Solar System - and you're able to research a mission to land on it just like ESA did. There's new narrative events which explain the comet's formation and chart its relevance in science. We've also added a bunch of dramatic new cinematics as well as the new payloads.

New flags, Spacepedia Updates, and Bugfixes 📚

As well as these awesome new missions we've added loads of new nation flags to select when you begin your own custom agency. There are new spacepedia entries for space tourism, the Zhurong rover, and of course Rosetta and Philae.

We’ve also implemented lots of bug fixes to address the balance of some missions and some localisation improvements.

Rosetta Mission stream with ESA special guest Andrea Accomazzo 👩‍🚀

November 12th, 2021 was the 7th anniversary of the landing of the Philae probe on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, the crowning achievement of the Rosetta mission.

For this stream, the Auroch Digital team were joined by Andrea Accomazzo, who is the Head of Solar System and Exploration Missions Division at the European Space Agency, and who actually worked on the Rosetta mission back in 2014.

He'll talked about the challenges of the Rosetta mission and how they solved them as we tried to land our own Philae probe during the stream. This was your first look at Mars Horizon's next update so give it a watch for some tips for your own playthrough!

Daring Expeditions Stream with ESA✨

Review Mars Horizon 🚀

Once you are back on land, please remember to leave us a review as it helps indie developers like us! Fun fact - 90% of all consumers will look at reviews before they buy something online? So steam uses review numbers as a way to see which game to promote?

Leave a thumbs up on Steam, Xbox and PlayStation and if you are not sure how, click here!

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Auroch Digital

Marketing and Community Managment for Auroch Digital in Bristol, UK.

Frequently Asked Questions: Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator

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This is the official FAQ for Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator. We’ve collected the most commonly asked questions and will keep adding more, so check back regularly. We’ve also got our Bug Reporting guide here too.

If there's anything you think we need to add just let us know on Discord or send an email to BrewmasterFeedback@aurochdigital.com.

Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator FAQ

  • What is Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator?

    • Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator is a first person hobby simulation game focused on homebrewing - think PC Building Simulator or House Flipper, but for beer.

      Discover, learn, and master the art of homebrewing in the ultimate celebration of craft beer.  From perfecting authentic, chemistry-driven brewing techniques to naming, bottling and labelling - refine your craft to become the ultimate Brewmaster in the first ever realistic beer brewing experience. With all the tricks of the trade and the best equipment at your disposal, follow a recipe, or experiment with a huge variety of real-world ingredients to hone your skills. Enter friendly competitions, earn beer tokens, and upgrade your equipment to become an even better brewer.

      Learn to brew, refine your craft and become a Brewmaster!

  • When will Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator be released?

    • September 29th 2022 for PC! The Console version will be later in 2022.

  • What platforms will Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator be available on?

    • Brewmaster is coming to Windows PCs via Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5, and Xbox One & Series X/S.

  • Can I stream Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator?

    • Yes, we are happy for you to stream the game or upload videos of it. We love to see people playing our game in real time so drop a link to your streams or videos in the coverage section of our Discord. And please tag us on socials when you go live, as we’d love to share it with our community!

  • Can I play Brewmaster on Steam Deck?

    • Yes, Brewmaster is Steam Deck compatible.

  • Does Brewmaster support trophies/achievements?

    • Yes! Brewmaster fully supports both Steam achievements and trophies on the relevant consoles

  • Is there controller support on PC?

    • Yes! You can play Brewmaster on PC with any standard controllers supported by steam input.

  • Where can I report bugs?

    • If you’ve found a bug check please check our Bug Reporting Guide at the bottom of this page for more instructions. It gives more detail on reporting bugs as well as finding any associated log files which helps us a lot to track down issues.

  • Why does the application ping my firewall?

    • When you launch the game for the first time, you may get a notification that Epic Games would like access to your network. This is not something we have control over, it is Unreal Engine attempting to call home for a variety of reasons. You can refuse the request if you like and it will not affect your gameplay experience with Brewmaster.

    • There are also optional analytics in our game, which again would need access to the Internet, but they are opt-in only and are set to “off” by default.

  • Where can I get more information about Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator?

  • Where can I talk to someone from Auroch Digital?

Starter Tips & Help

💡 Tips to get you started

  • Start off by opening the “Brewer’s Quarterly” magazine near the front door

  • Choose one of the jobs in the Brewer’s Quarterly, and then a recipe that will meet the requirements of the job

  • Recipes can be pinned to the HUD via the recipes section in the Brewer’s Quarterly or in your journal

  • Use your watch (T / LT) to accelerate time

  • To skip larger amounts of time, use the calendar in the workshop

  • To see the temperature of a liquid, activate X-ray mode when looking at the container

  • To transfer liquids to Conditioning Containers, you’ll have to use a tube

  • When using tubes, make sure the target container is lower than the first, so gravity can do its work

  • If your final brew isn’t large enough to qualify as a small batch, try adding more water to get it closer to 20L

  • If things go wrong with your brew, don’t worry - just return to the start of the recipe. Brewing is a learning experience!

  • To switch measurements from Metric to Imperial, press Escape on your keyboard, then click Switch Measurements. From there you can choose the measurements you'd prefer to use.

Contamination in Brewmaster

There are various times in the brewing process where contamination can creep into your brew, such as leaving off the lid during the fermentation stage, or leaving it ON during the boil. This can be seen by the amount of "off" flavours in your beer. The lower the Contamination, the higher the quality of the beer. Contamination can be reduced by good brewing practices, such as leaving the lid off when boiling wort so that unwanted chemicals can escape.

Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator Bug Reporting Guide

If you encounter any issues with the game, we’d really appreciate you sending us a bug report. Always include as much information as you can about the issue, with screenshots and logs wherever possible. Providing us this info will speed up the process of us replicating the issue in the studio and finding a solution.

  • Capturing Screenshots and Video

    • Providing screens or video footage of an issue is almost always useful.

    • For screenshots, we recommend either using a program that comes with Windows like Snipping Tool, or using Steam’s inbuilt screenshot capture tool.

    • For video, use the Game Bar if on Windows 10. Third party video capture software like Open Broadcaster Software is also available.

  • Utilising the Crash Reporter

    • If the game has crashed to desktop, you will be presented with the Crash Reporter.

    • Rather than sending this file off from within the reporter, the most useful thing to do is zip up the crash logs from the UE crash and email them to us.

    • You can find the crash logs in: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Brewmaster\BrewmasterMain\Saved

    • Remember that the AppData folder is a hidden folder, so you may need to adjust your folder view permissions to be able to see it - thanks to community tech wizard GranitePenguin for this great tip!

    • Alternatively, if you’re not confident on how to do the above, you can copy and paste the text from the crash into a notepad document and include that in your report to us instead.

  • Getting a DXDiag

    • It’s useful for us to know what system you’re running, which we can understand better from a DXDiag. To get one, press the Windows key then type “dxdiag”, and run the program. Wait for the process to complete, then press Save All Information to save the file as a .txt file.

  • Writing Up The Issue

    • We always need a description of what the issue was, when in the game you encountered it, and what actions you took before experiencing it. Here’s a quick example of what we’re looking for in a report;

    • “When getting any equipment item from the cupboard, then selecting that item from the inventory using the number pad the game crashes to desktop. However, selecting using the numbers above the main key set does not cause any issue. This does not seem to affect ingredients either.”

  • Sending The Report

    • Ready to send the issue description, logs, screenshot / video, DXDiag, and any other useful information? Provide us the bug report via this form.

Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator Known Issues and Resolutions

We’ll be keeping this section updated with a list of key known issues, as well as any solutions and workarounds. We will be tackling these items in upcoming patches, and we’ll share with you what gets fixed and when.

INFORMATION CORRECT AS OF: Brewmaster v.1.0.3.3 (29th September 2022)

  1. ISSUE
    Small and Medium Heat Mats don't currently allow fermentation containers or conditioning containers to be placed on them. This affects Mei's story stage "Heat Matters"

    SOLUTION
    Use the Large Heat Mat instead. This allows containers of all sizes to be placed on it.

  2. ISSUE
    There are a few minor graphical issues – some overrunning text, items not preserving their rotation, a tube appearing in an incorrect place, the journal’s numbering appearing wrong in places, a malt bag that is full but doesn’t look it, a can of malt extract that has the wrong label.

    SOLUTION
    No fixes yet, but we’re working on it!

  3. ISSUE
    Item list fails to scroll in the delivery package with the R joystick movement in the controller

    SOLUTION
    Use the mouse to scroll.

  4. ISSUE
    Individual performance settings do not switch to very high when using very high graphics preset

    SOLUTION
    You should be able to switch them manually.

  5. ISSUE
    Unable to use glyphs on package screen to progress.

    SOLUTION
    Use buttons themselves instead.

  6. ISSUE
    CO2 tank disappears when Keg is placed on a Heating Mat

    SOLUTION
    Do not place Keg on Heating Mat.

  7. ISSUE
    Wort transfer gets disrupted and fails to complete on skipping the day after using the calendar

    SOLUTION
    Do not skip days when transferring wort.

  8. ISSUE 
    Some Label Maker options are irrelevant. 

    SOLUTION
    By moving the sliders around you should see whether the option has any effect. (Most customization options, such as stroke and border width only apply to flat label icon shapes rather than illustrations.)

  9. ISSUE
    Cannot bind Mouse Scroll Up or Mouse Scroll Down in the mouse and keyboard bindings screen.

    SOLUTION  
    No fixes yet, but we’re working on it! 

  10. ISSUE 
    Setting “Left Arrow” as the alternate input for the “Move Left” action causes the player to move right instead of left when pressed. 

    SOLUTION 
    Set “Left Arrow” as the Primary input instead.  

  11. ISSUE
    Missing .exe or game not launching

    SOLUTION
    The missing .exe file was caused by a third party. Uninstalling and reinstalling should fix this. If not, please submit a bug report with as much detail as possible

  12. ISSUE
    Cooling tools are removing IBUs, flavors, and some other stats.

    SOLUTION
    Avoid using Counterflow Chillers and Wort Plate Chillers for now. Immersion Coils should be fine

  13. ISSUE
    Wild Vale Brewery is not giving rewards when reaching new Reputation levels, and is not unlocking Commercial Slot as it should

    SOLUTION
    No fixes yet, but we’re working on it!

  14. ISSUE
    In German, several Brewpedia articles have text issues.

    SOLUTION
    No fixes yet, but we’re working on it!

  15. ISSUE
    Achievements related to Competitions are not currently unlocking

    SOLUTION
    No fixes yet, but we’re working on it!

SOMETHING ELSE?

Found an issue not listed here? We’d really appreciate it if you report it to us using the above bug reporting guide.

We have placed our latest patch notes all here 🍻

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Auroch Digital

Marketing and Community Managment for Auroch Digital in Bristol, UK.