Gamedust – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

April 15, 2022

Space Tarzan Adventure Yupitergrad to Return With Guns

Gamedust grabbed plenty of attention in 2020 with its first virtual reality (VR) Yupitergrad, challenging players to swing through a highly dangerous space station. This week the studio has revealed it’s working on a sequel, expanding upon the gameplay with more rope-swing action and for the first time, guns!

Called Yupitergrad 2: The Lost Station, Gamedust claims the sequel will be “the first modern Metroidvania type of game in VR” thanks to a selection of gadgets for moving around the levels in addition to the franchise’s well-known grappling hook suction cups. What types of gadgets have yet to be revealed.

Yupitergrad‘s core gameplay is built around swinging around like Spider-Man through all manner of hazardous areas trying not to die countless times. The sequel promises a bigger, free-roaming environment to explore but this time you won’t be alone. The space station will be filled with rebellious robots to deal with, unlocking a whole new arsenal of weaponry to play with mid-flight. These you can see in action in the reveal trailer below.

When you’re not too busy unleashing a volley of bullets whilst swinging through the air, you’ll need to solve various environmental puzzles, unlock further passages and hunt for hidden secrets. There’s still a basic narrative to enjoy as well, you’re on this huge space station after answering a mysterious signal.

“Our whole team had a great time creating the first Yupitergrad, and on top of that, the game was a success. We still want to swing in space and further develop this world. Yupitergrad 2: The Lost Station will be a unique game as it is the first, faithful to the genre, Metroidvania in a VR environment. We are preparing the possibility of acquiring new equipment, searching for ways to open doors, and above all, a lot of freedom moving around the beautiful and detailed space station,” said Gamedust game designer Dominik Strugała in a statement.

Currently, Yupitergrad 2: The Lost Station doesn’t have a launch window but Gamedust does plan on supporting Meta Quest and PC VR headsets. For further updates when available, keep reading gmw3.

September 2, 2021

Yupitergrad is Going Open Plan With a new Gymnasion mode

If you’ve played swinging puzzler Yupitergrad before you’ll know that its campaign and Time Attack levels are linear in their construction, there’s an A to B and you try not to die in between. Developer Gamedust is looking to mix this dynamic up somewhat with a new gameplay mode called Gymnasion, giving you a large sandbox to play in.

Currently undergoing testing, Gymnasion drops you into a massive space to really practice those Spider-Man swinging skills, specially designed to perform crazy acrobatics. With no time limits or whirling wheels of death to suddenly stop you in your tracks, the mode could almost be considered relaxing, with a plethora of columns to latch onto.

Gamedust hasn’t said when the new mode will arrive but if you already own Yupitergrad and wish to test Gymnasion out then you can. To sign up for beta testing all you have to do is head to Gamedust’s official Discord channel to become part of the Komrade Test Program. The only stipulation for the beta test is that you’ll need an Oculus Quest (1 or 2).

The studio has been keen on involving its player base, saying in a statement that: “We are open to community feedback and we want the community to participate in the development of our games.”

Released last year, Yupitergrad has seen a continual evolution of its content, from a core campaign where players have to navigate a treacherous space station to a Time Attack mode where players have to navigate levels as fast as possible. The most recent update occurred in August with Gamedust releasing 10 new levels for Time Attack.

Yupitergrad supports most major headsets including Oculus Quest, SteamVR and PlayStation VR. As further updates are announced VRFocus will let you know.

August 12, 2021

Yupitergrad Expands Time Attack Mode With 10 New Levels Today

For those that love a bit of hardcore action puzzling Yupitergrad’s swinging gameplay is right at the top, challenging players to navigate treacherous levels filled with all sorts of machinations designed to kill you. Today, developer Gamedust has released ten brand-new levels for the Time Attack mode, all for free.

The ten new levels were designed with the help of Yupergrad’s community of players, offering more deadly corridors and expansive rooms to get through. This brings the total available levels to 40 in Time Attack, plus there’s a new music track to keep your ears entertained. At the moment the update is only available for the Oculus Quest and PC VR versions of Yupitergrad, Gamedust says the new levels will come to PlayStation VR at a later date.

The studio isn’t stopping there either, confirming that more content is in development for all you fans of being Spider-Man in space.

Yupitergrad initially launched with just a single-player campaign to complete. Since then the Time Attack mode has been added alongside PlayStation VR support and more levels. If you’ve not tried the videogame yet and happen to own Oculus Quest or PC VR headset then there’s a way to test the game for free, Yupitergrad: Sneaki Peaki. Available either through Steam or SideQuest, the cut-down version features the initial tutorial and three levels from Time Attack.

The Yupitergrad campaign has you sent to a space station orbiting Jupiter to conduct a rather dangerous experiment. Chaos ensues so you have to stop the place from blowing up and escape. Naturally, you’re given two grappling suction cups attached to each hand to navigate the very treacherous station. Danger is around every corner as you make your way through flooded sections, whirling rollers of death, gas leaks, corridors that open out into space and much more.

Reviewing Yupitergrad last year VRFocus said: “What you see is what you get with Gamedust’s latest VR experience and that’s no bad thing. From the aesthetics to the locomotion, Yupitergrad is a nicely crafted VR game which was thrilling to play at points.” For continued Yupitergrad updates keep reading VRFocus.

March 31, 2021

Yupitergrad: Sneaki Peaki Gives a Free Taster in April

Physical puzzle title Yupitergrad launched last summer, challenging players to swing through a space station without succumbing to the many traps which lay in their path. To give you a taster of the gameplay, developer Gamedust is set to launch a free version in April alongside a selection of updates to the main videogame.

The free, standalone edition is amusingly titled Yupitergrad: Sneaki Peaki featuring a short version of the tutorial as well as selected Time Attack levels giving new players a nice taster of the mechanics and whether they’re comfortable. It’ll be released sometime next month via SideQuest and Steam.

As for the main updates, these will come in two lots during April for PC VR and Oculus Quest players. A Quality of Life update will introduce improvements such as Steam Achievements, Friends Leaderboards, Player Height Adjustment for VR and Improved UI with easier access to the options menu. The second will be the Next Challenges update adding 10 new Time Attack levels, new obstacles and new music, all for free. Both of these updates will come to the PlayStation VR version shortly after.

With some comedic vibes, Yupitergrad puts you in the role of a cosmonaut sent to a space station orbiting Jupiter to conduct a rather dangerous experiment. Things go wrong, so with two grappling suction cups attached to each hand you have to navigate the treacherous station to put things right. And it is very dangerous. No space station should ever contain this many flooded sections, whirling rollers of death, gas leaks, corridors which open out into space and other lovely obstacles.

In its review of Yupitergrad VRFocus said: “What you see is what you get with Gamedust’s latest VR experience and that’s no bad thing. From the aesthetics to the locomotion, Yupitergrad is a nicely crafted VR game which was thrilling to play at points.”

As Yupitergrad: Sneaki Peaki isn’t coming to PlayStation VR by the sounds of it, owners can enjoy the Hitman 3 Free Starter Pack instead, which is offering the first mission until 5th April.

When Gamedust confirms the launch dates for the updates and free demo, VRFocus will let you know.

February 16, 2021

Yupitergrad’s PlayStation VR Launch Date is Next Week

It wasn’t long ago that PlayStation VR’s lineup of new videogames was looking a little bare, with Hitman 3 the only notable exception. That’s beginning to turn around, today seeing Gamedust announce that its swinging sci-fi puzzle title Yupitergrad is just over a week away from launch.

Yupitergrad arrived last summer for PC VR headsets with the studio going onto confirm that Oculus Quest and PlayStation VR would get support. That happened in January for Quest while PlayStation VR will see both digital and physical copies made available. It’ll hit PlayStation Store on Thursday 25th February with the retail version available through Perp Games’ store on 13th March.

Just like the Oculus Quest launch, players will not only get 50-levels of death-defying madness to swing through, they’ll also be treated to the new Time Attack mode. This fast-paced section serves up 20 levels to speed through, providing brand new ones as well as reworked levels from the campaign.

Yupitergrad is set on a space station orbiting Jupiter and you just so happen to be the unlucky cosmonaut sent up there to conduct a fateful experiment. Once everything goes into disarray you pop on some unusual grappling gloves to navigate the station and get things working again. There’s just the teeny, tiny problem that this space station’s corridors and passageways are filled with spinning wheels of destruction, water, or just open out into the void of space.

In its review, VRFocus found Yupitergrad had its own unique brand of humour and gameplay: “What you see is what you get with Gamedust’s latest VR experience and that’s no bad thing. From the aesthetics to the locomotion, Yupitergrad is a nicely crafted VR game which was thrilling to play at points.”

PlayStation VR owners not only have Yupitergrad to look forward to, but there’s also Neon Hat, InnerspaceVR’s Maskmaker, Winds & Leaves from Trebuchet, Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife by Fast Travel Games, parkour title Stride, and 4v4 arena shooter Solaris Offworld Combat.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of the latest 2021 PlayStation VR releases.

January 22, 2021

Yupitergrad Latches Onto Oculus Quest Next Week

Gamedust’s swinging puzzle title Yupitergrad arrived for PC VR headsets last summer, with the studio revealing not long after launch that further headset support was on the way. Today, the team has announced that the Oculus Quest version will be released next week.

The upcoming launch will have a couple of bonuses for Oculus Quest. Firstly, Yupitergrad will support Oculus Quest 2’s 90Hz mode so all that swinging around is nice and smooth. Secondly, it’ll be the first time the new Time Attack mode will be playable, with other versions getting a free patch update in Q1 2021. Time Attack will have 20 levels to speed through, with both brand new ones and reworked levels from the campaign available. As with most Time Attack modes, it’ll include global leaderboards for players to compare stats.

Yupitergrad is set entirely on a space station orbiting Jupiter, as a cosmonaut you’ve been sent up there to conduct a dangerous experiment. However, it all goes awry so you have to navigate the sprawling station to put things right. The only way to get about is by using grappling plungers on each arm.

The plungers only attach to blue areas of the station, so exploration requires careful timing and precision to swing through the expansive halls and rooms. You also need to watch out for various environmental traps which can instantly kill.

Enjoying Yupitergrad’s unique brand of humour and gameplay, VRFocus said in its review: “What you see is what you get with Gamedust’s latest VR experience and that’s no bad thing. From the aesthetics to the locomotion, Yupitergrad is a nicely crafted VR game which was thrilling to play at points.”

Gamedust will be releasing Yupitergrad for Oculus Quest next Thursday 28th January. That puts it in direct competition with the long-awaited Gorn so it all depends on whether you want to be a Slavic Spider-Man or a brutal gladiator. For further updates to Yupitergrad, keep reading VRFocus.

December 16, 2020

Swinging Puzzler Yupitergrad Physical Edition Confirmed for PlayStation VR

Back in October VRFocus reported on Gamedust’s Yupitergrad would be getting Oculus Quest and PlayStation VR editions. A update on those details sees PlayStation VR owners also inline for a physical version thanks to Perp Games.

Perp has a long history of PlayStation VR launches for those players who like to collect their videogames in disk format, with both digital and physical versions arriving at the same time, early 2021. The Oculus Quest version will also arrive at the same time.

“We are extremely happy to partner with Perp Games on delivering Yupitergrad to the market,” said Jakub Matuszczak, COO at Gamedust in a statement. “As “old-school” gamers – we have a very special place in our hearts for physical editions and we are thrilled that Yupitergrad will be the part of the Perp Games boxed games line up.”

“Yupitergrad has a charm of its own and plenty of humour to keep you amused as you travel at great speed through a deserted space station, adds Rob Edwards, Managing Director of Perp Games. “Yupitergrad is the perfect game to start 2021 and Perp Games is delighted to be bringing Yupitergrad to retailers early next year.”

That launch window won’t purely be about new platform support. Gamedust has been working on a Time Attack mode where players can really put those swinging skills to the test. The mode will feature revamped levels and new music to keep them energised. It’ll arrive supporting all platforms next year.

For further updates on Yupitergrad including the exact launch date for the new platforms, keep reading VRFocus.

October 27, 2020

Yupitergrad Adding PlayStation VR & Oculus Quest Support Jan 2021

One of the surprising puzzle titles of 2020 has to be Gamedust’s swinging adventure Yupitergrad which released for PC VR headsets in August. This week the studio has revealed new updates are on the way as well as expanding support to more platforms.

The big news is that PlayStation VR and Oculus Quest will see ports of the videogame, with a launch currently slated for the end of January 2021. Both versions will get all the updates Gamedust is about to (or has already) released for Yupitergrad.

Since the launch a couple of months ago the studio has added Valve Index support and rolled out a Custom Controls update. This allows players to tinker with settings such as smooth rotation, turning off rotation altogether and calibrating the grappling hooks’ Y and X-axis.

As for new content, the next update will see a Time Attack mode added. Providing a new playlist of arcade levels which have either been revamped from the campaign or designed from the scratch, the mode will include new energetic music tracks and a leaderboard to compare scores.

Trying to escape a space station orbiting Jupiter, the only way you can is by using the grappling hooks attached to each hand to navigate the treacherous passageways. Swing through a labyrinth of vents and piping, all containing water, gas, whirling rollers of death and other obstacles.

VRFocus enjoyed Yupitergrad’s brand of humour and gameplay, saying in its review: “What you see is what you get with Gamedust’s latest VR experience and that’s no bad thing. From the aesthetics to the locomotion, Yupitergrad is a nicely crafted VR game which was thrilling to play at points.”

For the moment you can find Yupitergrad on Viveport, Oculus Store, and Steam, with a Vive Focus Plus version also available in China. For further updates on the PlayStation VR and Oculus Quest versions, keep reading VRFocus.

April 19, 2019

Spuds Unearthed Coming to PlayStation VR, Indiegogo Campaign Launched

Polish developer Gamedust (Neverout) released the rather unusual Spuds Unearthed via Steam Early Access in January and now it wants to bring the title to PlayStation VR with some public support on Indiegogo.

Spuds Unearthed

The studio has just started the crowd-funding campaign with a mission to raise $10,000 USD in the next month. The main focus is to support the development of a PlayStation VR version which the team expects to release in Q3 2019. As with a lot of Indiegogo projects, backers can pledge from as little as $1 but that won’t get them access to the videogame. For that backers will need to pledge a minimum of $25 for ‘Limited PSVR Hot Potato Bundle’ which also includes a comic and two digital artbooks. There’s also a tier for Steam/Oculus keys at $19 – or you could just go to Steam direct to download the title.

The Indiegogo campaign isn’t just about supporting PlayStation VR. It’s still in early access so Gamedust wants to add further content and polish the experience. That base $10k goal would also see an additional character added, the Mechanist, a new turret, a Mecha-Bot vehicle, more Zombuds and Goonbots enemies and a new map. Several stretch goals have also been outlined including a $25k single-player campaign.

“We believe that Spuds Unearthed provides a truly unique mix of VR-focused design, seamless user experience and a world full of wacky potatoes fighting for their own piece of land,” said Piotr Jaworski, CEO, Gamedust in a statement. “We’re launching our Indiegogo campaign to help us bring the game to PSVR and help us reach our full vision for Spuds Unearthed, including a full single-player story campaign. We would love to hear feedback from our supporters on the final stage of the game’s development to create something capable of being sustained for a long time, for current and future players.”

Spuds Unearthed

In the Spuds Unearthed universe the wacky Spuds just love fighting, and you’re in charge of controlling and managing a troop of guns wielding potatoes. A mix of strategy, tower defence and shooter gameplay all wrapped up together, the videogame training and upgrading your team for specific roles whilst building turrets and vehicles with various parts you happen to find.

Head on over to Indiegogo to learn more about the project, and as the campaign continues VRFocus will keep you updated.

December 26, 2018

Mash Your Opponents in Spuds Unearthed Next Month

Having made a name for itself with virtual reality (VR) puzzle title Neverout in 2017, indie developer Gamedust has announced its next immersive title. Called Spuds Unearthed the comedic strategy videogame is due to launch on Steam Early Access in January 2019.

Spuds Unearthed

Described by Gamedust as an ‘asynchronous multiplayer mix of a dynamic action game and a god simulator’, Spuds Unearthed puts you in charge of the titular spuds. You happen to be an AI system on the Spuds baseship, to help them conquer the galaxy after they destroyed their homeworld because they love fighting among themselves so much.

Players will need to specialise their crew by assigning them to different classes before deployment to various planets. It’s not just troops you can create, build frontline forces made up of vehicles and robots, while an assortment of turrets can be placed for defensive capabilities.

These will need to be strategically created on the worlds you encounter, from zombie infested planets to other players Spuds squads in the asynchronous multiplayer world. Whilst playing you’ll earn and spend Playdust – the main currency – on blueprints to produce new equipment.

Spuds Unearthed

Spuds Unearthed will launch on Steam Early Access on 10th January for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, with a PlayStation VR version planned for the future. The early access version will feature five Spud classes with special abilities, tanks and planes, twenty-five possible turret combinations, planetary conquest and the Spuds Home Planet with many factories to use for production of troops and weapons and an economic system.

As for future plans, Gamedust explains: “In the final version of the game we are planning to include more customization elements, like Spuds ageing and levelling, their reactions and over-reactions to some actions, and visual customization. You will also have the chance to form an alliance between yourself and other players and challenge your enemies together by creating clans. Apart from that, we will improve the game experience, add traps, turret levelling system, and polish the graphics. The gameplay is likely to have more modes (potentially pvp/co-op) and ranking system.”

VRFocus will bring you further details on Spuds Unearthed nearer to launch day.