Category: Steel Crate Games

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Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes Free on Oculus Rift This Weekend

Oculus has run several free weekends during the course of 2018, with the likes of Eleven: Table Tennis VR, magical dueling title Wands and multiplayer shooter EVE: Valkyrie all featuring. For Oculus Rift owners, this weekend’s free experience is Steel Crate Games’ party game Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes.

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

Originally launched on Samsung Gear VR in 2015, Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes came to Oculus Rift in early 2016, with motion controller support arriving in January 2017. The goal of the videogame is to diffuse a bomb, the only trouble is you have no idea how to.

Designed as a local party game between a few family and friends, the headset wearer has to diffuse the bomb via information provided by everyone else. Steel Crate Games created a ‘Bomb Manual’ which needs to be printed out. Each page (or sometimes a couple of pages) tells the reader how to solve a particular module which the virtual reality (VR) player can see.

To begin with bombs only feature three or four modules. As the difficulty ramps up more modules are added on either side of the bomb casing. It’s only through clear verbal instructions (from both sides) that each module can be solved ensuring the bomb doesn’t explode, be careful as some bombs allow you to make more mistakes than others.

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes - Touch

VRFocus gave the Gear VR version of the title a full five stars in its review, saying: “Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes  takes a brilliant concept that could nethertheless quickly wear out its welcome and helps it thrive thanks to expert design and varied pacing. It’s a great way to introduce people to the idea of VR as a multiplayer experience as well as the innovation that’s possible on the platform.”

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes will be available for free from 6pm GMT on 1st March to 8am GMT on 5th March, 2018. For the latest deals and offers from Oculus, keep reading VRFocus.

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Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes Update Adds Support for Gear VR Controller

One of the best social virtual reality (VR) videogames on the market is Steel Crate Games’ Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes. Originally released for Samsung Gear VR, the studio then brought it to Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR, adding motion controller support along the way. Steel Crate Games has continued to improve the Gear VR version releasing a new update this week for the headsets 3DoF controller.

Using the new Gear VR controller which launched a few months ago, players can rotate the bomb by swiping the touchpad and interact by pointing at bomb modules. The update also introduces shared leaderboards for both Gear VR and Oculus Rift versions, adding a competitive element to the title.

keep talking and nobody explodes gear vr

Plus seven new music tracks have been included, adding some heart-pounding intensity to bomb defusal as well as relief during the brief downtime between missions.

On top of all that, Steel Crate Games has add some further tweaks:

  • Improves Wire Sequence usability
  • Fixes audio distortion when using Bluetooth speakers/headphones
  • Allows game to be installed to external storage
  • Adds slight bounce feedback when trying to rotate the bomb too far
  • Improves cursor appearance

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is unique among VR experiences in the way that it introduced a local social element to its gameplay. It revolves around one player in VR who’s got a bomb to diffuse, made up of several panels, with wires, dials, timers, codes, symbols and more to figure out. There’s just one problem, how to actually do it. To do this, players in the real world have a manual explaining how each particular puzzle works, and it’s only through cooperation and teamwork that success can be achieved.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, reporting back with further updates.

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Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes Adds Motion Controller Support for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive

Ever since virtual reality (VR) came back into the consumer sphere the industry has been pushing to allay fears that its anti social. An early example of this came from Steel Crate Games in the form of Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, launched initially on Samsung Gear VR. The studio then expanded support to Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, but for Vive owners especially the title offered no motion controller support. Today that’s now been rectified.

For Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes first update of 2017, players can now use the Oculus Touch controllers or HTC Vive’s standard controllers when playing the bomb diffusing video game. This will be a welcome addition for owners of both devices, giving a far more immersive experience.

keeptalkingandnobodyexplodes_5

If you’ve happened to miss out on the team game Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, it revolves around one player in VR who’s got a bomb to diffuse, there’s just one problem how to actually do it. Each bomb is made up of several panels, with wires, dials, timers, codes, symbols and more to figure out. To do this players in the real world have a manual explaining how each particular puzzle works, and it’s only through cooperation and teamwork that avoids everything going boom!

The full changlog can be seen below, and for any further updates from Steel Crate Games, keep reading VRFocus.

Version 1.3.0 Update Notes:
  • Motion control support added (HTC Vive and Oculus Touch).
  • Fixed issue where presence of Oculus Remote would prevent gamepads from working.
  • Fixed v-sync not working in OS X (in previous update, but forgot to include in notes).
  • Fixed issue where the last digit of the serial number could never be ‘9’.
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A Guide to the Best Games for Google Daydream View

Google Daydream View has launched with only a small selection of videogame titles available from day one, but with prices ranging from free to £9.99 GBP, you’ll want to make sure you get your money’s worth. VRFocus has played each and every one of the videogame titles available to download via the Daydream app, so read on for our recommendations of the best videogames to play now.

Earthspace screenshot

EarthShape

A Google Daydream exclusive title, EarthShape has been developed by Bithell Games of Volume and Thomas Was Alone fame. Volume is of course set to receive its own virtual reality (VR) tie-in in the form of Volume: Coda, but Bithell Games’ first entry into the new medium is an odd puzzle title narrated by Sue Perkins.

Priced at £4.79 and featuring both a campaign and an endless gameplay mode, EarthShape is a worthwhile investment that may not make use of all the unique capabilities of VR, but is enjoyable and makes good use of the Google Daydream’s 3DOF controller.

Hunters Gate screenshot

Hunters Gate

Another Google Daydream exclusive and arguably the most traditional videogame experience currently available on the VR format, Hunters Gate lies somewhere between Diablo and Robotron. It’s an arcade shooter featuring two playable characters – and also, co-operative gameplay for two players – and with progression the player can unlock new weapons, spells and skills to take on their foes.

Sadly, the co-operative gameplay is limited to local wi-fi connections only, which does put a bit of a dampener on things, but even without online options Hunters Gate packs a solid amount of hours into its action-orientated package.

Danger Goat screenshot 3

Danger Goat

The third and final Google Daydream exclusive on VRFocus’ list, Danger Goat has been developed by UK VR specialist studio nDreams. The amusing premise (and associated marketing) belies a somewhat devilish puzzle videogame in which the player must guide a runaway goat through hundreds of traps, catapult the goat long distances and cause general mayhem as they attempt to reach safety in each level.

Danger Goat is available to download for Google Daydream now, priced at £4.99. nDreams has already stated that more Google Daydream videogames are in the works at the studio, but further titles are yet to be announced.

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

The most expensive videogame title currently available for Google Daydream View, Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes will be familiar to anyone who’s been paying attention to the VR scene over the last year. One player wears the head-mounted display (HMD) while another uses the freely printable manual. The first player has the view of a bomb, including any exposed cables and buttons, while the second player has to interpret this clues in order to find a guide to diffuse the bomb within the manual.

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes has already launched on a number of different formats, and if you’ve already purchased a VR edition of the videogame there’s little difference here. However, if you’re new to VR with Google Daydream View, Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is an easy recommendation, despite the high price tag.

 

VRFocus will be bringing you more details on these in the coming days, including detailed reviews, but be sure to check out our guide to the best apps for Google Daydream in the meantime!

A Guide to the Apps Games for Google Daydream View

A Guide to Google Daydream View: Installation, Games & Apps

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Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes Confirmed for PlayStation VR Launch, New Trailer Released

With just over a week to go until Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) launch the PlayStation VR head-mounted display (HMD) another title has been added to the launch day line-up. The videogame in question is Steel Crate Games’ Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes.

The frantic party title originally launched for Samsung Gear VR in 2015, then arrived on Oculus Rift in March and HTC Vive in April this year.

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

If you’ve not heard of Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, its a local party title in which teams work together to disarm bombs. One person wears a headset and displaying the bomb and the various puzzle compartments that need to be solved. That person then needs to describe the puzzles they can see to the other non-virtual reality (VR) players who have a copy of the bomb diffusing manual. They then need to locate the correct page to solve each individual puzzle, working through the solutions together against a countdown timer.

With PlayStation VR, the players not in VR can view and control the bomb diffusal manual on their TV screen while communicating with the diffuser, rather then needing to print it out.

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes will be available to download on the PlayStation Network, and during launch week, PlayStation Plus members get a 10% discount on the base price of $14.99 USD.

And to celebrate the announcement Steel Crate Games has unveiled a new trailer for the title in the run up to launch. For all the latest news for the studio, keep reading VRFocus.