Summary
- setback is now available for Xbox
- Experience a fresh mashup of the puzzle and strategy genres
- Experience a tribute to classic ensemble dramas of the 1990s
This is my second title to be released on Xbox and it’s really cool to see how much our company has grown since then Hexagroove: Tactical DJ in 2020. The first time was a great experience but there was so much more I wanted to make more accessible and welcoming. In setback We built the UI from the ground up for 4K and made it scalable for all members of the Xbox family of devices. The games we design at Ichigoichie are based on blending genres and deriving our game mechanics from music theory. It was a bit overwhelming at times hexagon grooveso I’ve been working hard on rolling out new mechanics setback through a much broader part of the game. So much so, in fact, that you’ll still be learning new tricks for more than three quarters of the way through the main campaign!
setback is at first glance a turn-based Sokoban puzzle game. You have a party of up to four characters and you have to get them all to the finish within a limited number of moves. Each character moves differently and poses unique challenges. After a few levels, we introduce timing mechanics into the mix, and you must synchronize each character’s timeline with the others and work together to remove obstacles on the way to the goal. Finally, we’ll add four shared resources that you’ll need to manage as you navigate space and time. Which turns you choose to change direction or interact with the environment will cause these resources to increase or decrease. Max out the resources and you’ll get a high score. You are running out of resources and are in an error state. Luckily, it’s possible to rewind each character’s moves individually, allowing for incremental improvements to your puzzle solving.
I wanted to add one more thing setback was a story to motivate your decisions and set the stakes. Set in 1995 in suburban Washington, DC, it has many references to the last days of the analog era before the advent of the internet. The narration pays homage to the ensemble’s ’90s dramas like “With Honors,” “The Commitments,” and “School of Rock.” Heroine Watts does her best to keep a band of amateur funk musicians together and deal with all the struggles of collaborative creation: inflated egos, opposing personality types, and external commitments to work and family. There is a diverse cast of characters in each of the two main bands and I hope you find one that speaks to you.
If you’re a fan of puzzle games, turn-based strategy games, or retro story-driven experiences, then I think there’s something for you to appreciate and many more new features to explore. Get started with the free demo of setback and I hope you have some funky fun!
setback
Ichigoichie
$29.99
$26.99
A mix of puzzle and strategy games. Manipulate four threads of time to guide your band through Sokoban-style puzzles. Manage squad resources over a series of limited rounds. Experience a tribute to the ensemble dramas of the 1990s. Customize the dynamic soundtrack with audio effects. === STORY === Stephanie “Watts” Watson, an aspiring bass player, bounced from audition to audition without finding music that really spoke to her, that is, until she discovered the magic of funk. Caught up in the groove, she recruits a group of amateurs from her hometown to take on the darlings from La Tormenta art school in the Battle of the Bands. === MECHANICS === Each character in your band moves through the map in different ways, encountering unique solutions and obstacles. Advancing a character takes up one turn and part of the timeline, setting up interactions with other characters and enemies at different points in time. Rewinding a turn undoes your move, allowing you to find improved solutions and new ways to tackle problems. Manipulate each character separately, fast-forwarding or rewinding the timeline to reach their current point in time. Changes in time are reflected in each character’s progress and actions, past and present, creating some opportunities and removing others. Each character has their own resource-limited super move that can be triggered under certain conditions. Tiptoe through tight spaces with your bassist, slide through guards with your keytarist, smash through walls with your drummer, or blast enemies out of the way with your powerful super sax. Using your Super Moves strategically increases the number of solutions to each puzzle and is key to getting maximum scores. Four resource-based musical metrics determine how and when you can move around the levels and interact with objects. These can completely block progress if used inefficiently, and create amazing musical chains and high scores if skillfully regulated. === MUSIC === Join Watts on her musical journey, rooted in funk and fusion. Soulful grooves and hot licks are composed by Pete Fraser, session saxophonist for The Pogues, Friendly Fires and Field Music! Twenty musical themes are recorded by a live ensemble of seven funk masters and form the basis of the game’s dynamic music. Unique songs are generated based on the directions and paths you take in each puzzle. Customize your performance with alternate playing styles, instrument changes, and real-time audio effects pedals. === CONCEPT === Backbeat pays homage to the 16 and 32-bit story-driven games of the 1990s, recreating the challenges and victories of the last days of analog life and the birth of the internet. Suburban Washington DC is reflected in restaurants, shopping malls and dimly lit arcades. A motley cast of supporting characters, both friend and foe, join Watts as she struggles with leadership, success, and keeping a band together.
