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Press release:
MELBOURNE, Australia – May 8, 2024.
The Sherman Oaks-based (CA, the US) indie games publisher Joystick Ventures and Melbourne-based (Australia) indie games developer Effort Star, are today very happy and excited to announce that their psychedelic turn-based bullet hell roguelike “Enter the Chronosphere“, is dropping its time-limited Steam demo on May 13th, 2024 (the demo is a part of Steam’s Endless Replayability event).

Enter the Chronosphere combines the “think three steps ahead” aspect of turn-based tactics with the intensity of real-time action. Inside the time-consuming, space-corrupting chronospheres, time only advances when undertaking actions. Every attack, step, reload, weapon swap, or conscious wait action moves the clock, so tactical thinking triumphs over honed reflexes.

Enemies come loaded for bear, but thankfully Urtar, the bearzerke

r of the crew, comes loaded with a powerful Kinetic Surge that can destroy projectiles and send enemies flying. Marcia, seemingly the last human in the universe, can dodge roll to tumble through bullets in clutch moments. Experiment with these two characters in the demo, with more in development.

Wield genre-bending multidimensional weapons including tried and true revolvers straight out of the old West, insectoid stingers capable of yoinking then stabbing foes, face-melting Disintegrators, and so, so many more. Discover passive and active items to accentuate strengths or shore up weaknesses, from bullet-buffing monocles to bullet-negating heel spurs.

Endless Replayability Fest represents the first chance for the global public to play the commercial version of Enter the Chronosphere after a stellar debut at PAX East including multiple mentions as one of the best games of the show. The demo station regularly saw 90-minute lines including multiple repeat attempts to reach the end of the demo’s chronosphere.

“While we were hesitant to share a demo this early, the long lines at PAX have emboldened us. We’re very excited to see how people respond to the demo, especially knowing that it’s just a fraction of what’s to come!” says Rhys Van Der Waerden, Director, Programmer and Producer at Effort Star.

“Only 13 people beat the demo at PAX – now let’s see what the rest of the world can do next week!”

Enter the Chronosphere’s new demo will be playable for a limited time throughout the duration of Steam’s Endless Replayability Fest from Monday, May 13 to Monday, May 20 on their official Steam page here. For more information on Enter the Chronosphere, check out developer Effort Star’s official website, follow Effort Star and publisher Joystick Ventures on social media, and join the game’s official Discord.

About Effort Star
Effort Star is an indie game developer based in Melbourne, Australia with a gameplay-first approach to design. Their penchant for facilitating individual play styles is paramount to their game design philosophy, promoting learning and player growth via personalized gameplay to creatively solve procedural problems and overcome in-game obstacles.

About Joystick Ventures
Joystick Ventures is a California-based investing and publishing company whose main goal is to encourage indie developers to stay honest and promote experimentation to push the limits of game design across all genres, styles, and geographies. They are most known for their 2022 release, Lost in Play, which has sold more than 200,000 copies.