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Press release:
[Australia] – January 12, 2026 – Monster Shop Games and indie.io are proud and only slightly terrified to announce that Pie in the Sky, a unique retro arcade adventure, will release on February 2, 2026 for PC on Steam. Players will take to the skies as one of Australia’s most dangerous airborne threats, a creature whose heart is as black as its plumage: The Magpie.

The goal of the Magpie is twofold: First, find enough food to feed its ever-hungry chicks, second, wreak havoc, cause mayhem, and terrorize humans in any way possible: Swoop in like a missile to knock over pedestrians, topple cyclists, and spill trash bins; gorge on food, then carry out bombing runs on the weird hairless apes; divebomb them with litter; find clever uses for everyday objects to teach humans the meaning of fear.

Players can be a feathered menace across six different levels inspired by iconic Australian locations, packed to the brim with secrets, interactions, and humans to terrorize. From idyllic suburbia, through picturesque beaches, to busy downtowns, there is no shortage of collectibles to find, mayhem to unleash, food to steal, while objectives only get crazier and more challenging.

While the Magpie is already a perfect organism, unclouded by delusions of morality, its perfection can be further refined and specialized: Make it fly and walk faster, swoop more often, digest more readily to carry out bombing runs. If players prefer to, they can also change the colors of its feathers to mimic other amazing examples of avian perfection – or have their beautiful bird wear a nifty pirate hat.

There is nothing quite like a magpie in a pirate hat. Or a retro-themed game that features not just high fidelity graphics of the PlayStation 2 era, but also a retro approach to progression: There are no vital parts of the game gated behind DLCs, no pay-to-win features, no lootboxes: Everything in the game can be unlocked simply by playing and introducing Aussies to the real terror of Australia…

“As an Australian, I’ve always seen magpies swooping people (including my kids) and thought, ‘It would be fun playing as a magpie in a game and turning the tables’”, says Mark Smith, the developer behind the game.

“That’s where the idea began and before I knew it, I had a game on my hands that played like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater in the Sky but instead of skate tricks, you swooped people, stole their food and flew through gaps to keep your combo going. I’m a solo developer from Perth, Australia and I’m thrilled to share the terrifying reality of what Magpies are capable of with the rest of the world!”

Ready to put the fear of the Magpie in humanity? Pie in the Sky will release on February 2, 2026 for PC via Steam.

ABOUT MONSTER SHOP GAMES
Monster Shop Games is a solo independent game studio based in Perth, Western Australia. Led by a hybrid developer with experience across both art and programming, the studio brings a multidisciplinary approach to game development. With a passion for old-school gaming, Monster Shop Games creates nostalgic experiences that combine modern game design with retro flair.