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Press release:
ANN ARBOR, MI – March 26, 2021.
“We Are the Caretakers“, the sci-fi turn-based tactical RPG set in an afrofuturist world from developer Heart Shaped Games, brings an environmental epic mission to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One later in 2021, as revealed at the /twitchgaming Showcase: ID@Xbox.

We Are the Caretakers asks players to protect the Raun, a rhino-like species targeted by poachers, both human and alien alike. Rally units of Caretakers onto real-time strategy maps with RPG turn-based combat in either the story-rich campaign or through the challenging procedurally generated Survival mode. Strategically assemble them into squads based on the 20-plus job classes and more than 70 special abilities.

After defeating foes in battle, the Conductor, leader of the Caretakers and sworn protector of the land of Shadra, must decide the fate of poachers from a myriad of choices. While sending them to Shadran judges may be the easy choice, rehabilitation and recruitment might be the only way to avoid the catastrophic consequences of extinction. These decisions can benefit or wound the Conductor’s fragile reputation among the people and their willingness to help the Caretakers.

Heart Shaped Games pledges 10% of their revenues from every copy of the game will go toward the Wildlife Conservation Network, starting with the Steam Early Access release on Earth Day, Thursday, April 22. The organization protects wildlife all around the world, with Heart Shaped Games’ contribution going toward the Rhino Recovery Fund, which focuses on improving the health of rhino populations while also benefiting local people.

We Are the Caretakers boasts a rich soundtrack composed of epic orchestras, African instrument samples, and modern hip-hop beats. Art director Anthony Jones (former cinematics artist at Activision Blizzard) combined synthetic and organic elements for his interpretation of afrofuturism and the game’s cast of mostly Black characters. BAFTA and IGF-nominated narrative director Xalavier Nelson Jr. (Hypnospace Outlaw, SkateBIRD) helped create a story that mixes sci-fi with real-world conservation issues.

“We don’t just want to raise awareness of important issues with our game, we want to have a quantifiable impact,” said Scott Brodie, founder, Heart Shaped Games.

“The ID@Xbox team have been tremendous partners in getting the word out there, and both entertaining and enlightening Xbox players later this year.”

We Are The Caretakers version 1.0 releases on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC later in 2021. The game enters Steam Early Access for Windows PC on Earth Day, Thursday, April 22 for $19.99 with a 20% launch discount. The game supports English language text, with French, German, Spanish (Spain), Japanese, and more translations in development.

For more information, visit the official website, join the We Are The Caretakers Discord, and follow Heart Shaped Games on Twitter, Facebook, and Twitch. Players can wishlist now on the We Are The Caretakers Steam Page.

About Heart Shaped Games
Heart Shaped Games is a design-centric indie game studio founded in 2010 by 18-year game industry veteran Scott Brodie. As a diverse, remote team of veteran developers, Heart Shaped Games’ mission is to have an impact by creating meaningful and memorable games that fans will love. Their line-up of award-winning titles continues to expand, and so far includes We Are The Caretakers, Hero Generations, Brave Hand, and Highgrounds.

About Wildlife Conservation Network
Wildlife Conservation Network’s (WCN) mission is to protect endangered species by supporting conservationists who ensure wildlife and people coexist and thrive. WCN invests technically and financially in a network of conservation partners to ensure their mission success, and provides funding via large-scale, range-wide Wildlife Funds to support the best ideas to bring wildlife back from the brink, including the Rhino Recovery Fund, which safeguards the world’s remaining wild rhinos and their landscapes. WCN is proud to send 100% of every donation directly to the field for maximum conservation impact. Wildlife Conservation Network also holds the highest possible 4-star rating with Charity Navigator and platinum status with Guidestar. Learn more about WCN’s unique approach to saving wildlife at www.wildnet.org.