Directly from the Steam SHMUP Festival, we present Ringleaders. A new social deduction shooter set in a retro-futuristic city inspired by the Prohibition era, where friends can quickly become enemies
Today we want to present to you, Ringleaders showcased at the Steam Shoot em up Festival which takes place from September 25th to October 2nd. As the subtitle and the Festival in which it participates anticipate, the game is an overhead shooter of social deduction.
What is Ringleaders and what is it about?
Think social deduction, but with a twist. Drawing inspiration from popular titles such as Among Us, Town of Salem, Secret Hitler and Coup, Ringleaders combines the best of social deduction with action gameplay.
Ringleaders is a retro-futuristic shooter inspired by prohibition. Enter the city of Carillon as a Cypher, an anthropomorphic artificial intelligence designed for eternal servitude to humanity. But whispers in the digital alleys suggest that the Luminos gives the Cyphers a sentient thought: a ticket to freedom! Join allies and embark on thrilling missions. Guard a convoy, deliver goods and devastate enemy territories. But you will have to proceed with caution: a traitor, a Nervos informant, is hiding among the ranks. A looming mega corporation that pulls the strings of all Cyphers. Will you reclaim your freedom or will you remain a puppet?
Enter the world of Ringleaders and write your destiny!
Your Ringleaders journey awaits
Collaborate with skepticism: the social deduction mechanisms of this multiplayer game can change everything in an instant. With trust as your most precious and vulnerable asset, tread carefully in a world where friends could turn to enemies in the blink of an eye. Will you team up with your fellow Cyphers or become an informant for Nervos?
Increase your reputation: Earn titles and rewards by performing social actions, whether it’s leading your team to victory, inviting and keeping newcomers alive, or contributing to the community.
Dynamic Gameplay: In this innovative mix of social deduction and action gameplay. Take on challenging missions, sabotage enemies, deliver illegal shipments of Luminos, or take control of formidable enemies. With a variety of tasks and objectives, each gaming session offers a new challenge. Experience seamless UX design with intuitive input mapping for both keyboard/mouse and gamepad, complemented by an effective notification system that keeps you in the loop.
Discover the Lore: Discover the captivating storyline and lore of Ringleaders. From the devastating Roaring Rot to the rise of the Cyphers and the dangerous power dynamics at play. Discover the reasons behind your actions, delve into the stories of various factions, and immerse yourself in the city of Carillon.
What is the current status of the Early Access version?
Ringleaders is a fast-paced social deduction shooter where guile and cunning count as much as tactical skill. Early Access includes standard matchmaking and a variety of gear customization options to fit the player’s play style. Using proximity voice chat to collaborate with (and sometimes against) your teammates to complete each mission’s objectives. The Early Access phase initially involves 5 distinct types of tasks:
- save the hostage
- protect the truck
- collect and deliver
- kill the boss
- destroy the crates
Developers strongly believe in the power of developing together with the community. Their goal is to take players behind the scenes and publicly share development progress. “We welcome (and strongly encourage) any feedback and suggestions on the core gameplay loop, community events, and marketing.”
Ringleaders main features:
Social Deduction – In each game, some players will turn into “informants“, changing their ultimate goal to sabotage the mission.
Bounty System – The ability to place a “bounty” on the head of someone believed to be the informant. Bounties are persistent metagame values that can accumulate between games: the more you betray your team, the bigger the bounty on your head will be.
Matchmaking – players will be able to enter lobbies with strangers or their friends and play a variety of different scenarios.
Proximity Chat – Built-in proximity voice chat, allowing players to communicate and work together (or deny each other).
Short game sessions – the average game lasts 15 minutes.
Variety of game scenarios – currently these are “collect and deliver”, “escort the hostage” and “protect the truck” scenarios which offer different sabotage opportunities to the informant.
The Playtester program
As we get closer to the launch of Early Access, devs will host regular group playtests. You can apply to be part of this group via a form to fill out with your email.
What are the benefits of becoming a playtester?
Direct Developer Access: During playtesting, you’ll join a group of our developers and be able to ask questions, provide suggestions and feedback, and have a say in the development process
Invites to Secret Discord Channels: Playtester channels are reserved exclusively for players who have taken the time to provide feedback, fix bugs, and help improve the game
In-Game Rewards: Details are still under discussion, but playtesters are expected to be rewarded with in-game rewards: unique cosmetics and special roles/privileges on Discord
The chance to shape the game: Want to create a game that players love, so this is a unique opportunity to share your ideas and find fun features and suggestions that can be incorporated into the development roadmap.
The words of the Devs
“If you’re looking to start a career in gaming and want an inside look at what it’s like to develop an indie game, or if you’re simply an avid gamer looking to provide feedback on a first product, the Ringleaders Playtester program is for you!“
If Ringleaders has caught your attention and you want to try it and why not help improve it, run and sign up for the Playtest via the form. Stay updated with us so you don’t miss the next news! We will soon return to talk about this world where a potential enemy could hide behind a companion!
Good Game everybody!
