Tribetoy and Beep Games, Inc. have revealed that their old timey arcade shooter based on early 20th-century parlour game cabinets, Bartlow’s Dread Machine, will debut on Steam Early Access this July, with a full comercial launch on Xbox One and Windows, in Fall 2020.
Set entirely within the confines of this titular relic from the dawn of the Electric Age, Bartlow’s Dread Machine casts one to two players as government agents in a series of escapades through New York, San Francisco, and the Great Plains as they seek to rescue the kidnapped President Roosevelt from the forces of evil. But beware, sinister forces are at work!
Bound to the clockwork gizmos running this contraption, agents are mere metal figurines, confined to a rail system that limits movement in an old-fashioned, tactile way. Think Pac-Man if he were made of metal, wore a cool peacoat, and was packing some serious heat! Sets made of wood and tin unfold around you in real-time as you navigate this immersive puppet show.
Bartlow’s Dread Machine features a wealth of content with 6 worlds, 8 characters to unlock, 52 guns, and all manner of outfits to deck your gumshoe out in. The whole game can be played in single-player or co-op. Encounter a cast of improbable monsters and historical characters as you traverse the high seas and beyond using trains, ships and even a newfangled automobile!
“Bartlow’s Dread Machine is a loving tribute to early 20th-century arcade games, when you slid a nickel into a slot and these charming, rinky-dink figurines came to life,” said Matthew Hoseterey Co-Founder and Director of Design of Tribetoy. “Though antiquated today, these old-timey machines have a rustic charm that’s seemingly been out of fashion for some time. Bartlow’s Dread Machine brings back the look and feel of these obsolescent cabinets, but mixes it with modern sensibilities like twin-stick shooter controls and a bevvy of weapon upgrades. We think you’ll dig it!”
