How It All Began

Pathos Interactive was founded back in 2015 by three Swedish students: brothers Christoffer and Alexander Andersson, along with their childhood friend Accel Sjöström. Everything began (as usual?) in a basement – specifically, at the home of the Andersson brothers’ parents.

Fuelled by a shared passion for gaming, we initially dabbled in creating small video games as a hobby. It didn’t take long for us to realize the potential for something greater. The hobby turned into a full-time business in 2016 during the development of Bannermen — a fast-paced, real-time strategy game set in a fantasy medieval world. Bannermen was released on PC via Steam in 2019. Soon thereafter, we began prototyping a new game with an expanded team. This prototype evolved into what is now Hotel Architect!

Pathos Interactive Founders (from left to right) – Christoffer, Alexander, Accel

Why Hotel Architect?

For many years, we had discussed creating a management/simulation (tycoon) game, as everyone on the team is a fan of the genre. But the idea of a hotel theme actually sparked when Christoffer was away on holiday with his family. They stayed at a hotel where many strange things happened, to say the least… (the stories he told are wild!). This made us realize that so many things can go wrong in the hotel business! A lot of interesting gameplay mechanics and fun challenges immediately popped into our heads!

At the same time, a hotel environment is very relatable — everyone has their own experiences from hotels, whether from their own stays or from watching Fawlty Towers on the telly! This made us believe a hotel setting would engage people, perhaps inspiring some to build their dream hotel, while others might create the sleaziest inn imaginable. Essentially, the theme opened many doors for us in our creative process!

Our Ambition with the Game

Hotel Architect redefines the boundaries of simulation and tycoon games by blending multi-layered architectural design with amusing operational challenges. One of the game’s standout features is the dynamic building system that allows real-time construction across multiple floors, adding more depth to the building phase compared to other games within the genre. Imagine a game where every brick laid or wall demolished has the potential to unleash a whirlwind of unexpected consequences — all carried out by a colourful cast of characters who bring the hotel to life.

This intertwines with another factor that sets our game apart: how it reacts to your playstyle. Each choice you make influences not just your hotel’s design and structure but may also trigger side effects and interactions among characters. Both guests and staff react to the changing environment and to each other, creating a cascade of events that can turn your well-oiled operation into a delightful circus of hotel mishaps.

Then there’s the economic aspect: In Hotel Architect, maintaining financial stability while satisfying guest demands requires careful strategy. Creating a five-star enterprise on a small budget demands flawless logistical chains, including managing supplies, maintaining your amenities, and hiring the right staff. And just when you think you’ve mastered the art of financial gymnastics, along comes Mrs. Doe, who insists her room is too close to the dance floor, and suddenly you’re offering big discounts to keep the peace — while watching your beautifully balanced books start to wobble.

With Hotel Architect, our ambition is to unleash the full spectrum of player creativity, offering structured scenarios with specific objectives, as well as a sandbox mode where every hotel can be a unique masterpiece. We’ve designed the game to serve as a canvas for players to experiment, innovate, and express their personal vision of the perfect hotel.

Our Perfect Match

As Pathos is a small studio, we knew we would need a great partner to realize the full potential of Hotel Architect. In 2021, we presented our prototype to Wired Productions, and it was mutual love at first sight! Thanks to Wired, we have been able to expand the scope by adding more content and cool features! With Wired taking the lead in marketing, QA, and everything outside of actual development, we at Pathos have more time to focus on what we do best: creating games!

Looking Forward

And now, a few years down the line, we’re excited to be approaching the beta stage of Hotel Architect! But there’s still a lot of work left to be done, so stay tuned for more updates!

Follow Hotel Architect Here: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Tiktok | Discord 

The post Laying The Foundations For Hotel Architect appeared first on Wired Productions.

From a surprise Nintendo Switch release to new game signings, gameplay reveals and the first look at a brand new VR venture that sees Wired collaborate with VR pioneers Just Add Water on an all-new, and deeply personal project  – Wired Direct was a celebration of indie games and their creators. 

Streamed on Twitch, YouTube and Billbilli globally, Wired Direct 24 gave viewers an exclusive look at a fascinatingly varied mix of genres from developers Pollard Studio, KeokeN interactive, Angry Demon Studios, LKA, Luminawesome Games, Tomas Sala, Just Add Water and Nosebleed Interactive.

Supported by partners such as Intel, Unity, Razer and more, the event was also co-streamed by PirateSoftware and also by hundreds of creators from the recently launched Wired Creator Collective program.

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Hotel Architect from Pathos Interactive is coming to Early Access in 2024, with the first gameplay reveal taking place during Wired Direct ‘24. For the first time ever, players will be able to build the hotel of their dreams in the ultimate hotel construction and tycoon game. The hotel-y anticipated builder will feature a host of unique zones as players become building experts and hospitality gurus. It’s up to them to build their very own dream hotel from the ground up or rejuvenate dilapidated lots in need of love, designing each and every room to perfection, all while trying to keep their staff happy and the construction line moving.

To be part of the ongoing journey and to help shape the game as it heads towards release, join the official Discord. We hope you enjoy your stay. 

Check out the game reveal trailer:

The 5-star anticipated builder will feature a host of unique zones as players become building experts and hospitality gurus. It’s up to them to build their very own dream hotel from the ground up or rejuvenate dilapidated lots in need of love, designing each and every room to perfection, all while trying to keep their staff happy and the construction line moving.

We hope you enjoy your stay.

About Wired Direct

Last night during Indie games publisher Wired Productions’ first ‘Wired Direct’ digital event since 2021, 8 games dropped reveals, release date details and brand new gameplay first looks!  From a surprise Nintendo Switch release, to new game signings, gameplay reveals and the first look at a brand new VR venture that sees Wired collaborate with VR pioneers Just Add Water on an all-new, and deeply personal project  – Wired Direct was a celebration of indie games and their creators. Streamed on Twitch, YouTube and Billbilli globally, Wired Direct 24 gave viewers an exclusive look at a fascinatingly varied mix of genres from developers Pollard Studio, KeokeN interactive, Angry Demon Studios, LKA, Luminawesome Games, Tomas Sala, Just Add Water and Nosebleed Interactive.

Miss the full Wired Direct ‘24? Watch it here: http://wired.gg/WiredDirect

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We’re kick-starting our indie game celebrations in style with a week’s worth of glorious primed and juicy content. Central to the party you’re all invited to, is Wired biggest ever Steam Sale. The sale is so big that the wordsmith team worked for 15 days straight to land the most unique and eloquent title… the “Wired 15th Birthday Mega Sale”.

Of course, we know this isn’t enough to get everyone excited on a Friday afternoon, so we’ve bundled a free weekend with Tiny Troopers: Global Ops, packed in the launch of Tin Hearts with up to 20% off, dropped brand new money-saving bundles, hit the green button on new demos for Gori: Cuddly Carnage and Bulwark: The Falconeer Chronicles, and (!) managed to drop coin with the reveal of all new pinball DLC for indie hit Arcade Paradise.

The Wired Mega Birthday Schedule Includes:

• Steam Publisher Sale (May 12th to 18th)
• Tiny Troopers: Global Ops Free-to-Play Weekend (May 12th to 14th)
• Xbox Publisher Sale (May 15th to May 29th)
• Tin Hearts Launch (May 16th for PC, PS4/5 and Xbox Series S|X)
• Arcade Paradise Pinball DLC launch (May 18th)

List of Offers as Part of the Steam Sale:

• Arcade Paradise – 35% off
• Avicii Invector – 75% off
• Close To The Sun – 75% off
• Deliver Us The Moon – 65% off
• GRIP: Combat Racing – 85% off
• Lumote: The Mastermote Chronicles – 55% off
• Martha Is Dead – 40% off – Tin Hearts – 20% off
• The Falconeer – 65% off
• The Last Worker – 25% off
• Those Who Remain – 70% off
• Tiny Troopers Global Ops – 50% off
• Vostok Inc. – 80% off

And much more!

In addition, Wired is giving away over $1,000 in prizes via the Wired Social channels, from Steam Decks to custom consoles and the introduction of the Wired Black Card – think a Nando’s card but instead of free chicken for life it’s indie games. Each year Wired will distribute a select number of Black Cards to friends, community members and other lucky folk.

Follow @WiredP on Twitter for all the details.

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This week on Wired Unplugged, hosts Jake Kulkowski and Aaron Cooper discuss last weeks Wired antic’s at Gamescom including all of the news and reveals from the show, from shocking announcements to surprise revivals!

Also included is a dive into Wired’s own news from the show, including:
– Tin Hearts winning ‘Gamescom/IGN Most Wanted Nintendo Switch Game’. YAY!
– Announcements of Hotel Architect & Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles.
– The Last Worker confirming a release date of October 19th 2022 for PC

As well as everything Wired Propaganda, Jake and Aaron also break down this weeks news from Nintendo Direct, Quantic Dream and Konami plus much, much more. Have a question or topic for the podcast? Email unplugged@wiredproductions.com and we’ll do our best to tackle your topic on our next show!

The post Wired Unplugged Episode 28 | Wired Productions At Gamescom appeared first on Wired Productions.

We kicked off with our crack ‘A’ team of Jono and Ant heading out to Germany first thing on Monday with the framework of our stand in the van for an 8 hour road trip during which they listened to nothing except Belinda Carlisle, they met up with some more hands on site to start the building of the stand and get things ready for the public before a well earned rest and the knowledge that Belinda mixtape was gonna get another run on the drive back.

The ‘unglamorous side’ of an event, the hours spent building stalls and crawling around to install everything and get our games up and running for the masses! Special shout out to AMD for supplying the hardware on site and the staff in the venue itself for their assistance!

Thankfully by the end of Tuesday the rest of the crew turned up and the hard work had paid off and we had all of our games set and ready to go!

At this point all that was left to do was put the finishing touches on the booth, make more appointments, and catch up with the last of the trade show show meetings that happen before the show opens for public, vitally important these as they often lead to the kind of meetings and deals that result in new games being signed or appearances on new platforms, wonder if anything this year will end up in a future wired announcement…. hmmm.

Oh, and Mauro made full good use of sampling the local cuisine (well earned, might we add!)

And with that the team settled down for the evening with our wonderful developer partners for a drink, some food and a well earned rest before a hectic 5 days of indie goodness!

The opening day was every bit of hectic as anticipated (trust us, this is a good thing!) with old friends dropping by to come and catch up with our latest games, and new people discovering their next favourite indies for the first time – a great mix of familiarity and excitement that you don’t really get in digital events – and one of the reasons we’re so glad to be back at physical ones (safely!)

Of course gamescom wasn’t just about getting people to play our games for the first time that people already knew about, it was about announcing brand new games and release dates too! On Wednesday night as part of the Future Games Show, we took over the tail end with 3 trailers announcing Hotel Architect and Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles as well as the launch date for The Last Worker! If you missed any of these announcements, you can see the new trailers and further details (as well as important wishlist locations) over on our announcement blog!

Just in case you thought we were done there, we aren’t! Over the weekend the Indie Game Booth Twitch Stream was graced by Dre from Nosebleed Interactive to update everyone on all things Arcade Paradise, and Jörg Tittel, Writer / Director on The Last Worker, who both had spots on the show to talk alongside playthroughs of their games and talk about the wider worlds within them (and letting us get these snazzy behind the scenes pictures!)

If you missed the show the Twitch VoD is still available here – with Arcade Paradise near the start and The Last Worker 8 hours in!

There was still one more piece of #WiredHype on Saturday though, with Tin Hearts winning the award for ‘Most Wanted Nintendo Switch Game’ during the IGN award show! Chris from Rogue Sun appeared on the livestream to collect the award and give an interview on the finer details of the upcoming puzzler – AND WE ARE SUPER PROUD OF THE TEAM! The first award of many no doubt!

Here’s a little photo drop of the interview and Chris vibing with the trophy!

With all of that in the bag, the weekend passed in a blur and before we knew it it was Monday and time to go home! Anastasia and Steve made time for one last selfie before hitting the road though, and you know what? We think they enjoyed it!

Thank you to everyone that came to play our games during the show, and those of you that hyped our announcements online outside of it! If you stopped by the Wired stand durting the show be sure to share your pictures and experiences with us on our socials (@wiredp EVERYWHERE) and we’ll have news on our next show appearance VERY soon!

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Set in Jüngle Fulfillment Center 1, the largest retail facility on Earth, The Last Worker is a first-person narrative adventure centered around humanity’s struggle in an increasingly automated world, where humans are being replaced by robots.
One of our most eagerly anticipated titles from Wired Direct now has a PC release date! Dispatching on launching on Steam, Epic Games Store and GOG on October 19th, 2022!

Hotel Architect invites you to Unleash your entrepreneurial passion by creating exquisite multi-storey hotels all over the world. You must stay on your toes and constantly adapt to new scenarios created by the increasingly crazy demands of your most extravagant guests.

Transform empty property lots into bustling profitable hotels!

Return to the Water…

Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles lets your creativity run WILD as you become the creator of your own fortresses and settlements within the haunting landscapes of The Great Ursee, the world of The Falconeer. 

Keep your eyes on #WiredLive for 3 trailers appearing over the next few days – and of course follow @wiredP on Twitter for all update on our games, and directions to their individual accounts!

The post Release Dates and Game Reveals : Wired @ The Future Games Show appeared first on Wired Productions.