Sometimes you realize you need a fresh start.
When we started Handelabra Studio, we knew that we wanted to explore many different types of applications, only one of which was games. But the experience of making Uncle Slam showed us that gaming isn't just another type of app. It's our passion. We realized that we wanted to make games, games and more games.
Turning a ship like Handelabra is no small task so it was important, once we decided on this new direction, to get the right people on our team to help us execute this change in the best way possible. The way this would manifest itself would be a combination of the right team, the right partners and the right project.
The Project
If you are a gamer, and a fan of ours, you've probably played Uncle Slam. But we've had another app in our stable for more than a year now called Sentinels Sidekick. Not a game in and of itself, Sentinels Sidekick is a companion app for a tabletop card game called Sentinels of the Multiverse. Sentinels is a cooperative game where up to five players take on the personas of super heroes to battle villains and save the world. As most tabletop games do, Sentinels has a lot of "bookkeeping" involved while you play and Sentinels Sidekick makes that process easier to manage. But in our heart of hearts, we've always really wanted to try our hand at bringing this game into the digital world.
And so, we're happy to announce that the first project of the newly minted Handelabra Games Inc. will be Sentinels of the Multiverse, coming to iPads and Android Tablets in Spring 2014.
The Team and The Partners
So we know what we will be working on, but who will be helping us? First and foremost, the core of Handelabra is still Jeremy and John, the gruesome twosome that started it all with StyleAssist in 2010 (later STYLE.minder). But we wouldn't dream of taking on an adaptation like this without the involvement of the creators and so we'll be toiling away on the digital version of Sentinels of the Multiverse under the watchful eyes of Greater Than Games, the creators of the game and rising stars of the independent tabletop world.
So that neatly wraps up the creative side of things, but what about the business side? We're also happy to announce that Handelabra Games has been accepted as a Launchhouse Portfolio company for 2013. What on earth does that mean? The Launchhouse is a coworking space and business accelerator on the east side of Cleveland and boy howdy, do they like what Handelabra has in the works. Through mentorship, networking, business development and yes, a little cold, hard cash, Launchhouse will be helping us bring Sentinels of the Multiverse to fruition, while also helping to build Handelabra Games into the next great game studio for the 21st century.
We're excited to get started! Take a look around at the new Handelabra.com and stay tuned. We'll have more for you soon. If you can't wait to hear the latest, why not join our mailing list to hear about everything as it happens?