Riddle of the Sphinx™ the Awakening DRM-Free version will be available on GOG.com soon!
Lots of forward movement here, folks 🙂
Many of you have wanted a DRM-Free version, and early on we had said we would make every effort to provide ROTS DRM-Free.
Well, we finally were able to connect with GOG and finalize an agreement. Therefore, we can now announce that we will have a DRM-Free option on GOG very soon!
We are working on a GOG build with achievements and DLCs. As soon as we have the build live, we will let you know and send the appropriate codes.
Yes, it’s true. After a long time of testing and refinement, and after most of the dev team contracting COVID-19, the mobile build for iOS (iPhone 6s+ and iPad) is live on Apple’s app store!
ROTS desktop is already available for Windows and Mac on Steam, but now you can play ROTS on the go. We think you’ll find the mobile UI especially fluid and intuitive.
Redemption codes are coming…
Backers with iOS mobile build rewards will get the iOS app and DLCs for FREE!. We will be sending out redemption codes over the next few days, so watch your email (and check your SPAM folder).
NOTE: The redemption codes will unlock the iOS mobile app and all of the DLCs.
What if you didn’t pledge?
You can buy the iOS ROTS app here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/riddle-of-the-sphinx/id1560873403
Or scan the QR code, below:
What about Android?
For those of you who pledged for an Android version, your day is coming! ROTS for Android is in the last phases of debugging and optimization. And once it goes live, we will announce it here and send redemption codes out for all Android mobile backers.
New to this release are these DLCs (expansion packs): Book of the Dead Ends™ in-game Hints & Solutions, Moonlight Exploration, and Gil’s Secret Library.
Enhanced edition gameplay features:
Hours of challenging gameplay
Complex puzzles and subtly hidden clues to challenge your skills
Beautifully rendered 3D environments and scenes with meticulous attention to detail
Cinematic animations and cut-scenes throughout the game
Historical accuracy and real-world archaeological puzzle integration
An original, richly orchestrated Egyptian soundtrack
Background: Old World Studios, game development and publishing studio has released Riddle of the Sphinx™ The Awakening on Steam. The Riddle of the Sphinx game will be released for iOS and Android in the near future. The team behind the HD enhanced edition of Riddle of the Sphinx™ consists of:
Charlie Tobler (lead software engineer/game developer)
Christian Tobler (lead game developer/software engineer/foley artist/cg artist)
Jeff Tobler (co-creator/director/developer/lead artist/music/programming)
“Hello Jeff! This is amazing to see ROTS being updated to HD! I helped you playtest the game way back in 1999, and to this day ROTS is my favorite Egyptian adventure, and my favorite adventure game period. Thank you for this amazing opportunity to revisit the Sphinx in HD glory!” ~Trey T.
“I was 9 years old when I played Riddle of the Sphinx at my grandparents’ home for the first time. My mom even played it as well, and we both enjoyed figuring out the puzzles and helping each other when we were at a ‘dead end.’ I greatly admire your team’s dedication to detail and quality. It really is amazing what such a small team can do. Your games have impacted my life.” – Henry Wegener
“I had emailed you once when I was a kid, with my elaborate plans to create an immersive ‘Omega Stone ride’ in my garage. I had purchased props at a yard sale to recreate Gil’s tent from the first game and everything. It was quite ambitious and unrealistic, and I look back on that conversation now as quite embarrassing; but hey, at least 12-year-old AJ had big dreams. Thanks for inspiring me & for all you do.” – AJ
While we are finishing up the remaining elements, we thought you’d like to see a striking comparison.
Red Bird Rising…
For those who know the back story, you might remember that Gil’s official institute helicopter is nicknamed Red Bird. In Riddle of the Sphinx: The Awakening™, the Red Bird rises once again!
Here is a comparison between the original helicopter animation and the new Awakening rendering. Notice the new sand, motion blur rotor, highly detailed new Great Pyramid model, new Sphinx model with greater detail than ever before, HD sky… and much more.
Moonstruck Monuments
In The Awakening edition, for the first time ever, you will be able to explore the Giza Plateau and fly Gil’s helicopter in the eerie stillness of an Egyptian night. Experience the Sphinx and Great Pyramid bathed in cool, mystical moonlight.
We hope this update finds each one of you healthy and untouched by the virus. If you’re like us, we are itching to get outside and gather with friends and family again. And I’m sure we are all looking forward to exploring Riddle of the Sphinx: The Awakening!
Thankfully none of the team has had the virus. Or if we have, we didn’t know it. We have been able to continue working on the game at a constant pace!
Karen and I are still busy finishing up the few last-remaining levels. Charlie has the bulk of the puzzles programmed. Christian is stitching all the assets together and testing navigation. And Marta has been working on the Collector’s Edition crate packaging.
Here’s a sneak peek at the latest scenes:
We have so much more to show, but we are more excited about getting the game in your hands. In a few weeks, we will have an ETA to announce.
Don’t want to scarab anyone too badly, but we think we found a “bug” on the ROTS Awakening commemorative USB drives. Normally we would be mortified, but in this case… well, you be the judge. 😉
ROTS Awakening is astonishingly epic in scope – something we continue to be amazed with as we wrap up the remaining environments. This epic-ness is good for you but challenging for the team are working very intensely on getting each area converted, rendered, programmed, and tested.
The good news is we are making substantial progress!
Charlie, head software engineer, has done some impressive work programming the many puzzles as well as refining the new game engine he created. Though we redesigned the Astrological chamber puzzle early on for better continuity and more importantly for greater enjoyability for you, Charlie completed this new puzzle programming and it’s beautiful!
Christian has made substantial progress in programming general navigation and gameplay having to wade through a mountain of renderings. He is also part of the rendering team as well as placing all the fire throughout the game. Karen is very thankful she doesn’t have the fire task this time around 🙂
Marta is almost done with the exclusive Collector’s Edition crate packaging. We added some additional touches to this unique packaging. Can’t wait for you to get this in your hands! Marta also collated the full text of the Bible, which is crucial in gaining access to the Great Pyramid. All of the books have been redesign for the higher resolution and readability on smaller devices.
Jeff and Karen are in the final stages of rendering the remaining converted models, as well as the necessary lighting changes and other enhancements. It’s been a joy for us to see this amazing team bring so much more to the project than the original.
The latest areas to be completed are the Astrological Chamber, Lost Temple area, and Subterranean Labyrinth complex — the last two areas containing a massive amount of virtual real-estate, an insane amount of cameras, critical puzzles, and areas that required the most amount of troubleshooting the conversion process. While some of the areas have been relatively painless, these two have been very challenging. But the result was worth the unrelenting effort! See for yourself…
Star-struck: the Astrological Alcove reimagined
Astrological Alcove scene and puzzle redesigned and relit.
What does this ancient Egyptian lotus wheel hieroglyphic decoder do? You’ll have to play to find out…
Lighting a Labyrinth packed with additional elements, updated maps, and some surprises along the way.
Anubis was believed to guard the underworld as the god of death, mummification, and ushering souls into the afterlife.
Horus, the falcon-headed god, represented not only the supreme protector of Pharaoh, but provider and protector of all.
An ancient Egyptian “water lock” waiting to be decoded.
Sacred Pool under intense guardianship by a detail of six Anubis statues. These horns symbolize protection, immortality, salvation, and the notion of “beginning” by the ancients.
We are all more than ready for ROTS Awakening to be released. Though we have been working as hard as possible and are very close, there remain a few more areas to finish up. Thankfully, ALL areas have been converted from the 20+ year old files, so we see increasing light at the end of this proverbial tunnel.
Thank you for your support and amazing patience. We believe the wait will be worth all the effort our amazing team has put forth!
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