Patch And Price Rise Promotion - Storked is on Sale!

In honor of our recent update to Storked we are going to have a Storked sale. Storked will be heavily discounted starting today (3/1/2008) and the price will continually increase through the end of April. Needless to say, now is the time to buy Storked! Click the magic button below to see how much Storked is selling for today. You can also use the coupon code: "PatchNPriceRise" on checkout if you navigate to the Storked Buy Now Page through another means. You can learn more about Storked and download a free demo at www.storkedgame.com.

The Patch N Price Rise Promotion is only offered through plimus/graduate game store sales. No refunds.

Storked Version 1.2 is now Available

We've listened to the critiques, collected complaints, and have finally finished updating and improving Storked. The new version has finally arrived. The new demo demonstrates a lot of the implemented features, but if you already own the full version, you'll need to download the update patch at http://www.storkedgame.com/. Here is a list of the new features that the update contains:

• Point & Click Mouse Controls - Tired of playing old school with the keyboard? Now you can simply point and click to where you want your penguin to move. To use your Penguin's abilities, simply double-click the penguin. I advise switching to the keyboard for jumping since it is still tricky.


• Even More Frustration Free! Watch Puzzle Solutions - The first 50 puzzle solutions can now be watched via the pause menu. If you get stuck, just hit ESC and then click "See the solution"...the penguins will take a few moments and then walk through the solution. (Please let us know if you would like more solutions or if you are having problems with any of the existing solutions... the randomization of some game objects make exact solutions every time difficult).


• Easier Kid/Easy Modes - These modes now allow you to take direct control of the egg (switch to the egg camera and use left/right keys) and roll it left and right toward the exit...you may not even need those penguins after all.


• Additional Kick Power Gauge - Conveniently placed right over your penguin's head


• The typical bug & glitch fixes - Hopefully we've stomped out even more bugs and minor flaws.

All these new features and Storked is still just $19.95! Play it Now or Buy it Today!

Storked is the Recommended Game over at Manifesto Games

Pretty self explanatory, but we are very proud of being featured on Manifesto Games. Simply put: Buy Storked Now. Get ready for a major update to the game as well. We listen to your complaints and suggestions. New features include:

Mouse Control - click to move the penguins!
Easier Easy/Kid modes - control the egg
Puzzle Solutions - click see the solution to further reduce frustration
& much more

Storked Now on RETRO 247

Storked is now a featured game on the Retro 247 website. If you haven't already, now would be a good time to download the free demo.

Thanksgiving Update

Well, hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. Here's some news & things coming during the Holiday season...

Rock Band Review - Playing it like Crazy...it is fantastic...but how fantastic?
Undertow Review
Mass Effect Review
Holiday Buying Guides: Top 5 Xbox 360 games, PS3 games, Wii Games, and of course how those fall into the Top 5 purchases overall.

As for Graduate Games news...
Sorry, but I forgot to remind everyone that Storked was available on Game du Jour yesterday. Many people took advantage and bought the game on sale. Storked is also one of the top 10 indie games of November on Gametunnel.com. Perhaps more exciting is that we have 2 games in development. I hope to have 1 released by Spring/Summer 08 but we'll see how progress goes on both of them. Keep a look out for more on these games...

Storked reviewed on OUT OF EIGHT

James Allen released his review of Storked today and it's a pretty positive review. Here are some highlights, the complete review is here:

"The levels in the game are designed to take advantage of the penguins’ attributes and there are definitely some interesting solutions to figure out."

"Having all four of these penguins at your disposal can make for some pleasingly complex puzzles"

"The levels in the game are designed to take advantage of the penguins’ attributes and there are definitely some interesting solutions to figure out."

"While Storked is not the most visually impressive game to come out this year, it is playable and you don’t have to worry about camera angles."

"I suspect puzzle fans will have some fun with the game and its editor "

His Verdict:
"The Good: Varied abilities, straightforward controls, informative tutorial, numerous obstacles and levels, level editor
The Not So Good: Sluggish pace, usually only one solution
What say you? A puzzle game with diverse designs, effortless controls, and tons of objects, but it’s too linear and played at an arduous pace: 5/8"

It's a fair review and his main issue with the game is a fair one: the game does have a very deliberate pace. That pace can be tough/tedious on hardcore gamers used to the Halos, God of Wars, etc. of the world but is relaxing and welcome to a lot of people out there who aren't good at twitch gaming and timing. The key thing we were trying to do with Storked! was make a very easy game to play with simple controls and a lot of diverse things to do. It seems we succeeded at that and while I would argue that many puzzles have more than 1 solution, I can't attest to how difficult figuring the puzzles out can be since I already know all the solutions. Take the time to read the whole review here:
http://jaguarusf.blogspot.com/2007/11/storked-review.html

Storked Reviewed and Recommended on Casual Games Galore

Got a review for Storked the other day from Casual Games Galore. Bottom line- they recommend it! Only real complaint was about the font and level select interface:

Lows: The writing on the interface is a bit hard to read (it's a fun font though). Also I had a bit of a hard time at first when choosing the level to play, I played the first one twice as I expected it to move to the next one by itself. :) After I realized the idea behind the menu I no longer had any problems.

My favorite quote from the review is:
"Relaxation at its best."

but enough of me pasting praise here. You can read the review here.

Showcase: Storked!

It's only appropriate that this weeks showcase feature Storked, which was just released earlier in the week. Go ahead and try out the gamepage for all the info on the game and features. Or you could simply download the demo and just play it. There's more screenshots etc in both columns of the blog. Enjoy and more developing with Storked over the next couple weeks.

Storked Has Been Released!

I haven't really dedicated a post to the obvious, but if you haven't noticed Storked has been released! You can download the demo or purchase the game here on the blog (you'll find it on both the left/right columns). Now back to all the marketing that goes along with such a thing: submitting to portals, distributors, review sites, download sites, etc. Good news is that there has alredy been interest in nearly all of the above!

Top 5 Best Things about Storked

5. You can play any MP3 on your PC during gameplay with just a few simple mouse clicks.
4. Multiple Difficulty levels, infinite lives, rewind, etc. make the game approachable to everyone and it's completely family friendly. NO VIOLENCE, BAD LANGUAGE, ETC!
3. Level Editor allows you to make your own levels adding to the 100+ levels already in the game.
2. Milton's 6 Gadgets are particularly fun (especially the rocketpack)
1. 4 Unique Penguins who play completely different

Storked! Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Graduate Games Releases Storked! The PC Puzzle & Platform Game

Graduate Games is proud to announce the immediate availability of Storked!, a family friendly PC puzzle and platforming game. Storked is puzzle-driven game with addictive game play, with over 100 challenging levels, 4 unique penguins to control, 6 wacky gadgets to utilize, and easy to learn gameplay. The Stork has had an unfortunate accident over the Antarctic and must rely on his flightless penguin pals to roll an egg to safety. Control 4 different penguins as you roll the egg through 3 different worlds and over 100 levels of frustration free gameplay!

Wilmington, Delaware -- October 8, 2007 -- Storked is a puzzle / platform game where you control four different penguins in their quest to protect an egg. The stork in charge of the egg has gotten into an unfortunate accident over the Antarctic and must rely on his flightless pals to roll the egg to safety. Each penguin’s abilities and strengths will be called upon in order to solve puzzles and get the egg to the Exit in over 100 wacky levels. The penguins will travel from the Arctic, through the temperate grasslands, dense jungle, and arid desert and interact with over 18 different wacky objects and gadgets along the way. With easy to learn controls, infinite lives, a rewind button, and quick restarts, Storked is a great game for every one of all ages.

Features:

Over 100 Levels with a Fully Featured Level Editor
3 unique worlds: Snow/Ice, Grass/Jungle, and Desert
3 different weather conditions: Snow, Rain, and Autumn
Over 18 puzzle objects to interact with including cannons, geysers, switches, magnets, boxes, and more
Fully Featured Level Editor! Make your own Levels and share them in our forum or download custom levels made by the community

Easy to learn and control

Extreme Customization: Create your own background pictures or use photos saved on your computer. Listen to your favorite music and MP3s as you play

4 different penguins with different abilities and specialties
Murray the Penguin is an athlete and can pitch snowballs
Milton is a nerd who can use 6 different gadgets including a rocketpack, diving mask, teleporter, jackhammer, and more
Tony is the brawny guardian of the group who can lift heavy boxes and hurl the egg over cliffs
Lilly is a Rock Hopper Penguin and is the only one who can jump over obstacles and reach higher echelons of the level.

Frustration Free Gameplay
No time limits
Infinite Lives
Levels unlock based on your skill level, play that tricky level when you are ready
The game automatically saves your progress

For more information about Storked, visit www.storkedgame.com

Pricing and Availability: Storked can be purchased from the Graduate Games web site for $19.95 USD. A free demo for Windows is available for download.

For additional information on the news that is the subject of this release (or for a screenshots, evaluation copy or demo), contact Mike Gnade or visit www.storkedgame.com or www.graduategames.com. You can also include details on product or demo availability, etc. here.

Extra Links:

Graduate Games: www.graduategames.com
Storked Gamepage & Screenshots: www.storkedgame.com
Storked Demo: www.storkedgame.com/InstallStorkedDemo.exe

Purchase Storked:
Buy Now: https://www.plimus.com/jsp/buynow.jsp?contractId=1717866
Paypal: http://payloadz.com/go/sip/?id=340293
Google Checkout: http://payloadz.com/go?id=340293

About Graduate Games

Based in Wilmington, Delaware, Graduate Games was founded in 2006 as a small independent game developer. Graduate Games focuses on keeping classic 2D gaming alive and fresh with gameplay inspired by the 16-bit era of gaming. Copyright (C) 2006-2007 www.gradautegames.com. All Rights Reserved.

Contact:

Michael Gnade, President of Graduate Games
Graduate Games
302-379-9906
mike@graduategames.com
http://www.graduategames.com

Storked Will Be Released Next Week

Our Game Storked is 99% complete. We only have 2 more puzzles to create and then a quick level progression test and final once over and it's ready to go. Over the weekend, the final touches will be finished and the demo & retail version will be compiled. It should be available early next week, but if disaster strikes this weekend...it could get pushed somewhat. Don't forget that tomorrow is your last day to sign up for $5 off our game when released by signing up for email subscriptions or registering in the Graduate Games Forum. It's like preodering...but both ways are free.

Storked Trailer is also up on Gamevideos

I actually think the Gamevideos Trailer turned out better. It seems to have better resolution- which becomes very apparent in full screen mode. Anyway, the storked trailer is up here as well and now the Storked Video Page has officially started and is up on our website (I went with the Gamevideos trailer...it's just clearer, though still choppy). Enjoy!

Storked Video Game Trailer is up on You Tube

I've finally slapped together a trailer of Storked! I think it turned out pretty good. I didn't include everything, but I have a pretty good variety in there. Hopefully, it gets across the basic gameplay despite the video being somewhat choppy. I guess it's a lot for my computer to run the game and record video. Anyway, the Youtube link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0ykPIkKqX4 in case anyone wants to help out the marketing effort.

Get a Storked Discount!

For all those people signed up to receive Blog Updates, you'll be getting a discount coupon for Storked when it is released. If you're not a subscriber yet, simply use the subscription field in the left column of the blog.

Say Bye Bye to the Storked Beta

Now that it is September, the Storked Beta is no longer available for download...and everyone's exisiting downloads will lockout in the coming weeks. Everyone who emailed me comments and feedback...Thanks! The game has vastly improved as a result. I am about halfway through creating all the puzzles and levels and hope to have the game ready for release by the end of September. Cheers

Updated Storked Page and New Screenshots

I have added a slew of new images from Storked like the one above on its gamepage. You will also notice that I have decided to price Storked at the typical indie game price point of $19.95. I will be offering $5 off coupons to loyal readers and subscribers. Make sure you sign up with the subscription button to the left, since I will email the coupon to those email addresses upon the games release, but more on that later.

Free Copies of Storked for Reviews!

If you are interested in a free copy of Storked to review for your blog, website or whatever, please contact me, leave a comment or whatever. I will be collecting a list of potential reviewers, and you will receive an email about reviewing the game and getting your free copy when the game is ready to launch. See our Press Page for more info.

Beta Updated

I have just uploaded a new version of the beta. There was a critical bug that I missed and prevented people from proceeding forward in the levels. The new version happens to have some of the other changes I've made since I compiled the Beta as well. They are:

Press R to restart a level at any time
Backspace will rewind/undo minor mistakes (get stuck, miss a jump, etc)
Kicking now has a gauge...so press and hold shift and release to kick. Longer you hold the stronger the kick.

Enjoy and keep sending in those comments to I can fix problems such as the above which was brought to my attention.

The Storked Beta is available for Download!

All I can say is that IT IS A WORK IN PROGRESS! It is playable, but there are already things that I have changed and improved upon. I would love any feedback that you all could give me. You can download the BETA HERE for the remainder of August. You can play and enjoy it until approximately Sept. 15th (When you download it, it is active for approximately 14 days). I will be taking all of your comments, suggestions, and constructive criticisms and will genuinely try to implement them. Everyone has a real opportunity to contribute to this game. Feel free to submit levels to me as well, I would love to include 5-10 community made levels. In order to give everyone an incentive to provide feedback, levels, etc. I will provide contributors with discounted copies of the final game in the fall.