Latest Reviews of Image & Form Games
Review Anthill (Switch) - Image & Form's Pre-Steamworld Strategy Epic Gets A Second Chance On Switch
Swarming good fun
Before finding success with the Steamworld series, Image & Form launched a little game called Anthill on mobile devices. You might not have even heard of it before now, but the studio claims it to be one of their finest games, without which they wouldn’t have had the courage to move onto the Steamworld series. They’re...
Grind those gears
Image & Form Games has done very well to branch out from its charming subterranean platforming series SteamWorld Dig into other genres. 2015’s SteamWorld Heist took the aesthetic and amusing writing of that steampunk fantasy universe (which started out, lest we forget, with SteamWorld Tower Defence on DSiWare) and transposed...
Review SteamWorld Dig 2 (3DS eShop)
Diggin’ up a treat
Image & Form’s SteamWorld franchise has become somewhat of a household name among the Nintendo eShops as of late, with games spread across Switch, 3DS, and Wii U gathering almost nothing but praise from players and critics alike. SteamWorld Dig 2, which is perhaps unsurprisingly the sequel to the rather wonderful...
Review SteamWorld Dig (Switch eShop)
Time to dig in once more
SteamWorld Dig hardly needs any introduction; Image & Form’s 2013 Metroidvania-platformer has cemented itself as part of a much beloved series of games that brightly shine with polish and pedigree. With SteamWorld Dig 2 recently strutting its stuff on Switch, it makes a lot of sense that the developer has decided to...
Review SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition (Switch eShop)
I love it when a plan comes together
After releasing the sublime SteamWorld Dig, many expected Image & Form to go the safe route of producing a follow up that more or less built on that foundation. Though we would eventually receive SteamWorld Dig 2, the company chose to defy expectations and make SteamWorld Heist, a game which belongs to...
Review SteamWorld Dig 2 (Switch eShop)
Full steam ahead
As Image & Form often reminds us, its now-familiar core IP began with SteamWorld: Tower Defense on DSiWare, a thoroughly decent tower defence game. It was SteamWorld Dig that was transformative for the studio, however, achieving well-earned success on the 3DS and a range of other platforms. That allowed the team to up the ante...
Review SteamWorld Heist (Wii U eShop)
Now in steamy HD
Though Image & Form's most notable sales and critical breakthroughs have been on the 3DS, its games often cry out to be played in HD. The SteamWorld titles evoke an utterly charming steampunk aesthetic, with clunky and scrappy robots shining at full resolution on a TV. SteamWorld Heist was another hit for the studio on 3DS, but...
Review SteamWorld Heist (3DS eShop)
You feelin' lucky, steampunk?
When a studio has a surprise hit such as SteamWorld Dig, it would likely be forgiven if a straightforward sequel rapidly followed. That doesn't seem to be the norm on the eShop, however, and Image & Form has produced an ambitious follow-up in the form of a turn-based strategy game with a twist, placing trick shots...
Review SteamWorld Dig (Wii U eShop)
Groundbreaking!
The two hottest properties in indie gaming right now are Sweden and spelunking. From Amnesia to Hotline Miami to Goat Simulator to that DotA song, a hugely disproportionate number of big independent releases the last few years have come from Swedes; whether it's Cave Story, Shovel Knight,
Review SteamWorld Dig (3DS eShop)
A gem to discover
At its best, the 3DS eShop is host to titles with a simple, well-formed idea that's executed with care and skill. SteamWorld Dig, the second in the SteamWorld franchise from developer Image & Form, fits into that mould, incorporating puzzle platforming mechanics within a continuous process of digging and resource management...
Latest Image & Form Articles
Hands On SteamWorld Heist II Expands On A Beloved 3DS Title, But Is It What Fans Really Want?
Sail and strategise
Is there any genre SteamWorld is afraid to tackle? Starting life as an RTS in SteamWorld Tower Defense, Image & Form’s long-running anthology series has been to space, the Wild West and it’s even taken on the form of a fairy tale. And while Dig, the Metroidvania-style series, is arguably the most popular, many have a soft...
Round Up Everything Announced During The Thunderful Digital Showcase
Action-adventures, puzzle-platformers, and... cursed golf?
Thunderful Games is one of the new kids on the game publishing and development block, and they've been gobbling up studios and businesses so fast that they've quickly become an important name to remember. Founded by SteamWorld devs Image & Form and Stick It To The Man devs Zoink, the...
News SteamWorld Dig Is Getting A Third-Person Co-Op Sequel "With A Twist"
Heads will roll
During today's Thunderful Games showcase — yet another one to add to the pile of exciting Direct-likes containing games news straight from the publisher — we saw the announcement of a new game from Image & Form, which is half of Thunderful's development wing and one of its founding studios.
Feature Playing The Name Game - The Art Of Finding The Perfect Title
Game name: Origins
There was a time when naming your company's latest video game was simple. Just programmed the first golf game for your 8-bit system? Great! Slap Golf on the cover and print 200,000. Likewise Tennis, Baseball and so on. They were simpler times, and the following 16-bit console generation wasn't much more complicated. Anyone for...
Feature Switch Developers Open Up About The Impact Of COVID-19
We speak to Dotemu, Image & Form, SMG Studio and Playtonic Games
Most of you reading this will have encountered some sort of social restrictions over the past month or so due to the COVID-19 pandemic the world is currently experiencing. While security measures designed to combat the spread of the coronavirus vary on a per-country basis, necessary...
News Image & Form's New Game Is "Permanently Exclusive" To Xbox And Windows
Dev says it wanted a "strong partner"
Earlier this month, Thunderful CEO Brjann Sigurgeirsson confirmed Image & Form's new game - The Gunk, wouldn't be coming to the Switch, as it's exclusive to
News Image & Form's New Game Required Power The Switch Didn't Have, So It Did A Deal With Xbox
But remains committed to SteamWorld releases on Nintendo systems
You might not be familiar with The Gunk, but you should at least know the Swedish developer behind it Image & Form - best known on the Nintendo Switch for its excellent SteamWorld series. The company's new game isn't coming to Nintendo's hybrid system because it's
News Image & Form Is Hosting A SteamWorld Sale On The eShop This Weekend, Up To 75% Off
"Happy weekend!"
If you haven't experienced the SteamWorld series by Image & Form yet, or still need to play a specific entry, this weekend is the perfect time to act on this. From now until the end of the weekend in both North America and Europe, all SteamWorld games on the Switch, 3DS, and Wii U eShop have been discounted. Some games are even...
News Image & Form Is Preparing "Something Special" For Next Week
Get excited!
We know how passionate Image & Form are when it comes to the SteamWorld series, with the developer releasing its latest entry at the end of last month. So, what's next? Nobody is really sure, but what we do know is the Swedish-based company has been preparing "something special" for next week. The developer made this comment over on...
News Role-Playing Card Game SteamWorld Quest Hits The Switch On April 25th
Triumph over evil with the hand you’re dealt
Thunderful Publishing and Image & Form have confirmed SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech will be released next month on 25th April, after its launch date was revealed ahead of schedule last week. The game will be exclusive to the eShop "for the foreseeable future" and will set players back $24.99 /...
News SteamWorld Quest Physical Edition Expected To Arrive This Year
Launching digitally
As fantastic as physical game releases are on the Nintendo Switch, one common problem is delayed retail announcements. It can result in fans buying a digital copy of a game and then regretting their purchase when they hear a physical verision is on the way. Recently, a number of developers have made an effort to improve the...
Feature Why Image & Form Is Taking A Risk With SteamWorld Quest On Switch
"Everyone only lives once"
The latest entry in the popular SteamWorld saga, SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech is coming to Switch later this year and promises to deliver a fun take on the otherwise well-worn RPG genre. We were lucky enough to get some quality time with Image & Form's Brjánn Sigurgeirsson and chat about the game, its origins...
News Image & Form Wants Fans To Create A Background NPC For SteamWorld Quest
Only one robot can win
If you love what Image & Form Games has done with the SteamWorld series over the years, you're no doubt keeping tabs on its next release, SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech. This Switch title - recently
News Nindies Respond To Nintendo Releasing High Volume Of Games On Switch eShop
Fast times
A bunch of Nindie developers recently spoke to IGN about Nintendo’s plans to release around 20 to 30 games on the Switch eShop per week. The developer of Mutant Mudds, Jools Watsham, said he couldn’t see how the move would be positive for any of the involved parties, but did believe it was essentially out of Nintendo’s...
News Physical Release Of SteamWorld Dig 2 Gets Delayed In North America
The wait continues
One of the best indies available on the Nintendo Switch eShop right now is SteamWorld Dig 2, the seminal follow up to Image & Form’s popular 3DS Metroidvania. A couple months ago, Rising Star Games revealed that it had partnered with Image & Form to bring SteamWorld Dig 2 to retail, releasing it on 27th April in Europe...
News Former Nintendo Of Europe Staffer Ed Valiente Joins Thunderful
Star of the November 2015 Nintendo Direct jumps ship
Thunderful - the new company formed by Swedish studios Image & Form and Zoink! Games - has made a key hire in the shape of Ed Valiente, who joins from Nintendo of Europe. You might remember Ed from the November 2015 Nintendo Direct, where he was brave enough to step in front of...
News SteamWorld Dig 2 Will Dig A Path To Nintendo 3DS On 22nd February
Dual-screen digging
The Switch eShop version of SteamWorld Dig 2 has already tunnelled its way into our hearts - in fact, we loved it so much we gave it a 9/10 - but what about those players who played the equally great first game on Nintendo 3DS? Well, wonder no more fellow handheld friends because developer Image & Form has revealed the...
News Image & Form And Zoink! Games Join Forces Under New Company Thunderful
Both will continue to create their own games, though
Swedish studios Image & Form and Zoink! Games have joined forced to create Thunderful, a new entity which will wholly own both companies. They're not going away, however; the two Gothenburg-based studios will "continue to develop games with existing and new IPs under their respective...
News The Original SteamWorld Dig Will Tunnel Onto Switch Next Month
Time to dig deep into those pockets once more
SteamWorld Dig is one of our favourite Wii U and 3DS eShop titles so the news that we'll get the chance to play it a third time on Switch is very welcome indeed. Image & Form's Brjann Sigurgeirsson has stated that it's coming on February 1st and will cost $9.99 in North America. Sigurgeirsson said...
News SteamWorld Dig 2 May Be Getting a Physical Release
Digging for more gold
One of the greatest indie games that can be picked up on the Switch eShop right now (and boy are there plenty of those) is SteamWorld Dig 2. We absolutely loved it, and the sales numbers have shown that plenty of others have, too, although there are plenty of vocal fans out there that love the game so much that they’d like to...
News Image & Form Will Be Bringing More Games To Switch Next Year
Yes please!
With SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition blasting its way onto the Switch's eShop on 28th December, and with the incredible success of the wonderful SteamWorld Dig 2 that came to the console earlier this year, it's pretty safe to say that Image & Form had a pretty decent 2017. The future is looking just...
News SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition Storms onto Nintendo Switch This Year
A late Christmas present
With SteamWorld Dig 2 being a tremendous success on the Nintendo Switch, we at Nintendo Life Towers thought it would be only a matter of time before more titles from the excellent Image & Form would make their way to the hybrid system. And now we're very happy to confirm that SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition is...
News SteamWorld Dig 2 Has Had the Biggest Launch in the IP's History
Has already earned back most of the development costs
SteamWorld Dig 2 arrived recently; it's certainly one of the most high-profile download arrivals on Switch to date, and we think it's rather brilliant. It's bigger and more ambitious than its predecessor, and in some ways reflects the growing confidence of Image & Form that started to show...
News SteamWorld Dig 2 Promises A Big Reward For Dedicated Completionists
Will you be the first to 100%?
SteamWorld Dig 2 is now available to download from the Switch eShop and we rather liked it in our review. The game is jam-packed with things to do and as with any Metroidvania style game, completing it with 100% of collectables will be a stern challenge. Image & Form's big cheese Brjann Sigurgeirsson has just...
Video Get a Good Look at SteamWorld Dig 2 in the Launch Trailer
Hookshot! Funky environments! More!
The fourth SteamWorld game is nearly here, with SteamWorld Dig 2 out this week (21st September) on the Switch eShop. After going off into space with the excellent turn-based strategy of SteamWorld Heist, this one brings us back to the digging and exploration first seen in SteamWorld Dig, a title that achieved...
Hands On SteamWorld Heist II Expands On A Beloved 3DS Title, But Is It What Fans Really Want?
Sail and strategise
Is there any genre SteamWorld is afraid to tackle? Starting life as an RTS in SteamWorld Tower Defense, Image & Form’s long-running anthology series has been to space, the Wild West and it’s even taken on the form of a fairy tale. And while Dig, the Metroidvania-style series, is arguably the most popular, many have a soft...
Round Up Everything Announced During The Thunderful Digital Showcase
Action-adventures, puzzle-platformers, and... cursed golf?
Thunderful Games is one of the new kids on the game publishing and development block, and they've been gobbling up studios and businesses so fast that they've quickly become an important name to remember. Founded by SteamWorld devs Image & Form and Stick It To The Man devs Zoink, the...
News SteamWorld Dig Is Getting A Third-Person Co-Op Sequel "With A Twist"
Heads will roll
During today's Thunderful Games showcase — yet another one to add to the pile of exciting Direct-likes containing games news straight from the publisher — we saw the announcement of a new game from Image & Form, which is half of Thunderful's development wing and one of its founding studios.
Feature Playing The Name Game - The Art Of Finding The Perfect Title
Game name: Origins
There was a time when naming your company's latest video game was simple. Just programmed the first golf game for your 8-bit system? Great! Slap Golf on the cover and print 200,000. Likewise Tennis, Baseball and so on. They were simpler times, and the following 16-bit console generation wasn't much more complicated. Anyone for...
Feature Switch Developers Open Up About The Impact Of COVID-19
We speak to Dotemu, Image & Form, SMG Studio and Playtonic Games
Most of you reading this will have encountered some sort of social restrictions over the past month or so due to the COVID-19 pandemic the world is currently experiencing. While security measures designed to combat the spread of the coronavirus vary on a per-country basis, necessary...
News Image & Form's New Game Is "Permanently Exclusive" To Xbox And Windows
Dev says it wanted a "strong partner"
Earlier this month, Thunderful CEO Brjann Sigurgeirsson confirmed Image & Form's new game - The Gunk, wouldn't be coming to the Switch, as it's exclusive to
News Image & Form's New Game Required Power The Switch Didn't Have, So It Did A Deal With Xbox
But remains committed to SteamWorld releases on Nintendo systems
You might not be familiar with The Gunk, but you should at least know the Swedish developer behind it Image & Form - best known on the Nintendo Switch for its excellent SteamWorld series. The company's new game isn't coming to Nintendo's hybrid system because it's
News Image & Form Is Hosting A SteamWorld Sale On The eShop This Weekend, Up To 75% Off
"Happy weekend!"
If you haven't experienced the SteamWorld series by Image & Form yet, or still need to play a specific entry, this weekend is the perfect time to act on this. From now until the end of the weekend in both North America and Europe, all SteamWorld games on the Switch, 3DS, and Wii U eShop have been discounted. Some games are even...
News Image & Form Is Preparing "Something Special" For Next Week
Get excited!
We know how passionate Image & Form are when it comes to the SteamWorld series, with the developer releasing its latest entry at the end of last month. So, what's next? Nobody is really sure, but what we do know is the Swedish-based company has been preparing "something special" for next week. The developer made this comment over on...
News Role-Playing Card Game SteamWorld Quest Hits The Switch On April 25th
Triumph over evil with the hand you’re dealt
Thunderful Publishing and Image & Form have confirmed SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech will be released next month on 25th April, after its launch date was revealed ahead of schedule last week. The game will be exclusive to the eShop "for the foreseeable future" and will set players back $24.99 /...
News SteamWorld Quest Physical Edition Expected To Arrive This Year
Launching digitally
As fantastic as physical game releases are on the Nintendo Switch, one common problem is delayed retail announcements. It can result in fans buying a digital copy of a game and then regretting their purchase when they hear a physical verision is on the way. Recently, a number of developers have made an effort to improve the...
Feature Why Image & Form Is Taking A Risk With SteamWorld Quest On Switch
"Everyone only lives once"
The latest entry in the popular SteamWorld saga, SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech is coming to Switch later this year and promises to deliver a fun take on the otherwise well-worn RPG genre. We were lucky enough to get some quality time with Image & Form's Brjánn Sigurgeirsson and chat about the game, its origins...
News Image & Form Wants Fans To Create A Background NPC For SteamWorld Quest
Only one robot can win
If you love what Image & Form Games has done with the SteamWorld series over the years, you're no doubt keeping tabs on its next release, SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech. This Switch title - recently
News Nindies Respond To Nintendo Releasing High Volume Of Games On Switch eShop
Fast times
A bunch of Nindie developers recently spoke to IGN about Nintendo’s plans to release around 20 to 30 games on the Switch eShop per week. The developer of Mutant Mudds, Jools Watsham, said he couldn’t see how the move would be positive for any of the involved parties, but did believe it was essentially out of Nintendo’s...
News Physical Release Of SteamWorld Dig 2 Gets Delayed In North America
The wait continues
One of the best indies available on the Nintendo Switch eShop right now is SteamWorld Dig 2, the seminal follow up to Image & Form’s popular 3DS Metroidvania. A couple months ago, Rising Star Games revealed that it had partnered with Image & Form to bring SteamWorld Dig 2 to retail, releasing it on 27th April in Europe...
News Former Nintendo Of Europe Staffer Ed Valiente Joins Thunderful
Star of the November 2015 Nintendo Direct jumps ship
Thunderful - the new company formed by Swedish studios Image & Form and Zoink! Games - has made a key hire in the shape of Ed Valiente, who joins from Nintendo of Europe. You might remember Ed from the November 2015 Nintendo Direct, where he was brave enough to step in front of...
News SteamWorld Dig 2 Will Dig A Path To Nintendo 3DS On 22nd February
Dual-screen digging
The Switch eShop version of SteamWorld Dig 2 has already tunnelled its way into our hearts - in fact, we loved it so much we gave it a 9/10 - but what about those players who played the equally great first game on Nintendo 3DS? Well, wonder no more fellow handheld friends because developer Image & Form has revealed the...
News Image & Form And Zoink! Games Join Forces Under New Company Thunderful
Both will continue to create their own games, though
Swedish studios Image & Form and Zoink! Games have joined forced to create Thunderful, a new entity which will wholly own both companies. They're not going away, however; the two Gothenburg-based studios will "continue to develop games with existing and new IPs under their respective...
News The Original SteamWorld Dig Will Tunnel Onto Switch Next Month
Time to dig deep into those pockets once more
SteamWorld Dig is one of our favourite Wii U and 3DS eShop titles so the news that we'll get the chance to play it a third time on Switch is very welcome indeed. Image & Form's Brjann Sigurgeirsson has stated that it's coming on February 1st and will cost $9.99 in North America. Sigurgeirsson said...
News SteamWorld Dig 2 May Be Getting a Physical Release
Digging for more gold
One of the greatest indie games that can be picked up on the Switch eShop right now (and boy are there plenty of those) is SteamWorld Dig 2. We absolutely loved it, and the sales numbers have shown that plenty of others have, too, although there are plenty of vocal fans out there that love the game so much that they’d like to...
News Image & Form Will Be Bringing More Games To Switch Next Year
Yes please!
With SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition blasting its way onto the Switch's eShop on 28th December, and with the incredible success of the wonderful SteamWorld Dig 2 that came to the console earlier this year, it's pretty safe to say that Image & Form had a pretty decent 2017. The future is looking just...
News SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition Storms onto Nintendo Switch This Year
A late Christmas present
With SteamWorld Dig 2 being a tremendous success on the Nintendo Switch, we at Nintendo Life Towers thought it would be only a matter of time before more titles from the excellent Image & Form would make their way to the hybrid system. And now we're very happy to confirm that SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition is...
News SteamWorld Dig 2 Has Had the Biggest Launch in the IP's History
Has already earned back most of the development costs
SteamWorld Dig 2 arrived recently; it's certainly one of the most high-profile download arrivals on Switch to date, and we think it's rather brilliant. It's bigger and more ambitious than its predecessor, and in some ways reflects the growing confidence of Image & Form that started to show...
News SteamWorld Dig 2 Promises A Big Reward For Dedicated Completionists
Will you be the first to 100%?
SteamWorld Dig 2 is now available to download from the Switch eShop and we rather liked it in our review. The game is jam-packed with things to do and as with any Metroidvania style game, completing it with 100% of collectables will be a stern challenge. Image & Form's big cheese Brjann Sigurgeirsson has just...
Video Get a Good Look at SteamWorld Dig 2 in the Launch Trailer
Hookshot! Funky environments! More!
The fourth SteamWorld game is nearly here, with SteamWorld Dig 2 out this week (21st September) on the Switch eShop. After going off into space with the excellent turn-based strategy of SteamWorld Heist, this one brings us back to the digging and exploration first seen in SteamWorld Dig, a title that achieved...