Death Squared, a cooperative puzzle game where user-controlled bots attempt to reach separate exits without accidentally killing each other, will put friendships and problem-solving skills to the test on Xbox One in Q1 2017, simultaneously launching alongside the previously-announced PC release.
In Death Squared, bots must escape a laboratory without unwittingly triggering traps and sending a companion to the scrapyard in the sky. Both characters must reach their respective portals to complete a stage.
Each level is a puzzle littered with hidden dangers. Traps are triggered by specific actions, so caution and strong communication are key to survival. Success often seems imminent before a level-ending surprise is activated, but respawns are instant. In Death Squared’s laboratory, experimentation is encouraged.
Solving Death Squared’s cunning puzzles means dodging hazards like hidden floor spikes, holocubes which shove bots off ledges and lasers capable of frying any bot of a different color. A keen eye isn’t always enough; if a teammate moves without warning, the decision could cost them a friend and all progress on the stage.
Death Squared can be enjoyed by a single, two or four players, but the experience is at its best in multiplayer. Two bots can be split between two controllers or a duo can be put in the hands of one person, with each bot mapped to a separate joystick on the controller. Four-player opens a whole new set of levels, designed for a larger group and chaos.
Brimming with high-tech hazards, Death Squared’s sleek hosting facility builds its trials from suspended cubes, using vibrant colors to highlight interactive objects and puzzle mechanics.
“Death Squared rewards strong communication and instantly gives a crash course on its importance to gamers lacking the skill,” said Patrick Cook, founder, SMG Studio. “Failure is part of the solution process, and through trial and error as well as teamwork, everyone can survive Death Squared’s gauntlet of puzzles…whether friendships are still intact is a different story.”