Developer Jumpship and publisher Thunderful have announced that Somerville will launch for PS5 and PS4 later this month, on August 31. A new trailer has also been released to go along with the announcement. Check it out below for a glimpse of what the game has in store.

Developed by a team comprised of former Playdead staff (including the indie studio’s co-founder) who previously worked on Limbo and Inside, Somerville delivers a similar adventure experience that revolves around wordless storytelling and gameplay focused on puzzles.

In our review of the game, we gave it a score of 7/10, saying, “Somerville is a flawed game and doesn’t execute all of its ideas perfectly, but from its captivating story to some of its striking imagery, there’s plenty still to like in this brief adventure.” Read the full review through here.

Somerville is currently available on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC.

A Trophy list for Somerville has gone live on Exophase, suggesting that the game could soon be headed to PS5 and PS4. An official announcement is, of course, yet to be made, but console-specific releases getting leaked through lists for Trophies and Achievements is quite a common occurrence, so we wouldn’tbe surprised to hear something official about Somerville coming to PlayStation consoles soon.

In our review of Somerville, we gave it a score of 7/10, saying, “Somerville is a flawed game and doesn’t execute all of its ideas perfectly, but from its captivating story to some of its striking imagery, there’s plenty still to like in this brief adventure.” Read the full review through here.

Somerville is currently available on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC.

One of those, it turns out, is Dino Patti, co-founder of Jumpship. The studio launched its sci-fi adventure game Somerville for Xbox and PC last year and was available via Game Pass right out the gate, and while Patti believes Jumpship “did a pretty good deal” with Microsoft, he says Somerville’s sales were affected by it nonetheless. According to Patti, the conventional model of making a full game and selling it for an up front price is still very much the way forward.

“We did a pretty good deal,” he said in an interview with Videogames.si. “I also think it hurts sales. Because a lot of people just go in and try it and they don’t invest. If they don’t like the first 10 minutes? That’s it. Also, if you don’t make the first 10 minutes amazing, maybe it’s also a problem. I think [Game Pass] is okay. It’s not my favorite. My favorite is the old premium model where I sell you on some video, on big images, and earn your $30. And then after that, I have to deliver. I don’t need to get money out of you later.”

Interestingly enough, Microsoft itself has recently stated that games’ sales end up getting significantly impacted if they are also available on Game Pass. In documents submitted by the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority earlier this year amidst its investigation of Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard (which it has since blocked), the regulatory body said that Microsoft and Activision had both submitted that sales are “severely cannibalized” by Game Pass.

Earlier this year, Tunic publisher Finji expressed similar concerns, stating that for smaller developers, the Game Pass model can “go either way” and is “both awesome and terrifying”.

Somerville is available on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC. Read our review of the game through here.

Like the games that have inspired it, Somerville tells its story completely wordlessly. You play as the father in a family of four, which includes a dog and a toddler, living an idyllic life on a farmhouse in a relatively remote location. In the opening minutes of the game, however, an abrupt catastrophe turns their lives upside down, as an ominous fleet of aliens attacks the planet and begins ravaging it with its terrifying powers. Amidst all the chaos, which includes the father having mysteriously acquired some alien abilities of his own, it falls to you to not only survive, but ensure that your family does as well.

"Somerville is a game that successfully captures some of the biggest strengths of its sparsely populated genre, and while it doesn’t ever reach the heights of something like Inside, it does make a strong impression nonetheless."

It’s an incredible setup for the story, because it strikes two chords very effectively. On a macro, zoomed out scale, the widespread conflict and the mystery surrounding the invasion and the aliens’ true nature and purpose is a fascinating part of the story, and Somerville ensures that it’s kept interesting as you progress further by peppering in some unexpected developments, and in the later hours of the game, some undeniably bombastic moments. Meanwhile, on a much more intimate level, the story of the family and how its struggling to survive serves as the heart and soul of Somerville, and not just because you have a dog with you (though that is a big factor).

To go further into why or how any of those two core pillars of the game’s story resonate as strongly as you do would veer a little too far into spoiler territory, which is definitely not the way to enjoy this game- but suffice it to say that the game blends those two elements very well. It also deserves props for being able to tell a completely wordless story as well as it does- which, in turn, means it leaves plenty of things open to interpretation. That, after all, is one of the biggest joys of games such as this one, and Somerville, thankfully, is very aware of that fact.

Of course, the big question that the vast majority of people will be asking – perhaps a bit unfairly for Somerville – is if the story the game tells is as impactful or memorable as the one in, say, Inside was. My recommendation would be to shoot those questions straight out of your head before you jump into Somerville. There’s a very, very good chance that no game will be able to match the genius of Inside’s story and storytelling for a long, long time, if ever, and not once did I wonder whether Somerville would be able to do so. And as far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t.

"Somerville deserves props for being able to tell a completely wordless story as well as it does- which, in turn, means it leaves plenty of things open to interpretation."

Somerville’s story is juggling a lot of balls at once, and some of its core story elements feel much more pulpy than games that it will be compared to, which means that even though it adopts a similar storytelling style, with the actual content of its story, it’s trying to do completely different things. Depending on your personal tastes, you might find those things to be more engaging than similar games that have come before. I, personally, did not, even though there’s absolutely no denying that there’s a lot to love here, regardless of personal tastes and preferences.

The situation is rather similar on the gameplay front, where, once again, Somerville takes a familiar framework and adds its own ideas to expand upon it. There are no tutorials, there’s no UI, and the focus is entirely on a cinematic experience where simple inputs and mechanics make up the bulk of the gameplay. You’ll be solving simple puzzles, engaging in some light platforming, and rushing your way through the occasional intense set piece sequence. The latter in particular can be quite intense in quite a high-octane way, lending a nice balance to the narrative side of things, which often brings the tension and intensity with more intimate storytelling tools.

In addition to the simple and straightforward gameplay ideas it borrows from Limbo and Inside, however, Somerville also throws new ideas into the mix. A lot of navigation puzzles, for instance, rely on you using your aforementioned newfound alien powers to manipulate extraterrestrial obstacles. Initially, your powers are limited to an ethereal blue glow emanating from your hand that turns solid alien artifacts into a ghostly, liquid-like substance, while later on, a newly acquired ability emanates a red glow from your hand that does the opposite. Puzzles also involve finding and manipulating light sources, and using them to channel larger amounts of your own powers to remove obstacles and find new ways to proceed forward.

"There are a few times where Somerville feels unnecessarily obtuse and frustratingly dense, where it maybe goes a little too far with its hands-off and minimalistic approach. In my experience, these moments do hamper the pacing of the experience somewhat- though barring some blemishes, I was still largely impressed with Somerville’s puzzles."

For the most part, the navigation challenges and puzzles presented in Somerville are solid brain-teasers, and figuring out how to arrive at the inevitably straightforward solutions to the problems in front of you can be surprisingly satisfying. There are a few times where Somerville feels unnecessarily obtuse and frustratingly dense, where it maybe goes a little too far with its hands-off and minimalistic approach. In my experience, these moments do hamper the pacing of the experience somewhat- though barring some blemishes, I was still largely impressed with Somerville’s puzzles.

Another way Somervilla expands upon the foundations of its genre is by making movement much more free-flowing. Unlike Inside and Limbo, both of which were side-scrollers, Somerville is a game that allows full 3D movement. Yes, the camera is semi-fixed and moves on its own based on the direction you’re moving in, but your movement isn’t limited to going left or right. On paper, this sounds like an interesting expansion, but I’m not sure I’m the biggest fan. For starters, the movement feels a little wonky and inaccurate at times, and the fact that the camera often keeps getting in the way of it doesn’t do it any favours. Being able to more freely explore the small environments you find yourself in also tends to exacerbate those occasional moments of frustration I mentioned earlier- when you can’t figure out what to do or where to go, having more room for exploration but not too much to interact with while doing so isn’t exactly a good option to have.

Visually, Somerville is largely a success. The scripted camera movements I mentioned earlier have a big role to play in the experience, and the cinematography on display here is seriously impressive on a consistent basis, combining well with a strong and distinctive art style. Technically, the game does stumble a little bit, whether that’s through muddy visuals that are sometimes lacking in detail or a few minor technical issues here and there. On the whole, there are plenty of moments of striking beauty in Somerville, though it’s not a spotless experience in a visual sense either.

"There are plenty of moments of striking beauty in Somerville, though it’s not a spotless experience in a visual sense either."

Even with its issues though, Somerville is an accomplished sci-fi adventure title. Depending on how quickly you go through its story, it will last you anywhere between three and six hours, and throughout that brief runtime, it keeps throwing some fascinating things your way, whether it’s a smartly designed puzzle, heart-wrenching intimate moments, surprising story developments, or gorgeous visual vistas. Somerville might not be a genre giant, but if you’ve enjoyed similar games in the past, you’re probably going to enjoy this as well.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox Series X.

Jumpship will continue to create “top-class story-driven narrative games” and retain creative autonomy. Studio co-founder Dino Patti (previously at Playdead) remains and will also become a strategic advisor for Thunderful. In a press release, Patti said, “I feel really good about the partnership with Thunderful and what it will do for Jumpship. I have known Agostino for a very long time and we have built a strong relationship of trust.

“We’ve been talking about this possibility for around a year, and over that time, I have only become more convinced that this is a great opportunity for Jumpship and Thunderful alike.”

Thunderful Games chief gaming officer Agostino Simonetta added, “The level of intrigue that Jumpship has managed to generate for its debut title shows you that this is a team with a deep artistic vision. Adding to our already diverse and accomplished roster of talent under the Thunderful Studios’ umbrella is an important part of our strategy to build strong internal IPs.

“We look forward to supporting the team at Jumpship to harness their skill for building impactful narrative-driven experiences as they continue to create fantastic titles within the Thunderful family.”

Jumpship studio director Claire Boissiere also said, “Thunderful is pushing the boundaries by forming a family of game studios who will work under an umbrella of services that supports autonomy and creative vision. Our team sets its own course, and it’s great to find a partner that not only understands that but can truly support us. Thunderful’s established relationships with key platform holders and expertise in putting games into the hands of players give us an infrastructure where we can focus on what we do best: crafting games that challenge our audience, both emotionally and intellectually.”

Based on an original IP by game director Chris Olsen, Somerville begins after a massive catastrophe affects humanity. The player must make their family whole while seemingly dealing with an extraterrestrial presence. Despite being a 2.5D side-scrolling title, Somerville isn’t a puzzle platformer, though it contains “some of that DNA,” according to Olsen. Stay tuned for more details and updates on the title in the coming days.

As the newest title from former Playdead CEO and co-founder Dino Patti, based on an original IP by Chris Olsen, the story begins after a large-scale catastrophe. It sees the player attempting to make their family whole again as they explore rural landscapes. Not much is known about how the catastrophe occurred, but aliens are seemingly involved.

Somerville offers a mix of 2.5 side-scrolling and 3D segments with a cinematic flair that calls games like Inside to mind. Olsen, also the game director, clarified that it “definitely” isn’t a puzzle platformer despite having “some of that DNA – sort of.” Development has progressed far enough that it’s essentially become “its own thing.”

“It definitely feels like something I’ve not played before, both mechanically and the way the story is told,” said Olsen. Stay tuned for more details and gameplay en route to its release.

Somerville‘s latest trailer doesn’t reveal much about the game, except giving players some expository shots to show off its creative and dystopic sci-fi setting. There’s a little bit of gameplay sprinkled in the trailer as well, with the protagonist running away from an enemy in one shot and then trying to not drown as he gets trapped in a flowing river.

While Somerville is Jumpship’s debut title, the studio has a lot of creative talent under its belt. Formed by ex-CEO and co-founder of Playdead, Somerville developers have previously worked on games like Limbo and Inside.

Chris Olsen says that there is a lot of misconception surrounding Somerville, and part of it has to do with the trailer itself. The trailer showcased the character pushing and pulling objects, which led to fans believing it to be a 2D puzzle platformer. Chris has now clarified that the game has full 3D movement, and is a unique experience which is “definitely not a puzzle platformer.”

“I couldn’t quite describe it in a way that made it fit into a mold, essentially,” Olsen says. “At the time, [the journalist] was like, ‘Sounds like you need to get your pitch together’ or something like that, but in my own head, I was really happy I couldn’t say exactly what it was. It definitely feels like something I’ve not played before, both mechanically and the way the story is told.

“So that misconception of it being a puzzle platformer about manipulating items to get on top of them and all these things… I’d say it has some of that DNA — sort of — but we’ve gone so far away from that now it’s become its own thing. All I really feel comfortable calling it now is ‘a sci-fi adventure.'”

From the looks of it, Somerville tasks players to rebuild a family that has been affected by an unknown conflict within a post-apocalyptic universe. It releases in 2022 for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC and will be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch.

Sommerville is an upcoming sci-fi adventure from the indie studio Jumpship, a studio formed by the founders of Inside developer Playdead. Obvious comparisons can be drawn to the game, with a similar art style and camera. The game releases in 2022 for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC, and will launching day 1 on Xbox Game Pass.

The game tasks players with rebuilding a family once again in a rich post-apocalyptic setting where an unknown conflict has torn the world into shreds. If Jumpship’s previous track record is anything to go by, Somerville might just pluck the same strings, making it worth checking out.