What IS Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator? 🤔

Before we launch Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator for Steam on September 29th and later in 2022 for PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, Matt (Lead Designer) and Peter (Lead Producer) wanted to give you a brief overview of what to expect in the game. We hope you find it useful before you steep your first grains! 🌾

Hello everyone, 

We’re both very excited for you to get your hands on Brewmaster. 

Development on the game started in June 2019 and from then we’ve had a clear idea of what we want to make. We thought we’d lay out what we’re aiming for with Brewmaster, so you can make up your own mind before purchasing if it sounds like something you’d be keen on playing. 

 What IS Brewmaster? ✔️

At its very core, Brewmaster is freeform brewing chemistry: it allows you to create beer using an authentic simulation of real brewing, with all the experimentation (and, occasionally, “happy little accidents”) that come up in homebrewing. 

It’s faithful to the craft of beer, and to the skills required in the hobby: creativity, patience, and an inquisitive mind. 

But we’re also lowering the barrier to entry for a hobby that can be seen by non-brewers as quite daunting to get into. If you’ve never consumed a beer in your life, or have no knowledge of brewing, Brewmaster will get you making beers and on the road to improving your skills with an in-depth tutorial where, by the end, you’ll have learned the fundamentals of real-world brewing. After that a lengthy Brewmaster Mode lets you master every aspect of beer whilst engaging with a story, completing jobs, and entering competitions. 

It’s also a very chill game. The vibe we’ve gone for is cosy and positive, and with the characters from the in-game community of homebrewers, we’ve really tried to reflect the diverse and independent spirit of homebrewing. Have a listen to Iron & Wine’s Naked As We Came - we hope it feels like how that song feels. 

What ISN’T Brewmaster?  ❌

First, this isn’t a cheaply-made throwaway experience. A lot of love has gone into Brewmaster, with lots of attention paid to the visuals, the simulation, the amount of content, and so on. 

Second, it’s not tedious and po-faced (it’s not a chemistry exam or, forbid the thought, an edutainment game!), but it’s also not slapstick or a game with “kerrr-azy" physics. It’s a more deliberately paced, relaxed experience. 

And on that subject, it’s also not a business management game. You’re not running a massive brewery and pumping out millions of hectolitres in a harsh and competitive landscape where your livelihood is under threat; you’re enjoying a hobby which, later in the game, might get you some attention from independent craft breweries and a hearty pat on the back from the local community. 

 From both of us, and the whole team at Auroch, we hope this sounds like something that’s right for you. If it is, please support us by purchasing the game and, if you’ve the inclination, leave us a review letting us know your thoughts! 

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Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator will launch on September 29th on Steam, with the PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch versions launching at a later date in 2022. Add the game to your wishlist on Steam here. We can’t wait for you all to experience it! 😊

Brewmaster PC release date announced 🍻 - console versions coming soon

Grab your hops, grab your yeast... 🌾 

Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator is ready to serve on PC from⭐ 29th September 2022 ⭐

We’re super excited to announce that Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator will be pouring onto PC on September 29th 2022! We at Auroch Digital, alongside our publisher Fireshine Games, have been working so hard on this game and we are so stoked to announce a release date so we can share it with you! 

Due to some last-minute hiccups, we're sad to say that the PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch versions of Brewmaster have seen a short delay. We'll have a new date for consoles soon, and really appreciate you sticking with us while we get things pitcher perfect.

Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator is the first realistic brewing simulator, with authentic, chemistry-driven brewing techniques, to bottling and labelling your very own beers. You’ll be able to become the ultimate Brewmaster from September 29th 2022 on PC and at a later date on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. 

You may have seen IGN reveal our release date as part of their Awesome Indies Showcase over Gamescom 👀 How cool is that?!

Cosy up by the fire and wait only a little while longer until you can get your hands on the game for yourself (there’s no way to speed up time IRL like you can in game, unfortunately!) 

If you’re on Steam, make sure you’ve wishlisted the game, and follow it too for updates. Following gives you immediate notifications of cool things that we're getting up to; like betas, player surveys, when we're on sale, and other awesome updates, and it also helps us see just how many of you are super engaged with what we're putting out ahead of the Brewmaster launch!

If you’re new here, or just want a tasty reminder of what’s to come, check out our trailer below: 

About Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator 

Discover, learn and master the art of homebrewing in the ultimate celebration of craft beer. From perfecting authentic, chemistry-driven brewing techniques to naming, bottling and labelling - refine your craft to become the ultimate Brewmaster in the first ever realistic beer brewing experience. With all the tricks of the trade and the best equipment at your disposal, follow a recipe, or experiment with a huge variety of real-world ingredients to hone your skills. Enter friendly competitions, earn beer tokens, and upgrade your equipment to become an even better brewer. 

Choose to experience the story-led Brewmaster mode or throw yourself into Creative Mode, a sandbox with everything unlocked. 

Brewmaster will be coming to PC on September 29th 2022, while the PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch versions are coming soon. Join us in Discord and come and chat to us, share your excitement with other brewers, and count down the days!

Auroch Takes on Tough Mudder

Auroch Digital is raising money for the Sunflower Ward, Bristol Royal Hospital 🌻 Donate here!

On the 20th of August, the Auroch team will be taking part in Tough Mudder to raise money for the Sunflower Ward, a children's ward in Bristol Royal Hospital for children which we are patrons of. We will be decked out in The Grand Appeal T-Shirts as well, this is the official Bristol Children's Hospital Charity so keep an eye out for us if you are there!

The Sunflower ward is the neurorehabilitation ward at Bristol Royal Hospital for children. They see patients for both short- and long-term rehabilitation programmes. Their admissions come from across the Southwest region and are made up of referrals, planned admissions, and transfers from other wards. There are 8 beds made up of 4 cubicles and a 4 bedded bay. Patients are seen from ages 0 to 16 plus. 

Tough Mudder is not your typical 5K run. It features 13 obstacles using teamwork as their main feature. Most of these obstacles contain mud, water or sometimes both. We are not expecting to come back with clean clothes. Below are some of the obstacles we will be running…

We have been training via runs round the studio, 30-day core workouts, dance sessions and yoga!  This may not help us but doesn’t this sound exciting?  

We did a blog here on how we became patrons of the Sunflower ward and why play is so important.  We can’t wait to help more children like we did, Jayden!  Health play assistant Isaac, who is based on the Sunflower ward, keeps us up to date on how our funds support the children and we couldn’t be prouder.

If you want to donate, feel free to support us here! 

Why choose a UI/UX role in the Games Industry

Alix Briskham, She/her, UI/ UX Director at Auroch Digital

It doesn’t matter which game you pick up, every single one of them will have had UI and UX teams working on them to create the very best experience for players – but what does working in these roles really look like? 

Here, UI/ UX Director at Auroch Digital, Alix Briskham (She/Her), breaks down what it means to work in UI/UX and how you can get there. 

“Before now, I’ve found myself stood in a room talking to 40 young people all eager to get into the games industry where not a single one of them has ever considered a role in UI or UX” says Alix. 

“I’ve been working as a UI/UX Artist now for over 10 years, but it wasn’t always the destination I thought I’d end up at. I looked in my early career at becoming a Concept Artist because I thought that was the natural path for artists in games to take. That all changed when I discovered that a game can be the most beautiful in the world with a fantastic story, but if it’s a nightmare for players to use or the UI makes no sense then none of that matters. 

“So what is UI/UX? Well, UX is the User Experience – the mechanism for how something works and how we interact with it. In the real world, it could be something like how the washing machine opens and the process of that: from the design of the handle, to how the LED light blinks when it’s done so you know to open the door. UX is everything to do with how someone interacts with something and has a much more laser tech-focus, including testing, wireframing and prototyping. 

“UI is the User Interface – the way we know how something works because of information we’re given. So, in a real world example, it would be how we know – thanks to the manual – that the blinking light on the washing machine means a cycle is done, or the icons which tell you the setting you need to wash your jeans. Generally, UI roles are more art-focussed and require skills in logo creation, interface concepting and design and can sometimes involve animation, button design and mock-ups. 

“These tiny details in a game make all the difference – imagine trying to get on a bus but not knowing the destination because there’s no signage to tell you, and no clear way to open the doors to board. 

“Because of the crucial nature of these details, UI and UX teams are hands-on in project work from the very beginning and work closely with all disciplines throughout the project.” 

🚦 Working on a title in UI or UX will generally see you involved in three key stages: 

1. Pre-production: You begin your work with a lot of research into who the game is for and how people might play it. At this stage you’ll look into rough wireframes and click-throughs to spot potential problems before they happen. 

2. Production: You’ll then move into styling of the interface – skinning the wireframes, creating transition and illustrations, and designing icons that tell players where to go and when. The style of the game will absolutely influence this stage, as you need the UI to feel in-keeping with the tone, genre and pace of the game. For example, for cosy games you might be looking at warm palettes and gentle imagery, whereas with sci-fi you might go for a sharper and more metallic look. 

3. Post-production: Towards the end, you’ll be working to polish and animate the UI and making sure all the finishing touches are in place. Then your hard work will be put to the test as people will play the game for the first time in a controlled environment for you to analyse pain points and make improvements. 

“Being a vital ingredient in the making of games is an incredibly rewarding job, as players’ first interaction with a title is often the way it looks and feels to use – and that’s all thanks to you and your team! 

“So how can you get started in a career in UI/UX? Auroch Digital is a developer which combines the two roles into one to allow a smoother workflow for its people and allows them to take ownership of their projects, but there are lots of studios which have separate teams.  

📝 Here are my top tips for landing your dream job in UI/UX: 

1. Keep your CV tight! No more than two sides of A4 for a CV. You can add colour and flair to your experiences through your portfolio (read more below) but your CV should tell the Hiring Manager of your most recent work experience, the skills and programmes you use regularly, and an honest list of your traits – don’t put ‘attention to detail’ if you have spelling mistakes throughout. 

2. Have a great portfolio: Greatness doesn’t always come from scale of projects or big titles, greatness in a portfolio to me is it being easy to navigate (think about your UX!) and accessible. I recommend a PDF link where everything is tabbed (EG: 2D work, UI, UX) and to apply some of the principles of the role you want to secure – don’t make it overcomplicated and nonsensical, choose fonts that match your project and go for a logical way of presenting information.  

3. Read up! Accessibility plays a huge part in UI and UX: are buttons clear for those using adaptive controllers? Are the colours used accessible to those with colour-blindness? Are players with sensory requirements not going to get overwhelmed as soon as they turn the game on? I recommend The Last of Us 2: Accessibility Features Detailed, which discuses how Naughty Dog provided the best accessibility for their players.  

4. Keep your cover letter concise: Make sure your cover letter focusses on why you want to work for the company you’re applying to specifically and why you want to work in the industry as a whole. Don’t talk abut the University you went to or your Saturday job at Subway – it’s all about finding the passion in people when it comes to Cover Letters.  

5. Get involved! I cannot stress enough how important it is to engage with as much as you can before applying. Whether it’s taking part in Game Jams, having an account on Itch.io and signing up to its newsletter or working as a group to create something in your free time – all of these show your willingness and drive to work in UI/UX and any company would instantly recognise your passion. 

“I’ve worked in many roles in the games industry, but I’ve found something amazing in UI and UX: variety. Tech, science and games are all so interesting to me and UI/UX blends and finds application for all three. When I was at the start of my career, I would have never imagined I’d end up working in UI/UX and have the opportunity to make games more accessible and inclusive for all – but I wouldn’t change a thing.” 

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Auroch Digital is currently looking for talented UI/UX Artists to join its team and work on a range of exciting titles – could it be you? All opportunities can be found on the Careers Page. 

Alix – along with Auroch Digital Operations Director Nina Adams and Producer Hannah Corcoran – took part if the Bristol Game Hub networking event on 30th June – further information can be found here.  

What Juneteenth means to us

Ladell, our Associate Social and Community Manager, and Mary, Community Coordinator, from Secret Mode gives their thoughts on why Juneteenth is important. Secret Mode is one of our fellow Sumo Group businesses.

What Juneteenth means to us - Secret Mode logo and Auroch Digital Logo top right with Mary and Ladell in circles

What is Juneteenth?  

Juneteenth is short for June 19th, and it commemorates the effective end of slavery in the United States in 1865. However, the end of slavery didn’t just mean that equality happened overnight; human rights continued to be denied until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. That’s only 80 years ago. In certain parts of America, you will find Juneteenth traditions including public readings, singing, picnics and parades as well as a lot of barbeques.  

What are the current issues around Juneteenth? 

Juneteenth was marked down nationally for its importance, but it was only credited as a federal holiday last year. So, for any Black person wanting to take time to celebrate, they needed to use their own holiday time to do so. This shows how even though slavery ended, it didn’t mean equality for all and we still face social inequalities to this day.  

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Picture of Ladell smiling with the Auroch logo in the top right corner

What does Juneteenth mean to me?
Ladell - They/She

As a Black non-binary person, Juneteenth means being proud of who we are. 

Emancipation is something that affects my family from close relatives to ancestors.  I celebrate it each year with my family and friends to celebrate the people we have lost but also where we have got to today.

It helps me remember how strong African Americans are, plus how much pain Black people have suffered all over the globe.

It pushes me to strive for more people of colour in games, screaming their successes wherever they shine.    

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Image of Mary smiling with the Secret Mode logo in the top left corner

What does Juneteenth mean to me?

Mary - She/Her

It is the acknowledgment of freedom but also identify how much work we must do to ensure equality for all.

Coming from Nigeria from an early age to a completely different country, I had to learn how to adjust but also it was the first time I experienced racism.

It gives me the boost to hold onto my culture and my heritage and celebrate being Black any chance I can get.  

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Ways you can support:

• Click here to visit the Bail Project

  The Bail Project National Revolving Bail Fund is a critical tool to prevent incarceration and combat racial and economic disparities in the bail system.

• Click here to visit Color of Change

  Color Of Change is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. They help people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. As a national online force driven by 7 million members, they move decision-makers in corporations and government to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America.

• Buy Black Owned
  The campaign aims to grow the Black economy by supporting Black Businesses. Black Pound Day is a call to action campaign which empowers people to contribute to a community – in order to create a better infrastructure for the next generation. First Saturday of each month.

• Acknowledge Black feelings and emotions

  Black people have yet to see acknowledgement. From social media, national news, and within the gaming world, there are a lot of triggers that affect Black people's emotions. Having a safe space to talk about them freely, allows for safe healing.

Brewmaster and Next Glass Partnership, plus our New Demo

We’ve got loads of exciting Brewmaster news, a new partner to announce, some streams, and a demo! Read on to find out what we’ve been up to.

🤝🏾 Brewmaster and Next Glass partnership 🤝🏻 

We are very excited to announce a new partnership with Next Glass for our upcoming game Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator. Next Glass is the leading global provider of software, eCommerce solutions, content, and experiences in the beverage alcohol industry.

“Because Auroch Digital knocked Mars Horizon out of the park, we knew Brewmaster was going to be something special. Our work with them over the last year and a half proved the case — the game is as close to the brewhouse that you can get without getting spent grain on your boots.”

— Kenny Gould

Part of Next Glass are 3 brands that we are working with and including in Brewmaster!

BeerAdvocate 

• Founded in 1996, BeerAdvocate is the go-to beer resource for millions of consumers each month. The benchmark for beer reviews, one of the largest and oldest online beer communities, and host of world-class beer fests. 

• BeerAdvocate will sponsor a competition, provide a themed job, and will have a glass for you to unlock and display in your brewing space. 

Hop Culture 

• Hop Culture was started to provide independent craft beer journalism and help shine a spotlight on local craftsmen. Born as an online magazine, it has since grown to include festivals, brewery collaborations, and regular merch drops.  

  In Brewmaster, Hop Culture will also sponsor a competition and provide a job. You’ll be able to unlock Hop Culture glasses, using the logo and artwork, as well as framed posters (based on real life posters) to decorate your brewing space. 

Untappd 

• Untappd is an app for beer enthusiasts to discover, share, rate, and explore nearby bars, breweries, and beers. Untappd also hosts festivals, promotions, and giveaways to help brands promote their beers. 

  What we are especially excited about in working with Untappd is that in the game it will provide you with ratings for you brewed “guest beers” with local breweries featured in the game. You’ll also be able to unlock an Untappd glass for your brewing space too! 

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🎮 New Brewmaster Demo 🎮 

Our new Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator demo has ended. We released a new demo which was much bigger than anything players had been able to try before. Here’s all the things you were able to do: 

• 🏃🏾‍♀️ Explore the kitchen and tasting room,

• 👷‍♀️ Decorate with a few items in build mode 

• 🧾 Follow 2 recipes, try making some beers 

• 🍻 Try to complete 2 jobs and level up 

• 👨🏾‍🍳 Try out a story stage with Jeff 

• 🍳 Test out a range of equipment and experiment with a selection of ingredients  

• 🎨 Design your own label in our label maker

• 🍺 Use the tasting sequence to see what kind of beer you have made  

• 📔 Our Recipe System, which makes following the recipe easier than ever! Use your journal, pin recipes, and view the recipe overlay  

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👀 Brewmaster is taking part in NextFest 👀

Make sure to try out the newest Brewmaster demo in NextFest and to wishlist the game! It helps us a lot with getting in front of new audiences. 

As well as our awesome demo we’ve got some exciting streams happening during the festival.  

Beer, Technology, and brewing: The Brewmaster devs chat to Hop Culture Founder 

Ladell and Isobel from the Brewmaster team are joined by Kenny Gould, founder of Hop Culture to talk about all things brewing and technology. Find out how we are featuring Untappd, Hop Culture, and Beer Advocate in the game. Learn more about decorating your brewing space, how you’ll take on and complete jobs, find out about competitions, and hear about the UK and US craft beer scenes. Plus, pick up some great brewing tips for your own Brewmaster journey.

• Date: Tuesday 14th June
  Time: 6PM BST
  Where: Here on steam

Beer and Technology Panel, with Next Glass and Moor Beer

Some of the Brewmaster team are joined by two experts, Justin Hawke, Head Brewer and owner of Moor Beer Company and Kenny Gould, founder of Hop Culture, to talk about Beer, brewing and Technology, how they work together. The team and their guests discuss the current state of the beer culture and how the social media has affected it. You’ll also hear about the technological advancements to brewing beer and selling beer, as well as what our guests think the future of beer and tech holds.

• Date:  Friday 17th June
  Time:  5PM BST
  Where: Here on steam

What Warhammer, and Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, means to Auroch Digital

Auroch Digital’s Studio Director, Tomas Rawlings, is a long time Warhammer fan. When we say long time, we mean he started playing Warhammer with 3rd edition Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000 with 1st edition (both launched in 1987!)

We’ve just announced Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, make sure to check out the Store pages, Steam page, watch the trailer, and wishlist the game!

With this announcement Tom wanted to share a few thoughts on how much this game means to us as a studio, and what Warhammer means to him personally.

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The reply to 14 year old Tom’s letter to Games Workshop with some design ideas.

Unsurprisingly, as a long time fan, this project is something I’m both hugely excited to work on, and to play. It’s a dream project.

For me there’s a certain full circle here, as back in 1989 was my first attempt at some game design that was vaguely commercial when I wrote some rules for both Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40K and sent them in to Games Workshop. They were kind enough to reply.

Here we are 33 years later from that amateur game design work, yet Games Workshop and Warhammer are still a huge part of my life. And now I’m part of a Warhammer project with Games Workshop, one that references my past love of the setting, yet is very much a future-facing game with the technology and gameplay that powers it.

So now imagine me, in one hand I’m raising a tankard of Bugmans and in the other a Boltgun, both up to the sky in salute of a constant that has been in my life for over 35 years and I can’t ever see it not being a part of me.

If you want to hear some more on my thoughts here, we did a podcast looking at the early genesis of the mighty Warhammer 40,000. So please do Wishlist Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, and then have a listen.

For the Emperor! For Sigmar!

- Tomas Rawlings, Auroch Digital Studio Director

Make sure to check out the trailer for Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, announced by us and Focus at the Skull Sale! We are incredibly excited about the game and really proud of our awesome trailer:

Steve Jackson’s multi-award-winning Ogre is out now on consoles!

Ogre is available to buy on Xbox, Switch and PlayStation now, plus a big update for Steam players!

Auroch Digital first brought the legendary and multi-award-winning strategy war game from Steve Jackson Games to PC in 2017, and now we’re excited to announce that it is coming to console too! You’ll be able to find Ogre on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and play the updated PC version right now! 

In Ogre you engage in turn-based, near-future warfare, using armoured hovercraft, superheavy tanks, infantry, and giant cybernetic war machines called Ogres. 

Check out the new and improved trailer here! 

Learn more about Ogre 

• Read more on PlayStation here 

• Read more on Xbox here 

• What have we updated on PC? Read on Steam 

Variety 

With two factions to choose from, the North American Combine, and the Paneuropean Federation, you’ll be able to play differently each time. Add to that a whole host of different unit types; from Light, Superheavy, and Missile Tanks, G.E.V.s, Infantry, Marines, Howitzers, all the way to Ogres (Mark I – Mark VI), you’ll be able to play your way, a different way, every time.  

Compelling gameplay 

Ogre’s gameplay has withstood the test of time for over forty years since it was first released on tabletop, and then more recently on PC. Take control and compete for power on the irradiated battlefields of the future, as you play your part in an endless world war. Console players will now get a chance to play the definitive version of Ogre, which includes the expanded G.E.V. rules. 

Achievements 

With the console editions comes achievements! Xbox and PlayStation players will be able to collect achievements as they play Ogre again and again. 

Listen to our podcasts about Ogre!

• A fireside chat with Steve Jackson and our Studio Director 🤝🏻

Game designer Steve Jackson talks about the origins of Ogre and the process of bringing Ogre to the LastGameboard, a digital platform that bridges the gap between digital and physical boardgames.

• A chat with Steve Jackon Games' Line Editor 💬

David Rock, AKA granitepenguin, has a chat with us about his journey with Steve Jackson Games' Ogre. David tells us how he started as a fan of the TTRPG and our digital adaptation for PC, and tells us of his experience as being a Line Editor at Steve Jackson Games. 

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Ogre, the image of the Ogre supertank, and the pyramid logo are registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Ogre is copyright © 1977-2022 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All rights reserved.

How games can help mental health and wellbeing

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Week, Auroch Digital take a deep dive into how games can have a positive impact on our mental health and wellbeing.

Junior Business Development Associate here at Auroch Digital (and neuroscientist), Jess Rutland, is passionate about discussing real-world issues in relation to games – from climate change to mental health. 

Here, Jess takes us on a journey into the mind and how gaming can help wellbeing, boost serotonin and improve our overall mental health. 

“Demand for ‘cosy’ and ‘wholesome’ games has soared over the last two years, with games like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley bringing this genre to the mainstream over the pandemic.”  

“With global lockdowns abound, many turned to online games for their daily dose of social interaction as it became critical for everyone to develop and foster tools for interacting online. The most obvious example of this is Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which launched just as COVID-19 cases began to creep and whisperings of lockdowns had started. Released by Nintendo, the game provided many with an outlet to live out their wholesome, sim-self lives and offered people a sense of escapism as they explored an island paradise surrounded by cute fuzzy neighbours. Not only did this game offer a relaxing landscape to explore, but it also became a huge social platform for millions of players to interact with each other and exist in a virtual space together.” 

“And so, the cosy game became a mental health haven for players around the world – but what is it about this genre that soothes our brains so much? Well, to explore how everything from aesthetic, to gameplay, to audio affects our minds, let’s look at Auroch Digital’s upcoming title: Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator. The game is an authentic, homebrewing simulator where players can design and craft their own beers at their own pace; it’s thematically cosy, adaptable and welcoming.” 

Environment: We’ve designed this game so that the environment players find themselves surrounded by is a pleasure to be immersed in and is filled with warm colours often associated with the cosiness of autumn – think burnt orange, emerald green and gentle brown tones. The design of this manages to balance being impactful enough for players to want to spend time in the world of Brewmaster, but not so overwhelming that it distracts from the gameplay. 

Music: The music chosen for Brewmaster is gentle and has a cadence which repeats in an easy-to-follow rhythm – something cosy games are amazing at using. There’s a huge amount of evidence linked to repetitive music having a calming effect on the brain, as when the rhythm aligns with the oscillation frequencies our brain operates at, it’s shown to improve attention, emotional wellbeing and boost a plethora of other brain functions. If you’ve ever listened to lo-fi music when trying to focus, this is exactly why. In fact, we’re becoming ever more aware of the calming effects repetitive beats can have on our brain, with Google searches – which have been on a steady increase over the past two years – reaching an all-time high in February this year.  

UX/UI: Accessibility is a huge key focus for us at Auroch Digital. It’s no surprise that some design decisions meant to improve accessibility for those living with disabilities, such as dyslexic friendly fonts and accessible colour contrasts, also have a soothing impact on people who may be neurotypical in those areas. Whilst it isn’t to say that all accessibility improves all experiences for all people, for Brewmaster we were mindful to use colours which contrast whilst remaining soft to keep a gentler atmosphere for our players. 

“There’s also a lot to be said for how players play and how their chosen platform impacts their experience. We’ve found that console players – particularly Nintendo Switch players – are more drawn to ‘cosy’ experiences which is something that continues to inform the directions we go in when porting games. Our people at Auroch Digital began console porting and publishing to support fellow developers in their goals to bring the games players love to new platforms, like The Colonists or Megaquarium. Our porting pillar is something we’re very proud of and want to continue expanding in this direction.“

“Of course, for some, how they play a game is irrelevant and it isn’t always ‘wholesome’ or ‘cosy’ games that offer players relaxation – you can often find players seeking their recharge by playing brutal, action-packed games like Call of Duty or Dark Future. These types of games often sit alongside strategy games (such as Mars Horizon) in being so involved and full-on that there’s often no space to think about the areas of life causing stress to players. Often, these games take up maximum cognitive load and exercise our brains in ways that are occupying, rewarding and invigorating – allowing players to come away feeling replenished. There’s also a lot to be said about how these games can be supplementary to mental health management techniques like CBT or DBT which both benefit from using the same dopaminergic reward systems – think about trophies, badges, collectables, unlockable content; all ways players can receive instant gratification from their work.”  

“At the end of the day, why do we play video games? Above all else, it’s for entertainment and for escapism, but when it comes to wanting to relax and unwind, they can be an incredibly powerful tool to allow us to ‘switch off’ and support our wellbeing. There is no right or wrong game to help players find peace – even if just for an hour or two – as relaxation is entirely subjective, so whilst some of us find designing and talking to adorable animal friends soothing, others prefer to go a few rounds with some zombies to reset their brains after a long day.” 

“I would say the three key types of games which allow us to recharge and reset are: 

• Games that push for relaxation through the atmosphere they foster – from lo-fi music to cosy colour palettes, 

• Games that have high cognitive demand which might be selected to override negative thoughts or feelings, 

• Games that are delightfully simple and require minimal tactical thinking or planning, allowing us to rely more on muscle memory and less on cognitive demand. 

“The games industry can often be on the receiving end of negative press for not only making games that can be seen to be damaging to our mental health (which has been demonstrated by research to be untrue), but also for the culture of working in the industry. Wider conversations are happening to ensure people are supported and not pushed to their limits to deliver games, and it’s only at the beginning of that journey. 

“Here at Auroch Digital, the mental health and wellbeing of our people is something we’re incredibly passionate about and take very seriously. We’re so proud to be an anti-crunch studio and work in patterns that suit the wellbeing of our employees – including flexi-time for our people and encouraging paid time off for therapy and counselling sessions. Communication is encouraged, but privacy is always respected – our goal is to foster an environment of trust and transparency and support our people however we can. 

“So next time you’re looking for a way to unwind, why not revisit an old favourite and treat yourself to some nostalgia (three of my favourites are Kingdom Hearts 2, Hollow Knight and Pokémon Emerald), discover a new calm cosy game or head into battle for some breathe-easy time. Sit back, relax and recharge.” 

Brewmaster: The Beer Brewing Simulator is available to Wishlist now. 

Interested in discovering opportunities with Auroch Digital? All current roles are available on the Careers Page. 

We’re on the main stage for Steam Simfest: Hobby Edition happening March 28 – April 4 🎮🔨

Auroch Digital are part of Steam Simfest | Hobby Edition, which is running from March 28th to April 4th. Check out the event page and schedule, which is now live! 

The Steam Simfest: Hobby Edition is a week-long celebration of simulation games, with a focus on Hobby Simulation, featuring discounts, a main stage of streaming content, and more! A Hobby Sim is a simulation game that authentically simulates a hobby or job (or both!). This is the first time we have run Simfest, but we have had two big successful Steam events before, in Digital Tabletop Fest 2020 and Digital Tabletop Fest 2021: RPG Edition. We are excited to highlight a different genre of games, and we can’t wait for you to see what we have in store.  

If you’ve been to either of our previous events, you’ll know how this works. If you’ve not, then what you can expect to see is a main stage of streaming content which has been carefully curated by us, hosted on the top of the event page. This content starts on April 1st, and the full schedule can be found on the events page. 

Make sure to sign up to watch some of the amazing panels and stream’s we’ve organised. Highlights include Welcome to Planet Zoo, the ultimate zoo simulation!, House Flipper - Pets DLC and Lunar New Year news with the developers, and PowerWash Simulator: Where it started, where it's going, and more.  

Keep reading to see the talks and livestreams we’re going to be a part of! 

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👩‍🍳Brewmaster - IRL vs Digital homebrewing plus a trip to Moor Beer Brewery 🍺 

• Date 1st - 2nd April between 6pm - 6pm UK time  

• Jack and Jemima from Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator are joined by Justin Hawke, Head Brewer and owner of Moor Beer Company, to talk about all things brewing. Learn how Moor Beer make their award-winning beer, what it's like to work at an industrial brewery, and how brewing on this scale differs from homebrewing. You can also get some great tips for your own home brewing! Jack talks about the chemistry simulation behind Brewmaster and talks about what the team decided to simulate when creating this homebrewing game and why. You'll also see loads of awesome footage of our visit to Moor Beer Brewery! 

• Featuring: Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator

🚚 Panel: Can hobby sims teach you to do a real life Job? 🚚 

• Date 2nd - 3rd April between 6pm - 6pm UK time 

• Hobby sims are more popular than ever with games that allow you to do everything from running a farm, to running a zoo, to driving a truck. The teams behind popular simulation games discuss the appeal and importance of this rising genre. But can these games actually teach you how to do their respective activity outside of the game? Or is there more value to be found in providing a digital recreation of a hobby or job to people who may not be able to do it otherwise? And how did the teams faithfully recreate the job or hobby in their titles? 

• Featuring: Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator, Planet Zoo, Farming Simulator 22, Euro Truck Simulator 2, and Gas Station Simulator. 

🏗 Panel: What is a hobby Sim and why do people play them? 🏗 

• Date 3rd - 4th April between 6pm - 6pm UK time 

• From the teams working on popular hobby and job simulation games to find out how they made the games, find out how they capture that hobby or job. Where does realism belong in this genre of games? Is it more important to simulate a hobby or job accurately, or does an idealised version suit gaming better? Find out where the line between realism and idealisation is drawn in some of your favourite hobby and job sims! 

• Featuring: Wobbledogs, Powerwash Simulator, Niche, Mars Horizon, and Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator

💝 Hobby Sims Favourite Club 💝 

• Date 3rd – 4th April between 6pm – 6pm UK time 

• Join Alice and Ladell from Auroch Digital as they highlight new, upcoming, or under the radar simulation games that we think are fun and interesting examples of the genre.

• Featuring: Little Sim World, Paralives, Ecosystem, Circuit Superstars, The Wandering Village, Lemon Cake, Game Dev Tycoon, and Foundation. 

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Join our Discord 

If you want to talk to like-minded people about video games, you can join the Auroch Digital Discord and you'll have lots of people to chat to.