Tribetoy and Beep Games, Inc.’s have released their biggest update yet for their old-timey arcade shooter, Bartlow’s Dread Machine. There’s never been a better time to hop into this unique take on twin-stick shooters based in and around early 20th-century parlour game cabinets.
This update adds all sorts of quality of life improvements, from allowing players to switch characters between levels, to changing the newly rebalanced difficulty mid-game, to an option to start a separate new game file without any of your upgrades – perfect for playing through the adventure fresh with a friend!
Set entirely within the confines of this titular relic from the dawn of the Electric Age, Bartlow’s Dread Machine casts one to two players as government agents in a series of escapades through New York, San Francisco, and all across the continent as they seek to rescue the kidnapped President Roosevelt from the forces of evil. But beware, sinister forces are at work!
Bound to the clockwork gizmos running this contraption, agents are mere metal figurines roving around on rails. But these aren’t any ordinary tin toys as they have free rein on how to navigate these forking networks of tracks. Think Pac-Man if he were made of metal, wore a cool peacoat, and was packing some serious heat! Sets made of wood and tin unfold around you in real-time as you navigate this immersive puppet show. Encounter a cast of improbable monsters and historical characters as you traverse the high seas and beyond using trains, ships and even a newfangled automobile!
Bartlow’s Dread Machine features a wealth of content with 6 worlds, 52 guns, and all manner of outfits to deck out your gumshoe. Unlock unique spins on historical characters, like Zombie General Custer, Nikola Tesla, Annie Oakley. Plus the drop-in / drop-out couch co-op contains per-player difficulty, allowing each player to set the challenge level to their preference.
“We’re very proud of what we accomplished with Bartlow’s Dread Machine, but as any creative person can tell you, there’s always more work to be done. We’ve listened to player feedback and tailored the experience in a way that takes all the criticisms we’ve received into consideration,” said Matthew Hoseterey Co-Founder and Director of Design at Tribetoy. “With the holidays fast approaching, this new update makes it a perfect time to revisit Bartlow’s Dread Machine or jump into it for the very first time!”