Defunct
A broken racing robot navigates a post-human Earth using gravity and magnetism.
Defunct is an indie adventure video game developed by the Swedish studio Freshly Squeezed from Visby. It won Game of the Year at the 2014 Swedish Game Awards and was also nominated for Best Student Project at the 2014 Unity Awards. The game was published by the Dutch company Soedesco and released on Steam on January 29, 2016, after being pushed back from an originally expected Q3 2015 release.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Defunct
- Developer
- Freshly Squeezed
- Publisher
- Soedesco
- Designer
- Robert Graff / Jonatan Keil
- Programmer
- David Forssell / Petter Vernersson
- Artist
- Anders Hedström / Mikael Karlsson / Simon Öqvist
- Composer
- Joel Forssell
- Engine
- Unity
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Released
- PC · January 29, 2016 · PS4 · December 19, 2017 · Xbox One · December 19, 2017 · Nintendo Switch · September 13, 2018
- Genre
- Adventure
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Set on a post-human Earth, Defunct casts the player as an old, broken racing robot barely able to move on its own. The robot must use the environment for propulsion via a "Gravitize" ability that increases gravitational pull: activating it downhill increases speed, while deactivating it uphill reduces speed loss. Speed boosts appear as orbs for short bursts or as bottles and pools of "Enerjuice" that fill a blue meter for later use. A "Magnetize" ability allows the robot to stick to surfaces when moving upside down or vertically.
Reader's Guide
Defunct originated as a student project from Freshly Squeezed, a Swedish indie studio based in Visby, and gained early recognition by winning Game of the Year at the 2014 Swedish Game Awards. After signing a publishing deal with Soedesco in March 2015, the game was delayed from its original Q3 2015 window and finally launched on Steam in January 2016. Console ports followed: PS4 and Xbox One versions arrived in December 2017, a Windows Store version in January 2018, and a Nintendo Switch port on September 13, 2018, with a Japanese release scheduled for May 14, 2020. Reception was mixed; the Nintendo Switch version scored 57 out of 100 on Metacritic, and PlayStation Country gave the game 4 out of 10 points. The ports were handled by Soedesco Studios, the in-house porting studio of Soedesco.
Did You Know?
- The game was originally expected to release in Q3 2015 but was pushed back to January 29, 2016.
- The Nintendo Switch port was released on September 13, 2018.
- The ports for PS4 and Xbox One were done by Soedesco Studios, the in-house porting studio of Soedesco.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Defunct?
Defunct is a damaged racing robot that serves as the player-character, exploring a world that humanity has already left behind. Its broken, scavenged appearance is central to the game's identity as a lonely survivor in a post-human landscape.
What are Defunct's powers or abilities?
The robot manipulates gravity and magnetic fields to move through its environment and solve puzzles. These two mechanics form the core of every traversal and challenge the player encounters throughout the game.
Why is Defunct important in indie gaming?
Created by the small Swedish studio Freshly Squeezed in Visby, it took home Game of the Year at the 2014 Swedish Game Awards and earned a Best Student Project nod at the 2014 Unity Awards. Those honors cemented it as a standout example of what a tiny team could achieve in the adventure-game space.
When and where was Defunct released?
The PC build hit Steam on January 29, 2016, after slipping from an originally expected mid-2015 window. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One players got it in December 2017, and the Nintendo Switch port followed on September 13, 2018, all under the Soedesco publishing banner.
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