Hello!
Thanks to the Book of Travels Kickstarter, we've seen many new players in the world of Shelter this last year, so if you're one of them (or even if you're a Shelter officiando!), we think you'll find something to like in this little guide. And in the weeks to come, we'll be sharing more stories and fun facts about the series. (And if you haven't already, you can wishlist the game with the button at the end of this post.)
Badgers! The very first Shelter game
Shelter was released in 2013, and was Might and Delight’s second release as a newly formed studio. You can watch the Announce trailer here:
What are its defining features?
- Shelter is a linear adventure where you play as a badger looking after her cubs
- The setting is both naturalistic and harsh – threats and dangers are many, and bereavement is highly likely
- The game’s graphical style – nature inspired geometrical patterns and textures – sets it apart from other animal games
What the developers say
“We knew we wanted to make a game with an animal-player and we’d intended to make something casual and somewhat quiet. In the end we had something that was both of those things but also very emotional, and it reached a much wider audience than we’d hoped for. We had no idea we’d be here, seven years later, working on Shelter 3!”
– Andreas Wangler, Game Designer
What the players say
“I didn’t care about my little cubs because the game told me to or because they were labelled my babies. I cared due to the way they followed me, how small they were, the little noises they made, and how quickly the hostile world around me took them away”
– Wirdjos on Discord
https://store.steampowered.com/app/244710/Shelter
Lynx! Protect your cubs in Shelter 2
Shelter 2 was released in 2015 from our current site on an island in Stockholm.
What are its defining features?
- Shelter 2 is non-linear and open world: expect a greater variety of story experiences
- Players meet a somewhat more gentle (but no less moving) ending than they do in Shelter
- Not all aspects of the game are informed by naturalistic observations – mysterious occurrences feature
- As opposed to Shelter, food is a moving target, players need to hunt to stay alive
- Shelter 2 has a higher graphical profile and is the first Might and Delight game to be published on Switch
What the developers say
“Shelter 2 was an opportunity to explore a much less linear game design, instead we wanted to invite players to roam freely with no other goal than to rear their cubs to adulthood. We also wanted to introduce something a bit mysterious and otherworldly into the game”
– Peter Stråhle, 2D Artis
What the players say
“It's not just about motherhood and nature exposed in such a raw but gentle way, it's about the discovery of life through these young creatures whose life cycle revolves around finding their home, their Shelter”
– Pencil on Discord
http://store.steampowered.com/app/275100/Shelter_2/
Elephants! Lead the herd in Shelter 3
Shelter 3’s due for release on Q1 of 2021 - elephants are already roaming and testing is well under way.
What are its defining features?
- The third in the series has players looking after a whole herd of elephants
- As a result, play will be slower, but the need for food will be even more pressing
- Players will enjoy a sense of community with other elephants
- The theme shifts from motherhood and family to legacy and inheritance
What the developers say
“Until now, Shelter games have focussed on animal families. With Shelter 3, we had a strong feeling that we wanted to make a Shelter experience that’s more social – elephants are incredibly sociable and that allows us to create a very different game experience”
– Sofia Papworth, Lead Programmer
What the players say
We're too early for player testimonies, but we’d love to know what you think about our plans for Shelter 3 – please drop us a line or two in the comments section here or join us on Discord!
Did you know that there's also a multiplayer game from the Shelter world, called Meadow? In Meadow you can meet other players and communicate with emotes, but we'll save that for another post!
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We hope you enjoyed this little potted history – please go ahead and let us know what your experience of the different Shelter games is in the comments section below! If you didn’t find us through our brand new newsletter then you can sign up here. And if you’d like to wishlist Shelter 3, here’s the button!
http://store.steampowered.com/app/977630/Shelter_3/
Best Wishes, and thanks for spending time with us!
Helen and the Shelter 3 Dev Team x
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PS. We've made a bundle with all the released games and DLCs in the Shelter Universe – it unlocks lots of skins, sounds and emotes in Meadow, and comes with a 50% discount – you can check it out
here:
