What is the Mysterious Triple-I Initiative?

Sagar Mankar3 months ago1 month ago09 mins

On March 13, a group of well-known indie game developers came together and launched a website called the “Triple-I Initiative” with a mysterious introduction.

The website describes itself as a “mysterious teasing page by the studios behind… Darkest Dungeon, Risk of Rain, Slay the Spire, Vampire Survivors, V Rising & many others.”

But judging by the tone of dev the name itself seems to be a tongue-in-cheek reference to the gaming industry’s “AAA” games, which are typically developed by major publishers with massive budgets and resources.

Indie developers who use the term “Triple-I” may be suggesting, in a lighthearted way, that their collaborative efforts can compete with or even outperform the quality and impact of AAA titles.

On March 28, they announced the next Nintendo-style Indie Game Showcase where the event focuses entirely on indie releases.

The first showcase took place on April 10, featuring game announcements and trailers from developers such as MegaCrit, the creators of Slay The Spire, Red Hook, the team behind Darkest Dungeon, and Evil Empire, the custodians of Dead Cells.

Big indie names like the Prince of Persia and Palworld, also join the event.

Showcase titles span from medieval strategy games to futuristic action adventures, up to several major sequels.

Who are the Developers Involved?

Initial games mentioned in the website’s introduction suggested that the initiative is the brainchild of some of the most successful and innovative indie studios of recent years.

These include:

Red Hook Studios (Darkest Dungeon)
Hopoo Games (Risk of Rain)
Mega Crit Games (Slay the Spire)
Luca Galante (Vampire Survivors)
Stunlock Studios (V Rising)

What Was the Announcement?

The inaugural Triple-i Initiative showcase was held on April 10, featuring over 30 studios presenting their latest projects.

During the 45-minute event, over 35 games were displayed, including Slay the Spire 2, Risk of Rain 2, 33 Immortals, Ravenswatch: Fall of Avalon, and Palworld.

The showcase culminated in a significant reveal – the unveiling of The Rogue Prince of Persia by Ubisoft and Dead Cells creator Evil Empire.

Additionally, a major update was announced for Palworld, introducing an Arena mode.

Overall, the showcase was packed with numerous games and announcements.

Here are the highlights:

Slay The Spire 2 – Developed by MegaCrit, coming to early access in 2025.
Risk Of Rain 2 Devotion Update – Update for Risk Of Rain 2, developed by Hopoo Games.
Shadows Of Doubt Sharpshooter Assassin Update – Update for Shadows Of Doubt, developed by ColePoweredGames.
Gestalt Steam And Cylinder – Developed by Dharker Studio, releasing on May 21st.
Vampire Survivors Operation Guns DLC – DLC for Vampire Survivors, developed by Poncle, released on May 9th.
UnderMine 2 – Sequel to UnderMine, developed by Thorium.
What The Car? – Developed by Museeditions, releasing on September 5th with a demo out now.
Norland – Developed by Housemarque, coming to early access on May 16th.
Darkest Dungeon 2 – Sequel to Darkest Dungeon, developed by Red Hook Studios, getting a new “Kingdoms” mode.
Rakugaki – Developed by Wabisabi Games, published by Gearbox Publishing, releasing in Summer 2024.
Ravenswatch Fall Of Avalon Update – Update for Ravenswatch, developed by Spearhead Games, released on April 22nd, 2024.
The Last Spell Dwarves Of Runenberg DLC – DLC for The Last Spell, developed by Awfully Nice Studios, will be released on April 24th.
Cat Quest 3 – Sequel to Cat Quest, developed by The Gentlebros.
Brotato Abyssal Terrors DLC – DLC for Brotato, developed by Playsco Games, released in Summer with a couch co-op update.
Old World Behind The Throne Expansion – Expansion for Old World, developed by Mohawk Games, will be released on May 28th, 2024.
Palworld Multiplayer – Multiplayer mode for Palworld, developed by Pocketseed Interactive, was released in 2024.
33 Immortals – Developed by Thunderlotus, entering closed beta on May 24th.
Wizard Of Legend 2 – Sequel to Wizard Of Legend, developed by Contingent99.
Laysara: Summit Kingdom – Developed by Serenity Forge, released into early access.
V: Rising Castlevania Crossover DLC – DLC for V: Rising, developed by Stunlock Studios, released on May 8th.
Never Alone 2 – Sequel to Never Alone, developed by E-Line Media.
The Rogue Prince Of Persia – Developed by Ubisoft and Evil Empire, a roguelite spin-off of Prince of Persia.
RKGK – The first game from Wabisabi Games, it is a 3D platformer with movement and action that looks almost like skateboarding.
Broken Roads – Post-apocalyptic CRPG
Cataclismo – Developed by Digital Sun, the studio behind Moonlighter and the League of Legends spinoff The Mageseeker, it is a new experience as an RTS crossed with Lego with a story campaign, creative mode, survival mode, and skirmish mode.
Dinolords – Medieval-themed strategy game showcasing the battle between the King of Denmark and Britain with a Dinosor-powered army.
Let’s School – A school management game where you have to manage the school. The game is already out on PC but will be hitting consoles in the summer of 2024.
Streets of Rogue 2 – It is an open-ended sandbox game where you can play as a werewolf or an investment banker during your quest to overthrow a corrupt president.
Mouse – A cartoon-inspired game is coming on Steam.