Hyperstrange is a games development and publishing studio operating from Warsaw, Poland. Founded on the day of 2015 Solar Eclipse, they continue to bring Metal, Fantasy, Action and Hyper-strangeness to gamers worldwide. Przemysław Miliński, a member of the board of the gaming studio Hyperstrange, discusses the company’s history and future plans in an interview conducted by Dorota Malecka from the Capital24.tv editorial team.
Hyperstrange came into existence at the exact time of sun eclipse in April 2015. Przemysław Miliński and Łukasz Jarząb first met as co-workers in another indie company based in Warsaw, where they had developed their first games. Several years of working together on various projects kind of glued them. While no longer working together, they started taking part in game jams, what had eventually been followed by the idea of creating something bigger, but for the moment those were only mrzonki. Some time later, after another reunion, one of them shared a dream of a game. Epic as Dark Forces, demanding like Dark Souls and colourful like My Little Pony. The idea was born. They both left their jobs, putting all their life savings at stake. Galvanized by the surging voice of Ronnie James Dio, they decided on bringing to life their biggest desire. Intense Heavy Metal First Person Melee Slasher. ELDERBORN. Combining their unique powers, loads of enthusiasm and yet shabby office in Warsaw city centre, they embarked on their journey as indie developers. (gameindustry.pl)
Przemysław Miliński, a member of the board of the gaming studio Hyperstrange, discusses the company’s history and future plans in an interview conducted by Dorota Malecka from the Capital24.tv editorial team.
Dorota Malecka: You describe yourselves as a “gaming studio for challenging cases.” What is the story behind your international success?
Przemysław Miliński: Our initial idea, which we came up with a few years ago, was to create a game that combines the genres of Action RPG, Soulslike, and FPP. We named our game “Elderborn,” and in 2018, we managed to attract the interest of Assay Group, a Polish venture capital fund. The new investor took care of the business aspects and provided funding for the subsequent stages of production, marketing, and sales. Since partnering with Assay Group, everything has been progressing dynamically. “Elderborn” received excellent user reviews even in its early access phase. Today, it is known to hundreds of thousands of players worldwide, and its popularity has also generated interest in other Hyperstrange productions.
Dorota Malecka: What were your subsequent projects?
Przemysław Miliński: Our next success was the strategy game “Frozenheim,” released in May 2021. Working on it allowed us to acquire new development skills and experience. The development and publishing costs of the game were recouped within 7 hours of its early access release. The full version was launched in the second quarter of 2022.
Another successful project was the game “Postal: Brain Damaged,” which ranked high among FPS games on the Steam platform and surpassed its main competitor.
Dorota Malecka: Let’s talk about the first quarter of this year. What were the most significant actions taken by Hyperstrange during that time, and what results did you achieve?
Przemysław Miliński: The initial months of this year were very successful in terms of building our catalog, optimizing sales, and improving brand visibility and recognition. One of our latest productions is “Hordes of Hunger,” an exciting action game with a gothic horror aesthetic. The game combines action/RPG mechanics with the popular “time survival” theme. These two proven formulas are complemented by high-quality graphics prepared using Unreal 5 Engine technology. The title is planned for release in the first quarter of 2024.
Dorota Malecka: What trends are currently most popular among gamers?
Przemysław Miliński: The theme of survival is definitely a major trend. In addition to “Hordes of Hunger,” we have a series of four war games called “Strategic Mind” for enthusiasts of realistic and tactical military titles. We are co-developing it with Starni Games from Kyiv. We also plan to release the fifth and final installment of the “Strategic Mind” series, titled “Strategic Mind: Spirit of Liberty,” scheduled for August this year on the Steam platform. We will soon have two partner productions as well: “NecroGolf” and “1000 Rogues.”
Dorota Malecka: What are your plans for the future?
Przemysław Miliński: Above all, we aim to consistently create interesting and original games that stand out in the market. We also plan to expand our activities into other areas, such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality. Our goal is to become a leading company in the computer gaming industry. We want to be associated with innovative solutions and high-quality productions. Recruiting suitable talents, people who share our passion and can contribute to the company’s development, remains an ongoing challenge.