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Shovel Knight developers’ next game is a Zelda-like you play as a mouse

Mina the Hollower is inspired by the Game Boy Color era

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Yacht Club Games, the developer behind the Shovel Knight series , announced its next game at the Yacht Club Games Presents stream on Tuesday. The studio’s next title will be an original adventure inspired by the Game Boy Color. It’s called Mina the Hollower.

The game is still early in development, Yacht Club said, and the studio is seeking funding through a Kickstarter campaign that’s live now. “We want your feedback, collaboration, and support in making Mina the Hollower the best game it can possibly be,” the developers said.

The developers released a trailer alongside its Mina the Hollower reveal. In the game, you play as Mina, a mouse who fights her way through various dungeons using a whip and other items. Like Shovel Knight , Mina features an 8-bit art style — the game’s visuals look a lot like a souped-up version of the Game Boy Color game The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening from 1993. The Kickstarter page says that the team plans create a game that runs in “smooth 60 [frames-per-second] action combat.”

Yacht Club released the indie darling Shovel Knight in 2014 after a successful crowdfunding campaign. Since then, the iconic shovel-wielding knight has gone on to inspire a series of spinoffs games and sequels, and even get cameos in games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate . The team announced its other upcoming title, Shovel Knight Dig , in 2019. Yacht Club’s most recently released game, Shovel Knight: Pocket Dungeon , was released in 2021 across multiple platforms.

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Mina The Hollower Is The Next Game From Shovel Knight Developer Yacht Club Games

Mina The Hollower's Kickstarter page is now live.

Shovel Knight developer Yacht Club Games has announced a brand-new title in the works called Mina The Hollower, an action adventure game with a Game Boy Color aesthetic reminiscent of old-school titles like Castlevania and The Legend of Zelda.

Yacht Club Games announced its new game during the Yacht Club Presents showcased that was teased last week. During the show, Yacht Club Games also announced that Mina the Hollower will have a Kickstarter and that those that want to contribute to the game's development can do so right now via its Kickstarter page .

Related: Retro Game Re-Releases Don't Need To Be So Terrible

According to the game's Kickstarter page, you play as Mina, an inventor who is tasked with traveling to Tenebrous Isle to fix some Spark Generators which have been destroyed in suspicious circumstances. With your Castlevania-esque whip, you'll battle monsters of varying sizes to discover the dark secrets of the island.

As with most Kickstarters, there are rewards for backers who contribute to the pot more than others. Donating $20 will get you a digital copy of the game when it releases while a sizable donation of $100 gets you a physical copy along with the chance to listen in on design meetings.

Thanks to this physical copy reward tier, we know that Yacht Club games has plans to bring Mina the Hollower to all platforms, although the developer does note that the platforms shown are "subject to change." We also have a very vague release date as rewards are expected to go out during December 2023, although it's also quite likely this is just a placeholder date.

If you're a Shovel Knight fan and were hoping that a sequel was going to be announced today, have no fear as Yacht Club Games has stated that it isn't giving up on the franchise just yet and has long-term plans in the series. It's possible that a full-blown sequel to Shovel Knight is in the works, but for now, Mina the Hollower is all the rage.

Next: Pokemon Legends: Arceus Looks Like A Bad PS2 Game, But Who Really Cares?

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Shovel Knight Devs’ Next Game Is A Mash-Up Of Link’s Awakening And Castlevania

Yacht club games revealed a new project, mina the hollower , and updates on its other games.

Yacht Club Games is working on a new project which, for the first time in the indie studio’s history, has nothing to do with Shovel Knight . It’s called Mina the Hollower , it’s a retro-homage to Game Boy classics like Link’s Awakening , and in a weird twist, Yacht Club is going back to Kickstarter to help fund development.

Mina the Hollower was revealed as part of the Yacht Club Games Presents event on G4 today, which showed the 8-bit inspired top-down adventure game in action. You play as a mouse navigating dungeons and taking down enemies with a whip. There are traps, hidden secrets, and the ability to burrow underground to evade attacks and side-step obstacles. Basically, it’s the proven Yacht Club formula applied to a new genre.

“Though we’re financing a majority of this project ourselves, we hope we can create a more expansive game this way,” designer Alec Faulkner said in a press release. “More importantly, we want to build a community around Kickstarter, much like we did with Shovel Knight .”

Yacht Club asked backers for $75,000 for Shovel Knight back in 2013, but ended up raising over $300,000. Shovel Knight came out a year later, was very good , and went on to spawn four expansions and two spin-offs. The studio also shared updates on two of those games during its G4 presentation.

December’s excellent connect-three puzzle game Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon will get a slew of new updates in the future. The first is a free one that will add a new playable character called Random Knight, bug fixes, quality-of-life improvements, and more accessibility options. Three DLC packs will follow that will expand the game further with new power-ups and unlockables, as well as adding official mod support and an online versus mode.

Yacht Club also showed off a new level from its upcoming Shovel Knight game, Shovel Knight Dig . A collaboration with fellow indie studio Nitrome, the side-scrolling roguelite had to be delayed but is apparently “in the final stages of development and nearing completion.” Mina the Hollower , meanwhile, is still “in the thick of development,” and still a ways out from release.

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Mina the Hollower Is Shovel Knight Studio Yacht Club Game's Next Project

Yacht Club Games, creators of Shovel Knight have announced it's working on a new IP called Mina the Hollower, and like her platforming predecessor, Mina looks to build upon some classic inspirations. 

Unveiled during a presentation on G4 this afternoon called Yacht Club Games Presents, Mina the Hollower is a new title that shares elements of The Legend of Zelda and Castlevania. Not straying far from Shovel Knight's retro aesthetics, Mina looks like it was ripped from the Game Boy Color era. As Mina, you'll be whipping enemies, burrowing into the ground, and equipping various sidearms and trinkets to survive and save a cursed island full of deadly baddies and bosses.

Like Shovel Knight before it, Yacht Club Games is starting a Kickstarter campaign for Mina, but don't worry; the studio is fronting most of the funds to make the project a reality. In the press release provided to Game Informer , Director Alec Faulkner spoke about why the Kickstarter is being utilized again, saying, “We want your feedback, collaboration, and support in making Mina the Hollower the best game it can possibly be." Alec continues, "Though we’re financing a majority of this project ourselves, we hope we can create a more expansive game this way. More importantly, we want to build a community around Kickstarter, much like we did with Shovel Knight. We also want to share our development process, more than ever before!”

To sweeten the deal for backers, Yacht Club is partnering with Fangamer to create physical rewards such as "a physical soundtrack, enamel pins, an art book, and an adorable plush."

No release date has been given for Mina the Hollower, but we hope to be whipping and digging soon. For more info on the Kickstarter and its backer rewards and goals, head over to the Mina the Hollower project page . Yacht Club still has some Shovel Knight projects in the works, with Shovel Knight Dig on the horizon and updates to Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon coming soon.

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Shovel Knight Developer Announces a Brand New Game, Mina the Hollower [Updated]

Update: mina the hollower has already reached its kickstarter goal..

Update 02/02/22: Mina the Hollower has already met its initial Kickstarter goal, just hours after the campaign launched.

At time of writing, the game has accrued more than $370,000 USD, comfortably passing its original $311,000 goal. No stretch goals have been announced as yet but, judging by Shovel Knight's campaign, we can likely expect some to pop up along the way.

The developer of Shovel Knight has announced a brand new game called Mina the Hollower, a top-down action adventure in a Game Boy Colour style.

At its Yacht Club Games Presents event, the developer launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the new project, promising a "bone-chilling action adventure" with an 8-bit aesthetic redefined for the modern era.

The studio's release of Shovel Knight in 2014 hurtled it into mainstream success and spawned several spin-offs, but it hasn't revealed a new franchise until today (Yacht Club has published non-Shovel Knight games, but never developed one itself).

Mina The Hollower - 15 Reveal Screenshots

Mina the Hollower will, like Shovel Knight before it, combine classic and modern styles – and will feature 60 frames per second combat in a world of mystery and horror.

Yacht Club Games director and designer Alec Faulkner said the studio was returning to Kickstarter to recreate the feeling of Shovel Knight's development, which was also funded through the crowdfunding service.

"We want your feedback, collaboration, and support in making Mina the Hollower the best game it can possibly be," he said. "That’s why we’re returning to our roots and kicking off Mina the Hollower’s development as a Kickstarter campaign.

"Though we’re financing a majority of this project ourselves, we hope we can create a more expansive game this way. More importantly, we want to build a community around Kickstarter, much like we did with Shovel Knight."

Yacht Club Games didn't mention a release window for Mina the Hollower, but Shovel Knight launched 14 months after its Kickstarter campaign ended, after accruing over $300,000 in one month. PC (via Steam) was the only platform this game has been confirmed for, but Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms were all mentioned as possible destinations for Mina the Hollower.

Updates on Shovel Knight's spin-offs were also shared at Yacht Club Games Presents, such as a new character called Random Knight coming to its block-falling puzzle game Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon. Random Knight will appear after players have already recruited a handful of different knights and will become one at random upon the start of a new adventure.

Three further DLC packs are also on their way for Pocket Dungeon that will include an online versus mode, new playable characters, relics, and secrets, and mod support on PC.

Yacht Club Games also revealed that its upcoming SNES-style Shovel Knight Dig is in its final stages of development and showed new gameplay from its bug-infested Grub Pit level.

IGN called Shovel Knight "amazing" when it was released in 2014, saying its real beauty "isn't that it's a clearly worded love letter to the storied NES era; it's that it drew inspiration from nothing but great NES games."

We said Pocket Dungeon was "a wonderful spin-off that combines block-falling puzzle and roguelite mechanics in remarkably clever ways."

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Yacht Club Games Goes Game Boy with Mina the Hollower

Mina the Hollower was at stealth mode at PAX West. Yacht Club Games usually has a big booth at the show, but instead, you had to make an appointment and get smuggled into a hotel room to check out Mina . They’ve been playing this one very close to the vest.

Mina is the next internally-developed project from Yacht Club Games and the follow-up to its runaway indie hit Shovel Knight . Yacht Club’s published a few other creators’ indie games, such as 2021’s Cyber Shadow , but Mina is only its second new IP.

I went into the game cold at PAX, only knowing that it was the next thing by the Shovel Knight people. It turned out to be a sort of mash-up between the early Legend of Zelda games and Castlevania , with a pixel-art Game Boy aesthetic and a sort of dark steampunk feel. Mina is neatly positioned to hit several of my weak spots at once.

You play as Mina, a mouse and genius inventor who happens to dress like a member of the Belmont family. She built a series of Spark Generators years ago for the people who lived on Tenebrous Isle, which brought a new era of prosperity to the village. She’s now returned to the Isle in response to a letter from her friend Baron Lionel, who’s informed her that someone seems to have sabotaged the Generators. When Mina arrives, the Isle is also overrun by monsters.

It’s probably easiest to call Mina a top-down dungeon crawler, much in the spirit of one of the handheld Legend of Zelda games like the original Link’s Awakening . Each level is a twisting maze of secrets, traps, treasures, and monsters with a uniquely baroque aesthetic. One of the demo stages was like a Nintendo adaptation of H.R. Giger, where you’re forced to navigate through the guts of an enormous beast.

The first thing that makes Mina tricky is that healing can be difficult to come by. Each enemy you can defeat in sequence slowly fills up Mina’s flask, which you can drink to restore her life. That ends up making your survival a question of momentum. The more enemies you can drop in a row without taking a hit, the better off you’ll be. However, most of the enemies I encountered in the two-level PAX demo were fast-moving and just durable enough that I couldn’t reliably rush them down.

Mina can defend herself with one of three weapons: a mace and chain, a pair of daggers, or a hammer with an explosive head. More importantly, she can burrow into the ground for short periods, which serves as both an escape method and a way to circumvent certain obstacles. If you come up underneath certain objects like boulders, Mina will pick them up so you can throw them at a nearby monster for high damage.

As you defeat monsters and smash up your environment, you collect bones to use as a currency, which you can spend to upgrade Mina’s gear. She’s still got a number of underground labs scattered throughout the Isle.

You can duck into one to restore her health, change her active weapon, or sort through any of a wide variety of trinkets you’ll find over the course of the game. Some of the trinkets are handy but unexciting, like a defensive bonus. Others are absolute game-changers, like the one that lets Mina drop a bomb whenever she stops burrowing.

Even with all of that, I wasn’t expecting that Mina would be as much of a challenge as it is. The relatively scarce healing can be an issue, so both of the levels I played at PAX turned into a sort of endurance challenge. You can restore your health at any of Mina’s labs, but it also causes all the nearby monsters to respawn.

Mina shares Shovel Knight ’s habit of making many of its individual rooms into a sort of mechanical puzzle, where it’s not always obvious how to get from point A to B with the tools and skills you’ve got available at the time. The first trick is figuring out what you’re meant to do; the second is pure execution.

You can always burrow to trigger a short invincibility window, which can give you a useful edge against certain monsters but that doesn’t help if you need to bridge a chasm. Mina can only stay underground for a few seconds, too, and it’s really easy to pop back up in a bad position.

This was one of a few different indie games I saw at PAX West that were trading on the old Game Boy aesthetic, aside from a couple of off-site games like Draco & the Seven Sea Scales . Mina makes the most of its deliberately limited color palette and pairs it with a chiptune soundtrack by Jake Kaufman ( Crypt of the Necrodancer, Cyber Shadow, Shovel Knight Dig ).

Like Shovel Knight , Mina is sort of what you had in your mind’s eye when you were playing 8-bit games back in the day, but it’s trading on games like Link’s Awakening instead. It’s tricky but instantly playable, and my 45-minute session seemed to pass in seconds.

Mina the Hollower has currently been announced for Steam. Yacht Club Games plans to give it the “ Shovel Knight treatment,” however, which means Mina should eventually be ported to every platform under the sun. It’s also slated to receive a physical release, upon its arrival at a currently-undetermined point in 2024.

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Yacht club games talks development, sequels and what's next for shovel knight.

So now that you've arrived at Shovel Knight, are there plans for Shovel Knight 2?

Sean: Well, first off we have a whole bunch of content that we still need to make for Shovel Knight 1. So this initial release of the game is going to be everything we promised in the Kickstarter plus even a few of the stretch goals that we achieved during the Kickstarter. So we have things like New Game+, the music player, achievements; a lot of our stretch goals have already been implemented. But, there's also big, content heavy stretch goals. Those included things like having an additional three playable characters that were the Order of No Quarter guys. On top of that there's also going to be a challenge mode, which was described as having several rooms; like let's say there's like forty different little challenges, and one or two rooms, and it's just some super difficult thing you have to get through. Although we're not exactly sure what the format of that is going to be yet. Then we also have a gender swap mode, which is kind of just for fun but changes the gender  of all the characters to be female if they're male and vice versa. And then we're going to cap the whole thing off with a 4-player couch co-op battle mode. So with all of these stretch goals, obviously if we had tried to develop all of them Shovel Knight wouldn't be coming out for another year. So we put the initial game out, and now we're going to spend the next...we're not exactly how long, we kind of have to pick up all the pieces after release and see what the schedule is going to be like. But, there's going to be free updates that are coming to Shovel Knight in the coming months, and each update will add cool, new functionality that'll extend the game and just make it more awesome in every way. And if you hadn't bought it before, maybe it'll entice you to pick it up then.  So yeah that's what we're going to be doing for the next year. In a lot of ways it is like a Shovel Knight 2, because it's going to be the same kind of game, but it's going to be a totally different playable character, a different story.

Woz: It's more of like the Metal Gear Solid Subsistence or whatever, like it's the extra, 1.5 version, where it is meaty content, and you can spend a lot of time playing it, but it's just going to come as a free update.

Sean: Yeah. But I mean I don't want to over-sell the campaigns as being totally unique, right. It'll be like 90% the same. But the cool part like we were saying Shovel Knight just has a couple of mechanics and that defines everything you do in the game. Well, we're going to make a new character that has brand new and totally foreign mechanics and that'll make the game that you play completely different. Like what if Plague Knight , when you're playing as him, could transmute sand blocks into something, like into a resource. Then all of a sudden as you're looking through the game you're not seeing those sand blocks as just a thing I have to dig through anymore it's like now each of them is an important and valuable thing that you're going to notice and take advantage of.

Woz: Yeah so then think about your inventory, and how you're making bombs or whatever, and it's just a different way to approach this, even it's the same geometry, even if it's the same enemies, you're just approaching the levels a whole different way. And because an NES game like this is based on those core mechanics it basically changes the whole gameplay. So yeah Plague Knight could do that, and Spectre Knight could be a more risk/reward kind of thing where he uses his health to do attacks and so you're constantly on the verge of dying but you're faster and you're just more action packed.

Sean: That also brings up another good point which is like these characters will probably be easier or more difficult than the standard Shovel Knight campaign, to accommodate to players of different skill levels or like different things that they want to do. So Spectre Knight, let's say his health is always draining and he's rushing around and he's all fast like a frickin' badass, right, and maybe like King Knight is more easy going but it's a kind of funny, like lighthearted adventure that's maybe easier than the regular Shovel Knight adventure.

Woz: Yeah we've got a lot of feedback from people, everything ranging from "It's balls to the wall, way too hard" to "It's too easy, I hope New Game+ gives me a challenge", so we want to make sure that when you play Shovel Knight with these updates maybe people who think it's way too easy find Spectre Knight's challenge to be like exactly where it's at. And then maybe people who are like, "Shovel Knight's way too hard, let me train a little bit more" or something like that will play King Knight's romp through gold land or whatever. (laughs)

Sean: Yeah, just a more laidback experience. In addition to all that stuff, we're also putting out the game, you know localized versions, for both Europe and for Japan, and you know there's a very high likelihood that we'll be looking into coming to other platforms. There's a lot of stuff just with regular old Shovel Knight that we would love to look into. But, that being said, we're always having tons of ideas about new things that we might be doing at the Yacht Club. A few things that we've talked about are doing like a Super Shovel Knight, like a 16-bit version, or doing like an N64-style like Shovel Knight 64 that would be a 3D platformer. I mean like I wouldn't want it to look terrible, you know. (He and Woz laugh)

Woz: Well in the same way we didn't want Shovel Knight to look like a terrible NES game, I'm sure that we would approach Shovel Knight 64 with the same level of you like, you know,  it's pushing towards that era but not adhering to its limitations.

Sean: Right, it's like maybe we would round off the polygons so it looks a little bit more Wind Waker-y, you know, but it still has a very simple and clean 3D aesthetic.

Woz: Whether the use of textures, emphasis on geometry, and maybe some billboarded enemies. (laughs)

Sean: So it's like maybe that kind of thing. What we've been saying a lot is after this we kind of want  to just  step away from Shovel Knight for a bit and make something unique and new so we're not pegged as "The Shovel Knight Studio". We may not even do something that's like a retro-remake style thing, right, like we could just do a game that has no nostalgic trappings to kind of show our range a little bit more.

Woz: Yeah yeah, we could do like a (laughs) super high-def 3D FPS.

Sean: Something smaller in scope, right. Something we could put together maybe a little bit more quickly.

Woz: Maybe focus on like one technical thing. A thing that we've talked about is like doing online multiplayer, maybe that's what we tackle, and that's the goal for the game. And mixing fun with it. So it's more of a company building thing, and more like a buffer to more Shovel Knight, because after developing Shovel Knight for a year and the next, probably year, I'm sure we'll be totally done with Shovel Knight (laughs), just like sick of it. At least for a few months. (Laughs)

Sean: I was reading about the Mario team, and you know Miyamoto, he's like "Every time we make a Mario, usually we swear never to do another one. Then like six months later everyone starts kind of remembering the ideas they had or starts to have new ideas and then everyone's like 'Okay, maybe it'd be a good idea to make a new one'".

Woz: And then that becomes excitement, and that becomes the dredge of like, executing it. (laughs)

Sean: And that's the cycle of development.

Sounds enticing. Alright, quick fire round. What's your favorite game of all time?

Woz: Oh, that's so hard to say...

Sean: Super Metroid. And like close behind is A Link to the Past, Zelda II, Mega Man II.

Woz: Yeah I could probably give my top five games easier than my top one, but A Link to the Past or Link's Awakening, one of those two. Shadow of the Colossus is definitely one of mine, Dark Souls is really high up there, so is like, Mario 3.

Sean: Yeah Dark Souls, we were tremendously influenced and just like obsessed with Dark Souls for like...

Woz: Too long. (Laughs) Minecraft is also really huge for me.

Sean: Oh my god, yeah. See, like if a game has come out in the past like five years I don't want to put it in my excitement list because it seems like "Well, it needs to settle", you know, but like wow, Minecraft, oh my god. You know we went to MineCon and got to see just the extent of the Minecraft fervor, and it's like, it makes sense, because like I was the same way. Like we had a Minecraft server, and we were all building at once, like we built a whole frickin' society.

Woz: Yeah, like we spent all of our free time, but imagine these kids that have nothing but free time (laughs).  We spent way too much time but I'm sure they spent more than us. Sorry that wasn't really a quick fire (laughs).

No worries, this is great. What was your most frustrating gaming experience?

Woz: Oh, that's hard...do you have one?

Sean: I got really really into Ninja Gaiden Black on the Xbox. I loved Ninja Gaiden Black, and you can only unlock the subsequent difficulty level if you played it on the last difficulty level. So I finished on normal, then I finished it on hard, and then I finished it on very hard. And then after that you get to master ninja, and then all the ninjas, when they hit you once, you get lit on fire. So very hard was already the most frustrating shit I'd ever experienced in my life, but then when I got to Master Ninja at that point I had to just put it down because it was too much.

Woz: I think one of the most frustrating experiences for me, besides I play games that are just supposed to be frustrating, like Angry Video Game Nerd, and that's just supposed to be like a masochistic endeavor, one of the ones that sticks out for me is I played Metal Gear Solid 2 on hard mode, and like the levels are fine, the bosses in that were just ridiculously harder for me, especially Fatman and Vamp, because for Fatman, he has like such a small time for vulnerability, and he's also on those skates and he's running around the screen and you don't see him for most of the battle he just like suddenly show up and knocks you over and there goes like a large portion of your health. And then for Vamp there's a part where he's running around the rafters of the arena you're fighting him in, and he stops and just throws like twelve knives at you, and that's the only point where he's vulnerable but  knives are coming at you. So you have to use a machine gun to like knock out the knives with bullets and then hit him and that's his only point of vulnerability and it's total bullshit (laughs).

Alright, if you could be any video game character, who would it be?

Woz: Um, the wind from Flower.

Sean: No matter what I say I can't beat that answer.

Yacht Club Games bids farewell to Shovel Knight

COO James Chan on how unexpected success led to an unexpected five year dev cycle, and the studio's Blizzard-esque approach to what comes next

As a studio, Yacht Club Games is remarkable not just for its success, but also its transparency. Search our archives and you'll find multiple news stories based on the kind of data that most developers guard like a vial of magic potion. That was true back in 2014 , when its first (and still only) IP Shovel Knight had been on the market for a month, and it has stayed true in the five years that have passed since.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz at Gamescom, Yacht Club COO James Chan says that the reason for the regular, minutely detailed blog posts on costs and marketing and sales has always been the same. Game development is "aspirational," and the industry has never been transparent enough to really help developers just starting out.

"It's a little bit voodoo magic and a little bit rockstar, all at the same time," Chan says. "People love playing games -- it can be the core of their personality -- but making games always seems like a magical thing that you don't know how to do.

"We love to share information because we believe in it... It's not only going to make us better as an industry, but also be inspirational to others. 'They're sharing everything, and now it's my turn to try.'"

"We love to share information because we believe in it... It's going to make us better as an industry"

A side benefit of that consistently open philosophy is the opportunity to compare then with now. In its first info dump after Shovel Knight's launch, Yacht Club planned to fund a team of five people for two years, based on lifetime sales of 150,000 units. Let's just say it beat that target, and then some.

"It went a lot better than that, yeah," Chan says, smiling. "As of last month it was 2.65 million, and we're now 17 people. I think the place will probably stay quite small for the foreseeable future. We try to maintain a flat corporate structure, which makes expansion a little bit difficult, but that's our DNA as a company."

Yacht Club far exceeded its own projected sales and headcount, but the other key metric here is time. At one point, the studio had only planned for two years into its own future, but the Shovel Knight Kickstarter campaign launched in March 2013, and Chan is at Gamescom 2019 pushing more content -- specifically King of Cards and Showdown -- for the same basic product. Yacht Club, it seems, is still working through the promises it made to those very early backers.

"Seriously, every time people ask us for advice, the first thing we tell them is, please, watch your stretch goals," Chan says. "We've been developing this for five straight years now; it's just content updates, and it's all free content updates, because it's stuff we promised. We're very lucky to have fans who bought multiple copies or are bringing other people in, which allows us to continue to make the game.

"[King of Cards and Showdown] is the end of the Kickstarter list. That's it. This will be the wrap up, this will be the end of Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, and then it'll be pre-production on the next thing, which we're not quite sure what it is yet. We're gonna end the five year dev cycle, take a couple of weeks off, and then come back and say 'Okay, what are we gonna do?'"

Chan is referring to the company's next game, of course, but it is also using the success and stability that Shovel Knight created to make what is an increasingly familiar move: third-party publishing. In fact, Yacht Club published Inti Creates' Gunvolt Striker Pack in the US back in 2016, but it proved to be a step too far, too soon at that point. Chan only joined the company the following year, and his experience allowed the founders to focus on making games while he assessed and shaped the business -- publishing strategy included.

"Seriously, every time people ask us for advice, the first thing we tell them is, please, watch your stretch goals"

"It was time the development team just didn't have." Chan says. "We were already apologetic about how long it was taking to finish King of Cards, so I was the one who could actually push that forward.

"Our publishing philosophy, a lot of it is sharing knowledge. We're not 'Here's a bunch of money, go make your game, we'll QA it and send it out.' We care a lot about the developer. We show them our development tools, which they might want to make for themselves, and then they own their process better.

"They have access to our creative, we review all the work, we play the game, we record ourselves playing the game... We send all of that feedback. We try to provide that perspective."

With so many indie publishers scouting for product, any new player in the market needs to offer something distinct to potential partners. With Yacht Club, it's a very close, very open relationship in which all of the knowledge it accumulated selling 2.65 million units of Shovel Knight is there for the taking. This has its limits, Chan explains, specifically the number of third-party games it's possible for the company to handle, given the effort and time it wants to put in to each one.

"It's probably a more expensive form of publishing than anyone else is doing," Chan says. "We're not just selling a game. We're sharing all of the knowledge we have so that they can become a successful developer, too... We hope that they come back to us for the next game, but if they don't, that's fine."

In terms of both publishing and internal development, Nintendo platforms will remain a key focus for Yacht Club Games. Indeed, one of the more striking aspects of Shovel Knight's early success was just how well it performed on the Wii U, a struggling platform that was close to being written off at the time. This was widely seen as evidence that Yacht Club knew exactly where to find the best audience for its product, and the same was true when it launched to great success on the Switch in 2018.

"The Switch is still a really good platform for us. It's where gamers that speak our language are"

"It was so early that we benefited from people having nothing else to buy," Chan adds, noting that Shovel Knight was among the first wave of third-party titles on both Wii U and Switch. "We were lucky then, but we do still see that the Switch is a really good platform for us. It's where gamers that speak our language are. It's definitely going to be our main focus."

This will be the case with the first game to launch under Yacht Club's renewed publishing strategy: Cyber Shadow, from the Finnish indie developer Mechanical Head Studios. According to Chan, everyone at the company had a say in which game was selected, and Cyber Shadow was deemed the best fit for Yacht Club's brand identity, what it looks for in a partner, and its expectations of success. Every box was ticked.

It also fits into what Yacht Club considers its own style; not a maker of "retro platformers," which Chan believes is often the impression people have due to Shovel Knight, but a studio dedicated to the more broad area of "classic gaming."

"You can have totally modern art," Chan says, "but as long as the experience speaks to the classic gamer then we think that's okay."

The most obvious lingering mystery, then, is exactly what Yacht Club itself will make next. Chan is insistent that the team has not yet decided, preferring to draw a line under Shovel Knight before it makes any serious commitment to a new idea. That kind of time is a luxury that 2.65 million sales provides, and while Chan is aware that the line between taking your time and wasting your money can be difficult to see, he cites Blizzard Entertainment as a role model in how Yacht Club is approaching the careful development of its next game.

"If it's not good," he says, "we don't release it."

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40 facts about elektrostal.

Written by Lanette Mayes

Modified & Updated: 02 Mar 2024

Reviewed by Jessica Corbett

Elektrostal is a vibrant city located in the Moscow Oblast region of Russia. With a rich history, stunning architecture, and a thriving community, Elektrostal is a city that has much to offer. Whether you are a history buff, nature enthusiast, or simply curious about different cultures, Elektrostal is sure to captivate you.

This article will provide you with 40 fascinating facts about Elektrostal, giving you a better understanding of why this city is worth exploring. From its origins as an industrial hub to its modern-day charm, we will delve into the various aspects that make Elektrostal a unique and must-visit destination.

So, join us as we uncover the hidden treasures of Elektrostal and discover what makes this city a true gem in the heart of Russia.

Key Takeaways:

• Elektrostal, known as the “Motor City of Russia,” is a vibrant and growing city with a rich industrial history, offering diverse cultural experiences and a strong commitment to environmental sustainability.
• With its convenient location near Moscow, Elektrostal provides a picturesque landscape, vibrant nightlife, and a range of recreational activities, making it an ideal destination for residents and visitors alike.

Known as the “Motor City of Russia.”

Elektrostal, a city located in the Moscow Oblast region of Russia, earned the nickname “Motor City” due to its significant involvement in the automotive industry.

Home to the Elektrostal Metallurgical Plant.

Elektrostal is renowned for its metallurgical plant, which has been producing high-quality steel and alloys since its establishment in 1916.

Boasts a rich industrial heritage.

Elektrostal has a long history of industrial development, contributing to the growth and progress of the region.

Founded in 1916.

The city of Elektrostal was founded in 1916 as a result of the construction of the Elektrostal Metallurgical Plant.

Located approximately 50 kilometers east of Moscow.

Elektrostal is situated in close proximity to the Russian capital, making it easily accessible for both residents and visitors.

Known for its vibrant cultural scene.

Elektrostal is home to several cultural institutions, including museums, theaters, and art galleries that showcase the city’s rich artistic heritage.

A popular destination for nature lovers.

Surrounded by picturesque landscapes and forests, Elektrostal offers ample opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and birdwatching.

Hosts the annual Elektrostal City Day celebrations.

Every year, Elektrostal organizes festive events and activities to celebrate its founding, bringing together residents and visitors in a spirit of unity and joy.

Has a population of approximately 160,000 people.

Elektrostal is home to a diverse and vibrant community of around 160,000 residents, contributing to its dynamic atmosphere.

Boasts excellent education facilities.

The city is known for its well-established educational institutions, providing quality education to students of all ages.

A center for scientific research and innovation.

Elektrostal serves as an important hub for scientific research, particularly in the fields of metallurgy, materials science, and engineering.

Surrounded by picturesque lakes.

The city is blessed with numerous beautiful lakes, offering scenic views and recreational opportunities for locals and visitors alike.

Well-connected transportation system.

Elektrostal benefits from an efficient transportation network, including highways, railways, and public transportation options, ensuring convenient travel within and beyond the city.

Famous for its traditional Russian cuisine.

Food enthusiasts can indulge in authentic Russian dishes at numerous restaurants and cafes scattered throughout Elektrostal.

Home to notable architectural landmarks.

Elektrostal boasts impressive architecture, including the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the Elektrostal Palace of Culture.

Offers a wide range of recreational facilities.

Residents and visitors can enjoy various recreational activities, such as sports complexes, swimming pools, and fitness centers, enhancing the overall quality of life.

Provides a high standard of healthcare.

Elektrostal is equipped with modern medical facilities, ensuring residents have access to quality healthcare services.

Home to the Elektrostal History Museum.

The Elektrostal History Museum showcases the city’s fascinating past through exhibitions and displays.

A hub for sports enthusiasts.

Elektrostal is passionate about sports, with numerous stadiums, arenas, and sports clubs offering opportunities for athletes and spectators.

Celebrates diverse cultural festivals.

Throughout the year, Elektrostal hosts a variety of cultural festivals, celebrating different ethnicities, traditions, and art forms.

Electric power played a significant role in its early development.

Elektrostal owes its name and initial growth to the establishment of electric power stations and the utilization of electricity in the industrial sector.

Boasts a thriving economy.

The city’s strong industrial base, coupled with its strategic location near Moscow, has contributed to Elektrostal’s prosperous economic status.

Houses the Elektrostal Drama Theater.

The Elektrostal Drama Theater is a cultural centerpiece, attracting theater enthusiasts from far and wide.

Popular destination for winter sports.

Elektrostal’s proximity to ski resorts and winter sport facilities makes it a favorite destination for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter activities.

Promotes environmental sustainability.

Elektrostal prioritizes environmental protection and sustainability, implementing initiatives to reduce pollution and preserve natural resources.

Home to renowned educational institutions.

Elektrostal is known for its prestigious schools and universities, offering a wide range of academic programs to students.

Committed to cultural preservation.

The city values its cultural heritage and takes active steps to preserve and promote traditional customs, crafts, and arts.

Hosts an annual International Film Festival.

The Elektrostal International Film Festival attracts filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts from around the world, showcasing a diverse range of films.

Encourages entrepreneurship and innovation.

Elektrostal supports aspiring entrepreneurs and fosters a culture of innovation, providing opportunities for startups and business development.

Offers a range of housing options.

Elektrostal provides diverse housing options, including apartments, houses, and residential complexes, catering to different lifestyles and budgets.

Home to notable sports teams.

Elektrostal is proud of its sports legacy, with several successful sports teams competing at regional and national levels.

Boasts a vibrant nightlife scene.

Residents and visitors can enjoy a lively nightlife in Elektrostal, with numerous bars, clubs, and entertainment venues.

Promotes cultural exchange and international relations.

Elektrostal actively engages in international partnerships, cultural exchanges, and diplomatic collaborations to foster global connections.

Surrounded by beautiful nature reserves.

Nearby nature reserves, such as the Barybino Forest and Luchinskoye Lake, offer opportunities for nature enthusiasts to explore and appreciate the region’s biodiversity.

Commemorates historical events.

The city pays tribute to significant historical events through memorials, monuments, and exhibitions, ensuring the preservation of collective memory.

Promotes sports and youth development.

Elektrostal invests in sports infrastructure and programs to encourage youth participation, health, and physical fitness.

Hosts annual cultural and artistic festivals.

Throughout the year, Elektrostal celebrates its cultural diversity through festivals dedicated to music, dance, art, and theater.

Provides a picturesque landscape for photography enthusiasts.

The city’s scenic beauty, architectural landmarks, and natural surroundings make it a paradise for photographers.

Connects to Moscow via a direct train line.

The convenient train connection between Elektrostal and Moscow makes commuting between the two cities effortless.

A city with a bright future.

Elektrostal continues to grow and develop, aiming to become a model city in terms of infrastructure, sustainability, and quality of life for its residents.

In conclusion, Elektrostal is a fascinating city with a rich history and a vibrant present. From its origins as a center of steel production to its modern-day status as a hub for education and industry, Elektrostal has plenty to offer both residents and visitors. With its beautiful parks, cultural attractions, and proximity to Moscow, there is no shortage of things to see and do in this dynamic city. Whether you’re interested in exploring its historical landmarks, enjoying outdoor activities, or immersing yourself in the local culture, Elektrostal has something for everyone. So, next time you find yourself in the Moscow region, don’t miss the opportunity to discover the hidden gems of Elektrostal.

Q: What is the population of Elektrostal?

A: As of the latest data, the population of Elektrostal is approximately XXXX.

Q: How far is Elektrostal from Moscow?

A: Elektrostal is located approximately XX kilometers away from Moscow.

Q: Are there any famous landmarks in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal is home to several notable landmarks, including XXXX and XXXX.

Q: What industries are prominent in Elektrostal?

A: Elektrostal is known for its steel production industry and is also a center for engineering and manufacturing.

Q: Are there any universities or educational institutions in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal is home to XXXX University and several other educational institutions.

Q: What are some popular outdoor activities in Elektrostal?

A: Elektrostal offers several outdoor activities, such as hiking, cycling, and picnicking in its beautiful parks.

Q: Is Elektrostal well-connected in terms of transportation?

A: Yes, Elektrostal has good transportation links, including trains and buses, making it easily accessible from nearby cities.

Q: Are there any annual events or festivals in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal hosts various events and festivals throughout the year, including XXXX and XXXX.

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Our commitment to delivering trustworthy and engaging content is at the heart of what we do. Each fact on our site is contributed by real users like you, bringing a wealth of diverse insights and information. To ensure the highest standards of accuracy and reliability, our dedicated editors meticulously review each submission. This process guarantees that the facts we share are not only fascinating but also credible. Trust in our commitment to quality and authenticity as you explore and learn with us.

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First refuelling for Russia’s Akademik Lomonosov floating NPP

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The FNPP includes two KLT-40S reactor units. In such reactors, nuclear fuel is not replaced in the same way as in standard NPPs – partial replacement of fuel once every 12-18 months. Instead, once every few years the entire reactor core is replaced with and a full load of fresh fuel.

The KLT-40S reactor cores have a number of advantages compared with standard NPPs. For the first time, a cassette core was used, which made it possible to increase the fuel cycle to 3-3.5 years before refuelling, and also reduce by one and a half times the fuel component in the cost of the electricity produced. The operating experience of the FNPP provided the basis for the design of the new series of nuclear icebreaker reactors (series 22220). Currently, three such icebreakers have been launched.

The Akademik Lomonosov was connected to the power grid in December 2019, and put into commercial operation in May 2020.

Electricity generation from the FNPP at the end of 2023 amounted to 194 GWh. The population of Pevek is just over 4,000 people. However, the plant can potentially provide electricity to a city with a population of up to 100,000. The FNPP solved two problems. Firstly, it replaced the retiring capacities of the Bilibino Nuclear Power Plant, which has been operating since 1974, as well as the Chaunskaya Thermal Power Plant, which is more than 70 years old. It also supplies power to the main mining enterprises located in western Chukotka. In September, a 490 km 110 kilovolt power transmission line was put into operation connecting Pevek and Bilibino.

Image courtesy of TVEL

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Field hockey - Dinamo Elektrostal Moscow

Hockey Club Dinamo Elektrostal is a field hockey team from Russia, based in Moscow. The club was founded in 1994.

Dinamo Elektrostal Moscow - Results

2021/2022 2018/2019 2017/2018 2017 2015/2016 2013/2014 2011/2012 2007/2008

Men's Euro Hockey League - Final Round - 2021/2022

Dinamo elektrostal moscow - identity.

• Official name : Hockey Club Dinamo Elektrostal
• Country : Russia
• Location : Moscow
• Founded : 1994
• Wikipedia link : http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinamo_Elektrostal

Dinamo Elektrostal Moscow - Titles, trophies and places of honor

• Best result : First Round in 2021/2022
• Best result : 1st
• 1 times first in 2010
• 1 times second in 2009
• 1 times third in 2017

Postal Address

• © Info Média Conseil : 419 Rue Lemelin, St-François QC G0A3S0, Canada