Thunderful’s Gooey Treat for the Holidays: Play The Gunk Today with Xbox Game Pass

Hey Xbox fans, it’s me again and today is the day! With the holiday season getting into full swing, it’s great to be able to offer the Xbox community and the gaming world one final festive gift from Thunderful. The Gunk is out today on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and you can play it now with Xbox Game Pass, including streaming to all Xbox Cloud Gaming-compatible devices. The Gunk has been a passion project for the Thunderful family, so we can’t wait to see how players resonate with our story. One of our main goals was to take the skill and charm we’re known for with the SteamWorld series into a new realm of 3D.

Working closely with Microsoft to launch this as an exclusive title, The Gunk makes full use of the powerful ecosystem available to Xbox players. In my previous Xbox Wire posts, I discussed features like Smart Delivery and Optimized for Series X|S, but today I want to share another way for Xbox players to jump into The Gunk.

Xbox Cloud Gaming is one of the most exciting new technologies in gaming today. Being able to leverage this power to bring The Gunk to more players than ever before is incredible for us. Whether it’s a way for you to keep playing while you’re away from your Xbox or PC, or if it’s your primary entry point into the world of gaming, we love how Xbox Cloud Gaming breaks down those boundaries without compromising on the quality of the actual gaming experience. With that in mind, we designed a custom overlay for The Gunk while gaming via a touchscreen. We mapped the buttons, triggers, movement/camera sticks to streamline the experience and get the most out of The Gunk if you are playing without a traditional controller.

The Gunk is a sci-fi exploration game set on a mysterious alien planet. You’ll have to deal with a strange substance that you can vacuum up with Pumpkin, your trusty multi-purpose prosthetic arm. The behavior of this pulsating and ominous substance is unlike anything I’ve seen in a game before. Witnessing the planet’s stunning alien ecosystem spring into life before your eyes as you remove the gunk is a core pillar of the gameplay.

In The Gunk, one of the things I love most is the player’s interaction with the world and its positive impact on the environment around you. I feel like in some ways it embodies the holiday cheer we all want to spread during this season. While a lot of games have you hacking, slashing and shooting up the play area, The Gunk is all about healing your environment in order for it to aid you and push you further on your quest.

And what a quest it is! As well as creating an incredible world for you to explore, it was a priority for the development team to deliver a more mature, character-driven story in The Gunk and I really think they’ve delivered. Our characters are nothing without the people who embody them, and luckily we found Fiona Nova, who has done a fantastic job bringing Rani to life. The banter between Rani and her fellow space-miner Becks gives a real sense of the relationship they have as business partners, but also friends who are in it together to try to figure out what this gunk really is. I love how as their story develops, a dilemma presents itself and they begin to question what to do with this gooey discovery. Their journey also leads them to uncover what happened to the ancient civilization that has been left in ruins by the gunk’s influence on this once beautiful planet.

On behalf of the dev team and everyone at Thunderful, I’d like to give a big thanks to everyone who’s supported us to get here. We’re all very much aware how important the backing of the community has been to the success of Thunderful. Your passion for our games means everything to us and has been a driving inspiration behind The Gunk and everything else we do.

Delivering The Gunk to you as one last gift on the gaming calendar to cap off the year is the least we can do to thank you all for your support. I hope you enjoy your time with The Gunk and please let us know what you think of it, share your experiences on social media and I wish you all happy Holidays!

The Gunk

Thunderful

☆☆☆☆☆
237

★★★★★

$24.99

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PC Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

The Gunk stars Rani, part of our duo of gritty space haulers, struggling to make a buck as they chance upon an untouched planet brimming with life. They came in search of valuable resources, and it looks like they’ve hit the jackpot…

As they uncover the dormant secrets of a shattered civilization, they must battle the curse of a toxic gunk parasite, all while getting caught in a spiral of festering mistrust.

Use your trusty Power Glove to reverse the corruption, uncover secrets of old and heal the planet! Experience the evolving relationship of the crew, as you explore this unique planet. Use your ingenuity as well as your quick reactions to overcome the challenges that await. What stories lay hidden in this mysterious abandoned world?

What does it all mean? What role can Rani play in the fate of this evocative, moody planet? Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith.

Uncover the mystery. Cleanse the Gunk. Save the planet.

FEATURES:
Engaging Exploration: Discover a lush jungle planet with damp caves, venture into the unknown and explore a bygone society.
Corruption & Regrowth: Eradicate the gunk, restore nature, and transform the world around you. Employ the revived plant life to delve deeper into this strange and wondrous ecosystem.
Intimate Narrative: The narrative is intrinsically linked with the exploration, where our two main characters keep in tight radio contact throughout the game. Fiona Nova lends her voice in a stellar performance as main character Rani.
Music & Atmosphere: The Gunk invites you to take the time and listen to its soothing tunes. An explorative atmosphere conveyed through an evocative art style. Kick your feet back and enjoy an adventure like no other!

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