New Double Fine Game Will Be Free To Play

Tim Shafer updated the Double Fine website yesterday to announce a new game. Get this: not only is it a free-to-play title, it's an iOS game where you manage superheroes. Yes, it's a management game, as is popular with mobile games–appropriately titled "Middle Manager of Justice!" It's one of three upcoming games that are a part of a partnership deal with Dracogen Inc.

The announcement, true to form, is funny:

“Somewhere between GOOD and EVIL… Between ORDER and CHAOS… Between UPPER MANAGEMENT and the SENIOR STAFF… You’ll find the glue that holds it all together: The Middle Manager… of Justice!” said Kee Chi, the game’s creator, dramatically reading from the marketing text.

“Congratulations!” he continued, “You have been promoted to Middle Manager.. of Justice! You have been chosen to whip the latest branch of Justice Corp into shape! Train and manage your team of superheroes to thwart crime and save citizens around the city! Increase efficiency in your branch by building new facilities and upgrading the equipment! Could it be done without you? Yeah, probably, but it would be sloppy, costly, and demotivating!”

“Wow, a game about Superheroes AND middle management! That’s what I’ve always wanted!” said a soot-covered orphan we hadn’t noticed before hiding in the shadows. “But, surely, a penniless, adorable ragamuffin like myself could never afford an amazing game like that…” He looked despairingly at his iOS device.

“Sure you can,” said Kee, “It’s free!”

I'm kind of reeling here just thinking about this announcement since it wasn't something I expected from Double Fine–but that's a good thing. This game is a testament to the company's flexibility in a rapidly changing market.

Check out the trailer:

The game website can be found here.