How does such a deal work? Do they contact you? Or are there places where you can promote your game to get it on Game Pass?
It's my publisher (Hooded Horse) handling it so not sure about the exact process. I don't think it's easy to get a day 1 deal though so I'm very grateful for it.
Good luck on your game & launch!
It has been amazing. I had no intention of signing with a publisher initially but when my demo blew up a lot of cool publishers started reaching out. In retrospect I'm really glad I didn't self-publish considering how much that goes into releasing a game. I was very naive, so wouldn't have done it without their support.
I also remember playing that Powder Toy game on my phone in grade school, and I have a ton of nostalgia for these kinds of physics.
Will there be significant hidden mechanics/riddles/lore built into the world in a Noita-like way, or is the physics engine the limit of that comparison?
It's funny because I really wanted to introduce more things like that, but the very simple things I've added so far have received a bit of pushback ("I want to play a factory game, not solve puzzles!"). So now I'm reconsidering it, but I think there's a lot of room for really interesting Noita-style secrets when combined with the automation and processing tools.
Overall it's a much simpler and more controlled experience than Noita though, so don't expect anything like it.
By the way, this talk by the Noita devs has been instrumental when building my engine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prXuyMCgbTc
Highly recommended!
It's an automation game and factory builder with "falling sand" physics. Think Noita meets Factorio.