News

Soviet Kitchen Unleashed nominated for A MAZE. AWARDS/ Berlin 2021

Milena Meißner
2021-06-23 19:28:24

Soviet Kitchen Unleashed by HYBR Games is nominated for the A MAZE. AWARDS 2021. Out of 251 submissions from 48 countries, the Selection Committee and the A MAZE. team chose 25 nominees now competing for 5 awards. HYBR for sure hopes for the “Human Human Machine Award”, which doesn’t only sound super cool but would also honour just what HYBR is all about. (Find out more about the Awards here). 

The winners will be announced at the Award show on July 23, 8pm during the 10th International Games and Playful Media Festival (July 21-24 2021) at the virtual festival location A MAZE./ SPACE. Just before, at 3 pm the HYBR team will present Soviet Kitchen Unleashed to the community.

To understand, what A MAZE is all about a little extract from their website: 

A MAZE. is representing the current experimental and artistic movement of thoughtful and reflected playful content in games, virtual reality and playful media. Our annual festival A MAZE. / Berlin highlights controversial and subversive games and their creators/ authors with the A MAZE. Awards in [five] categories. With our selection we foster a diverse and artistic taste beyond the mainstream.

https://www.a-maze.net/

Congratulations to all other nominees and honoroble mentions. Thanks to the A MAZE. team and the jury. We are super honored and super happy to be part of this!

To find out more about the festival, the awards and the initiators check out the A MAZE website. Questions to info@hybr.co.

Soviet Kitchen Unleashed now with “Corona Mode”

Bartłomiej Zalewski
2020-12-16 12:46:35

On December 24, HYBR Games will release a huge update for Soviet Kitchen Unleashed, which will enable players from around the globe to play together safely and analogously, despite social distancing. The new remote game mode is free and available for all owners of the game.

The Corona virus measures are forcing players all around the globe to be creative and change the way they play. More and more players find themselves at videochat supported gaming, often with self made or self printed materials to allow for game beyond the ordinary suspects. In additon, Tabletop Simulator, available on desktop computers, has also been found incredibly powerful to enable regular gaming groups to meet online.

How to play despite the virus

And not only players, also board game publishers need to get creative. As a leading role in board game digitalisation, HYBR Games is reacting to current events not only in future board games but is even adapting already published games.

“Soviet Kitchen is a flexible game, and these days, more and more players try the 2 player and solo modes that are offered. Furthermore, new updates beyond the original release can directly react to the current situation. Soviet Kitchen will receive a new online mode to unite social distancing and physical playing: It will be the first physical card game to allow for simultaneous play on up to 6 different tables. No matter how far or close.”

Andreas Wilde, game designer

As usual, the game’s ingredient cards are distributed among the players around the tables and are played in the known manner of holding them above the device. The main difference in the new mode is the meat grinder, which is now online! It’s not only available on the present device, but connected to more meat grinders on up to 5 additional devices

In order to cook together, one player hosts the game and invites the other players to join the party. The players communicate via webcam or telephone to discuss their moves and can all see the same orders and results on their devices. They can also use HYBRs new discord server to connect and meet new comrades!

In time for christmas

On the 24th of december, the online mode officially goes online. It will make this unique christmas especially enjoyable for families that can’t be united physically.
The new Online mode is free and usable for all owners of Soviet Kitchen Unleashed. They just need to update or install the Soviet Kitchen app on Playstore and iOS. The new mode can be found in the main menu

Everyone who can’t wait until christmas can try Soviet Kitchen Unleashed online NOW! The beta mode is available for android already. Just check your Soviet Kitchen app!

Announcement: Houston, we have a Dolphin!

Milena Meißner
2020-06-24 19:59:48

The 30th of June 2020 the new hybrid game “Houston, we have a Dolphin” by HYBR Games launches on the crowdfunding platform kickstarter.com. The 1st of December 2020, in time for christmas, the game will be released in German retail.

The 30th of June, 5pm HYBR second campaign starts on kickstarter. During 28 days the team tries to reach their funding goal of 9.500 EUR. The fullfillment shall start in November 2020. Retail Release is the 1st of december 2020.

Box of Houston we have a Dolphin
HYBRs new game: Houston, we have a Dolphin!

Houston, we have a Dolphin!

An anchovy in the floppy drive?! This can only mean one thing: There’s a dolphin on board the spaceship!

Each player controls a team of up to 4 astronauts with different abilities, possibly fooled by a murderous dolphin. During dangerous spacewalks the astronauts try to repair the sabotaged spaceship, unaware if their companion helps them or secretly undermines the mission. After each spacewalk the Captain’s command decides about the fate of his crew members. However, a crew in panic can easily overthrow his shifty captain and send him to the void.

Houston, we have a Dolphin! is a card-based social deduction game especially designed for a low player count of 3-5 players.

Hwhad! has not only a super creative story, it’s technologically advanced. As interface between cards and app serves a reliable image detection algorithm, developed in-house. This allows an in app narrator and an easy-to-follow game tutorial and opens the Social Deduction genre for smaller gaming groups of 3-5 players.

  • 3-5 players
  • 14 years +
  • 30 min playtime
  • Author: Andreas Wilde (HYBR Studio)
  • Publisher: HYBR Games

Get notified on Kickstarter launch:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hybrgames/houston-we-have-a-dolphin-0


For background information and images: Check out our presskit

Team news - a small story about a team in action

Milena Meißner
2020-04-29 21:24:24

There’s a new mate in our crew. Maria – student of marketing and media and our new secret weapon for kickstarter marketing. You’ll learn more about her soon!

Currently she’s being introduced to the hybr world and its very special inhabitants. But what are they doing exactly? 

HYBR on a skype meeting

Corona also effects our daily business. We’re in homeoffice but still try to playtest as much as possible, online and with flatmates and partners.

HYBR’s new game Houston, we have a Dolphin! is rearing to go. Gameplay and App are finished, now we’re prettying up and optimizing them.

Jonas works on the backend of the dolphin-app. He’s optimizing our self developed image detection software to avoid the detection of astronauts in andos hair (more about image detection soon!) and implements advanced game scenarios and special cases into the app. 

Barth’s constantly working at the frontend of the app, adding an options menu and missing screens like “New content unlocked”. He also prepares the integration of a tutorial and fixes appearing bugs in the gameplay. In addition to that, he’s already got his fingers on another game!

Meanwhile Ando, Milli and Maria are busy with the physical product and the preperations for the kickstarter campaign.

Ando finishes the Box design, draws new cards and improves existing ones. He also prepares graphics for the apps interface and animation videos

Milli is working on the rulebook. She’s scripting the kickstarter video and the in app tutorial. Maria and Milli are contacting board game reviewers and manufacturers, setting pledge level and Stretchgoals and keeping you guys updated! 

Dolphin App and board – in prototype state

Impressions of SPIEL'19

Milena Meißner
2019-11-22 18:19:08

SPIEL is nearly a month ago now but it feels like it was yesterday. Everyone who’s been there before knows what we’re talking about. This fair is STUNNING.

This year we were 5 Hybrans – the core team and our supporter Fabse. We’ve explained, played and cheered. On sunday we happily celebrated that we’ve sold ALL copies we’ve brought. 🙂

We got inspired by so many awesome booths and in great talks and playthroughs with our player community. We’ve noted all wishes, comments and criticism and a lot of it already found its way into the new updates. Additionally we’ve got loads of new input through meetings with possible partner publishers, distributors, retailers, authors and illustrators. Super interesting.

One of our biggest learnings: There will be a kids version of Soviet Kitchen. The player’s feedback was only positive, many say their childrens love the game already. And also potential partners were convinced of the idea. Currently the projects’ name is: Monster Munch. First impressions soon to follow!

Thanks to all for another wonderful SPIEL. It was a huge pleasure to meet so many beautiful humans! Have fun looking through the pictures.

Colorful moments, wet moments, and a little bit of playing Soviet Kitchen.
The invincible winners of our competition – Each team won a copy of the game!
The team.

Meet HYBR at SPIEL'19 in Essen

Milena Meißner
2019-10-17 14:18:48

Not long until the biggest board game fair in the world opens its’ doors again: the SPIEL’19 in Essen – from 24th to 27th of october board gamers from all over the world live their dream: playing games all day long, test them and get the cheapest offers. More information here.

And HYBR is right in the middle of the spectacle! You find us Hall 5, B127. We bring Soviet Kitchen Unleashed – the brand new game, freshly printed. Get the exclusive promo card and experience the grindception!

Hallenplan SPIEL19 // location HYBR at SPIEL19

It will also be possible to pick up the SK Playmat and the apron for our “WURST chefs Ever”. Everything comes as exclusive SPIEL’19 offer!

Visit us at our booth! Take part in our Soviet Kitchen competition and win a copy of Soviet Kitchen Unleashed together with your team!

We are super excited to meet you there!

HYBR Shop now ONLINE

Milena Meißner
2019-08-23 19:10:45

Missed our kickstarter campaign? Worry no longer:

HYBR now has its own ONLINE SHOP!

Preorder Soviet Kitchen Unleashed now to be one of the first to get to play it in october! We’ll add new stuff to the onlineshop continuously, so better check it our regularly!

HYBR SHOP

(There are still some bugs on the website sometimes, we’re working on it, sorry!)

Kickstarter campaign successful - Printing Soviet Kitchen Unleashed now

Milena Meißner
2019-08-23 18:37:26

HYBR’s first kickstarter campaign finished the 23rd of July 2019 and it was a huge success for the team! The game Soviet Kitchen Unleashed was founded 172%. 619 supporters gathered 14 690 Euro to make the project come true. HYBR is thrilled about the support!

Soviet Kitchen Kickstarter announcement in the streets of Dresden.

Meanwhile – one month later – the games are already being printed by our partner in manufacturing kukuryku over in Poland. The HYBR-Team is super excited for the the result and can’t wait to hold its own game in his hands.

The delivery of the games to the supporters is planned for october. Until then the team continues working on the new Soviet Kitchen App – filling it with new missions and animations.

SOVIET KITCHEN UNLEASHED LIVE ON KICKSTARTER - 50% funded in 24 hours

Milena Meißner
2019-07-04 17:53:42

The time has finally come! SOVIET KITCHEN IS ON KICKSTARTER. And the first day was awesome! 52% funded in the first 24 hours – 229 wonderful supporters by now!

SK Unleashed on Kickstarter

Support us and choose one of 4 rewards!

  1. For all French Soviet Kitchen friends: Kickstarter exclusives only (see below for details)
  2. Feel the Socialism (6€+shipping) – Queue for something! You don’t know WHAT you get. You don’t know HOW MANY or WHEN… Let alone WHAT COLOR? But you will probably get something great someday!
  3. The Soviet Kitchen Core Game (17€/ 8€ for preversion-owners + shipping) includes: 104× Ingriedient cards, Soviet Kitchen App, all unlocked Stretchgoal, all Kickstarter Exclusives: e.g. Smartphone holder
  4. The Soviet Kitchen Kremlin Edition (60€+ shipping): Never spill your ingredients all over the table again and don’t ruin your shirt while cooking with all those colorful ingredients! With the help of the premium SK Playmat+Apron. On top of that: Drink a potatoe juice with us at every fair ever! Includes: Soviet Kitchen Unleashed Core Game, fancy SK Playmat, printed SK apron, potatoe juice.

The delivery of the rewards will be in october. Essen Pick-Up is available as well – that means: no shipping costs!

Check out the project! Back us! Share it with your friends!

What's different in Soviet Kitchen Unleashed compared to the SPIEL18-version?

Milena Meißner
2019-06-29 20:01:29

Soviet Kitchen Unleashed launches on Kickstarter the 2nd of July! Great! But what will be in there for YOU? What’s different from the original Soviet Kitchen?

What’s new?

8 new ingredient cards, for example: secret sauce, tox-o-meter,
novichok, camera or the super exciting bucket of rain water 🔥🔥

>>  We’ve created a whole new chapter: “KGB” including 6 new missions (+1 Kickstarter exclusive!)


>> We added cards and replaced boring ones, so we’ve got at least 8 new ingredient cards (many with special effects).

>> The new Challenge mode comes with challenges like:

  • “Survival” – the former highscore mode
  • “Soviet Feast” – Cook each dish once!
  • “KGB secret mission”

>> We added a settings menu to the app with audio settings and a KS-exclusive meatgrinder skin!

>> All our kickstarter supporters will get an exclusive cardboard meatgrinder to hold their Smartphones. (passionately engineered by Ando and Jonas)

What’s different?

We listened to your feedback and balanced, balanced and balanced. A bunch of things were edited, refined, turned around, shook, stirred, disassembled and put back together to improve the gameplay.
For example:

  • We changed the system of star rewarding. Before each mission the screen shows you which bonus objectives you need to fullfil to gain extra stars. 
  • We reworked all effect cards. Some were exchanged completely.
    We rebalanced the toxicity values: allocated them newly and generally raised them. Also we clarified the toxication indicator.
  • We edited the colors of the ingredients. They differ strongly now and are richer and louder than before. In addition to that, they are allocated more evenly in the card decks.
  • Barth reduced the likelihood of several components with nearly the same color in the same dish.

Besides that, we refined the design of the cards and added effects to the app. Ingredients now literally fall into the grinder and the cards are left-handers friendly (finally Ando can play with us!😁).

Soo… is it worth it to support Soviet Kitchen Unleashed for owners of the original SK version?

Soviet Kitchen Unleashed Box

Of course this decision is up to you. We would really really like to have all of you on board, though. That’s why we calculated night and day and can proudly offer:

Get your copy of Soviet Kitchen Unleashed for only 
8 €* (9,10$)
that’s more than 50% off the standard kickstarter price (17€)!

plus shipping: 3€ to Germany, 5€ in the EU, 9€ (10,20$) to the US – Or you choose Pick Up at Spiel 19 in Essen and pay NOTHING for shipping🔥🔥
*only for proven owners of the original Soviet Kitchen game (see the next paragraph).

How to get that awesome discount:

This is for all owners of the SPIEL18-Version of SK. Our favourite would be:

  • you take a picture of you and your game (see “creative” examples below)
  • you post it on facebook/ instagram/ twitter or our bgg-page and tag us(@hybrgames) 
  • we then contact you for the details – and done!

If you don’t really like sharing pictures, you can also email it to us (kickstarter@hybr.co) or send it to us via facebook pm.

Ando & Milli show how to hold a game

By the way:

The app for the Spiel18-version of Soviet Kitchen will still work like it used to! And many in-app addons from Soviet Kitchen Unleashed will be available for the Spiel-18-version as well! So, no worries. It can only get better 😉 

New partner in France: IGIARI 🎉

Milena Meißner
2019-06-29 00:35:16

We can happily announce our collaboration with IGIARI. IGIARI will publish Soviet Kitchen Unleashed in all French speaking countries. It will be called “Soviet Kitchen Second Serving” and it will be released in autmn 2019.

The French version of the game will not yet be available on kickstarter, but there will be the option for all our French amis to buy the kickstarter exclusives separately!

We are more than happy to have IGIARI by our side and look forward to work together 🙂


Notre partenaire IGIARI va publier la version française de Soviet Kitchen Unleashed à l’automne 2019, directement en boutique, sans passer par Kickstarter, avec tous les stretch goals inclus ! Toutefois, si vous ne voulez pas rater les exclusivités Kickstarter, nous avons créé un pledge spécialement pour vous !

Soviet Kitchen goes Kickstarter - Launch date: 2nd of July

Milena Meißner
2019-05-16 11:41:44

Soviet Kitchen returns!! We’ve made a new improved version of Soviet Kitchen and we send it to Kickstarter! Launch date is the 2nd of July 2019. We are super excited about our first campaign. Join our facebook event to not miss the special day!

The new Soviet Kitchen version will have a whole new chapter, more special cards, color adjustments, a challange mode and changes in the toxication management. Thanks a lot to everyone who participated in the survey about your wishes, comments and ideas. They are the basis for the new Soviet Kitchen!❤

Everyone who owns the original Soviet Kitchen will of course have all the App-Updates for free. The game itself will be heavily cheaper for you guys.

Check out our just a little bit weird announcement trailer!

New gang member: Jonas

Milena Meißner
2019-05-16 11:01:11
Jonas a.k.a. Joni-boy, Jayjay, Johnson, jpg

Let me introduce Jonas to you! Our newest HYBR-Team-member. He will mainly be researching on new ways of Object Tracking for our Apps (in Soviet Kitchen we’re using QR-Codes but there’s more to come!).

As we work together very closely at HYBR, he’s also gonna support Ando doing game design, Barth programming and me planning the Kickstarter campaign. Jonas studied Network-Computing and he’s a passionate videogamer, which makes him see boardgames from another perspective. Besides that, he’s a really funny dude – main job requirement at hybr😁.

Exist Business Start-up Grant - Rocket start for HYBR!🚀

Milena Meißner
2019-05-14 14:59:01

There’s a reason for HYBR being a little quiet the last months: We applied for a support programme called Exist Business Start-up Grant. And finally, we received it! We are overjoyed! Many thanks to our advisors at Dresden Exist and everyone who supported us. The funding gives HYBR a huge boost. We can focus 100% on our little game Studio now. New games, new ideas, research and partners are in the pipeline! Off we gooo!

Milli, Jonas, Ando and Barth are super happy about one year carefree HYBR-work!