Bit Bot Media, FreakZone Games and Raven Banner Releasing turn Steven Kostanski’s cult creature comedy into a chaotic 8-bit roguelite action-platformer
Frankie Freako, the video game based on Steven Kostanski’s (Psycho Goreman, Deathstalker) film of the same name, is available now on Steam. Developed by Bit Bot’s FreakZone Games and produced in partnership with Raven Banner Releasing, the retro sidescroller will also arrive on Xbox and PlayStation later this year with a Nintendo Switch release following in 2027.
If Wario Land met Vampire Survivors and got together to watch a Steven Kostanski movie, their baby would look a lot like Frankie Freako. A prequel to the cult favourite film, the game channels the gloriously weird movie tie-in games of the 1980s and adds to the mix the chaos of a modern roguelite. Players smash robots and scenery, grab ridiculous upgrades, fight through procedurally assembled levels, and climb Munch Tower to kick an evil tyrant’s butt.
For centuries, the small, mischievous, party-loving Freakos lived peacefully on their home planet of Freak World. Then Munch appointed himself Freak Lord, took over with an army of mechanical Freako Killers and forced his fellow Freakos to staff the phone hotlines of Munch Industries. Business is booming, and everybody else is miserable. Frankie, Boink and Dottie have had enough. With help from rad-hacker Bingo Bongo, it’s time to climb Munch Tower and kick some bureaucratic butt.
Each run sends players upward through procedurally assembled floors, from the sewers beneath Munch Tower to its increasingly dangerous upper reaches. Players grab objects and hurl them at Munch’s robotic army, stun Freako Killers and throw them at their friends, smash destructible scenery for loot and dash in any direction, even mid-air. The clock is always ticking: Bingo can only hold off security for so long. Defeating enemies earns extra seconds and clearing a floor opens the exit. Players can sprint for the elevator or risk grabbing a little more loot before escaping.
After each floor, players add a new power to shape their build. Boons come in different rarities and include character-specific upgrades such as Garlic Soda and Fart Loafers. Captured Freakos aren’t out for good, either. Between runs, Bingo’s upgrade store turns loot into stronger starting abilities, so even a failed climb funds the next breakthrough.
“The Frankie Freako video game is a retro blast of fun that hearkens back to the classic era of LJN tie-in games like Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street,” said Steven Kostanski, writer and director of Frankie Freako. “But it’s made with heart and passion for the source material instead of being a soulless cash grab. Fasten your freakbelts for a wild and addictive expansion of the Frankie Freako universe!”
“Frankie Freako is pure Kostanski: gross, hilarious and full of heart, and it deserved a game that feels like it was pulled out of a 1989 rental store bargain bin in the best way,” said Joshua Viola, Co-CEO of Bit Bot Media. “FreakZone built something you can play for five minutes or five hours, and you’ll be laughing the whole time.”
Frankie Freako is available now on Steam for $6.99 USD at https://store.steampowered.com/app/3383900/Frankie_Freako/
About Bit Bot Media
Bit Bot Media is an entertainment company that develops games, comics, film and collectibles built around beloved licensed properties. Through its studios FreakZone Games and Mecanimal Games, Bit Bot has produced titles including Knock Off: The Battle for Imagination, The Rocky Horror Show Video Game, and Legacy of Kain: Ascendance. Learn more at bitbotmedia.com
About FreakZone Games
FreakZone Games (a Bit Bot company) is a UK-based indie developer specializing in retro-inspired titles that bring classic gameplay sensibilities to modern platforms.
About Steven Kostanski
Steven Kostanski is a filmmaker and prosthetic makeup effects artist whose effects work includes Pacific Rim and Crimson Peak. He is the writer and director of Manborg and PG: Psycho Goreman, co-writer and co-director of The Void, and director of Leprechaun Returns. His latest films are the creature feature Frankie Freako and Deathstalker, a reimagining of the cult sword-and-sorcery classic.
About Raven Banner Releasing
Raven Banner Releasing is the Canadian distribution arm of Raven Banner Entertainment – a full-service company specializing in innovative and compelling genre films from around the world. Notable releases include Deathstalker, The Sadness, Black Zombie, Devour, Psycho Goreman, Shrine of Abominations, Climax, and the recently released Deathgasm 2: Goremageddon.
