Back in 2015, the two-man studio Metanet was released N++a solid 2D platformer that was a decade in the making, building on previous releases from the freeware Flash title N. At that time, founder Raigan Burns issued his famous last words: “We hope it won’t be 10 years before we come up with a game.” But now here we are, more than ten years later, again N it gets another sequel. And this time the focus is on multiplayer.
The new game is called, absurdly, IN Plus Infinity Times Second. Although N++ it was meant to be the ultimate single player version N concept, the game is described as “the ultimate couch party game with low skill and no skill ceiling.” That means the same smooth, acrobatic platform action and beautiful design-inspired graphics, but now built for competitive play or co-op with friends across several different modes. It launches on PS5, Xbox, Switch 2, and PC sometime in 2027.
The duo at Metanet have achieved several different things over the past 11 years. In addition to moving from Toronto to Montreal, they’ve been hinting at a few potentially bigger projects, and last year released a 10-year anniversary update N++. However, “We started getting the ‘let’s take another crack at it’ bug in 2022,” Burns said. The Verge.
The studio operates in an unusual way, at least compared to most of the games industry. Besides having two hits on N+ again N++Metanet has not grown or scaled in any way. And the reason comes in the way they make games: It takes a lot of time to find a game idea worth pursuing as a commercial project. “We refused to do anything that would interfere with our ability to keep iterating and prototyping until something good came out,” said Burns.
“It’s important to feel that magic,” says co-founder Mare Sheppard. “That’s what’s compelling about making plays. That’s when we know we’re doing it the right way.” Burns has a clear picture of how they work: “We like to be in a group. That’s fun. Being in a lot of meetings and doing a lot of management: it’s not fun.” This philosophy seems wise given the state of the games industry, where even the biggest hits that work in an obvious way can’t be sustained.
“We love being in a group. That’s fun. Being in a lot of meetings and doing a lot of administrative stuff: it’s not fun.”
In the case of IN Plus Infinity Times Second – unfortunately I can’t think of a good way to summarize that title – the spark came in part from watching how young players interact with games. Even when playing alone, kids are often still chatting with friends on their phones, essentially making the whole thing a multiplayer experience. Burns and Sheppard wanted to find a way to marry that idea with the sofa experience they grew up on, which led to revisiting N concept but with a multiplayer spin.
Both describe doing N++ as a difficult experience. If you think the game’s levels are difficult, just imagine having to check them over and over again. Part of the fun is about IN Plus Infinity Times Second It wasn’t just about finding a spin on a formula that would be fun to play, but also an improvement. “This one really feels like we’re having fun,” Burns said. “We know this one instrument very well. So now the fun challenge is playing new styles of music that we’ve never played before, but with this one we’re really comfortable with.”
Image: Metanet Software
As the creative industries from sports to Hollywood become increasingly homogenous, Burns also believes there is something important about making work that is different, even if it means revisiting a previous idea, such as multiple versions of N. It’s the same with articles like Hades II again Silksong: an advanced indie sequel that repeats the main idea, but with a new angle that made it more than just a numbers tracker. “Being yourself is so much fun and exciting anyway,” Burns explained. “But I honestly think it’s more commercially viable to do something that you can only do, because there’s no competition.”
About what comes next IN Plus Infinity Times Secondobviously the two have not revealed anything yet. There are a few bigger ideas for a 3D game kicking around, but those would require a studio boost that has held them back so far. They will not close the door, however, it comes back to your imagination N and at some future time.
“If we can do something that reveals something new, or allows us to see things from a different perspective, or get a different perspective on what this game is or how it’s played, that’s exciting,” said Sheppard. “I think we no longer think that this will definitely be the last. We have given up on that idea. It doesn’t have to be like that.”
