ZIX
ZIX: VR Roguelite Introduces Innovative Player-Driven World Remixing System – Shape Each Run, Uncover Hidden Depths
Posted November 19, 2024MONTREAL, Canada (November 19, 2024) — Today, Hidden IO has announced their upcoming VR roguelike, ZIX, which is planned to release next year. It is a co-op VR action roguelike that places an emphasis on speed and style as you take the role of an Acolyte, tasked with spreading chaos across the universe in service of Zix.
To do this, you will discover and mix together a wide range of “ingredients” that will procedurally alter the content of each run. Don’t like an enemy? Replace it with one from another world. Can’t reach a secret? Time to lower gravity. Players will learn to remix reality as they uncover the secrets of ZIX.
The new Montreal based indie studio, which was originally founded in 2023 by brothers Sol and Tam Tahirli, secured support and funding for from Meta, having been accepted into their Oculus Publishing program, as well as from the Canadian Media Fund (CMF) as development of the Zix has progressed steadily since beginning the project as a simple means of connection between the two siblings.
“Growing up as refugees in Canada, gaming was always a constant source of comfort and stability for us both. When the pandemic hit, it took away our ability to sit side by side, sharing the joy of our favorite games and feeling each other’s presence. We turned to VR for that connection, and while we better felt each other's presence, there wasn’t enough depth to keep us playing in the few co-op games available.” said Tam Tahirli, Co-founder of Hidden IO. “As we were both game developers, we decided to tackle this ourselves. ZIX blends the gameplay and depth of titles we love—Risk of Rain 2, Enter the Gungeon, and Binding of Isaac—with the visceral, intuitive feel of VR games like Gorilla Tag and Nock, creating something that truly captures our attention. What started as a small passion project to reconnect has now grown into a team effort, and we’re excited to share this experience with all of you next year"
Features
In addition to its player-driven, procedurally generated world building system, Zix features First Instinct, a gesture-based combat and movement system, which allows players to dash, jump and attack using a variety of weapons with simple and intuitive movements, making the game easy to pick up and play from the start.
- Gesture-Based Combat: Master the intuitive FIRST INSTINCT system—use simple gestures and triggers for seamless actions like dashing, jumping, and wielding swords, grenades, arrows, and more, without ever looking down at your controllers.
- Recipe-Roguelike Progression: Mix elements from three worlds to influence each run. Experiment with recipes to unlock powerful abilities, secret areas, and environmental changes.
- Procedural Ability Augments: Upgrade your abilities with stacking augments for endless unique builds in every playthrough.
- Cross-Platform Mayhem: Play solo or co-op with up to two VR friends across platforms!
About Hidden IO Inc:
Hidden IO Inc., founded in 2023 by brothers Suleyman (Sol) and Tamerlan (Tam) Tahirli, is an innovative VR focused game development studio. The Tahirli brothers arrived in Canada as child refugees from Azerbaijan, and playing and making games together has always been a source of comfort and connection for the two. Sol has always focused on game and graphics design, and Tam honed his skills in scripting for third-party mods in games such as RuneScape, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and Garry's Mod. After over a decade of professionally working in the game industry at companies like Unity & Ubisoft, in 2021 they embarked on a new journey together, developing a VR game as a means of connecting during the pandemic. This project ultimately evolved into ZIX, Hidden IO's flagship title.
