My first impression of Dutch indie collective Sokpop Collective was an odd’un. Leaving a Berlin club one frozen afternoon in 2017, we were stopped by the presence of some bizarre boys. Squatting and posing and donning coats sewn together with odd pairs of socks, who was I to know that these strange lads were about to embark on a daunting new project: a brand-new game delivered every two weeks, funded by supporters on Patreon.
Two years and 50 games later, the self-professed “videogame boyband” are celebrating their second anniversary with a mic-drop, bringing their entire collection of former Itch-exclusive games to Steam.
We’ve covered some of Sokpop’s Patreon games on the site before – wagging our tails in Pupper Park, helping out with Ollie And Bollie’s Outdoor Estate, and making cute n’ cheerful games with Sok-Stories. They’re impossible to avoid, with a cursory scroll through Itch bound to surface a wobbly new curiosity.
Their games are sort of a statement for the strength of Itch – striking little tasters to try out every other week for less cash than a Tesco meal deal. That’s also why I’ve always felt Steam would be a weird fit for the collective, the sheer noise drowning out quaint little experiences like Frog Struggles.
But the new platform comes with some unexpected benefits. I couldn’t care less about giving ’em all Steam Achievements, but Steam Remote Play Together? That’s one hell of a boon for some of the incredible local multiplayer gems in the bunch, securing Kart Kids‘ place as the best racing game on PC.
It’s not quite their entire catalogue, mind. The Steam collection appears to lag behind its Itch counterpart, missing Sokpop’s three most recent games – pirate RTS Uniseas, spelunking cup-finder Goblet Cave and not-Blade Runner Blue Drifter.
But Sokpop claim they’ll be up soon. While every game they release going forward will launch on both Itch and Steam, they reckon there’ll occasionally be delays in getting Steam versions up. Existing patrons will get Steam keys for every game they already own.
Each game is currently 10% off at £2.69 on Steam. They’ve been divided into “Seasons” at 25% off, with the whole lot has been gathered in a Sokpop Super Bundle for £95.22/$96.43.