In2itiv Gaming presents

Barnburners

Arcade hockey like the '90s and '00s used to make. Huge hits, dirty dangles, top shelf goals, and fights that leave marks on the ice, across 24 semi made-up clubs. You'll score in the first minute. Getting good is the hard part.

Head up. Gloves off.

What it is

The hockey game I want to play

Instant

Score in your first minute

A few buttons and the whole rink on one screen. Hand anybody a controller and they should be able to pick it up quickly. The depth shows up later, when you go looking for it.

Loud & fast

Maximum mayhem

Big checks, speed bursts, screen shake, 2 goals makes your player on fire, glass that breaks. Leans into fun, but keeps the core hockey realism behind it.

Pure arcade

No whistle-killers

No offside and no icing on by default. Penalties stay on, because power plays decide games, but the refs let the boys play. Short periods, OT, then shootouts. No Ties.

The shot

Aim it like it's 1994

Shooting works the way the 16-bit classics did where you aim when you shoot, but each player also has their own accuracy values. As long as you're facing the net though, the puck will at least go that direction.

  • Wrist shots stay low and placed. Slappers come in high.
  • One-timers with a visual cue for accuracy and power.
  • Deke around a defenseman and make the goalie bite.

Drop the gloves

The fights are a real fighting game

No cutscene. When the gloves come off, you throw and block every punch yourself.

  • Jabs, haymakers, blocks, counters, and a super meter that fills as you land.
  • Win by knockout and you get to stand over him for a second.
  • Not your thing? There's a simple three-button version, or turn fights off and the game settles them without you.

Under the hood

Arcade on top, real hockey underneath

It plays fast and loose, but the systems are all there when you go looking.

  • Full five-on-five with line changes and legs that get tired.
  • Penalties, power plays, four-on-four, injuries, and faceoff battles.
  • Overtime, shootouts, and a trophy named after my AP Gov teacher from 13 years ago.
  • Every club dresses a full roster with real lines.

The league

Twenty-four clubs, all made up

No real license, because that would cost money. Made-up clubs get to be characters: every one has its own city, colors, barn, and a captain with a signature move.

Boston Admirals crest
Boston Admirals
Detroit Gearheads crest
Detroit Gearheads
Manhattan Beacons crest
Manhattan Beacons
Chicago Gusters crest
Chicago Gusters
Vancouver Lumberjacks crest
Vancouver Lumberjacks
Minnesota Tundra crest
Minnesota Tundra

Six of the twenty-four.

Captains

Every club has a wild card

One skater on each club carries a signature ability.

Boston Admirals

The Hammer

Checks hit like a truck.

Philadelphia Liberty

Bad Intentions

Should never lose a fight.

Miami Makos

Ice Water

Raises his game when it's close at the end.

Manhattan Beacons

The Dangler

Magic Man hands.

Detroit Gearheads

The Cannon

Slap shots come in hot.

Houston Meteors

Gunslinger

Lightning release, heavy wrister.

So many ways to play

Game Modes

Exhibition

Your basic play now feature.

Franchise

Drafts, deadline trades, free agency, a cap, aging, awards.

Training Camp

Drills for skating, shooting, passing, checking, fighting, and the shootout.

3-on-3

Indoor, full contact, short clock. End to end all night.

Pond Hockey

No refs. No lines. Milk-crate goals and a dog. King of the Pond runs until somebody takes the crown.

Tournaments

Eight clubs, single elimination. Win or go home.

House Rules

Big heads, giant puck, low gravity, mega hits. Roll a random set or stack your own.

Golden Goal

Next goal wins. That's the whole thing.

Hat-Trick Hero

Race to three goals against a clock that counts up. Then beat your time.

Online Quick Match

Play a real person, invite a Steam friend, or share a join code.

Versus

Grab a second controller. The old way is still the best way.

Co-op

Two on one bench against the CPU, or 2v2 with four controllers on one couch.

Coming soon to Early Access on Steam

Where it's at, where it's going

Built by one person. Early Access is where the tuning gets done, with real people playing and telling me I got it wrong.

Now, in the game
  • 24 clubs with full rosters and captain abilities
  • Franchise, Training Camp, tournaments, pond hockey, and the arcade modes
  • The fight system, online play with join codes and Steam invites, couch versus and co-op with four controllers
  • A replay theater, photo mode, and goal clips that export as GIFs
  • 30 achievements, a coached tutorial, full controller support, and saves that survive updates
Next, what I'm building
  • A custom team editor: name, city, colors, captain, and logo
  • A play-by-play announcer
  • Dressing the barns: benches, penalty boxes, a crowd you can see
  • A free demo on Steam
  • New hand-keyed animation, week over week
At 1.0, where it lands
  • Full release during hockey season 2027
  • Custom teams and rosters, to your heart's content
  • What ships between here and there gets steered by the people playing it