[Industry news] Announcing Stupendium Softworks

This is a press release posted in addition to our usual editorial content.

After multiple passion projects together, games industry veteran Alex Oxspring and YouTube
musician The Stupendium have founded Stupendium Softworks as a self-funded, independent
studio based out of the UK.

The Stupendium (they/she) is a Nerdcore music artist who has been making songs about
videogames and other media for more than a decade. They’re probably best known for
anticapitalist anthem The Fine Print, which has more than 38 million views on YouTube. Their
videos often entail building massive, custom sets in their studio space.

“Having made songs and videos about video games for so long, I really wanted the chance to
create some games of my own,” says Stupendium. “Plus, I had to find something else to justify
these huge pieces of filmmaking equipment I keep buying.”

Together with a close team, Stupes and Alex (they/them) collaborated on the game and song
double-header OnlyCans: Thirst Date (a dating sim about dating soft drinks which has been
downloaded more than 350,000 times) and its impeccably catchy theme song Vending Machine
of Love. In 2026 they returned with the spiritual sequel Polyarmory: High Calibre Love (a dating
sim about guns), and the accompanying song Shoot My Shot.

Outside of directing OnlyCans and Polyarmory, Alex has more than a decade’s industry
experience, working on Shooty Fruity at nDreams, and as a game designer on Dead Island 2
and Deathsprint 66.

Many of the Polyarmory team are now working on Stupendium Softworks’s as-yet-unannounced
debut: a first person horror survival game. Both Alex and Stupes bring a love of deep lore,
ARGs and encouraging players to peel back layers to be rewarded with deeper stories.

“Off-colour romance laced with biting political commentary is only one flavour we offer,” says
Oxspring. “We want to make delightful, surprising games that are joyful, queer and celebratory;
that use all of our talents to give homage to our favourite game series and film influences.”
Stupendium Softworks creates games without the use of generative AI, and with a focus on
reducing wasteful practices. “Looking around the industry, it’s incredibly frustrating to see so
much waste: poor management, high staff turnover and low investment in craft,” says Alex, “We
want to see more emphasis put on sustainability and creativity.”

The first project from Stupendium Softworks is currently in development, with principal
photography and production slated for summer 2026.