Apptivus
Apptivus is a one-person game studio run by Aaron Geisler. Games are built from scratch on the Pine Engine — no Unity, no Unreal. They load fast, run smooth on old hardware, and play great on the Steam Deck.
Founded in 2013. Products have been featured on the App Store, Kickstarter, and Steam.
| Studio | Apptivus |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Location | Austin, TX |
| Developer | Aaron Geisler |
| Website | apptivus.net |
| Discord | Apptivus Discord |
Impaler
A fast-paced minimalist arena shooter built on a custom C/OpenGL engine. Summon spikes to slay monsters, build barriers, and launch yourself into the air. Two game modes, 8 weapons, 50+ upgrades, and global leaderboards. Steam Deck Verified.
| Genre | Arena Shooter / Roguelite |
| Engine | Custom C/OpenGL engine, now Pine |
| Platforms | Windows, Steam Deck (Verified) |
| Stores | Steam, GOG, Humble Bundle |
| Price | $4.99 |
| Released | December 6, 2022 |
| Publisher | Retrovibe Games |
| Steam Reviews | Very Positive — 92% (450+ reviews) |
| Steam Page | View on Steam |
Press quotes
- "A boomer shooter that's a ton of fun to play." — SteamDeckHQ
- "Shines in its presentation and gameplay loop." — NoobFeed
- "Apptivus shows you how to make a big fun factor with little effort." — KeenGamer
- "Built in a custom engine made in pure C and OpenGL, the game runs so damn smoothly." — Checkpoint Gaming
Assets
Screenshots, Logos, & Illustrations Google Drive
Kickstarter History
Three campaigns, three funded.
- Pennypult (2015) — Desktop trebuchet toy. Funded on day one, two stretch goals reached. Staff Pick · Front Page Feature
- Bandito (2018) — Laser-cut rubber band pistol.
- Pennypult II (2020) — Improved trebuchet with magnetic trigger.