A little while ago we stumbled across a player called Menin Gate who had put in an enormous amount of time into Crusaders of the Lost Idols. At the time, Menin Gate had logged more than 8,000 hours of gameplay on Steam. For those who haven't already done the math, it equates to the game running for 343 days!

With that kind of record, we decided to reach out to Menin Gate for an interview to share his motivations with you all.

Menin Gate's 'alter ego' is Paul Winnell from Melbourne, Australia. This 45-year-old player hails from Port Phillip Bay, which he declares has the "whitest, cleanest, and softest sand on the Bay". Stop making us jealous, Paul!

Menin Gate and his family

When did you start playing Crusaders of the Lost Idols and how did you discover the game?

I started playing it the day it came out. I love idle/progressive type games and this one peaked my interest immediately.

You've been playing for more than 10,000 hours now. When did you realise you'd put in so much time? Also, was it a shock when you realised?

Well I’m actually closing in on 11,000 hours and still loving it. It was a shock, as the last game that had me so entranced was Battlefield 2, a completely different style of game.

Have you ever played another game for the same length of time?

Yes Battlefield 2 - and still miss it!

What is it about Crusaders of the Lost Idols that keeps you playing?

The updates. The developers have consistently delivered new updates, features and events to keep me interested; it's one of the few games on Steam that provides such regular updates.

What has been your favourite update or feature in Crusaders of the Lost Idols?

Crafting - it adds a whole new dimension for progression and how you can progress.

Who is your favourite Crusader and why?

Well it used to be Fire Phoenix, but now it’s The Exterminator (Terminator is one of my favorite movies)

What other games are you playing while Crusaders of the Lost Idols is running on your computer?

Lots, I have nearly 8,000 games on Steam, but I also play quite a bit of BF1 via Origin.

Do you play on the mobile app too?

Yes, on the way to work.

How do you keeping playing when you're on holiday or traveling?

I play on the mobile app. I also have a Microsoft Surface that runs the game very well!

What do your friends and family think about your addiction to Crusaders of the Lost Idols?

They don’t understand, I have four kids that all prefer to play CSGO - I tried and failed to get them playing!



If you'd like to be interviewed for the official Crusaders blog, email us at general@codenameentertainment.com.

VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, April 18, 2016 – Codename Entertainment announced today that its award-winning clicker/idle game will be released on iOS and Android globally this summer and will be published by Kongregate, the leading publisher of mobile and web games and wholly-owned subsidiary of GameStop Corporation.

New Design for Mobile



Crusaders of the Lost Idols is a fantasy strategy game that launched on Kongregate.com last year. Currently, it is one of the most played games on the site out more than 107,000 titles. It is the only clicker/idle game with a formation strategy feature which has inspired individual players to log thousands of hours playing time.

Gamers who are attending PAX East 2016 in Boston, MA, between April 22 to 24 will have the exclusive chance to play the pre-release mobile version at Kongregate's booth.

"We're very excited to be launching on mobile. The game has gone from strength to strength and now we can reach more fans on mobile devices," said Eric Jordan, CEO of Codename Entertainment. "We've enjoyed a long, successful partnership with Kongregate, and they were the natural choice for publishing our first ever mobile game."

Same Great Formation Strategy!



"We are excited to partner with Codename Entertainment on their hit title Crusaders of the Lost Idols.” said Emily Greer, CEO and co-founder of Kongregate. “We’ve seen great success helping developers to optimize and perfect their games on Kongregate.com before tackling mobile together, and we think this game further validates that strategy."

KEY FEATURES:

• Unique Formation Strategy: The only clicker/idle game to feature a formation system. Unique character abilities, buffs, and gear challenge the player to find the best formation every campaign.
• A Host of Unusual Characters: Colourful characters, some based in the broader world of video games and geek culture with more added every month.
• Hundreds of Areas to Play: Deep playability and challenge split over five campaigns and 46 objectives with more campaigns and objectives released regularly.
• More than 280 types of Gear, Buffs, and Upgrades: A cornucopia of deep content awaits the player. Unique upgrades by character coupled with special gear and buffs demands players master their strengths and weaknesses to succeed.
• Daily Quests: Every day players are challenged with mini objectives that will reward them with precious red rubies once completed.
• Events: Regular limited-time events featuring special objectives and exclusive new content.

Available worldwide this summer, Crusaders of the Lost Idols will be available on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Google Play for Android devices.

For more information on Crusaders of the Lost Idols go to www.codenameentertainment.com

ABOUT CRUSADERS OF THE LOST IDOLS Crusaders of the Lost Idols is the award-winning and top-rated idle/clicker game that has been played over 14 million times on across all platforms since its launch in July of last year. It is the only idle/clicker game to include a formation feature where players learn to master the strategy of organizing their party of characters into the most powerful, monster-destroying formation possible.

The position of each Crusader next to his or her companions has a significant effect on their attack strength. Combined with Crusaders enhanced by abilities, buffs, and upgrades, this unique feature adds an unrivaled complexity never before seen in the idle genre.

ABOUT CODENAME ENTERTAINMENT: Codename Entertainment was founded in 2008 in Victoria, B.C. by David Whittaker and Justin Stocks. They started making games for Facebook and evolved into making games for platforms like Kongregate.com, ArmorGames, and Steam. In 2015, the company launched Crusaders of the Lost Idols. It was awarded the Idle Game of the Year on Armor Games, is one of the most played games on Kongregate.com out of more than 107,000. Players have racked up over 14 million unique plays across all platforms, and more than 1.2 million hours played per month on Steam.

Codename Entertainment and Crusaders of the Lost Idols are trademarks of Codename Entertainment Inc. All other products named herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

ABOUT KONGREGATE Kongregate is a leading mobile game publisher and web gaming portal. Kongregate's mobile publishing focuses on free to play mid- and hard-core titles. Working closely with mobile game developers Kongregate provides consulting, analytics, marketing, launch support, and game features such as cross promotion, guilds, and chat. Kongregate’s mobile games have been downloaded tens of millions of times and have hundreds of millions of gameplays. Kongregate's web portal features over 100,000 free games played by tens of millions of gamers per month. Kongregate is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GameStop Corporation and is based in San Francisco. The company was founded in 2006 by brother-and-sister team Jim and Emily Greer.