Hi everyone!
There’s been some news, which is a bit of a relief for us. I’ll cut to the chase: we’re delaying the release of Wayward Strand.
We will now release on September 15!
It was a difficult decision to make, because this project has gone on a long time already - some of you will have been waiting for it since we were in the showcase at PAX Melbourne in 2019, some will have been waiting since we showed it at Freeplay Parallels in 201...7? Really?
And on our end, we've been so keen for it to be out in the world!
So, why the delay?
In truth, very few games like Wayward Strand exist. When you set the timelines for making a new game, you might think about other similar games you’ve heard about or worked on. You might try to compare in your mind how long similar things have taken in the past. So, when we set out to make Wayward Strand, we had a think about similar games...
Games with 25,000+ lines of voiceover dialogue…
… and with all action taking place within real-time mechanics…
… and with 14 characters, each with their own 3-hour-long in-game journey…
… and with richly decorated and intensely researched 3-storey doll-house worlds…
… and with a focus on heartfelt stories, where the nod of a head or a momentary pause between dialogue can make a world of meaning…
… and all made by a small, self-published indie team ːsteamthumbsupː
As you can imagine, we were left scratching our heads. Regardless, we did our best to set realistic timelines. But as we review each scene in the game and how it all comes together, we felt it was important to spend some additional time to bring the experience closer to our vision. We're doing our best to bring our characters and stories to life for you.
This delay means we can release Wayward Strand at a level of quality that we're very happy with. Importantly, it also allows us to do it in a less stressful way for the team. Wayward Strand is a game about care, and it would make no sense to make this game without caring for each other. From day one, we’ve been rigorously committed to empathy, openness, and anti-crunch. Game releases are almost always stressful and difficult for the teams behind them, so we're trying to find ways of approaching our release that reduce some of those pressures.
We’ve had so much excitement and support from people like you who are looking forward to playing our game. This support is something we cherish so dearly. Thank you for being caring and patient with us. We are so looking forward to sharing the game with you.
Thanks, love,
ghost pattern
PS. Coming up later in the month, we'll be announcing our fabulous cast! Keep your eye out <3