Hey there! Andy is here. This is my first livestream on the FR Channel, so I’m a little nervous, hahaha. I’ve really missed talking to myself! It’s been… half a year…? since we’ve shared any news. But I assure you, nobody’s been sitting around doing nothing. It would be nice to say something like, “We’re proud to announce The Nick Full Game and, on top of that, RAIN HEART 2,” but… this update will be a bit more modest. However, as the creator of all these GamesShouldSaySomething™ games, I really do have something to share. Let’s start from the beginning.
ERAS
Actually, this is the first thing I want to talk about. To me, Flat Reality’s games are not just a collection of unrelated stories. Together, they form a larger creative journey, divided into different eras. Each era has its own themes, emotions, and visual style. I want to explain what these eras mean to me and how they connect the games we’ve already released, the ones we’re making now, and the ones planned for the future.
<h3>1. GREEN ERA</h3>Disorientation. Collapse. Consciousness. Green Era is about losing your sense of reality and trying to understand what is happening inside your own mind. Its world is built from green CRT light, old computers, VHS tapes, errors, eyes, wires, syringes, strange experiments and fragmented memories. Everything feels unstable, artificial and slightly wrong. The main emotion of this era is disorientation — the feeling that something is happening to you, but you cannot fully understand what it is yet. And yes, you’re absolutely right - The Nick is a game set in this era. Will there be more projects set in it? I wouldn’t rule it out... This era has the most extensive backstory, because I started coming up with these worlds when I was just 13. To be honest, I don’t think even the full version of The Nick will be able to tell the whole story. Just take my word for it - I have a TON of material, ranging from small game concepts to Unity prototypes.
<h3>2. GRAY ERA</h3>Identity. Society. Hopelessness. Gray Era is about trying to remain yourself in a world that constantly pressures you to become someone else. Its world is colder and more realistic: gray buildings, rain, empty streets, brutalist architecture, street lamps, piano music, autumn and quiet rooms. The horror comes from people, social expectations and the systems around them. The main conflict of this era is identity versus conformity. The current (but not the only!!!) project we’re developing for this era is RAIN HEART. Actually, I already have a clear idea of the stories we’ll be telling. This is the most thoroughly developed era, so I’d like to keep it focused and concise. Well, basically, yes.
<h3>3. CONTEMPLATION ERA</h3>Light. Memory. Quiet moments. Contemplation Era is about slowing down and simply looking at life as it is. Its world is filled with warm sunsets, city lights, palm trees, sketches, photographs, music, quiet apartments and long evenings that seem to last forever. It is softer, brighter and more peaceful than the eras before it. At first glance, these stories may feel simple and comforting — but there is always something slightly bittersweet underneath. I have some specific projects here that I share on my social media (separate from the studio - and of course, I won’t post a link here!), and I have a very clear vision of what I want to convey. I hope that my team and I can kick off this new era by doing everything to the highest standard. That way, we’ll have the opportunity to tell many different, new stories that are independent of this trilogy. Cool, right? Let's move on to gaming news, because sometimes I forget that we're a game studio, not journalists...
Is The Nick dead or not?
OMG, absolutely NOT!!! I understand why it might seem that way. The last news update was a few months ago, and the last content update was last Halloween. But actually, we’ve been releasing patches to fix bugs and…!!! Okay, I won’t argue. We’ve decided to shift our development resources a bit. Right now, our main project is RAIN HEART. So we’re going to finish that first. However, I’ll also hint that I recently rewrote almost all of the development documentation, so… this game won’t be the same as before. But all in good time.
Pulse of RAIN HEART
Things are getting more interesting here! We’re actively working on the game and have already implemented all the core content! The city life system works especially well. It looks pretty good right now and will give you a stronger sense that you’re not the only living person in this world. But to be honest, we’re still dealing with polishing and debugging, though I’d say about 70 percent of the game’s content is already ready. Note: Unfortunately, the game’s content isn’t the whole game! Therefore... We’re postponing the game’s release to 2027. This is due to the new focus we’ve shifted to in the project. I think it would be best if you follow our updates on social media, as we’ll be sharing details and a new tentative release date soon! We also recently collaborated with ComingOut Group - a nonprofit organization that helps queer people in Eastern Europe. They really liked the game and gave us a lot of support. I hope we’ll continue to work together. Actually, there are a couple more things I'd like to share...
Games Should Say Something - Redesign
The Flat Reality design system has undergone a significant transformation. Together with our artist JUCHA, we reimagined our brand identity so that it better reflects the brand and our core value: “Games Should Say Something.” The website, promotional materials, and everything else have been updated and now look fresher, more glassy, and more modern.
Introducing Flat Reality Channel
This is a new, unified communication channel. Technically, it involves migrating the old FR Blog and Included to our new proprietary framework, but with one important feature: transmissions will be available in various games and right here on the website. FR Channel will soon be available across all our games.
A quick reminder about Flat Reality Partners
Flat Reality Partners is the B2B division of Flat Reality, providing game design, Unity development, and production support for other studios and creative teams. And that’s also the very reason for the delays in our own creative development! XD If you’d like to collaborate with us - whether through outsourcing, Unity Tools, or as an independent partner - visit partners.flatreality.eu. We're working really hard, and things are actually going pretty well for us right now. So be sure to check back here later, and don't forget to follow us on social media! Love xoxoxo,
Andy | Flat Reality team