Hi there!
The essentials first: what a dreadful summer it's been. We fell a month behind schedule in terms of planning and communication regarding Early Access management – you've seen it, we've seen it, and we all know it. That’s just how it is.
We have put a great deal of effort into the production, and we have kept delays to a minimum. We have focused on the things that could genuinely slow us down, such as finalising the dialogue for translation, completing the overall framework and composing the music. As we’re working with people outside the studio, the best course of action was to prioritise these things to respect everyone’s time.
However, as a result, you haven’t received an update yet – there's been no new territory to explore, no strange characters to meet, and no lore to discover and unravel. I’m sorry about that. The Vague timeline has hit, but you won’t be disappointed in the end.
In fact, a major update is coming soon – we just need a little more time to complete some integration and internal playtesting. I can't wait. You’re a patient, passionate and supportive community. And that really counts for a lot in these gloomy times.
As some of you know, I was at Gamescom in Cologne. I wasn't there to sell or ask for anything but to assess the mood of the industry and meet developers and potential partners who share our values and interests for the future.
And oh boy, the atmosphere is bleak indeed. This industry is being crippled by its own cowardice. The burden of proof as market research, community engagement, wishlists and production budgets all now fall squarely on the developer’s shoulders. Yet publishers still insist on recouping their own due diligence first, offer few guarantees and only want ideas that have already worked elsewhere – risk-free and with no regard for players or love for the games. They are sawing off the branch they’re sitting on and will eventually die from it. So be it; the resistance is growing.
I intend to create a document that brings together all the information, reasoning and feedback from this event. The aim is to create a useful resource for developers, future developers and players. I’ll share it here and on Discord in due course so that knowledge can be shared and pooled. Everyone can use it as they see fit. Why not create a big collaborative hub at some point?
Anyway, getting back to HYPNOS, while you wait to play more, here are some visuals of what's still to come, along with some research and concepts.
I’ve heard that some of you might be interested in having ongoing access to the game’s development via the Steam server beta testing. If you don't mind spoilers and enjoy the chaos that can be part of production, you're welcome to join.
You’ll also be seeing my face more often soon. We're setting up a TikTok account — yes, I know — and restarting the good old weekly dev stream. During these sessions, I’ll show you how I work and answer your questions. I’ll say more about that soon.
Until then, take care and spread the word about the game! We need a boost: more wishlists and some buzz. Also, if you’ve bought the game and played it, please leave a review – even a temporary one – to help us out! After just two hours of play, it makes a big difference, and we really need it!