Hey paddlers,
One year ago today, the very first demo for Paddle Paddle Paddle went live.
At the time, I was just a solo developer from Germany who thought it might be funny to make a game about controlling a boat with paddles and putting friendships under extreme pressure.
What happened next completely changed my life.
Over the past year, I've watched thousands of people discover Paddle. I've seen streamers scream at each other, friendships get tested in ways science still can't explain, and countless clips of boats flying exactly where they weren't supposed to.
And somehow, all of you turned this silly little project into something far bigger than I ever imagined. Honestly, I still struggle to put it into words.
Every wishlist, every review, every stream, every video, every bug report, every speedrun, every person who convinced a friend to suffer alongside them... thank you.
You changed my life.
Paddle Paddle Paddle has given me opportunities I never thought I'd have as a game developer, and I genuinely couldn't be more grateful for this community.
So from the bottom of my heart: Thank you for being paddlers.
A Small Personal Update
Over the past year, I've spent a lot of time thinking about what comes next.
While working on Paddle, I realized that my favorite thing to create is what some of you lovingly call "friendslop" games. Games where teamwork, communication, and complete panic somehow have to coexist.
So... I've been working on something new.
I recently announced my next game, CAAAHR!, a chaotic coop experience built around voice controls and, unsurprisingly, friendship destruction.
View game page
If that sounds like your kind of thing, feel free to check it out and maybe throw it onto your wishlist. I'd love to have some paddlers along for the ride.
Thank you again for making this past year so special.
Here's to another year of chaos, friendship repair, friendship destruction, and paddling.
Much love,
Mateo
