So I asked the Webby Award organizers to carve this line on the statuette and they did :) (see line 4): Thank you all again for your support - this award is dedicated to all of you!
So I asked the Webby Award organizers to carve this line on the statuette and they did :) (see line 4):
Thank you all again for your support - this award is dedicated to all of you!
I know what you're all wondering: having completed this quest, how's his HP (i.e. hand)? How is his sanity meter? Did he level up? All of this and more will be answered in this update. ALL CARDS HAVE BEEN SENT I'm happy to say that all cards have been sent today via the USPS Firs
I know what you're all wondering: having completed this quest, how's his HP (i.e. hand)? How is his sanity meter? Did he level up? All of this and more will be answered in this update.
I'm happy to say that all cards have been sent today via the USPS First-Class Mail® / First-Class Mail International®. If you live in the U.S., expect yours to arrive within 1–5 Business Days. International shipping might take a little longer.
Yes.
Yes. It might seem like it would be a tedious task to write so many personalized notes, but it actually ended up being a totally wholesome experience. You won't receive a generic "THANK YOU - Best regards" card. Expect a real handwritten message. Many of you wrote kind, often touching emails that accompanied the forms. These emails allowed to me to write lengthy heartfelt responses. Other notes were interesting to write just based on the destination alone - to a country I've visited before, to a city that means a lot to me, etc. It's hard to avoid similarities when writing hundreds of messages, but for the most part, all cards are completely unique.
Kind of, yes :) Well, three of my fingers were red and felt bruised by the end, but luckily, they healed very fast. So a few HP points were lost, but a lot of XP was gained. Good quest overall. Lloyd approves:
Excellent, why?
Actually, I did just now :D Guess my age.
I hope you all enjoy getting these as much as I enjoyed writing. Stay awesome!
Much love to all
In my previous update I promised to do something special for you all, given how much support you've shown me. It's not just about the Webby Awards - it's about your support over the years (some of you were following DARQ way before it launched!). I don't mean to be unnecessarily
In my previous update I promised to do something special for you all, given how much support you've shown me. It's not just about the Webby Awards - it's about your support over the years (some of you were following DARQ way before it launched!). I don't mean to be unnecessarily dramatic, but without you, I'd likely be homeless right now (it's just the reality of my particular situation).
I had several ideas in mind:
So what can I do now? Here's an idea...What if I were to send you a hand-written thank you note? This way, I can literally send one to everyone who wants one. People rarely get to connect this way because the Internet makes communication fast & easy...It's easy to say "thanks y'all!" online, but perhaps something gets lost when it's said like that...Hand-writing personalized messages takes time and effort - maybe that's why people do it so rarely. The only reason I want to do this is to show you that you all mean a lot to me and that I'm truly grateful.
The card is 5x7", glossy, shows the cover of DARQ and says "THANK YOU" on it. It will have a hand-written message on the back. If you want one, simply fill out this form & send it to [email protected]:
You can send the form by May 21st, 11:59 PM Pacific Time.
Yes, unless it can't be delivered for a reason beyond my control.
Yes.
People of the DARQness, TL;DR: This is NOT your typical "Hey, we won this award, bye!" post. WHAT HAPPENED? DARQ won a Webby Award (Audience Voice) in the Independent Creator category. I must say, it feels crazy to see DARQ featured alongside NASA, Star Wars, Trevor Noah, Stephen
People of the DARQness,
TL;DR: This is NOT your typical "Hey, we won this award, bye!" post.
DARQ won a Webby Award (Audience Voice) in the Independent Creator category. I must say, it feels crazy to see DARQ featured alongside NASA, Star Wars, Trevor Noah, Stephen Colbert, Billie Eilish, etc. etc. I'm pinching myself.
Yeah. My ego is happy I guess. I don't care that much about my ego though. Do you know what makes me so happy about this? It's the fact that I can't take any credit for this award. I owe it 100% to YOU, because it's YOU, the audience, voted for DARQ. It wouldn't have happened without you, and for that I will be forever grateful.
It's hard to explain how much this means to me. Perhaps you already know a bit about me if you read my book. I was born in Belarus, the last remaining dictatorship in Europe. My family fled Belarus when I was a child. As refugees, we came to Poland and within a number of years, went bankrupt. We had no money to afford heating and basic necessities. There were other problems that were making my life hopeless and unbearable (I won't go into much detail here). My mom abandoned me. A few years later, my dad passed. I came to the U.S. in 2007 with $300 of borrowed cash. I had no connections. I spoke zero English. I stuttered. Perhaps I'm oversharing, but I actually went through a period of real starvation and came very close to being homeless in New York. A lot of things happened since then and I owe so much to people who helped me along the way.
Coming from humble beginnings, it really feels overwhelming and humbling as hell to see how much support DARQ has received from this community. Making this game (+DLC's & console ports) took nearly 7 years of my life. I knew nothing about making games when I started and I took every risk in the world to make this game a reality. It was hard, ladies and gentlemen. Very, very hard. Seeing DARQ listed among all these big names is cool, but it doesn't mean much. Seeing that you care, however, means the world to me. It feels like we did this together. You had no reason to support me, yet you did. Again, after everything I've been through, I simply cannot take this for granted.
In my last update I promised you that I'd find my way to show you my gratitude. I intend to keep my promise. I have something planned for you. A gift. I'm working on it right now, and I'll let you know what it is later this year. It will be free for all of you to enjoy and I hope you like it. That's the least I can do to show you that I really mean every word I say.
Apart from that, I'm also hard at work on the new game. I can't wait to announce it, I've been working on it for quite some time.
You all mean a lot to me. Thank you.
Hi DARQ fam! What happened The craziest thing just happened. DARQ got nominated for a Webby Award , in the "Independent Creator" category. Other category nominees include NASA, Stephen Colbert, Seth Rogan, Billie Eilish, The Star Wars app, and many more familiar names & brand
Hi DARQ fam!
The craziest thing just happened. DARQ got nominated for a Webby Award, in the "Independent Creator" category. Other category nominees include NASA, Stephen Colbert, Seth Rogan, Billie Eilish, The Star Wars app, and many more familiar names & brands.
You probably know my story by now - I have to say, coming from very humble beginnings, this nomination feels completely surreal. All the success that DARQ has had, including this nomination, I owe to you and your support. I'll never forget this, I promise (if I ever do, please smack me hard so I could re-read this promise and come to my senses).
We're currently in the lead when it comes to the audience voting, but a lot can change in the coming days. Games that are nominated in this category all deserve to be recognized, and I'm a big fan of some of them myself. I'm truly humbled by the fact that DARQ is one of them. Needless to say, I'm asking you to consider voting for DARQ. If DARQ wins this award, you have my word I'll find a way to show you my gratitude. I already have a pretty good idea what I would do.
Thank you - truly, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your support so far. Look how far we've come! It all started in 2015, with a crazy dream that seemingly had no chance of coming true. Now, the second game is in the works and will be announced later this year. I can't wait to share it with you.
Love you all.
Physical & Kindle: OUT NOW ːlloyd_happyː This 60-page graphic novel answers many questions about the game and reveals numerous secrets hidden in it. But there's much more to it. It also greatly expands upon the DARQ Universe with new characters, new locations & events not
This 60-page graphic novel answers many questions about the game and reveals numerous secrets hidden in it. But there's much more to it. It also greatly expands upon the DARQ Universe with new characters, new locations & events not shown in the game. The comic book represents a full-fledged story in which the events shown in the game are just the tip of the iceberg.
You can grab it on Amazon here.
BTW, wow. You really destroyed that pre-order button! The comic book made it to the Best Seller's list before it was even released. Nearly 500 days have been spent working on this thing, not to mention a big chunk of cash. This was never meant to be a "money-maker" - I just felt the story of DARQ needed to be revealed, whether it's a profitable endeavor or not. While I still doubt I'll break even on the costs of making it, it really means a lot to see so much support for this project. You know, I actually approached a large comic book publisher asking to release the comic worldwide. Although the project got interest due to its quality, it ended up getting rejected because there wasn't much conviction in the demand. Well, you've proven them wrong, which I must say, feels pretty damn awesome. Thank you for that.
DARQ Comic Book is finished! A 60-page DARQ graphic novel , over 1 year in the making, is finally finished and ready to be released. I'm super excited to share with you this trailer: (epic voiceover alert: sound ON ) Art Directed by a former Disney, Dreamworks, and Universal Stud
A 60-page DARQ graphic novel, over 1 year in the making, is finally finished and ready to be released. I'm super excited to share with you this trailer:
(epic voiceover alert: sound ON)
Art Directed by a former Disney, Dreamworks, and Universal Studios artist.
Speaking of Kindle, I didn't know it would make for an awesome reading experience of a graphic novel, but it actually does. It can be viewed on any device and it allows for reading in the full page mode as well as in the panel mode (in which you scroll through individual panels, one by one). It surprisingly works very well for comic books.
As you might already know, the story of DARQ is not told in the traditional, direct way. The events shown in the game are highly symbolic and cryptic, not unlike dreams. Inspired by David Lynch, I always wanted DARQ to be open to interpretation like dreams are. I love watching theories videos and reading people's thoughts about the meaning of the game. There are no right or wrong theories, they're all fun & super creative. To this day, however, I never stumbled upon a theory that comes close to the story that I had in mind when creating DARQ. It's not the only "right" explanation of DARQ. It is my explanation, one of many. I chose to share it with you through this graphic novel, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I & an amazing team of talented people enjoyed making it.
The graphic novel answers many questions about the game and reveals numerous secrets hidden in it. But there's much more to it. It also greatly expands upon the DARQ Universe with new characters, new locations & events not shown in the game. These 60 pages represent a full-fledged story in which the events shown in the game are just the tip of the iceberg.
I hope you enjoy this treat while we're preparing for the announcement of our second game. As always, thank you all for your support - our second game is big and ambitious. Making it wouldn't be possible without you. Stay tuned & have an awesome weekend! ːlloyd_in_loveː
Hi everyone! I have a few updates to share! Game of the Year Award I'm excited to announce that DARQ: Complete Edition has just won the Game of the Year Award at the Overcome Festival! I’m honestly super humbled by this. I had no idea the game would end up winning so many awards
Hi everyone! I have a few updates to share!
I'm excited to announce that DARQ: Complete Edition has just won the Game of the Year Award at the Overcome Festival! I’m honestly super humbled by this. I had no idea the game would end up winning so many awards when I was working on it, not to mention an award like this! It really means a lot to me (as a reminder, I had to clue about making games when I started working on DARQ back in 2015). As always, thank you all for your support!
We're finishing up a comic book based on DARQ. It has 60 pages and will be released soon. It was art-directed by Kelsey Haley (known for her work for Disney, Dreamworks, and Universal Studio), drawn and inked by Marco Ferraris, colored by Chiara Parisi, edited by Dean Clark, and proofread by Nancy Haight. The story is by yours truly.
The comic will not only explain the events in the game but also will significantly expand on the DARQ Universe. If you want to be notified when it’s released, add your email here.
DARQ recently launched on the EGS. Back in 2019, I had said that if DARQ were to launch on the EGS, I would donate all EGS sales revenue to charity. I'm keeping my word - all revenue generated from sales on the EGS will be donated to charity. If you're interested in more details about the choice of charity and how the launch on the EGS happened, check out my Medium article here. If you have any questions, feel free to ask either here or on Twitter(@UnfoldGames).
Stay tuned for the announcement of my 2nd game. I've been hard at work on it for the last 6 months, and this time it's a pretty big production that has 10-times the scope of DARQ. It's a "AA" kind of project with a pretty large team behind it, including a number of AAA veterans. I can't wait to tell you more!
Thank you for your support on this journey spanning over half a decade - it really means the world to me!
Hey Dreamers! My apologies for the blunder - the 1.3.2 version came with an unexpected bug. This little patch should fix the black screen / soft-lock issue when switching between the head and the body in several spots of The Crypt. A big THANK YOU to Dean C. and Georgie G who sub
Hey Dreamers!
My apologies for the blunder - the 1.3.2 version came with an unexpected bug. This little patch should fix the black screen / soft-lock issue when switching between the head and the body in several spots of The Crypt. A big THANK YOU to Dean C. and Georgie G who submitted videos, which made it so much easier to pinpoint the issue.
Thank you all for understanding & your patience! Please make sure your build is updated to the 1.3.2b version (it shows in the top-right corner of the pause menu).
Any other issues, let me know - Lloyd will get it fixed immediately ːlloyd_happyː
Hey Dreamers! A big thank you to those of you who submitted videos & stayed in touch to help me troubleshoot & bring you an even better, more stable build! Fixed issues Some of you reported a soft-lock after solving the Bell Puzzle in The Crypt. It's now fixed. Some of yo
Hey Dreamers!
A big thank you to those of you who submitted videos & stayed in touch to help me troubleshoot & bring you an even better, more stable build!
I'm not done improving DARQ. If you notice any more issues, please report them directly to [email protected]. Apart from tweaks & fixes, here's what's on my to-do list:
Thank you all! DARQ comic book & new exciting projects are coming soon!
Hey Dreamers! Thank you all so much for submitting bug reports! I really appreciate your patience, positive attitude & understanding (It's genuinely difficult to release a perfect & bug-free build on day one, especially when a team is small and the level (The Crypt) quite
Hey Dreamers!
Thank you all so much for submitting bug reports! I really appreciate your patience, positive attitude & understanding (It's genuinely difficult to release a perfect & bug-free build on day one, especially when a team is small and the level (The Crypt) quite ambitious and non-linear. )
I'm happy to say that most of the bugs that have been reported are now fixed. Some issues I was unable to replicate just yet, but I'm in touch with a few of DARQ's fans who graciously agreed to help troubleshoot those, so one more patch is definitely coming soon. While I'm working on the remaining issues that might take a bit more time, I wanted to release a smaller patch in the meantime, so you have a better experience with the game.
Thank you to the members of this community who agreed to submit longer playthrough videos to help pinpoint what might be the cause. I'm working on these and a new patch will be released soon.
Thank you all for the warm reception of The Crypt & The Complete Edition across all platforms! The new patch and more improvements are on their way!
Hey Dreamers! Today we celebrate the release of the final content expansion for DARQ: "The Crypt." The base game + two DLC's are now called DARQ: Complete Edition . How to Install "The Crypt" Simply update DARQ and you're done ! ːlloyd_happyː The game should update automatically.
Hey Dreamers!
Today we celebrate the release of the final content expansion for DARQ: "The Crypt." The base game + two DLC's are now called DARQ: Complete Edition.
For those of you who like a good challenge, the new achievements are now listed. There are 5 of them. Big kudos to those who find all 4 skulls in The Crypt. I made sure to hide them well ːlloyd_happyː
As of now, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and most Logitech controllers are supported. This has been an incredibly hectic year, but now that The Complete Edition is released, rest assured that getting support for more controllers is at the top of my "to-do" list.
Today, The Complete Edition is also released on Xbox One and PS4. The old-gen console releases will qualify for free next-gen upgrades for the entire year. Physical releases of DARQ: Complete Edition for 5 consoles will follow shortly after, in Q1 of 2021. This is a big milestone for me, as a first-time developer, and I couldn't be more grateful to all of you. Those of you who bought the game made it possible for it to grow, both in size (free DLC's) and in reach (new platforms). Sometimes, I have to pinch myself just to make sure that it's all real. I'm also grateful to Feardemic & Dreamloop Games - bringing DARQ to so many platforms is a Herculean task, and they've been incredible partners on this journey.
Let me know what you think of The Crypt! I've worked on it for half a year, so I'm super excited to hear your thoughts. The build was well tested and should be stable. If you happen to spot any bugs, please let me know. The fastest way to get support is through email ([email protected]).
Happy exploring!
Hugs
Hey, Lloyd's friends! Lloyd needs your help to get through the mysterious crypt, and he needs it soon! Mark the date - The Crypt DLC is launching next week, on December 4th ! As promised, it will be free for all of you to enjoy. Check out the new trailer (which features some neve
Hey, Lloyd's friends!
Lloyd needs your help to get through the mysterious crypt, and he needs it soon! Mark the date - The Crypt DLC is launching next week, on December 4th! As promised, it will be free for all of you to enjoy.
Check out the new trailer (which features some never-before-seen footage of The Crypt)!
Excited for The Crypt? Keep reading!
The Crypt will be at least twice as long as The Tower. The average playtime varies between 40 to 60 minutes. Finding all hidden collectibles and unlocking extra achievements will likely take about 1 hour.
It's also the most challenging level in the game - at least that's what our beta testers say!
The Crypt will introduce 5 new achievements. Most are pretty difficult to unlock, so it's a treat for those of you who like a good challenge.
DARQ: Complete Edition, which will include the base game plus The Tower and The Crypt DLC's, will launch on PS4 and Xbox One on December 4, too! Those who purchase DARQ: Complete Edition on PS4 and Xbox One will be able to upgrade to the next-gen builds in early 2021. The free upgrade will be available for the entire year, until 2022.
Switch, PS5, Xbox Series S|X, as well as physical releases of all console ports are expected in early 2021 as well.
Ok, this is a bit overwhelming, but...DARQ is nominated for the TIGA's Best Adventure Game Award, alongside...The Last of Us Part II (!), and other awesome games. I'm blown away and can't quite describe what an honor it is for a first-time developer.
The Crypt took hundreds of hours of work. It ended up being the most ambitious level in the entire game. As always, thank you for your support for DARQ. Your belief in this project and in me means more than words can say. Also, thank you for being patient - it definitely took some time to get The Crypt to the point where it felt like the best level of DARQ. I feel extremely fortunate to be able to spend months working on something for the sole purpose of making it cool, something that I get to share with you. It wouldn't have been possible without your support. I don't take any of it for granted.
Wlad
Hey DARQ fans! I'm super excited to announce DARQ: Dream Journal - a comic book series that will reveal many secrets hidden in DARQ and will expand upon the story of Lloyd and the DARQ Universe. Expect the comic books to be released in 2021 (print & digital). The art is being
Hey DARQ fans!
I'm super excited to announce DARQ: Dream Journal - a comic book series that will reveal many secrets hidden in DARQ and will expand upon the story of Lloyd and the DARQ Universe. Expect the comic books to be released in 2021 (print & digital). The art is being created by Kelsey Haley, known for her work for Dreamworks, Disney, and Universal Studios.
Sign up for our mailing list if you want to be notified when they're available.
Here's the cover art of Part 1:
Also, stay tuned for the upcoming "The Crypt" DLC - it's coming this December!
Love you all! As always, thank you all for your support!
Wlad
Happy Spooktober! I'm excited to announce that my book "GAMEDEV" is now available as an AUDIOBOOK - it's narrated by Yong Yea , and he's amazing at it! Audible ( Free with Audible Trial - bounty link) Amazon (audiobook, ebook, and paperback). What is the book about? This book ass
Happy Spooktober!
I'm excited to announce that my book "GAMEDEV" is now available as an AUDIOBOOK- it's narrated by Yong Yea, and he's amazing at it!
This book assumes no knowledge of game development on the reader's / listener's part. It offers a sneak peek into my story and all the hardship and obstacles I had to overcome to make DARQ.
In this book, I also share practical advice on how to go from knowing nothing about game development to making video games for a living (if that's something you're interested in). The book covers mindset, preproduction, funding, business, law, development, marketing, PR, publishing, distribution, as well as pre-launch, launch, and post-launch strategies. I hope it helps some of you, even if you're not interested in game development.
To celebrate Lloyd's favorite month, DARQ is now 60% off. If you ever wanted to pick up the game or gift it to your friends, now is a good time.
Thank you all so much for your support! As I'm writing this, I'm finishing up The Crypt - it's the most ambitious level I've ever designed and I can't wait to share it with you all (a couple of months from now). And yes, it's going to be free.
In the meantime, consider checking out the book:
Much love to all, and as always, thank you for your support! More exciting announcements are coming soon!
Wlad
Hey there! The Crypt Gameplay Reveal With My Commentary I'm excited to announce that DARQ's second DLC "The Crypt" will be featured at Gamescom / IGN stream . You'll be able to watch the gameplay reveal with my commentary live on Saturday, August 29th , at 1pm PT / 4pm EDT / 10pm
Hey there!
I'm excited to announce that DARQ's second DLC "The Crypt" will be featured at Gamescom / IGN stream.
You'll be able to watch the gameplay reveal with my commentary live on Saturday, August 29th, at 1pm PT / 4pm EDT / 10pm CEST.
You can watch the event live on
In addition, you can also catch The Crypt trailer featured in the Feardemic Facebook Stream on Friday, August 28th (same time).
The page for the crypt is up! You can watch the trailer, have a look at screenshots, and most importantly, wishlist it, so you get notified as soon as it's released.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1337690/DARQ__The_Crypt/
Hi Everybody! This week marks DARQ's 1st Anniversary , so I've got some big news to announce! The Crypt The 2nd DLC is still in development, but it's for a good reason. I set the bar high, especially that "The Crypt" will be the final content expansion for DARQ. I want to bring y
Hi Everybody!
This week marks DARQ's 1st Anniversary, so I've got some big news to announce!
The 2nd DLC is still in development, but it's for a good reason. I set the bar high, especially that "The Crypt" will be the final content expansion for DARQ. I want to bring you as much value as possible - my goal is to make it as amazing as it can be. The level became quite ambitious. It's large and features the most challenging puzzles you've seen in DARQ yet. It introduces new game mechanics and comes with a set of new achievements. As you will see, the environments got better and more detailed too.
The main mechanic involves being able to switch between the body and the head:
This DLC will also be much more tense than "The Tower."
If you want to see more, be sure to check out the trailer:
As promised, "The Crypt" will be free for all of you to enjoy. It might take a few more months to finish, but I hope you don't mind waiting just a bit more. It will be released by the end of 2020, along with the console relea....wait, WHAT???
I know some of you have been waiting for this announcement for a while! I'm thrilled to announce that I've partnered up with the publisher Feardemic, subsidiary of Bloober Team (devs of Layers of Fear, Observer, Blair Witch) to bring DARQ to consoles.
If you've followed me for a while, you may already know that I've received many offers from publishers in the past. Having spent a lot of time dealing with publishers, including those who tried strongarming me into signing terrible deals, I haven't been able to find the right partner for DARQ - until now. Feardemic and Bloober Team are the leaders in the horror genre, so since the beginning, our creative visions aligned. Feardemic's team has been fair and accomodating to me since day one - I'm very happy with this partnership and it feels like the perfect fit.
DARQ, along with the two free DLC's ("Complete Edition"), is coming to:
IMPORTANT: If you want to be notified when DARQ launches on consoles, subscribe to Feardemic's Newsletter.
We're aiming to release the complete edition of DARQ on all platforms by the end of 2020. "The Crypt" DLC will be released on Steam and GOG around the same time (for free).
All console releases will have both physical and digital distribution worldwide. Digital is expected in late 2020, while physical can come a bit later, in early 2021.
To clarify, DARQ remains my intellectual property, and Feardemic has no creative control when it comes to the game and its contents. DARQ will remain self-published on the PC. Feardemic will simply bring DARQ to consoles.
Most definitely. I have a few game projects lined up, so stay tuned for more exciting announcements! Apart from that, there are a couple of DARQ-related "side projects" that I'm thrilled to share with you.
Speaking of the upcoming projects...I'm incredibly grateful to all of you for providing me with the opportunity to continue to make games. It's a rare privilege that not many indie developers get to experience - I certainly don't take it for granted and will continue to do everything I can to show that to you. Going the extra mile with this free DLC is just one of the ways to express my gratitude. I can't wait to share with you what I've been working on!
While making games is a lot of hard work, I absolutely love the process- I can't believe that I get to do it. It also blows my mind that DARQ has won so many awards recently. For example, being nominated alongside Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Borderlands 3, Death Stranding... There are times when I have to pinch myself! After all, DARQ became #42 Most Shared PC Video Game of 2019 (Metacritic). None of it would have happened without your support.
I'll always be thankful to you and be on your side - mark my words.
In the meantime, I hope you join me in wishing Lloyd a Happy (1st) Birthday! He's been through a lot and needs a bit of cake before heading over to the Crypt ;)
Hi everybody! While "The Crypt" DLC is still in development, I've got something important to announce. In the time of lockdown, I've been working on one special book. I felt it was important to do something that could potentially help some people. The book might not be useful to
Hi everybody!
While "The Crypt" DLC is still in development, I've got something important to announce. In the time of lockdown, I've been working on one special book. I felt it was important to do something that could potentially help some people. The book might not be useful to most, but those of you who happen to discover a passion for game development, as I did a few years ago, might find it very helpful. The book is for those who know nothing about making games and want to try to do it for a living. After all, that's how DARQ was made - I started without knowing anything about game development and made it mostly solo (well, 95% of the game).
EDIT: The book (paperback & ebook) is now out!.
Please note: my book is not a “get-rich-quick” scheme. What you see above is the result of 3.5 years of hard work. Most of the game was done by myself. Although your game could be made a lot faster, achieving success in any industry requires time, hard work, and dedication.
As a first-time developer with no prior experience in coding, modeling, texturing, animation, game design, etc., I managed to launch DARQ to both commercial success and critical acclaim. With zero dollars spent on marketing, it was featured in major media outlets, such as IGN, Kotaku, PC Gamer, GameSpot, Forbes, and hundreds of others. Ultimately, DARQ became #42 Most Shared PC Video Game of 2019, according to Metacritic, with the average user rating of 9 out of 10. In my book, I share with you exactly how I did it. The book guides you through a step-by-step process of making a game: from downloading a game engine to releasing your first commercial title.
DARQ had over 70,000 wishlists before its release, which made it one of the top 50 most wishlisted games on Steam. It resulted in a strong launch. DARQ got listed on the “Best Selling” and “New and Trending” tabs on Steam. A day later, it landed in the “Featured and Recommended” — the largest spot on the Steam front page (the holy grail of exposure; shoutout to the almighty Steam algorithms!).
In this book, I’ve made every effort to share with you all my strategies that resulted in DARQ’s success. I also write about things that went wrong, so you can learn from my mistakes.
The book will be released in July (paperback, ebook, and audiobook). It's 260 pages long (or about 6 hours of audio narration). I hope it brings a lot of value to some of you.
The audiobook is narrated by YongYea, a famous YouTube personality, and a talented voice actor.
My dear friend and mentor, John Corigliano, wrote the foreword to the book. I'll end this announcement with a little excerpt:
Stay tuned for "The Crypt" DLC - it's coming soon, too!
Hey! I hope you all are staying safe & healthy during this world crisis . Covid had an effect on our team (everyone is healthy, thankfully), but due to supply challenges & internet access problems in Italy (where some of our key members are located), this DLC is being dev
Hey!
I hope you all are staying safe & healthy during this world crisis. Covid had an effect on our team (everyone is healthy, thankfully), but due to supply challenges & internet access problems in Italy (where some of our key members are located), this DLC is being developed completely solo (at least for now). Because of the amount of work involved (level design, modeling, texturing, animation, coding...), the development is expected to take some time. Luckily, with a ton of hard work, I've been able to make quite a lot of progress.
I'm thrilled to show you a little bit of a preview, so you know what's coming:
I set the bar very high - this is the most ambitious & most unique level in DARQ. This will be one of the most challenging levels, with some intricate puzzles and new mechanics.
Although there is no release date yet, I anticipate an early Summer launch. As previously, the DLC will be free & will come with new achievements (more than previously).
Stay tuned for more updates! Since "The Crypt" doesn't have its own Steam page yet, you can keep an eye on the release by subscribing to our mailing list (we don't spam and only send big milestone updates, such as major discounts or new releases) or social media if you like behind the scenes:
Dear DARQ fans, This patch (1.2.2) is here to fix some of the issues you might have encountered when trying to play DARQ with X Box controllers. A few notes and commonly asked questions & answers: What controllers are supported as of now? X-Box One (Wired / Wireless), X-Box 3
Dear DARQ fans,
This patch (1.2.2) is here to fix some of the issues you might have encountered when trying to play DARQ with X Box controllers. A few notes and commonly asked questions & answers:
If you continue to encounter any issues with X Box controllers, please comment below. I appreciate your diligence in reporting problems and patience as we troubleshoot & resolve issues. I'm dedicated to resolving issues as soon as possible and your positive attitude means a lot to me (as some of the issues surprisingly require more time to solve & test than it may seem)
P.S.: Stay tuned for the upcoming 2nd free DLC, it's entering production next week :)