Dear Oceanarium Players,
Paloma here. First, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has downloaded and played Oceanarium. It means the world to me that you’ve taken the time to explore this wiggly bloomy world that I created with Kas, Ashley, and many friends and collaborators over the years!
As you may have noticed, the game ends with a demo message. Yes, that was a mistake left in by us! I sincerely apologize to those of you who played the demo and were waiting for the finished version. I know it’s been a long wait, and I truly appreciate your patience. The scope of the full game was overly ambitious, and when the world shut down during the pandemic, we lost momentum and were unable to continue development as planned. I’m still learning how to make games and run a studio, and I regret making this basic mistake. That said, I am still deeply proud of what we have accomplished with the game, and I feel that it does justice to the themes of connection, inner peace, and the splendor of the ocean.
BUT I never stopped working on Oceanarium, and there’s still so much art that has yet to be released! While I’ve made the difficult decision to release Oceanarium as is, rather than continue working on it, I can promise that this world isn’t finished growing. I’ve been exploring new ways to bring the remaining art and ideas to life, and I’m excited for what’s ahead.
During the pandemic, I moved to Eastern Canada to be closer to my father after his heart valve replacement surgery. We ended up living in a beautiful and mysterious town called Blue Rocks on the Lunenburg Peninsula. This experience deeply influenced me—I learned from the people who live with the ocean every day and found a new part of myself awakened by its rhythms, moods, and creatures. The time I spent there has shaped my creative direction, and I’m eager to share what comes next.
I’m still learning the ropes of running a game studio, and I truly appreciate your patience while I figure things out. Since 2021, I’ve been part of several incubators, including Weird Ghosts and Game BCN, to learn how to make games properly and to honour the community that makes them possible. Now that I can fully resume operations, I’m dedicated to creating and releasing new work in a way that does justice to these worlds. If you have any advice or concerns or want to chat about animals and things please email me, I love meeting you!!! [email protected]
Thank you for sticking with me, for supporting my work, and for believing in these projects.
Looking forward to sharing what’s next.
Sending you all love,
Paloma ❤️