Let us start by saying that we have given up on convincing any publishers to distribute Peace Island.
Firstly, because the game industry has changed. Despite the surging interest in unique, single-player, narrative-driven experiences, most of the big studios have continued to purge their staffs of writers and artists, in order to produce cookie-cutter, multiplayer franchises and shift more income to yachts for the CEO..
It has gotten to the point that even smaller publishing interests have been sucked into this vortex of mediocrity, in order to remain relevant.
Secondly, because Peace Island is - and always has been - a niche project. It's a single-player experience with no combat, no levelling, and the player spends most of their time walking around, reading, and looking for hints - essentially a third-person version of MYST with cats...
Even if we were to submit Peace Island to the few indie publishers that would be interested - it has about a 5% chance of being picked up - and if they DID decide to take on the PI project, they would demand things that we are simply not comfortable with (such as in-app purchases, merchandising, expansion packs, etc.)
So: On the first of February - we hope to release "Peace Island - Act Zero" on Steam as a 100% free download. This - again - is a demo that will contain more content than most indie games have in their entirety:
- A huge open world
- 11 interiors
- 4 cats
- Over an hour of original audio (excluding the soundtrack)
- Almost a half-hour of original video
- 8 NPC species
- Over 900 pages of original written content.
In addition: while there are only a few complete missions within the demo, there are over 40 mission starts. It will still be a bit buggy - as all initial releases are, but we will address the issues, as they arrive.
Simultaneously, we will open Peace Island for early purchase on Steam, with the intent of releasing the first full act of the game in July.
Now - we want to be very clear about what this means, and what it does not mean:
Act Zero is not a simple teaser. We are releasing it, so that gamers can see what Peace Island already is: The huge scope, the show-burn story, the various systems, the voluminous writing, the relaxed pacing.
Nothing about the project will be initially hidden behind any paywalls. If you download Act Zero and decide that Peace Island isn’t for you - that’s fine (although we'd really prefer for you to get in touch with us, and tell us what you would like for us to change/include!)
Whether or not you keep Act Zero or delete it - you still got a complete, substantial experience at no cost - and you cannot beat a deal like that!
We are opening PI for Early purchase, for those players who do enjoy what we have created, and who want to help us ensure that the remaining acts are completed in the same spirit, at the same level of depth, without being forced to compromise the design to fit the demands of a commercial publisher.
Our current plan is simple and transparent:
Three acts total
Roughly six months of development per act - each act released sequentially to those who have purchased the game.
Over 2500 pages of OC
The entire Island to explore.
40 unique, hand-crafted interiors.
Over 3 hours of original audio (excluding an expanded soundtrack)
Over 2 hours of original cutscenes/in-game video.
One complete experience - no loose ends, no hints at sequels, no NFTs, no BS.
Early purchase is about supporting a project that has already demonstrated what we're capable of producing - entirely on our own terms - and helping us finish it properly.
We believe that the work we have already done speaks for itself. If people choose to support the game early, we will continue take that trust seriously.
If you choose to simply explore what we’ve released for free and never return, that’s cool - we just hope you enjoyed your time on the island.
Either way, the Peace Island project will continue - forward - no matter what it takes.
We appreciate your support, patience, and confidence, and for sticking with the project for as long as you have - we have NEVER taken it for granted!