HELLO!
I hope all is well as we kick off 2024. First of all, I want to assure everyone that the game is coming along nicely and is almost finished. I'm working on the final cutscenes and wrapping up some puzzles in Act 5 (the final act). Thank you so much for your patience!
Before we get into the nitty gritty, you can check out a bunch of gameplay and an overview of The Abandoned Planet in this video that it was showcased in. It's a video about upcoming adventure games in 2024. Here is the time stamp of when my game is showcased:
https://youtu.be/zAtzAfV9waQ?t=4040
Setbacks & Game Length
So, elephant in the room... I did not meet the 2023 release date. I'm so sorry about that! It was not my intention, but game development is very difficult to predict. Launching a game that meets developer and player expectations is no easy task. I want to make sure that players get their money's worth; a fun game with challenging puzzles and an engaging story. It also can't be too short! While not everyone equates game-length with value, I definitely don't want my game to be too short.
I have played through the game and for me, as the developer, running through it, knowing all the puzzle solutions, it came in at around 3 hours. So, you can imagine that players NOT knowing all the puzzle solutions, a first time play-through, will be considerably longer. I can definitely see some people spending 10 hours in the game. I'm happy with this! Point and clicks are not 100 hour games, nor do I believe they should be. They are finite experiences. Enjoyable experiences. But finite.
Extended Game Modes & Extras
There are two things that I want to add to the game that I haven't yet: an "escape mode", and extras.
Escape Mode: My idea is that once you've completed the game the first time, you unlock "Escape Mode". The game was originally titled "Escape the Abandoned Planet", but my publisher suggested we shorten it to just "The Abandoned Planet". This is a great change. When I was discussing this with my brother, he suggested it would be cool to have a new-game-plus type situation in which, after you beat the game, you can try to play through it a second time, but with a timer. Basically, the idea is that you have to finish the game before the planet explodes!
I love this idea and I hope that I can publish the game with "Escape Mode" included. If not, it will be in an update.
Extras: As far as extras go, I have a few photos I took of my development notebook (before I lost it at a hotel... ugh) that I'd like to include. But the main extra would be the script I wrote for the game. Each Act has a script, that reads more or less like a movie script (sans dialogue). This would be a really cool addition, as it provides more detail that isn't directly apparent in the gameplay itself. Here is the first page from the script I wrote about a year and half ago:
Wrapping Things Up
There is a lot to do in the next month or so, and I'm working everyday to make The Abandoned Planet the best I can. Here is what needs to be done:
- Complete Act 5 (final puzzles and cutscenes)
- Localization (which is completed by a localization team and then easily imported)
- Re-record all dialogue with new actress (should take a week total)
- Escape Mode
- Extras
- Bug Fixes
That's everything. It's a lot, but I can do it! Let me know what you think and let me know if you have any questions or suggestions. I appreciate your patience and I can't wait for you all to play.
Jeremy Fryc
dexterstardust.com
PS: I wanted to get the game working on mobile (iOS and Android), since I wanted to work out those bugs early. But while I was doing that I improved the game's Main Menu. Check it out!
