Sorry for the slightly clickbait title: first of all, I want to say that development is still very much active, and a major update is on the way!
Blêktre 2081 was first created as a conceptual experiment. Since it was also a video game, publishing it on Steam felt natural. It allowed me to discover what the video game market is really like. After six months of operation, and a rather normal lack of mass appeal, I considered smoothing out Blêktre to make it more compatible with market expectations.
But after working in that direction, I realized it was stripping away the game’s original idea: offering a radical, sad, and mocking experience that tells the story of an unjust society. I still believe this is an interesting and even fun idea — but clearly not for everyone. And if I were to twist Blêktre’s concept to appeal to the widest audience, I think it would end up pleasing no one… starting with me.
So I decided to drop any commercial ambitions for Blêktre and make the game free via the demo version (web and Steam). This free version will now have no restrictions, including the save disks that were previously disabled in this mode: you will now be able to resurrect like everyone else.
Oh, but of course there’s a twist! To truly simulate real life, you have to know that while all citizens are equal, some are more equal than others… A new major privilege is now granted to the player who reaches the very top of the pyramid — the position of mayor of the city: they will now be able to set the law and decide, among other things, whether refugees playing on a free account can be pursued by player-police officers. With some skill, those refugees can still evade them and climb the ranks to ultimately change the law in their favor…
Freeing Blêktre from commercial ambitions allows me to imagine more radical, more unfair ideas — but also ones that are more consistent with the nature of the game. I’m convinced this won’t stop it from being fun and balanced — quite the opposite. Opposition always finds a way!
This update is planned for Fall 2025. I hope to see you among the testers of this experience, which I now consider more refined than ever. The next version will bring many changes, and I will get back to you with the full details of this true expansion.
In the meantime, I hope real life isn’t that harsh for you — even if you’re prepared with such a high-quality simulator.
With love,
Charles