Hi, Ells&Pills is here!
This game's page was published just over a year ago, and there were plans to release the game itself last year as well. But something went off the rails. As always.
This is the first news for this game, and in it, we want to share updated information about the game, some details, and the reasons for the delay. And while we're at it, we want to say a big thank you to everyone who added the game to their wishlist and is still waiting for it just a little, despite the silence for a whole year.
Reasons for the Delay
It's all very mundane: we didn't like what we were coming up with, and the idea lost its appeal. Originally, the plan was to create our own modified version of card football, where you'd have to battle simple enemies and then take on several bosses (the "Idols" in the title kind of hints at that). Just like in the first game in the series, Ells Tales: Egg, the core feature was controlling each of the character's hands: pressing something at the right time, grabbing, selecting, constantly keeping an eye on different areas of the game table, and so on.
But for the third, and moreover the FINAL game in the chicken series, all this felt so-so, weak, and not fun enough. The final game simply must be special and head and shoulders above the previous parts. So in the following months, the game was reworked several times—it still remained a card game and still turned out to be nonsense. Our weird games may appeal to you, they may seem like utter nonsense, but honestly, we don't release what we don't like ourselves. Some things turn out more successfully, some less so, but that's the absolute minimum standard.
Reimagining
It's worth noting that in 2025, we planned to release several games, but we only managed to come up with and make one: Ells Tales: Chairbound. But it was worth it—even with all the game's hardcore and stuffy nature, players accepted it much warmer than we could have imagined. In Chairbound, a bonus game mode in the spirit of a fun shooter was added; these same developments were duplicated in the reimagining of Ells Tales: Idols. And another overhaul of the game began at the same time, in parallel with releasing updates for Chairbound.
So what has this little card game, set in just one room, turned into? Oh, it mutated big time! Now it's a more classic survival horror, with events unfolding across the grounds of a massive factory: players will encounter bright, spacious workshops, pitch-black, cramped tunnel corridors, and a bunch of accessible and locked rooms. The focus in the game will be on exploring locations, searching for items, repairing devices, and solving puzzles.
Of course, there will be enemies that you won't always or immediately be able to fight back against—it's survival horror after all! Weapons, ammo, even a flashlight... All of this will need to be found first, and you'll have to think twice about whether it's worth wasting precious ammo on another feathered "friend". Moreover, based on the game's title, there will be 3 bosses (this is the only thing that remained from the original idea and migrated to the fresh project). They will all be different, with their own game mechanics and requiring their own approach for successful extermination.
This time, the soundtrack will feature upbeat industrial d'n'b and techno, setting the right mood during confrontations with the feathered foes and dashes through the workshops. There will be more active, action-packed sections of the game, as well as more tense and suspenseful ones—we want to delight players with variety.
We also wanted to touch on the separate control for each of the character's hands. It'll be a bit more convenient than in previous games. In Idols, the character gets pockets: you can always carry the flashlight, pistol, and ammo with you. For example, if you have the flashlight in your left hand and pick up an interactive item with the left hand, the character will stash the flashlight in a pocket instead of just dropping it on the floor. If you then grab the flashlight again with the left hand, the interactive item gets dropped on the floor. The shotgun, for instance, is super powerful but takes up both hands, and you can't really navigate in total darkness with it. The challenge of choosing items remains, but it's not as frustrating as in the beloved Egg and Chairbound.
Expected Backlash
If you're familiar with our games, you know we're big fans of hardcore challenges and powering through. That's the core of Egg and Chairbound. Good news: this one won't be like that—it'll be a more classic experience you can conquer without smashing your mouse or keyboard. That said, it'll still have some "tough" elements that aren't for everyone. We're talking:
- Backtracking (having to double back and, overall, lots of trekking through areas you've already explored);
- Saving only in designated safe spots.
What we'll do to help? The game will be packed with shortcuts you can discover. You'll get infinite sprinting—no stamina drain for the character. And the flashlight? No batteries needed—endless power.
Release Timeline
To keep it short, there's no exact date yet. Roughly—February-April 2026. We're just grinding on the game 8-12 hours a day and will release it when it's ready. We'd love to get it out sooner, of course, and we're eager to wrap up this trilogy before diving into other ideas—we've got a ton of them. Right now, the game's page is missing screenshots and some fun teaser or gameplay trailer; there's not enough content in the game yet. We'll add that a bit later when we can. But we did put together a solid description for the game, keeping it concise and to the point. For the next news, we'll try to record and show some gameplay, plus update the missing stuff on the game's page. That's all for now.