As you might have noticed, we recently updated the game info both on our website and on Steam. We removed the word "episode" from the description, and there's a reason for that. We gave up on the idea of episodes.
More specifically, we gave up on it a while ago. The new description just dots the i's and crosses the t's. When we started developing our very first game, we'd planned to make it episodic: first game first, continued story in the episode two, and the grand finale in the episode three. However, the highlights shifted in the course of the work. There are three reasons why the Light at the End became the second story of The Uncertain rather than episode two.
Gameplay changes
We gained experience. The industry has changed. Our team became bigger and passed through some replacements. The second game will inherit and develop the ideas of the part one. Yet still it's a distinctive project featuring new puzzles, a different story, and enhanced graphics. While preserving the game universe and familiar atmosphere, we retrofitted almost all game-specific aspects.
It is not a sequel
Part one narrated a story about a world without people and a lonely robot-explorer. Part two, albeit connected with the storyline of part one, is complete in itself. This is a game about the few people, who survived after the robot uprising against humanity. Is it okay to play the second game without completing the first? Most certainly. Will the comeback to the familiar universe make the experienced player happy? We hope so.
Non-linear narrative
As we worked on The Uncertain's story, we realized that it's absolutely impossible to keep the narrative linear. Arti can never understand the human survivor's logic. He's physically incapable of human emotions. On the other hand, Emily can never understand Arti. She's accustomed to things that he perceives as twisted and weird. Revealing the world's planes one by one would've taken us too long, failing to produce a solid and distinct image.
So we decided not to take the Telltale way. We followed Terry Pratchett's footsteps instead. We're bringing you several independent stories that take place in one universe. We have more freedom in terms of the storyline, and you can learn about the universe of The Uncertain in any order. Do you want to play only one game? Or complete both games as they are released? You can also wait for the release of game two, and learn about Arti's story after you've completed it. It's up to you to decide. The two stories might overlap. Or not. Only time can tell.
Will our decision affect the development time? In no way. As we announced, we are releasing The Uncertain: Light at the End in 2019!