Steve's 2024 Recap
2024 was a year of transitions, as I wrapped up several big projects and settled into my new home.
There were a lot of files to review for Strange Nightmares to make sure everything was good for release. I received early samples of the game and the merch for review as well, and signed a bunch of stuff for the Kickstarter backers. The manufacturing phase took longer than expected so shipping got pushed to January, but it’s been great to finally see the products reaching fans and how happy they are.
Check out the How to Play video I made for Strange Nightmares:
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
If you missed out, here’s the store page for Strange Nightmares stuff:
I also finished the narrative and final art piece for Strange Boxes, which was a lot of fun to work on. I hope everyone who got the boxes enjoyed their time with them!
Another big project that came to an end in 2024 was the Sally Face art book. The files were finalized earlier in the year and the book launched in October. If you haven’t gotten your hands on it yet, it came out awesome! Titan did a great job with it. You can grab a copy on Titan’s site and it’s also on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, Target, etc.
In previous years, I had been working on a pitch for a Sally Face animated series. We got as far as signing on with two big studios and pitching to the major networks. Unfortunately, despite a lot of interest from the networks, the timing just didn’t work out. But the high amount of interest left me hopeful. In fact, I’ve been working on a movie pitch that I think is shaping up to be something great. So fingers crossed we have better luck with that avenue!
With my other team, Wither Studios, we’ve been continuing work on The House of Hamelin – a deckbuilding roguelike game where you’re searching for your missing cat in the twisted halls of an ever changing house that’s filled with horrible creatures. This game has been a ton of fun to work on and is shaping up awesomely.
We demoed early builds of the game at the Phoenix Theater in Pittsburgh, at TORG in Columbus, at the Bit Bridge Halloween Showcase in Pittsburgh, and at Cleveland Gaming Classic – where we also won an award for “Best Art Design”.
We’re aiming for an Early Access release sometime this year. No exact date yet but we’ll announce when we’re ready. In the meantime, wishlists are extremely helpful to securing a successful launch. So any wishlists are greatly appreciated!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3233300/The_House_of_Hamelin/
As a personal update, I’ve been exploring alternate options besides surgery for the herniated discs in my neck but I haven’t found a good solution yet. I’ve also been having some other mysterious health issues that I’ve been getting a lot of tests on, but with no luck. I’m hopeful that things will improve, it’s just been a bit of a mental weight on me this past year.
I’ve also had a lot of various household projects, with the new house. It seems like there’s always something to fix or work on, but that was to be expected. At least it’s usually rewarding work (I even replaced a full sink on my own and it works and everything!). It may have taken me until my late 30s to be able to afford my first home, but I’m proud of it and feel fortunate to have this nice spot to settle down in.
Speaking of feeling fortunate, I was able to do the annual Halloween Road Trip with my good friends again and it was such a great time. We hit 6 haunted houses and 2 escape rooms in 3 days. I’m already looking forward to next Halloween!
I was able to get more done on Sally Face 2 in 2024. Though, progress has been slow with all of my other projects. So it’s going to be a little while still and I thank you all for your patience and understanding.
I don’t like to give release estimates until I have a time frame I’m more confident with. If we look at the first game, it took about 8 years of development (2015-2019 for the episodes, 2020-2022 for console ports) and besides writing the script for SF2 while working on other projects, development didn’t really start until 2024.
That said, I’m still planning to hire a couple people to help speed things up significantly. I know I’ve mentioned this before but I was too quick in bringing it up and wasn’t ready as soon as I thought I’d be. But I’ll definitely be putting the call out this year sometime. So if you’re interested, get those portfolios ready! Just please wait until I make the announcement for job openings before emailing me.
If you’re itching for more Sally Face merch, here are some neat new things:
YouTooz pre-order (today is the last day!)
Sal Slippers
Sally Face Pajama Pants
SF Socks
Back when we were doing the Kickstarter for Strange Nightmares (in 2023!), I released a few little Sally Face bonus lore bits. I came across these again recently and I thought it'd be nice to share them again for those who haven't seen them!
Thank you all for continuing to support the world of Sally Face as it expands beyond what I could have ever imagined it would. It’s been a tough road, full of ups and downs, and at times, has felt very overwhelming. Yet, the fans have made this journey feel worth it.
Keep fighting the darkness
💙 Steve
FINISHING UP PROJECTS
There were a lot of files to review for Strange Nightmares to make sure everything was good for release. I received early samples of the game and the merch for review as well, and signed a bunch of stuff for the Kickstarter backers. The manufacturing phase took longer than expected so shipping got pushed to January, but it’s been great to finally see the products reaching fans and how happy they are.
Check out the How to Play video I made for Strange Nightmares:
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
If you missed out, here’s the store page for Strange Nightmares stuff:
I also finished the narrative and final art piece for Strange Boxes, which was a lot of fun to work on. I hope everyone who got the boxes enjoyed their time with them!
Another big project that came to an end in 2024 was the Sally Face art book. The files were finalized earlier in the year and the book launched in October. If you haven’t gotten your hands on it yet, it came out awesome! Titan did a great job with it. You can grab a copy on Titan’s site and it’s also on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, Target, etc.
In previous years, I had been working on a pitch for a Sally Face animated series. We got as far as signing on with two big studios and pitching to the major networks. Unfortunately, despite a lot of interest from the networks, the timing just didn’t work out. But the high amount of interest left me hopeful. In fact, I’ve been working on a movie pitch that I think is shaping up to be something great. So fingers crossed we have better luck with that avenue!
THE HOUSE OF HAMELIN
With my other team, Wither Studios, we’ve been continuing work on The House of Hamelin – a deckbuilding roguelike game where you’re searching for your missing cat in the twisted halls of an ever changing house that’s filled with horrible creatures. This game has been a ton of fun to work on and is shaping up awesomely.
We demoed early builds of the game at the Phoenix Theater in Pittsburgh, at TORG in Columbus, at the Bit Bridge Halloween Showcase in Pittsburgh, and at Cleveland Gaming Classic – where we also won an award for “Best Art Design”.
We’re aiming for an Early Access release sometime this year. No exact date yet but we’ll announce when we’re ready. In the meantime, wishlists are extremely helpful to securing a successful launch. So any wishlists are greatly appreciated!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3233300/The_House_of_Hamelin/
PERSONAL STUFF
As a personal update, I’ve been exploring alternate options besides surgery for the herniated discs in my neck but I haven’t found a good solution yet. I’ve also been having some other mysterious health issues that I’ve been getting a lot of tests on, but with no luck. I’m hopeful that things will improve, it’s just been a bit of a mental weight on me this past year.
I’ve also had a lot of various household projects, with the new house. It seems like there’s always something to fix or work on, but that was to be expected. At least it’s usually rewarding work (I even replaced a full sink on my own and it works and everything!). It may have taken me until my late 30s to be able to afford my first home, but I’m proud of it and feel fortunate to have this nice spot to settle down in.
Speaking of feeling fortunate, I was able to do the annual Halloween Road Trip with my good friends again and it was such a great time. We hit 6 haunted houses and 2 escape rooms in 3 days. I’m already looking forward to next Halloween!
A NOTE ABOUT SF2
I was able to get more done on Sally Face 2 in 2024. Though, progress has been slow with all of my other projects. So it’s going to be a little while still and I thank you all for your patience and understanding.
I don’t like to give release estimates until I have a time frame I’m more confident with. If we look at the first game, it took about 8 years of development (2015-2019 for the episodes, 2020-2022 for console ports) and besides writing the script for SF2 while working on other projects, development didn’t really start until 2024.
That said, I’m still planning to hire a couple people to help speed things up significantly. I know I’ve mentioned this before but I was too quick in bringing it up and wasn’t ready as soon as I thought I’d be. But I’ll definitely be putting the call out this year sometime. So if you’re interested, get those portfolios ready! Just please wait until I make the announcement for job openings before emailing me.
SO MUCH MERCH
If you’re itching for more Sally Face merch, here are some neat new things:
YouTooz pre-order (today is the last day!)
Sal Slippers
Sally Face Pajama Pants
SF Socks
BONUS LORE
Back when we were doing the Kickstarter for Strange Nightmares (in 2023!), I released a few little Sally Face bonus lore bits. I came across these again recently and I thought it'd be nice to share them again for those who haven't seen them!
THANK YOU
Thank you all for continuing to support the world of Sally Face as it expands beyond what I could have ever imagined it would. It’s been a tough road, full of ups and downs, and at times, has felt very overwhelming. Yet, the fans have made this journey feel worth it.
Keep fighting the darkness
💙 Steve