STATUS UPDATE
Hey guys –
We hope you’re doing all right out there!
It’s been a while since we communicated about the game.
[h3]STAYING OFFLINE FOR A WHILE[/h3]
If you know us from our previous games, you know that we liked to stay closely connected to the community – posting news, organizing events, and responding to messages on the forums.
However, in the spring of 2022, we just burned out.
Humans are notoriously fragile; and when you’re a small team where absolutely everyone works on a game, and you get stressed… it’s often difficult to find the time on writing the announcements rather than the storyline for the actual game.
To cut a long story short, it just became too much for me, and I took a break for a month – which became three months, then a year, and it’s only now, at the end of 2023, that I feel ready to return to the regular communication.
We’d like to thank everyone who left messages while we were offline. It’s like when a patient is in a coma, and the friends and family visit the hospital and talk to them: one day, that patient finally wakes up (and immediately proceeds to post a Steam announcement).
[h3]SPIRE OF SORCERY & SISTER OF A DRAGON[/h3]
Now, let’s talk about Spire of Sorcery.
Since the game launched in Early Access in late 2021, we’ve shipped 4 story chapters for the game, with the last update from May 2022 – and this is the version of the game that’s currently available on Steam.
We also released a demo, with an option to submit feedback.
Here’s what people liked the most:
And here’s what people wanted to change:
In May 2022, we sat down with Nkita Kulaga, the game designer behind the wildly successful Graveyard Keeper, to play Spire of Sorcery together and to come up with a recipe of improving the experience.
We ended up writing a new scenario, and designing a new core loop around matrix-based spells and personal progression with 8 schools of magic and 8 paths of personal progression. The game also received a proper lead character (Kaira, a young mage from the Northern Marshes), and the world received its second dimension (the Phantom Realm, accessible via portals).
In the process, we realized that there’s no way that we can do this based on Spire of Sorcery, as too many things had to change. Thus, we went on to develop a proof of concept for the new project. At the same time, we engaged a full-time writer to flesh out the storyline. We created a rich palette that includes companions, events, adventures, and memories – all this enhanced with music and illustrations.
Right now, we’re closing in on the playable demo of that new game, Sister of a Dragon, and plan to release the demo on Steam around the summer of 2024.
Soon enough, we’ll open the Discord server of the new game, and its Steam page. Our main goal is the demo, so that players can check a turn-based strategy game about mages that gives you a taste of power and a sense of wonder.
[h3]WHAT HAPPENS TO SPIRE OF SORCERY?[/h3]
We do not plan to develop any more content for Spire of Sorcery.
If you liked the game and wanted to see more, we’re sorry to disappoint you. We tried our best. Unfortunately, not every game project ends as a success, and here we must bow and accept our failure – with a hope that this experience allows us to deliver a better product next.
On the upside – our team didn’t collapse, we still manage to fund the on-going development with side projects and the sales of our previous games, and we work hard to deliver a better game dedicated to the themes that our audience liked.
Earlier in the month, we considered whether we should stop the sales of Spire of Sorcery completely – or keep the game available on Steam.
It’s still a good game, with at least 4-6 hours of gameplay, original mechanics for spellcasting, and an atmospheric setting. Develop the deck, craft potions, explore different environments – supported by nice visuals and excellent music.
In the end, we decided to keep the game available. If you are considering purchasing it – please try the demo first and buy it only if you’re fine with the 4 chapters that are included in the commercial version, and considering that no further updates are expected to happen.
[h3]A TRANSITION[/h3]
If you own (or will own) Spire of Sorcery, we will find a way of offering the new game with a special discount. Especially so for the owners of “Support the developer” DLC (to whom we are truly grateful for having the faith). However, there will be no auto-grant option.
Once the Steam store page is open, we’ll post the link here; and when the demo is available, we will release another announcement. If we’re successful, you will find the new game ticking every box that the audience has wished for.
Stay well – and thanks for all the fish.
Charlie Oscar
We hope you’re doing all right out there!
It’s been a while since we communicated about the game.
[h3]STAYING OFFLINE FOR A WHILE[/h3]
If you know us from our previous games, you know that we liked to stay closely connected to the community – posting news, organizing events, and responding to messages on the forums.
However, in the spring of 2022, we just burned out.
Originally posted by a“Like mages in Rund, developers on Steam can also burn out.”
Humans are notoriously fragile; and when you’re a small team where absolutely everyone works on a game, and you get stressed… it’s often difficult to find the time on writing the announcements rather than the storyline for the actual game.
To cut a long story short, it just became too much for me, and I took a break for a month – which became three months, then a year, and it’s only now, at the end of 2023, that I feel ready to return to the regular communication.
We’d like to thank everyone who left messages while we were offline. It’s like when a patient is in a coma, and the friends and family visit the hospital and talk to them: one day, that patient finally wakes up (and immediately proceeds to post a Steam announcement).
[h3]SPIRE OF SORCERY & SISTER OF A DRAGON[/h3]
Now, let’s talk about Spire of Sorcery.
Since the game launched in Early Access in late 2021, we’ve shipped 4 story chapters for the game, with the last update from May 2022 – and this is the version of the game that’s currently available on Steam.
We also released a demo, with an option to submit feedback.
Here’s what people liked the most:
- that this is a game about mages and magic
- that the visuals are good, and the music is excellent
- that the game has spellcasting, exploration and crafting at its core
And here’s what people wanted to change:
- many requested a stronger storyline, and a proper lead character
- many mentioned that user interface is complex and hard to learn
- another common ask was to “fill the world with more things to do”
In May 2022, we sat down with Nkita Kulaga, the game designer behind the wildly successful Graveyard Keeper, to play Spire of Sorcery together and to come up with a recipe of improving the experience.
We ended up writing a new scenario, and designing a new core loop around matrix-based spells and personal progression with 8 schools of magic and 8 paths of personal progression. The game also received a proper lead character (Kaira, a young mage from the Northern Marshes), and the world received its second dimension (the Phantom Realm, accessible via portals).
Originally posted by abc“Kaira from the Northern Marshes is a powerful mage (but she doesn’t know it yet).”
In the process, we realized that there’s no way that we can do this based on Spire of Sorcery, as too many things had to change. Thus, we went on to develop a proof of concept for the new project. At the same time, we engaged a full-time writer to flesh out the storyline. We created a rich palette that includes companions, events, adventures, and memories – all this enhanced with music and illustrations.
Originally posted by abc“Guild Master Nasuto doesn’t like poor people, sick people – or those who practice magic.”
Right now, we’re closing in on the playable demo of that new game, Sister of a Dragon, and plan to release the demo on Steam around the summer of 2024.
Soon enough, we’ll open the Discord server of the new game, and its Steam page. Our main goal is the demo, so that players can check a turn-based strategy game about mages that gives you a taste of power and a sense of wonder.
Originally posted by abc“Campfires restore your party, but be careful – dangers lurk in the night.”
[h3]WHAT HAPPENS TO SPIRE OF SORCERY?[/h3]
We do not plan to develop any more content for Spire of Sorcery.
If you liked the game and wanted to see more, we’re sorry to disappoint you. We tried our best. Unfortunately, not every game project ends as a success, and here we must bow and accept our failure – with a hope that this experience allows us to deliver a better product next.
On the upside – our team didn’t collapse, we still manage to fund the on-going development with side projects and the sales of our previous games, and we work hard to deliver a better game dedicated to the themes that our audience liked.
Originally posted by abc“They hit me with a club… and then left a negative review. Hard to say, what hurts more…”
Earlier in the month, we considered whether we should stop the sales of Spire of Sorcery completely – or keep the game available on Steam.
It’s still a good game, with at least 4-6 hours of gameplay, original mechanics for spellcasting, and an atmospheric setting. Develop the deck, craft potions, explore different environments – supported by nice visuals and excellent music.
In the end, we decided to keep the game available. If you are considering purchasing it – please try the demo first and buy it only if you’re fine with the 4 chapters that are included in the commercial version, and considering that no further updates are expected to happen.
[h3]A TRANSITION[/h3]
If you own (or will own) Spire of Sorcery, we will find a way of offering the new game with a special discount. Especially so for the owners of “Support the developer” DLC (to whom we are truly grateful for having the faith). However, there will be no auto-grant option.
Originally posted by abc“This mage is excited about a special discount.”
Once the Steam store page is open, we’ll post the link here; and when the demo is available, we will release another announcement. If we’re successful, you will find the new game ticking every box that the audience has wished for.
Stay well – and thanks for all the fish.
Charlie Oscar