Hey all! Now that the demo has been taken off of Steam, wanted to give a quick update on things, and talk about the future. First up, the demo.
We've mentioned elsewhere that the reason the demo was time-limited on Steam was to ensure we nudged players to actually check out the game, rather than suffer in the Backlog Bog. Especially for a spinoff title - and a visual novel, at that - it was massively important that word got out as much as possible, as soon as possible.
But the demo won't stay locked away, don't worry! Currently, we're at work adding in translations for a bunch of different languages. Cowcat has set up an incredible web tool and community hub for native speakers to contribute and help translate the game into their language. If you're interested and are a native speaker of a non-English language, you can assist with a translation currently in progress or offer to start the translation of your language if it's not currently listed.For further info, check out Cowcat's write-up on:X: https://x.com/i/status/2047412601433285098Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/cowcatgames.com/post/3mk6u77pte22sOr check out the translation hub page itself at: https://www.brokgame.com/translate.php
Once we have some of the translations done and ready to go, we'll re-launch the demo on itch.io and GOG - where it will remain accessible at all times - so keep an eye out for that.
Next up: feedback. The reviews, let's plays, and comments have all been incredible (yes, I've been watching), but here I'd like to hone in on the pulse of what resonated with you all and what might need some tweaks.- Briefly, in a sentence: what was your favorite part of the demo?- What are you most looking forward to in the full game?- What is your expectation for puzzles (IE: unlocking the lockbox)? Do you want a lot of them, or just a few? Do you hope that some of them are really difficult where you might spend many minutes solving them, or mostly mild brain-teasers that shake things up but won't ever stump you too hard?- Were there any parts where you were confused about what to do/how to proceed?- Were there any features or functions that you expected to be present that weren't, or you had trouble finding?- Are there any Quality-of-Life features (things like the Autoplay button, or Log button) you hope to be present in the full game, that currently aren't?- Any additional critique/comments that don't fit any of the above questions?
And finally: streams! For Patrons who have contributed at the Squealers tier, you'll have been granted a Discord role of "Squealer" on the Brok Discord channel. This grants you access to the brand-spankin' new Patreon Streams channel, and this Saturday, the 25th, from 2pm to 7pm EDT, we'll be having our first stream! Come hang out, chat, ask questions, and watch some rats get drawn.And yes, they will be recorded! Squealers-tier members will be able to watch them later. In the future, we'll probably try some other times/days just to make sure everyone has a chance to join in live, but we'll figure out the best schedule as things move forward.If you have any questions, just shoot me a message here on the Patreon or to my Discord handle @vacyphir
TL;DR: Demo will be back soon. Translations are underway (and you can help!). Gathering some feedback on demo to gauge what worked/what needs work. First livestream for Squealers-tier Patrons this Saturday, the 25th, from 2pm EDT to 7pm EDT.
-Austin/Cyphir