Iris Quest news

Dear Patreon comrades.

Only a month left until the end of the year, so we just can’t keep silent about the “Iris Quest” status.

But today we would like to speak not so much about our plans before the New Year, but about the project’s global vision.

When we started IQ, we wanted (and still want) to not only make one more ‘adult’ game, but also to create a product which will include ALL our knowledge and skills obtained during the work on others’ projects; to fulfill ALL our desires as players of games of similar genre; to adopt and develop ALL the ideas of our colleagues that we like, etc.

Coming from a team of three people, that sounds freaking ambitious. But there’s nothing impossible to it. Our experience shows that we’re capable of creating anything we try to. It just takes an awful lot of time! A shortage of people, resources and time sometimes makes us almost desperate! But mutual support inside our tough crew and tremendous support by you, our good Patreon comrades, helps us walk towards our goal, glumly but steadily!

We are not only using our experience during the development; we’re also acquiring the new one along the way.

Here’s an example.

At the beginning, we created a rough plot synopsis of the whole game and started to fill the fragments which progressed well. It definitely makes some sense. Why would you struggle with a fragment which isn't going very well when you have enough space to choose the one you have good ideas for? Then you can make them into life fast before you forget them or they ‘burn out’ in your head without implementation.

Sounds logical? Indeed. But here’s a catch: it doesn’t make the product release any closer. We have done quite a lot, but there was no way to compile these standalone fragments into a single game.

You could judge by yourselves how bad is the situation looking at the pieces we already released. It all starts in the city, events are going, going, going, and not too soon you’re gonna visit the bar from the “5 on 5” game and Shantae fragment. Then we have a lot of other events planned, the characters finally leave the city, enter the desert and after a lot of wandering end up in “The Goblin’s Curse” piece. 

Now you’re getting how bad it is, right?

But it’s even worse! We can’t publish big part of already created stuff without spoiling the things we planned! With a heap this big, no matter how hard we try, we’ll definitely miss something and spoil you a part of fun by revealing one of the plot mysteries. As a result, we are working hard, but all you see, our dearest patreons, is promises about how we’re gonna deliver! Not the best-case scenario neither for you, nor for us.

As a result, we decided to concentrate our efforts on the first so-called episode.

But then we decided to limit ourselves even more! We divided episodes into small chapters and decided to release them chapter by chapter. Well, it’s not exactly “we decided”. If we have resources, we’ll release two chapters at a time. If not, there will be one chapter to allow patreons and other players faster get what they want. And we’ll also receive so much needed feedback sooner.

What will become of it? As always, we dunno.

We’ll try to release the first chapter together with already completed prologue this year, and the first three – by the end of the winter.

Will we make it? That’s the question. We really want to make both you and us such a New Year present, but there are few remaining difficult parts… One thing is certain though, we’ll do our best! We have already accomplished quite a lot thanks to our dumb persistence and your support (not only monthly pretty dollars, but also simple good wishes). So, it’s a bit too late for whining and backing off.)

And that's about it.

Finally, here’s a New Year gift picture for you, Patreon comrades. Just in case (gods forbid) we won’t be able to finish the first chapter before the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve.