Thirteen days ago, I sat in the live audience of Opening Night Live in Germany while I watched the pre-show announcement of my game from my phone. Everything since then has gone better than I could imagine... THANK YOU for believing in this weird game idea and supporting me! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45157714/efb6f276893d38692937238c8f92b031d045b4cd.jpg[/img] Before the announcement, I actually got a lot of feedback from publishers and playtesters that this game just wasn't gonna work, and that it was a bad idea. I really had no clue if people would resonate with it, so it almost moves me to tears to hear that people like it so far. A lot of beloved content creators have praised the demo already, and even [url=https://fandomwire.com/max-payne-alan-wake-sam-lake-we-harvest-shadows/]Sam Lake[/url] from Remedy said he loves it. It's so insane to work in secret for two years and hear stuff like that. I am extremely fortunate. There are still a lot of bugs to fix, which is my #1 priority. Any feedback you leave in [url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/1559720/discussions/0/4756451565239440090/]the forums[/url] will be seen by me, and if you have run into a critical bug that crashes/freezes the game, please [url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/1559720/discussions/0/4756451748407741581/]read this thread[/url] and try to send me your save file folder. I'm trying my best to diagnose these critical bugs, and after dozens of hours, I still can't figure it out, so your save folders might be the only clues I get. Furthermore, I have an important question for you. In a small way, this game belongs to you now, and what you want from it or are expecting from it matters to me as the solo developer. A bit of context first: I'm pretty much out of money. I kinda abhor publishers in general because of their insanely greedy terms and requirements (even the good publishers). I self-published my previous game, The First Tree, on every platform and I'm very proud of that. However, like I said, I'm out of money, and the game still needs 1+ year of work at least. However, I do have my retirement fund I could liquidate for a penalty fee. [i][b]THE QUESTION[/b][/i]: Do you think I should make We Harvest Shadows a smaller type of experience? Imagine a longer version of the demo but with a few more items, a vehicle, places to explore, story, etc,... but it will probably feel like a $15 game. I could liquidate my retirement account to pay for this type of finished game. OR... Do I actually find a publisher and get help? Do I use a publisher's resources to make the game bigger and better? It would make it truly feel like a $20 experience. Maybe even a small multiplayer mode could be added? (no promises) I'm at a crossroads, and I honestly don't know what to do. The idea of giving into a publisher now that the idea has been validated kinda makes me sick. No one supported me a year ago when I showed it to them, but you better believe they're crawling back now saying "HEYYYY ya know this is a great idea after all David!! Maybe give me 50% of all royalties forever please? 😁" HOWEVER... I want this game to be good. Your love for We Harvest Shadows makes me want to make the best thing possible. It's a hard decision. If you could, please leave a comment on this post and I'll definitely read it. I won't be able to respond to everyone, but I will definitely read it and ponder your feedback. Before this announcement, I told everyone in [url=https://youtu.be/5atgXBFdLL8]a YouTube video[/url] that I would leave the industry forever if this game idea didn't work out. I absolutely meant it, because I've been battling deep burnout and depression trying to make this "indie game life" work out... and your excitement and support have been the answer I needed. I'm so excited to finish this story and share it with you all. It's gonna be the best thing I've ever made, and I'm confident that it will be a game that sits in your memories for a long time. Thank you for reading! I'll keep you posted. Sincerely, David