Dear Viceroys!

We were selected for this year’s PAX Online East Indie Showcase and we took this opportunity to share the new trailer with some important updates.

You can check the trailer with the World Map & Smouldering City reveal here:

Demo available now!

We’re thrilled to finally let you play the new demo. In Against the Storm – Royal Woodlands Demo you will be able to explore the World Map and upgrade the Smouldering City up to the fourth level. It also features the introduction to the game’s mechanics and no time restrictions to play on the first biome – the Royal Woodlands.

You can download the demo here:

What’s more, you can share the screenshot of your city from the demo for a chance to win the full game! For more information about the Screenshot Contest, go here: Screenshot Contest – win the full game (x20)!

Epic Games Store partnership

The other important news is that Against the Storm will be a one-year timed Epic Games Store exclusive. 

I know that some of you might disagree with our decision so I will use the familiar Devlog format to once again share our thoughts with you.

The core team was working on the game after-hours for 1,5 years now. It was tough trying to reconcile the daily work with developing Against the Storm during the leftover scraps of the free time. Inevitably, we had to make it our daily job and establish a proper studio.

And that is a costly business. According to the estimations based on our and other developers’ data, we wouldn’t be able to make a living after releasing the game. We did consider all kinds of funding, including crowdfunding, patronage, loans, funds, etc., but it just didn’t add up.

We were in talks with different publishers and almost found a great partner, but then some unexpected things happened, and… we were back to square one.

Then, also unexpectedly, we entered talks with Epic Games Store and the new partnership was more than we could have wished for, no matter how cheesy it sounds. We received tons of support from the Epic Games team and the cooperation opened many opportunities for the game.

What’s the benefit?

Predominantly, the game will grow in content which we weren’t able to include in our original plans. We will be able to extend the early access period thus making the game bigger and better.

We also remain unconstrained when it comes to the vision and the scope of the game. We will continue to develop it along with players who decide to join us.

Lastly, we can secure the financial stability of the studio, guarantee the delivery of new updates during early access, and look optimistically into the future of our small studio.

What changes?

The Steam and GOG versions of the game will launch in late 2022. 

Our relation with both storefronts was great so far and our decision was solely based on the fact that indie game development is undoubtedly a rough way to make a living.

We know that using the Steam platform for advertising our game wouldn’t be fair, so we will go radio silent with Steam announcements for a while. You can follow the development of Against the Storm on our website, Reddit, or Discord. I know you must have a lot of questions so I’ll do my best to address them there.

What doesn’t change?

We will continue to work hard on developing a great replayable city builder for you (but with much less stress now). We will continue to stay honest and open to discussion and feedback. 

If you enjoyed the previous demo, the premise of the game, or our work as a team, please consider supporting us. We will respect your decision, no matter what.

Share your feedback with us

We would love to hear your impressions from the demo. It will help us plan the upcoming updates and features. And if you stumble on any issues, we’d be grateful for reporting them to us.

You can join the discussion with us and other players on Discord:

May the storm be gentle on you 
Luke & Eremite Games

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