You may have noticed our last update was quite a while ago. This may lead you to believe we have died or stopped developing Ovelia: The Wake. Which would be wrong - we're very much alive, and Ovelia: The Wake isn't canceled (it's just on hold for the time being). We've just taken a detour using the experience as well as some of the features and assets from The Wake, with the intention of creating a more focused game.
With a heavy focus on platforming, action and skillful navigation, and less focus on story, our small team is able to polish and release the new project soon.
We'll tell you more about this new detour project when it's ready to be revealed and we will have frequent updates from there on.
Our goal and vision is still to make Ovelia: The Wake - we're way too excited about this world, about Feng, the Sky Cities, the Wake and Dare to simply quit. Just like we've taken features, assets and experience one way, we'll bring it back the other way, making Ovelia: The Wake a more fun and better game with this detour than it would've been without it.
So in other words, a practice game. I take it the practice game will be for free then?
It is not a practice game. It’s a full-fledged game, but with another focus than The Wake, and with a whole new style. We have been working on the game for some time now, and hope to show it really soon, and I think that when we do, it will be clear that it is not just a practice game.
It will sadly not be for free. We are all working full time at Coilworks, without any form of compensation. We have been doing so since the beginning, but our personal funds start to run low and we need to actually get a game on the market. Rather than compromising the vision for The Wake we decided to do this detour project and make something smaller but with quality that we believe will be worth paying for.
We all want Coilworks to be something that we can make a living on, and we will continue to work hard towards this goal. But for now, that does not include releasing games for free. Though if we had the funds to continue development AND give away full games, I would think it would be wonderful! : )
When we say that this game is smaller than The Wake it does not really make it small, because The Wake is a really ambitious project.
Sounds like you did the right choice, good luck!
looking forward to seeing some details on it. It's obvious The Wake is a good quality game, so we can expect the other to be top notch.