It’s been sort of obvious by now, but I am no longer working on this game. I originally planned to release episode 2 in around June or July… of 2018. It is now March of 2019, and I haven’t said anything about episode 2 at all since earlier that year.

After I released episode 1, I wanted to branch off into other projects and take a break from The Temple of Max. I had all of these ideas in my head, and I wanted to take what I learned from episode 1 and apply them to something new. I did still work on episode 2, but mostly on the side. I spent a lot of time making textures for the next big area, however once I started making levels I realised that I had no idea what to do.

Yes I had a visual set piece in mind, but really the gameplay wouldn’t be all that different from episode 1. wandering a maze, pulling some levers, open some doors, jump over some spikes or bottomless pits, etc. The Temple of Max is definitely my proudest released work, but the engine has a lot of limitations in terms of gameplay.

I felt that I had done everything that the engine had to offer in Episode 1, and that the game would just get stale in episode 2 and beyond. I felt that it was a bit late to add anything new to the engine (without screwing the compatibility of any player-made maps).

Since early last year I’ve been starting project after project, some of them even coming pretty close to being complete, but end up being scrapped because they’re not to my standards. That’s not to say I haven’t made any progress, though. I have definitely learned a lot this past year, especially when it comes to spawning enemies and projectiles, improving performance, and serious refinements to scrolling tile engines. These things definitely make for more compelling experiences, and I am continuing to develop and understand these ideas.

I’ve even thought of continuing The Temple of Max in an entirely new engine, which is still on the table, but that probably won’t happen anytime soon. My passion is being directed towards projects like Escave (check my twitter) and a few other unannounced games.

In conclusion, I’ve become more interested in other projects, and I hope that with these projects I’ll be able to grow my understanding of new mechanics to the point where I can make episode 2 a more compelling experience.

I hope you understand,
Silicon Odysseys