Demo Release Date

For those who missed it, we put out a brief trailer yesterday, which concluded with a very exciting announcement. The demo for Shift in the Master's Pen will release...

It's taken an immeasurable amount of effort and time to reach this point, and everyone who has worked on this game is thrilled to be here finally!

What's Included?

Just to make sure we're all on the same page, expect the following in this week's release:

• REEL RAMPAGE - the Projectionist's level (and its portal hallway)!

• Original music by @HeartLightGreen!

• 5 Game Jolt integrated achievements!

• A leaderboard system for all Game Jolt players to log their top scores!

• An extras gallery featuring the first batch of unlockables!

• And a short extended tease at what's coming in Chapter 2...

All in all, keep in mind that this is still the game's first proper level. Reel Rampage is far from the longest stage in a Dark Deception title, so this demo evidently is nothing crazy in terms of content. Master's Pen has been in development for over two years, but this demo isn't equivalent to 2+ years of development time. We've worked on plenty of other pieces for the game, which have gone through their own phases and iterations. The game's intro and hub (the Collage) will NOT be in this release.

What's Next?

After the demo launches, we'll sit back and hopefully get to see and hear about your time playing the game! This will not only be a sort of break for us, but it also provides the perfect opportunity to fix bugs and address feedback. I want this game to be the best it can be, and a crucial part in achieving that is keeping an open mind to any and all feedback. And of course, after an adequate amount of time, the team will shift their efforts properly toward the creation of Chapter 2 (as well as the parts of Chapter 1 not in the demo).

Thanks for reading, and have a great rest of your day. Goodbye!