Marching on - what lies ahead Survive the Blackout
Survive the Blackout - a game that many of you wanted to play and experience, and a vision we wanted to bring to life. As a tiny indie studio who wants to maintain it's creative independence, we decided on working without external financing or a publisher. A replayable narrative game where each choice matters was an ambitious goal, but one that we almost managed to reach upon the game's release. The majority of players were satisfied with our debut as it was upon launch, but we knew that the game fell short of expectations. 6 out of 10 positive reviews won't do. We know we can do better, and we're making it better.
For the last couple of months, we've been progressively releasing small updates, each improving the game's content, polish, and overall experience. Here's just a couple of things that these updates included:
Written content proofreading, corrections, and polish
New in-game events
More ways to influence the final outcome of the game
Animated buff and de-buff icons and description pop-ups
Many of those things are directly inspired by your feedback. We want to thank all the dedicated players - your help and support means a lot and keeps us going. The road does not end for Survive the Blackout. We'll continue to add content and improve the game until both you and ourselves are satisfied with the outcome, fully.
Now, in June 2020, Survive the Blackout is already quite a different game than the one we've released this winter. It's safe to say we've left the hard beginnings behind us. What lies ahead is more content (such as personal quests dedicated to specific characters), new mechanics (like the loyalty factor depending on your actions, applied to characters in the party), and more polish (like further proofreading and better, and more varied voiceover samples).
Thank you for supporting our vision!
Yours truly,
HOT Fixes
Dear Blackout Survivors!
Thank you again for your interest in our tiny studio's first game. We are happy that many of you are enjoying the game already as it is! But - there's no other way to put it - we screwed up our initial release. By some dark twist of fate, the build that was shipped to Steam was not the one intended for distribution, but a build of an older, in-development version that was never intended for your eyes. And it was lacking. Severely.
Among many other things - it did not include the correct version of the in-game texts. We apologize profoundly, because those of you excited the most about the game, the ones who bought it day-one - got te worst possible first impression. The today's patch improves the quality of in-game text assets, and we're working on polishing it even further.
There's also been quite a lot of other issues. The achievements wouldn't unlock properly, the sound was missing on some systems, and the game was wonky in some screen resolutions. We've been following your feedback closely (thank you for reporting all the problems!) and we've been fixing things as fast as we can. Here's a changelog for the hot fixes patch, that has been introduced today:
The correct version of the in-game text assets has been introduced
The achievement bugs have been fixed
Some quality-of-life and balancing fixes have been introduced:
Scavenging has been re-balanced to turn up more supplies and less locked doors
Character starting stats have been toned up
The conditions for different endings have been re-balanced
The bug causing the game not to display properly in some widescreen resolutions when you run it for the first time, has been fixed
The wide-screen menu items misalignment problem has been fixed
Some problematic in-game events have been polished and their logic has been revamped
The bug allowing you to continue the game from the savefile after the last character has died has been fixed
The option to turn off quick-time events has been re-named in the options menu, to make it more apparent that it has always been there ;)
The bug causing the game to mute all sound has been tracked down and removed
+ many more minor bug fixes and polish
We hope that today's patch will make the game much more enjoyable! Moving forward, in the next few days we're going to address further issues and slightly expand the in-game content. We want the game to communicate its rules in a mote clear way, so everything feels less random and the influence of your actions becomes more apparent. We're further polishing our main assets - the text assets. New illustrations and sounds will be added. The characters will get a bit of voiceover on interactions. We'll also continue to improve the balance of our game.
This is just the start of the road for Survive the Blackout. Thank you for setting out on this journey with us. Much more is yet ahead!
Yours,
The Extra Mile - taking care of issues
Survivors of the Blackout!
We're still very excited - and tired - after delivering our very first game to Steam's general public. We are very happy to see, that so many people immensely enjoy our vision and are willing to see through the rough state in which the game arrived. The first reviews prove that our concept of a narrative survival game is finding its fans. The negative reviews that came later, tell us that we need to put some extra work into the execution.
We are aware of the issues at hand. We need to take care of some bugs. We also didn't have the time to polish the writing as much as we would like to. But the story doesn't end with the release. We know we can do better. We are more then determined to do so. We know there's a dedicated community around our game that has always put a lot of faith into our tiny studio. We won't let you down! And those of you who only came by Survive the Blackout after the release - our obligation to you is just the same.
There journey is not over. Come with us! Baby Bison Games
Upcoming fixes:
Achievement-related bugs
Menu not working properly in some resolutions
Game logic in some events
Writing polish
&more
Survive the Blackout is here!
The Blackout... it took all light. The world as we knew it was over. We were cold, desperate, hungry, terrified of the future... But we had each other. Our leader Mark, the doctor, had a plan and gave us purpose in all this chaos.
He said keep moving. Even when the food was gone. We could barely walk. But he said we need to reach our destination. The Light. And we trusted him. What other choice did we have but to trust our leader? Even when he made the call to leave one of us behind.
He made us prey on the week. Said there was no other choice. A part of what made us humans... died that day. But we survived.
Then... suddenly. Mark was gone.
The world is in ruins. The leader of your little group has taken his own life. You are not sure what was the purpose of the journey he made take. But someone needs to step up. And the team needs some goal, a reason to keep fighting for survival.
How will YOU survive?
SURVIVE THE BLACKOUT
is a challenging game where the harsh reality of the world collapsing around you forces you to make one difficult choice after another. Can you keep your party safe, fed, rested, and healthy? Can you get them all to the elusive, uncertain goal? Is there no other option? Find out!
If you've purchased our game today, on the release day, you have not only our gratitude, but also a solemn oath, that whatever rough edges you might still encounter, we are working hard to polish them and make Survive the Blackout shine.
If you are wondering if the game - story driven, and text-heavy as it is - is getting localized into your language, the answer is: hopefully. We want to deliver the game in as many languages as possible, but only English was possible for the release.
Again - thank you for taking interest, have fun playing, and good luck surviving!
The road. This one word brings out so many emotions. So many images instantly come to mind. We, humans, get mesmerized so easily by the magic of the road. Many of us just can't stay put. Others live their stationary lives fantasizing about the journey that can be, letting the passage of time turn it into the journey that could have been. But, for millions of people throughout our species history, a nomadic life has been the only choice.
In Survive the Blackout the road ahead is dangerous, but pressing on forward brings hope. In fact, it might be the only hope for the group of survivors that you'll get to lead in the game. For each and every person in the grup, there is no "home" to get back to. For each one of them the past is but a painful memory of they have lost. The road is the only comfort that life after the Blackout can offer - and even that last shred of hope is fragile. It will be up to you, to make the journey safer. To maintain the morale. To keep alive the resolve to reach the elusive goal.
It will take some careful resource management, conscious leadership, and some luck in scavenging to help your small team endure the hardships of their journey. You'll need to learn to respect the road, to appreciate the gifts it has to offer, and to recognize and avoid the perils it brings your way. The sooner the better. Survive the Blackout utilizes many different gameplay mechanics - from storytelling down to inventory management - to make you experience the journey through the world in ruins to the fullest.
Survive the Blackout arrives on February 6!
Please add Survive the Blackout to your steam wishlist and hit the follow button to help us - the Baby Bison Games - survive the harsh reality of indie game publishing.
You can also support this release by following our Twitter and Facebook, or even sharing our posts from time to time. All help is greatly appreciated! This is also a call for the content creators and media - if you'd like to review/preview Survive the Blackout, hit us at: CONTACT@babybisongames.com or request a review copy via our disribute() platform.
Talk to you again, soon! Yours, Baby Bison Games team
A story about an apocalypse
We're done with beta tests and getting close to the release. February 6 is only 2 weeks away. This is a good time to set the tone for what you're about to experience.
Survive the Blackout isn't a story about the apocalypse. It is a story about *an* apocalypse. What's the difference? Look around. If you are reading these words, our guess you have a computer, or a laptop. A smart device at the very least. You've got time to play games, time for leisure. Apart from the struggle of late-capitalism, your life and well-being isn't in any imminent danger, and you're comfortable enough to focus on finding some entertainment for yourself. Your world is safe. Or is it?
We like to take for granted the comfort and safety of our civilized life. The truth is, that the balance of things is extremely fragile. There are so many factors in the system, that even some subtle changes can send it spiraling down to chaos, destruction, and strife. On a micro-scale this happens daily. They lose their homes, loved ones, security and hope to poverty, natural and man-made disasters, wars, injustice and other tragedies. Small apocalypses happening everywhere in the world. And this isn't new. It has been so for centuries, for millennia.
As a species, we are survivalists. We look an one apocalypse after another in the eyes and say: "no, thank you. I think I'd rather not give up and die today". Then we adapt. We brave the odds and come on top. We've been through this many times. Civilizations have fallen, but the human species soldiers on.
Survive the Blackout isn't a story about the apocalypse. It's a story about the fall of *a* civilization. The one that we happen to call our own. And it can be a story about how we survive the end, once again.
On February 6, 2020 be here with us and show apocalypse who's the boss. You will probably fail. More than once. But we know, you'll keep trying until you come on top. Because you're human.
Please add Survive the Blackout to your steam wishlist and hit the follow button to help us - the Baby Bison Games - survive the harsh reality of indie game publishing.
This is also a call for the content creators and media - if you'd like to review/preview Survive the Blackout, hit us at: CONTACT@babybisongames.com
Talk to you again, soon! Yours, Baby Bison Games team
New release date: February 6
Save the date! February 6, 2020 is the new day of Blackout!
Releasing an indie game on Steam is quite a challenge, nowadays. The competition is huge, the store algorithms seem to favor established AAA games, and the discovery queue feature is as dependable when it comes to presenting your game to the audience, as a politician in election campaign speech. You have to take a lot of things into account when releasing - things like other games that release on that day, time of the month, last year's crops and - apparently the date of the Chinese New Year. And when you learn that a huge sale is starting on the day of your planned release and will bury your game under a giant pile of -90%s - you have no other option, but to move your release date. That's what we did.
[previewyoutube="shBwmRddAlI;full"]
We are terribly sorry to inconvenience you in such a way, but there is very little we could do about it. February 6 is our new release date, and we just hope the last-minute schedule change won't derail our launch. If you wish us well, and would like to support our case - please consider [FOLLOWING] our game on Steam (and wishlisting it as well), or maybe even telling your friends about it. The situation is sub-optimal, but we have to play with the cards we've been dealt, and we would hugely appreciate your support!
So - in four weeks, on February 6, you'll learn what are YOU willing to sacrifice to... Survive the Blackout!
Best wishes for the New Year, and the whole new decade!
Yours, Baby Bison Games Team
Survive the Blackout launches on January 23, 2020!
What kind of person would you be if the society wasn't there to watch you? What would you sacrifice to survive in a world, where electronic-dependent civilization has collapsed? How much does it take, to turn people into beasts? What makes them remain human? On January 23, 2020 play Survive the Blackout, and find out!
What is Survive the Blackout
Survive the Blackout is a game about choices. Difficult, meaningful choices that affect the lives of the group of survivors that you lead, and the people you encounter on your way. While telling you a story - a little different one, each time you play - it stops after each step and asks you for direction. You will:
Try to survive in times of strife and danger get to safety
Act like a reclusive loner, a determined survivalist, or idealistic hero
Scavenge for resources that are scarce and in high demand
Manage your team's health, hunger, stamina and morale
Figure out how to overcome obstacles
Deal with strangers met on the road
All this, while a story of your journey unravels, and intertwines with the mystery of the Blackout. The narrative is non-linear, depends on your choices and changing circumstances, and it will take more than one playthrough to get the whole picture.
We need you!
Baby Bison Games is a tiny indie team from Poland. Survive the Blackout is quite an ambitious game, and we've developed it with love, passion, friendship, and imagination. Those things - we have in abundance. What we lack, however, is the marketing budget. This is why we turn for help to you - the gamers.
If you think you'll like this game and believe we deserve to reach more people, there's a lot you can do to help!
You can add it to your Steam wishlist, to get a notification upon release
You can buy it on launch day or close to it ($9.99, and there's going to be a launch-week discount!) - if enough people do, Steam will feature us on the main store page, significantly boosting our visibility
You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter and occasionally share or retweet our announcements (especially on January 23!)
via the distribute() platform. We'll be happy to provide you with a preview of the game, which will be upgraded to the full game on the release day. Any publications, posts, streams, and videos help us in a big way!
All this seems like a lot, but even one thing off this list that you can do will bring us a little closer to making Survive the Blackout a successful game.
We'd love to hear what you think! What makes you excited for our game? Will you be getting it on day-1? Please share your thoughts in the comment section!
Yours, Baby Bison Games
Survive the Blackout coming in Early 2020
Dear friends and followers of Survive the Blackout!
We want to update you on the matter of our game’s release date. Our decision is to postpone it until early 2020, to put more time into the development. We apologise to everyone who feels disappointed, but we do believe it’s for the best. Please hear us out!
We know that many of you are waiting to play Survive the Blackout in August. This was the date we were hoping to release our survival adventure, and we were holding onto that idea for quite a long while. It was quite doable, too. We just had to stick to the complexity level and mechanics that we’ve already had. Cut down on our original vision a bit. It would be just enough to launch successfully to Steam. To put Baby Bison Games on the map. That was the plan.
Showcasing the game on various events, talking to our community on Discord, and following the growth of the wishlist numbers on Steam we came to a conclusion that “just enough” isn’t enough. Not for us, not for the people waiting for the game. Talking to gamers excited about Survive the Blackout we saw that lots of people expect to see in our game a level of complexity that we originally wanted to have. As we said before - we were humbled by your reception of our project.
We are an actual indie studio. We don’t have a publisher rushing the release. We don’t have an investor breathing down our neck. We answer only to you - the players expecting a memorable experience, and ourselves with our ambition to deliver such. We feel that we owe it to you, and to ourselves to bring the game as close to what we all dreamed of as we can. Even if this means a couple of extra months of work (for us) and waiting (for you).
Again, sorry if you’ve already made plans to play Survive the Blackout in August. We do hope that come early 2020 we’ll show you that the longer wait was well worth it.
Thank you for reminding us, that we are all dreamers!
Yours,
Baby Bison Team
Humbled
You know this expression from PR conferences of huge AAA studios. It’s a tired old cliche. A guy in a smart casual jacket and geeky t shirt comes up on the stage and says “we are humbled by your reaction to our game”. Always seems a bit bullshity, especially if you think just how humble those studios act outside the conferences.
We are the polar opposite of an AAA studio. Yet, at this point, after showcasing Survive the Blackout at the Pixel Heaven Festival in Warsaw and Digital Dragons gamedev conference in Kraków, it’s hard to put our feelings into any other words than “we are humbled by your reaction to our game”.
Pixel Heaven 2019 - Indie & Retro Games Festival
Gaming trade shows and festivals, when you get to see people playing your game and hear their live feedback always gives you a bit of a rush. After a day or two you feel like your head is going to explode with enthusiasm and pride. You get at least a couple of people that will come up and say “this here, this is really my thing - it’s more of my thing than everything else I’ve seen here”. It puts a smile on your face that stays for days!
A gaming industry conference is a bit of a different story. When you get to showcase your work before other devs you can expect to compare your experiences, answer some technical questions, and moan in unison about kids only playing Fortnite these days. What you don’t usually get is praise and excitement. Well, we got praise and excitement. Both form festival attendees and game dev peers. More so, we’ve got all the people who added our game to their Steam wishlists, proving this enthusiasm works online as well - many thanks for that!
For a really small indie studio of 5 people this is an experience that can either be uplifting or crippling. We choose not to feel overwhelmed. We choose to accept all the high expectations and do our very best to meet them. The way you see our game - that’s the way we want it to be. It’s going to be challenging, but now we feel every minute we spend expanding and polishing our game is going to be worth it. So yeah, now we get it. Humbled.
Thank you! <3
Baby Bison Games
PS. Again, we would like to invite you over to Survive the Blackout Discord server if you'd like to follow the development of the game a bit more closely and get to know our team.
