DARQ: Complete Edition news & patch notes

In my previous update I promised to do something special for you all, given how much support you've shown me. It's not just about the Webby Awards - it's about your support over the years (some of you were following DARQ way before it launched!). I don't mean to be unnecessarily dramatic, but without you, I'd likely be homeless right now (it's just the reality of my particular situation). I had several ideas in mind:

• Steam gift cards! But...I can't possibly afford giving everyone a gift card.
• DARQ Content Update! Actually, it will likely going to happen one way or another, although pulling it off will surely take some time since I'm working pretty much every waking hour on a new game.

So what can I do now? Here's an idea...What if I were to send you a hand-written thank you note? This way, I can literally send one to everyone who wants one. People rarely get to connect this way because the Internet makes communication fast & easy...It's easy to say "thanks y'all!" online, but perhaps something gets lost when it's said like that...Hand-writing personalized messages takes time and effort - maybe that's why people do it so rarely. The only reason I want to do this is to show you that you all mean a lot to me and that I'm truly grateful. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/4662f73430b4ccbaa3471064eefc63a4f98d7b8d.png The card is 5x7", glossy, shows the cover of DARQ and says "THANK YOU" on it. It will have a hand-written message on the back. If you want one, simply fill out this form & send it to [email protected]:

FORM DOWNLOAD HERE

Q&A

• IS SHIPPING WORLDWIDE?

  Yes, as long the USPS delivers to your location (which is almost every country in the world).

• PRIVACY?

  This is super important to me: I realize that in order for me to send you a Thank You note, I need to ask you for your shipping information. Please read this privacy policy - we tried to make it as short as possible. Here's a summary:
  • Your personal information will only be used to send you the hand-written Thank You note. It will not be used for any other purpose.
  • It will be deleted permanently as soon as the notes are shipped (May 30th, 2022).
  • It will not be shared with anyone.
  • No marketing emails, no newsletters - nothing.

• DEADLINE?

  You can send the form by May 21st, 11:59 PM Pacific Time.

• IS EVERYONE WHO REQUESTS A CARD GOING TO GET ONE?

  Yes, unless it can't be delivered for a reason beyond my control.

• ARE ALL THANK YOU NOTES GOING TO BE WRITTEN AND SENT BY YOU PERSONALLY?

  Yes.

People of the DARQness, TL;DR: This is NOT your typical "Hey, we won this award, bye!" post.

WHAT HAPPENED?

DARQ won a Webby Award (Audience Voice) in the Independent Creator category. I must say, it feels crazy to see DARQ featured alongside NASA, Star Wars, Trevor Noah, Stephen Colbert, Billie Eilish, etc. etc. I'm pinching myself.

Does it feel nice?

Yeah. My ego is happy I guess. I don't care that much about my ego though. Do you know what makes me so happy about this? It's the fact that I can't take any credit for this award. I owe it 100% to YOU, because it's YOU, the audience, voted for DARQ. It wouldn't have happened without you, and for that I will be forever grateful.

Why is it so meaningful? (it's not what you may think)

It's hard to explain how much this means to me. Perhaps you already know a bit about me if you read my book. I was born in Belarus, the last remaining dictatorship in Europe. My family fled Belarus when I was a child. As refugees, we came to Poland and within a number of years, went bankrupt. We had no money to afford heating and basic necessities. There were other problems that were making my life hopeless and unbearable (I won't go into much detail here). My mom abandoned me. A few years later, my dad passed. I came to the U.S. in 2007 with $300 of borrowed cash. I had no connections. I spoke zero English. I stuttered. Perhaps I'm oversharing, but I actually went through a period of real starvation and came very close to being homeless in New York. A lot of things happened since then and I owe so much to people who helped me along the way. Coming from humble beginnings, it really feels overwhelming and humbling as hell to see how much support DARQ has received from this community. Making this game (+DLC's & console ports) took nearly 7 years of my life. I knew nothing about making games when I started and I took every risk in the world to make this game a reality. It was hard, ladies and gentlemen. Very, very hard. Seeing DARQ listed among all these big names is cool, but it doesn't mean much. Seeing that you care, however, means the world to me. It feels like we did this together. You had no reason to support me, yet you did. Again, after everything I've been through, I simply cannot take this for granted.

What will I do next?

In my last update I promised you that I'd find my way to show you my gratitude. I intend to keep my promise. I have something planned for you. A gift. I'm working on it right now, and I'll let you know what it is later this year. It will be free for all of you to enjoy and I hope you like it. That's the least I can do to show you that I really mean every word I say. Apart from that, I'm also hard at work on the new game. I can't wait to announce it, I've been working on it for quite some time. You all mean a lot to me. Thank you.

Hi DARQ fam!

What happened

The craziest thing just happened. DARQ got nominated for a Webby Award, in the "Independent Creator" category. Other category nominees include NASA, Stephen Colbert, Seth Rogan, Billie Eilish, The Star Wars app, and many more familiar names & brands. You probably know my story by now - I have to say, coming from very humble beginnings, this nomination feels completely surreal. All the success that DARQ has had, including this nomination, I owe to you and your support. I'll never forget this, I promise (if I ever do, please smack me hard so I could re-read this promise and come to my senses). {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/3d1e60973361c7e78efda3c5eb7b4cb21b99723c.png

Please vote

We're currently in the lead when it comes to the audience voting, but a lot can change in the coming days. Games that are nominated in this category all deserve to be recognized, and I'm a big fan of some of them myself. I'm truly humbled by the fact that DARQ is one of them. Needless to say, I'm asking you to consider voting for DARQ. If DARQ wins this award, you have my word I'll find a way to show you my gratitude. I already have a pretty good idea what I would do.

Here's how to vote:

Go to Webby Awards website

Click VOTE next to "DARQ: Complete Edition" (if you could click the Twitter or Facebook share button, that would be super helpful!)

Sign up for a new account with your email (or alternatively, twitter or facebook).

If you voted with your email, it's important that you confirm your vote by clicking a link in the email you will receive from the Webby Awards (otherwise, your vote won't be counted). {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/3e27b96c3eca89eb7975bd3dcb9a8db5c9dc0272.png Thank you - truly, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your support so far. Look how far we've come! It all started in 2015, with a crazy dream that seemingly had no chance of coming true. Now, the second game is in the works and will be announced later this year. I can't wait to share it with you. Love you all.

Physical & Kindle: OUT NOW ːlloyd_happyː

This 60-page graphic novel answers many questions about the game and reveals numerous secrets hidden in it. But there's much more to it. It also greatly expands upon the DARQ Universe with new characters, new locations & events not shown in the game. The comic book represents a full-fledged story in which the events shown in the game are just the tip of the iceberg. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/a7a0fff8eceda94a552fcb0a687b1ca485448272.png You can grab it on Amazon here.

THANK YOU!

BTW, wow. You really destroyed that pre-order button! The comic book made it to the Best Seller's list before it was even released. Nearly 500 days have been spent working on this thing, not to mention a big chunk of cash. This was never meant to be a "money-maker" - I just felt the story of DARQ needed to be revealed, whether it's a profitable endeavor or not. While I still doubt I'll break even on the costs of making it, it really means a lot to see so much support for this project. You know, I actually approached a large comic book publisher asking to release the comic worldwide. Although the project got interest due to its quality, it ended up getting rejected because there wasn't much conviction in the demand. Well, you've proven them wrong, which I must say, feels pretty damn awesome. Thank you for that. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/e65f2dd76159b03198336463f3fcf5548894682d.png

DARQ Comic Book is finished!

A 60-page DARQ graphic novel, over 1 year in the making, is finally finished and ready to be released. I'm super excited to share with you this trailer: (epic voiceover alert: sound ON) Art Directed by a former Disney, Dreamworks, and Universal Studios artist.

• You can preorder it on Kindle here ːlloyd_happyː. The paperback version is coming on March 15th.

Comic Books on Kindle?

Speaking of Kindle, I didn't know it would make for an awesome reading experience of a graphic novel, but it actually does. It can be viewed on any device and it allows for reading in the full page mode as well as in the panel mode (in which you scroll through individual panels, one by one). It surprisingly works very well for comic books. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/a7a0fff8eceda94a552fcb0a687b1ca485448272.png

Huh? DARQ has a story?

As you might already know, the story of DARQ is not told in the traditional, direct way. The events shown in the game are highly symbolic and cryptic, not unlike dreams. Inspired by David Lynch, I always wanted DARQ to be open to interpretation like dreams are. I love watching theories videos and reading people's thoughts about the meaning of the game. There are no right or wrong theories, they're all fun & super creative. To this day, however, I never stumbled upon a theory that comes close to the story that I had in mind when creating DARQ. It's not the only "right" explanation of DARQ. It is my explanation, one of many. I chose to share it with you through this graphic novel, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I & an amazing team of talented people enjoyed making it.

More than just a story.

The graphic novel answers many questions about the game and reveals numerous secrets hidden in it. But there's much more to it. It also greatly expands upon the DARQ Universe with new characters, new locations & events not shown in the game. These 60 pages represent a full-fledged story in which the events shown in the game are just the tip of the iceberg. I hope you enjoy this treat while we're preparing for the announcement of our second game. As always, thank you all for your support - our second game is big and ambitious. Making it wouldn't be possible without you. Stay tuned & have an awesome weekend! ːlloyd_in_loveː

Hi everyone! I have a few updates to share!

Game of the Year Award

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/08cb92a24d088a7ad29276e7a94b01512a2a622a.png I'm excited to announce that DARQ: Complete Edition has just won the Game of the Year Award at the Overcome Festival! I’m honestly super humbled by this. I had no idea the game would end up winning so many awards when I was working on it, not to mention an award like this! It really means a lot to me (as a reminder, I had to clue about making games when I started working on DARQ back in 2015). As always, thank you all for your support!

DARQ: Comic Book

We're finishing up a comic book based on DARQ. It has 60 pages and will be released soon. It was art-directed by Kelsey Haley (known for her work for Disney, Dreamworks, and Universal Studio), drawn and inked by Marco Ferraris, colored by Chiara Parisi, edited by Dean Clark, and proofread by Nancy Haight. The story is by yours truly. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/aba3e1b3e610321e1f95dbfd3f6e2f2300402c0f.png The comic will not only explain the events in the game but also will significantly expand on the DARQ Universe. If you want to be notified when it’s released, add your email here.

DARQ launches on the EGS

DARQ recently launched on the EGS. Back in 2019, I had said that if DARQ were to launch on the EGS, I would donate all EGS sales revenue to charity. I'm keeping my word - all revenue generated from sales on the EGS will be donated to charity. If you're interested in more details about the choice of charity and how the launch on the EGS happened, check out my Medium article here. If you have any questions, feel free to ask either here or on Twitter(@UnfoldGames).

Next project

Stay tuned for the announcement of my 2nd game. I've been hard at work on it for the last 6 months, and this time it's a pretty big production that has 10-times the scope of DARQ. It's a "AA" kind of project with a pretty large team behind it, including a number of AAA veterans. I can't wait to tell you more! Thank you for your support on this journey spanning over half a decade - it really means the world to me!

Hey Dreamers! My apologies for the blunder - the 1.3.2 version came with an unexpected bug. This little patch should fix the black screen / soft-lock issue when switching between the head and the body in several spots of The Crypt. A big THANK YOU to Dean C. and Georgie G who submitted videos, which made it so much easier to pinpoint the issue. Thank you all for understanding & your patience! Please make sure your build is updated to the 1.3.2b version (it shows in the top-right corner of the pause menu). Any other issues, let me know - Lloyd will get it fixed immediately ːlloyd_happyː

Hey Dreamers! A big thank you to those of you who submitted videos & stayed in touch to help me troubleshoot & bring you an even better, more stable build!

Fixed issues

• Some of you reported a soft-lock after solving the Bell Puzzle in The Crypt. It's now fixed.
• Some of you reported an issue that involved the head resetting its position in the rotating disk/coin puzzle. It's now fixed.
• Some of you reported issues with wireless controllers. No changes to the input system have been made in a very long time, so this was tricky to troubleshoot. Luckily, thanks to the report by @angelo.scarnata we now know that wireless controllers work as previously if you run Steam client as Admin. I'll do my best to investigate this further, but at least we have a working solution.

On my to-do list

I'm not done improving DARQ. If you notice any more issues, please report them directly to [email protected]. Apart from tweaks & fixes, here's what's on my to-do list:

• Support for more controllers
• Automatic resolution adjustment for systems that are way below our minimum system requirements (DARQ can run beautifully even on very old computers, below our minimum requirements - it just requires adjusting the resolution). I want to automate this process to improve the user experience.
• Linux version! (my promise is to give it my best try - I have no prior experience with Linux. If you're a Linux user and are willing to help out with beta testing, please reach out!).

Thank you all! DARQ comic book & new exciting projects are coming soon!

Hey Dreamers! Thank you all so much for submitting bug reports! I really appreciate your patience, positive attitude & understanding (It's genuinely difficult to release a perfect & bug-free build on day one, especially when a team is small and the level (The Crypt) quite ambitious and non-linear. ) I'm happy to say that most of the bugs that have been reported are now fixed. Some issues I was unable to replicate just yet, but I'm in touch with a few of DARQ's fans who graciously agreed to help troubleshoot those, so one more patch is definitely coming soon. While I'm working on the remaining issues that might take a bit more time, I wanted to release a smaller patch in the meantime, so you have a better experience with the game.

Fixed issues

• Switching between the body and the head rapidly in some cases resulted in controlling both at the same time. Not anymore.
• Sometimes switching from the head to the body would result in a change in lighting. Not any more (at least, that's what it seems like. If you still experience this issue, let me know).
• There were multiple unexpected collisions of lack thereof when controlling the head. Not anymore.
• A never-before-discovered bug in the first level has been fixed. A big thank you to @Amöbe for reporting it.
• The head no longer gets stuck in the air when it's left on the bottom of the second elevator (and when the elevator goes up)

To be fixed soon

Thank you to the members of this community who agreed to submit longer playthrough videos to help pinpoint what might be the cause. I'm working on these and a new patch will be released soon.

• Some of you reported an issue that involves the head resetting its position in the rotating disk/coin puzzle. I was unable to replicate it as of now.
• Some of you reported soft-lock when "hugging the wall" on the left after solving the bell puzzle. I was unable to replicate it and I'm working on pinpointing the issue.
• Some of you reported issues with wireless controllers. They seem to do with the recent Steam client update and I'm still investigating. I also heard that the issue is related to Steam Link. I appreciate your patience as I'm looking closer into it.

Thank you all for the warm reception of The Crypt & The Complete Edition across all platforms! The new patch and more improvements are on their way!

Hey Dreamers! Today we celebrate the release of the final content expansion for DARQ: "The Crypt." The base game + two DLC's are now called DARQ: Complete Edition. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/d853c50385bcb525d5f95c3a07eacd10ba82a2bc.png

How to Install "The Crypt"

• Simply update DARQ and you're done! ːlloyd_happyː
• The game should update automatically. If it doesn't, just restart Steam and it should do its thing.
• While "The Crypt" and "The Tower" DLC's will remain listed (temporarily), you don't have to install them separately. They are already included in the updated build.

New Achievements

For those of you who like a good challenge, the new achievements are now listed. There are 5 of them. Big kudos to those who find all 4 skulls in The Crypt. I made sure to hide them well ːlloyd_happyː {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/d9f5c016fadc88d8f6a6a96908ba0ea85f2f65c9.png

Controllers

As of now, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and most Logitech controllers are supported. This has been an incredibly hectic year, but now that The Complete Edition is released, rest assured that getting support for more controllers is at the top of my "to-do" list.

Consoles

Today, The Complete Edition is also released on Xbox One and PS4. The old-gen console releases will qualify for free next-gen upgrades for the entire year. Physical releases of DARQ: Complete Edition for 5 consoles will follow shortly after, in Q1 of 2021. This is a big milestone for me, as a first-time developer, and I couldn't be more grateful to all of you. Those of you who bought the game made it possible for it to grow, both in size (free DLC's) and in reach (new platforms). Sometimes, I have to pinch myself just to make sure that it's all real. I'm also grateful to Feardemic & Dreamloop Games - bringing DARQ to so many platforms is a Herculean task, and they've been incredible partners on this journey. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/182876624dadb33090e820507c56975add275491.png

Can't Wait to Hear Your Thoughts!

Let me know what you think of The Crypt! I've worked on it for half a year, so I'm super excited to hear your thoughts. The build was well tested and should be stable. If you happen to spot any bugs, please let me know. The fastest way to get support is through email ([email protected]). Happy exploring! Hugs

Hey, Lloyd's friends! Lloyd needs your help to get through the mysterious crypt, and he needs it soon! Mark the date - The Crypt DLC is launching next week, on December 4th! As promised, it will be free for all of you to enjoy. Check out the new trailer (which features some never-before-seen footage of The Crypt)! Excited for The Crypt? Keep reading!

The Crypt

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/52ac20d5f021ff604ae9bee48ae6334a0c71d96c.png The Crypt will be at least twice as long as The Tower. The average playtime varies between 40 to 60 minutes. Finding all hidden collectibles and unlocking extra achievements will likely take about 1 hour. https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/433550/extras/2.gif It's also the most challenging level in the game - at least that's what our beta testers say! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/dc331c7d1d1014ef74f221e709c7a99338a7f0f4.png

New Achievements

The Crypt will introduce 5 new achievements. Most are pretty difficult to unlock, so it's a treat for those of you who like a good challenge. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/d9f5c016fadc88d8f6a6a96908ba0ea85f2f65c9.png

Console releases

DARQ: Complete Edition, which will include the base game plus The Tower and The Crypt DLC's, will launch on PS4 and Xbox One on December 4, too! Those who purchase DARQ: Complete Edition on PS4 and Xbox One will be able to upgrade to the next-gen builds in early 2021. The free upgrade will be available for the entire year, until 2022. Switch, PS5, Xbox Series S|X, as well as physical releases of all console ports are expected in early 2021 as well. https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/433550/extras/1.gif

TIGA Award Nomination

Ok, this is a bit overwhelming, but...DARQ is nominated for the TIGA's Best Adventure Game Award, alongside...The Last of Us Part II (!), and other awesome games. I'm blown away and can't quite describe what an honor it is for a first-time developer.

Thank You

The Crypt took hundreds of hours of work. It ended up being the most ambitious level in the entire game. As always, thank you for your support for DARQ. Your belief in this project and in me means more than words can say. Also, thank you for being patient - it definitely took some time to get The Crypt to the point where it felt like the best level of DARQ. I feel extremely fortunate to be able to spend months working on something for the sole purpose of making it cool, something that I get to share with you. It wouldn't have been possible without your support. I don't take any of it for granted. Wlad

Hey DARQ fans! I'm super excited to announce DARQ: Dream Journal - a comic book series that will reveal many secrets hidden in DARQ and will expand upon the story of Lloyd and the DARQ Universe. Expect the comic books to be released in 2021 (print & digital). The art is being created by Kelsey Haley, known for her work for Dreamworks, Disney, and Universal Studios. Sign up for our mailing list if you want to be notified when they're available. Here's the cover art of Part 1: {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/c3f0b4a44c9ae16968416ee9d2c200b817e7e29c.png Also, stay tuned for the upcoming "The Crypt" DLC - it's coming this December! Love you all! As always, thank you all for your support! Wlad

Happy Spooktober! I'm excited to announce that my book "GAMEDEV" is now available as an AUDIOBOOK- it's narrated by Yong Yea, and he's amazing at it!

• Audible (Free with Audible Trial - bounty link)
• Amazon (audiobook, ebook, and paperback).

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/febe59f2d5884f3bdddafc161d6da4453cbc16e2.png

What is the book about?

This book assumes no knowledge of game development on the reader's / listener's part. It offers a sneak peek into my story and all the hardship and obstacles I had to overcome to make DARQ. In this book, I also share practical advice on how to go from knowing nothing about game development to making video games for a living (if that's something you're interested in). The book covers mindset, preproduction, funding, business, law, development, marketing, PR, publishing, distribution, as well as pre-launch, launch, and post-launch strategies. I hope it helps some of you, even if you're not interested in game development.

The book features advice from the following industry professionals

• Quentin De Beukelaer (Game Designer of Assassin's Creed Unity and Ghost Recon Breakpoint)
• Mark Kern (former lead for World of Warcraft, producer of Diablo II and Starcraft)
• Bjørn Jacobsen (Sound Designer of Cyberpunk 2077 and Divinity: Fallen Heroes)
• Austin Wintory (Grammy-nominated composer of Journey)
• Wojciech Piejko (Lead Designer of Observer and The Medium)
• Barbara Kciuk (Narrative Designer of Blair Witch)
• Rami Ismail (Developer of Nuclear Throne and Super Crate Box)
• Dan Adelman (Biz Dev of Chasm and Axiom Verge)
• Scott Millard (Publisher, Managing Director at Feardemic, Former Managing Director at Bandai Namco)
• Stephen McArthur (Video Game Attorney)
• Toms Martin (Video Game Investor)

What others had to say

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/a7e98bcd974e062703a447c21ea8bea115743833.png {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/f323723a227e54a8615b77cad39805b66265f53a.png {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/47a02ddfc2d7e1e756a49f0c28cb4dfc4515ec22.png {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/514d733dee391040571091b228b9b3b82ac4203e.png

Have a fun Spooktober!

To celebrate Lloyd's favorite month, DARQ is now 60% off. If you ever wanted to pick up the game or gift it to your friends, now is a good time. Thank you all so much for your support! As I'm writing this, I'm finishing up The Crypt - it's the most ambitious level I've ever designed and I can't wait to share it with you all (a couple of months from now). And yes, it's going to be free. In the meantime, consider checking out the book:

• Audible (Free with Audible Trial - bounty link)
• Amazon (audiobook, ebook, and paperback).

Much love to all, and as always, thank you for your support! More exciting announcements are coming soon! Wlad

Hey there!

The Crypt Gameplay Reveal With My Commentary

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/0143ae2bae22af56075166a53435a8b147d937bc.jpg I'm excited to announce that DARQ's second DLC "The Crypt" will be featured at Gamescom / IGN stream. You'll be able to watch the gameplay reveal with my commentary live on Saturday, August 29th, at 1pm PT / 4pm EDT / 10pm CEST. You can watch the event live on

• IGN homepage
• IGN Facebook
• IGN Twitter
• IGN Twitch
• IGN YouTube
• And more

In addition, you can also catch The Crypt trailer featured in the Feardemic Facebook Stream on Friday, August 28th (same time).

Wishlist The Crypt on Steam

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/d41634094115aca9ca652981ee668cc6e31b5e8a.jpg The page for the crypt is up! You can watch the trailer, have a look at screenshots, and most importantly, wishlist it, so you get notified as soon as it's released. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1337690/DARQ__The_Crypt/

Hi Everybody! This week marks DARQ's 1st Anniversary, so I've got some big news to announce!

The Crypt

The 2nd DLC is still in development, but it's for a good reason. I set the bar high, especially that "The Crypt" will be the final content expansion for DARQ. I want to bring you as much value as possible - my goal is to make it as amazing as it can be. The level became quite ambitious. It's large and features the most challenging puzzles you've seen in DARQ yet. It introduces new game mechanics and comes with a set of new achievements. As you will see, the environments got better and more detailed too. The main mechanic involves being able to switch between the body and the head: https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/433550/extras/SteamSpinningRoom.gif This DLC will also be much more tense than "The Tower." https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/433550/extras/FinalFullSteam.gif If you want to see more, be sure to check out the trailer: As promised, "The Crypt" will be free for all of you to enjoy. It might take a few more months to finish, but I hope you don't mind waiting just a bit more. It will be released by the end of 2020, along with the console relea....wait, WHAT???

Console Releases

I know some of you have been waiting for this announcement for a while! I'm thrilled to announce that I've partnered up with the publisher Feardemic, subsidiary of Bloober Team (devs of Layers of Fear, Observer, Blair Witch) to bring DARQ to consoles. If you've followed me for a while, you may already know that I've received many offers from publishers in the past. Having spent a lot of time dealing with publishers, including those who tried strongarming me into signing terrible deals, I haven't been able to find the right partner for DARQ - until now. Feardemic and Bloober Team are the leaders in the horror genre, so since the beginning, our creative visions aligned. Feardemic's team has been fair and accomodating to me since day one - I'm very happy with this partnership and it feels like the perfect fit.

Which consoles?

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/bf4709e6e997c7db7a2dcc8383a6ebb11f8471aa.jpg DARQ, along with the two free DLC's ("Complete Edition"), is coming to:

• XBOX ONE
• XBOX SERIES X
• PS4
• PS5
• NINTENDO SWITCH

IMPORTANT: If you want to be notified when DARQ launches on consoles, subscribe to Feardemic's Newsletter.

When?

We're aiming to release the complete edition of DARQ on all platforms by the end of 2020. "The Crypt" DLC will be released on Steam and GOG around the same time (for free).

What about physical distribution?

All console releases will have both physical and digital distribution worldwide. Digital is expected in late 2020, while physical can come a bit later, in early 2021.

What exactly does Feardemic do?

To clarify, DARQ remains my intellectual property, and Feardemic has no creative control when it comes to the game and its contents. DARQ will remain self-published on the PC. Feardemic will simply bring DARQ to consoles.

Will you make more games after DARQ?

Most definitely. I have a few game projects lined up, so stay tuned for more exciting announcements! Apart from that, there are a couple of DARQ-related "side projects" that I'm thrilled to share with you. Speaking of the upcoming projects...I'm incredibly grateful to all of you for providing me with the opportunity to continue to make games. It's a rare privilege that not many indie developers get to experience - I certainly don't take it for granted and will continue to do everything I can to show that to you. Going the extra mile with this free DLC is just one of the ways to express my gratitude. I can't wait to share with you what I've been working on! While making games is a lot of hard work, I absolutely love the process- I can't believe that I get to do it. It also blows my mind that DARQ has won so many awards recently. For example, being nominated alongside Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Borderlands 3, Death Stranding... There are times when I have to pinch myself! After all, DARQ became #42 Most Shared PC Video Game of 2019 (Metacritic). None of it would have happened without your support. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/7d75115809d9d4c8bf1800d3f29391e13d8b6f28.jpg I'll always be thankful to you and be on your side - mark my words. In the meantime, I hope you join me in wishing Lloyd a Happy (1st) Birthday! He's been through a lot and needs a bit of cake before heading over to the Crypt ;)

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/8757491d6af4429ac89d2517e1840f51a9fae024.jpg Hi everybody! While "The Crypt" DLC is still in development, I've got something important to announce. In the time of lockdown, I've been working on one special book. I felt it was important to do something that could potentially help some people. The book might not be useful to most, but those of you who happen to discover a passion for game development, as I did a few years ago, might find it very helpful. The book is for those who know nothing about making games and want to try to do it for a living. After all, that's how DARQ was made - I started without knowing anything about game development and made it mostly solo (well, 95% of the game).

My First Game Became #42 Most Shared PC Game of 2019 (Metacritic). I spent $0 on Marketing.

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/e9a457d6d24c94e3ad012d1649b361043b1530de.png EDIT: The book (paperback & ebook) is now out!. Please note: my book is not a “get-rich-quick” scheme. What you see above is the result of 3.5 years of hard work. Most of the game was done by myself. Although your game could be made a lot faster, achieving success in any industry requires time, hard work, and dedication. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/a7e98bcd974e062703a447c21ea8bea115743833.png As a first-time developer with no prior experience in coding, modeling, texturing, animation, game design, etc., I managed to launch DARQ to both commercial success and critical acclaim. With zero dollars spent on marketing, it was featured in major media outlets, such as IGN, Kotaku, PC Gamer, GameSpot, Forbes, and hundreds of others. Ultimately, DARQ became #42 Most Shared PC Video Game of 2019, according to Metacritic, with the average user rating of 9 out of 10. In my book, I share with you exactly how I did it. The book guides you through a step-by-step process of making a game: from downloading a game engine to releasing your first commercial title. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/47a02ddfc2d7e1e756a49f0c28cb4dfc4515ec22.png DARQ had over 70,000 wishlists before its release, which made it one of the top 50 most wishlisted games on Steam. It resulted in a strong launch. DARQ got listed on the “Best Selling” and “New and Trending” tabs on Steam. A day later, it landed in the “Featured and Recommended” — the largest spot on the Steam front page (the holy grail of exposure; shoutout to the almighty Steam algorithms!). {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/7236cb7682c253de730b165b513be640fbc2faa9.png In this book, I’ve made every effort to share with you all my strategies that resulted in DARQ’s success. I also write about things that went wrong, so you can learn from my mistakes.

It's coming in July

The book will be released in July (paperback, ebook, and audiobook). It's 260 pages long (or about 6 hours of audio narration). I hope it brings a lot of value to some of you. The audiobook is narrated by YongYea, a famous YouTube personality, and a talented voice actor. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/febe59f2d5884f3bdddafc161d6da4453cbc16e2.png My dear friend and mentor, John Corigliano, wrote the foreword to the book. I'll end this announcement with a little excerpt: {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/a755de4d5de65279e1bca0ee8998829c32410801.png

• EDIT: The book (paperback & ebook) is now out!.
• Read the complete announcement on Medium.com.

Stay tuned for "The Crypt" DLC - it's coming soon, too!

Hey! I hope you all are staying safe & healthy during this world crisis. Covid had an effect on our team (everyone is healthy, thankfully), but due to supply challenges & internet access problems in Italy (where some of our key members are located), this DLC is being developed completely solo (at least for now). Because of the amount of work involved (level design, modeling, texturing, animation, coding...), the development is expected to take some time. Luckily, with a ton of hard work, I've been able to make quite a lot of progress. I'm thrilled to show you a little bit of a preview, so you know what's coming: https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/433550/extras/DLC2_Preview.gif I set the bar very high - this is the most ambitious & most unique level in DARQ. This will be one of the most challenging levels, with some intricate puzzles and new mechanics. Although there is no release date yet, I anticipate an early Summer launch. As previously, the DLC will be free & will come with new achievements (more than previously). Stay tuned for more updates! Since "The Crypt" doesn't have its own Steam page yet, you can keep an eye on the release by subscribing to our mailing list (we don't spam and only send big milestone updates, such as major discounts or new releases) or social media if you like behind the scenes:

• DARQ Mailing list
• DARQ Twitter

Dear DARQ fans, This patch (1.2.2) is here to fix some of the issues you might have encountered when trying to play DARQ with X Box controllers. A few notes and commonly asked questions & answers:

• What controllers are supported as of now? X-Box One (Wired / Wireless), X-Box 360 (Wired / Wireless), Steam Controller. Also, as per your request, D-Pad is now functional. Support for more controllers will be added in the future.
• Can other controllers work with this patch? While not tested, if your controller shares X Box key mapping, it should work. Please note, these patches are quick fixes to some of the issues we overlooked in the 1.2 update (my apologies!). Adding support for more controllers is definitely on our to-do list.
• Run button (RT) doesn't work Please go to Steam Settings / Controller / General Controller Settings and uncheck any presets you may have selected. This should restore RT button functionality. (While selecting X Box Preset solved some of the issues in the previous patch, this patch doesn't require any presets to be active)
• Nothing's changed, my (X Box) controller still doesn't work Please make sure that the game has updated to 1.2.2 version. You can check the build version in the top-right corner of the pause menu. If it doesn't say 1.2.2, restart Steam Client and let the game update to the most recent version. If that doesn't help, make sure all controller presets in Steam Settings ( Steam Settings / Controller / General Controller Settings) are unchecked.

If you continue to encounter any issues with X Box controllers, please comment below. I appreciate your diligence in reporting problems and patience as we troubleshoot & resolve issues. I'm dedicated to resolving issues as soon as possible and your positive attitude means a lot to me (as some of the issues surprisingly require more time to solve & test than it may seem) P.S.: Stay tuned for the upcoming 2nd free DLC, it's entering production next week :)

Dear DARQ fans, I appreciate all of your reports regarding a controller bug that came with 1.2 Update. In some cases, the bug made it impossible to play the game with controllers that were supported in the previous build. My sincere apologies for this blunder - lesson learned. I'll do my best to prevent issues like that from happening in the future.

Patch Notes

• As we spend much-needed time with in-depth testing of the PS4 (and other) controllers, I want to offer you a quick fix: this patch will bring back the system that had already worked, so currently X Box One / X Box 360 (both wired and wireless) should work correctly.
• When using a controller, now you can exit the inventory with the B button (previously, the only way to exit the inventory was to select an empty slot or click Select).
• For keyboard users, now you can navigate the pause menu with either ASWD + E or with arrows + enter, regardless of what control scheme is currently chosen. This has been requested multiple times and I'm happy to make it happen in this patch.
• You may find that non-X Box controllers might work as well (if they share X Box key mapping), but we haven't tested them with the current build and cannot guarantee anything but X Box controllers to work correctly at this time.

Thank you for your understanding and patience as we continue to improve & test our input system. We'll do our best to add support for more controllers once we have the opportunity to test things properly. Most importantly, thank you all for the warm reception of the DLC - it means the world to me.

I'm excited to announce that today marks the release of "The Tower" - a free DLC that I'm so thrilled to share with you.

How to play "The Tower"

• This DLC requires a 1.2 Update (or higher), so make sure your DARQ build is up to date. When in doubt, you can verify the version you have in the pause menu (upper-right corner). The 1.2 build has DLC section in the pause menu: {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/f5a0af5afb1c9cd995500a885b979927e484099e.jpg
• Go to "The Tower" page and click DOWNLOAD.
• Before running DARQ, make sure that the DLC is marked as "Enabled / Installed" on your DLC list. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/bf5c2ac3e07c4e8489e81b0a8cfe2866b0a182fd.jpg
• In DARQ, go to the Pause Menu and enter the DLC section - you'll be able to access the list of available DLC's. It's one for now, but we've already started working on the second one, which as promised, will be free as well. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/935449fd00ccc504037235e921f1f2f535dd0c41.jpg

Hope you enjoy this level! A lot of hard work and heart went into it. I can't wait to hear from you. Consider writing a review or leaving a comment - all feedback means a lot to me and helps me improve the game. P.S.: If you encounter any issues with controllers, please know I'm already on it and will be patching it up shortly.

Special 50% Discount

Recently I've received a number of comments mentioning that the price point for DARQ is a bit too high when it comes to the amount of content offered. Message received. In addition to this free DLC (and future free expansions), DARQ is now temporarily being offered at a half price, so even more people can (hopefully) enjoy it. If you recently purchased the game at a full price, you can request a refund and re-purchase it at the discounted price. Please consider spreading the word about this promotion, or if you can afford it, gifting the game to your friends who might enjoy it. It would help accelerate the production of the second free DLC.

Thank You

Big credit and much gratitude goes to Davide Pellino and Felipe Torrents (3d artists), Bjørn Jacobsen (sound designer who was just nominated for a Game Audio Award for this very game), Kelsey Haley (2d artist), our incredible team of translators (all listed individually in the game's end credits), and all of YOU who purchased this game - it's thanks to you the creation of this DLC was possible.

1.2 Update is now out! Make sure you update the game before you play "The Tower" DLC, (which launches tomorrow).

Notes:

• This update introduces 4 achievements. Two of them you can unlock in this update even today, as you wait for the DLC release. The other two are unlockable in the DLC (tomorrow) and their description will show up as the DLC releases.
  • {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/9e96d9e0ef17e7594da5e659eb6114e579e64715.jpg Perceptive Trigger 3 secret encounters with the bag-headed boy. To clarify, the secret encounters required to unlock this achievement are different from those triggered automatically as you progress through the game. Some of those are well hidden.
  • {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/2ece0432f027942e67efa2728a304c41ee14b6f0.jpg Off Camera Solve the rotating camera puzzle (on the train level) before the camera completes the first rotation. Fair warning: this is difficult. Easily the most difficult achievement to unlock in the game.
• PS4 controller support EDIT: I've received some feedback about controller detection issue. I just released a 1.2.1 patch that fixes it, but PS4 controller will need a bit more time to be implemented properly. Sorry about the inconvenience.
• Danish language is now available from the settings menu. We're working on implementing Arabic, which should be available in the next update. If you want DARQ to be available in your language and it's missing, request it in the comments!
• Minor bug fixes. Thank you for reporting bugs and being patient as we address all issues that come up.
• DLC functionality - you will be able to play "The Tower" DLC as soon as it becomes available tomorrow. Make sure it's marked as "Installed" on your DLC list. Once it is, you can play the level by accessing it from the pause menu.
• The default control scheme for keyboard has been changed to ASWD + E. The game will remember your previous choice if it wasn't ASWD + E.

"The Tower" is launching tomorrow, on Steam and GOG, expect it the morning of Pacific Time Zone. Can't wait to see you all play it!

Dear DARQ fans, It's been a while since the last update, and I wanted to be transparent with you all and let you know about what's happening. My intention was to release the first DLC by the end of 2019, but due to unexpected family emergency I have to postpone its launch (as a reminder, we're still a very small development team and most of the work is done by one person - me). My sincere apologies to those who were looking forward to playing the first DLC in 2019. "The Tower" expansion is pretty much finished and only needs a bit more work when it comes to Steam and GOG integration, as well as some extra testing. But my life is a bit too overwhelming at the moment and I'd rather come back to it when I can give it my full attention, so the new content is as good as it can be. I'll be trying to release the first DLC "The Tower" around March, and the second one shortly after. As promised before, both DLC will be free. I have some more exciting news to announce around that time as well. Happy 2020 to all of you and thank you for your understand and all the support you've shown so far!

Hi & Happy Thanksgiving! A few people have posted comments about nominating DARQ for a Steam Award. Thank you so much for your vote of confidence and all your support, it truly means a lot to me! If you haven't voted yet, please consider nominating DARQ for one of those awards - it would be a dream come true for me to see DARQ get a nomination.

DLC Update

I'm excited to say that the first DLC ("The Tower") is almost finished. This turned out to be quite an ambitious project - it's currently the largest level in the game. Here's a little sneak peek into the development / modeling: {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/fa29c8082bc2bf48bcdb8347e6345763fbbe0ff3.gif I (and a small team of contractors) am aiiming to finish it before the end of the year. I'm so excited to show it to you. As promised, all DLC's will be available for free. One more DLC will follow early next year. Although DLC's will be slightly more challenging than the rest of the game, playing them will not require finishing the main campaign. https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/433550/extras/Render-Animation.gif Happy Thanksgiving to you all, and thank you for your ongoing support!

DLC Announcement

Thanks to the overwhelming support we've received from the community we were able to expand the team and begin production of the first DLC. Since the recent update we've been hard at work on the first expansion: "The Tower." {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/2351d447540907e33f41a2dad253953594ac8935.jpg We'll be able to announce the release date soon. The DLC will launch quite soon though, so it won't be a long wait! As promised, this and future DLC's will be free for all of you to enjoy. Here's a sneak peek from "The Tower:" https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/433550/extras/DLC.gif

Upcoming Patch

Although we're hard at work on the DLC, we're going to continue to release patches and provide customer support as needed. Once we're done with the DLC, we're going to release a patch that will add support for more controllers, fix a few minor bugs, and add 1 extra language: Danish.

Bonus

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33932460/5bbff6ffee0de95fc724130d48f9d431a5469b30.jpg We have something for you to make the wait more fun. Here's a download link to:

• 13 DARQ wallpapers
• 2 music tracks: one from the game's end credits and one that didn't make it to the final build (it was never released publicly before). Both tracks were recorded with Budapest Symphony Orchestra

DOWNLOAD Thank you everybody who purchased the game and showed their support for DARQ! We're super excited to share this DLC with you all!

https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/33932460/602c69618dafa594fc069fc9faa50db94e752a7e.jpg Hey everyone! Thank you for your patience as we were preparing this update. There's a few more things left on our to-list that we're currently addressing (thank you for reporting issues and suggesting improvements). More updates will follow.

Update Notes:

• Controller
  • In addition to Steam Controller, DARQ now supports X-Box One and X-Box 360 controllers, both wired and wireless.
  • Now running can be triggered by both RT and L3 (pressing the left stick)
  • The game can now be unpaused with "B" Button
  • Now both "X" and "A" buttons can be used in the pause menu
  Please note: we'll be releasing more updates soon that will add support for more controllers - the list of all supported controllers will be kept up to date in the System Requirements section.
• Bug Fixes & Improvements
  • Reloading chapters no longer resets brightness
  • Train Level: dying while picking up the dynamite no longer disables the inventory / prevents from picking up the dynamite again. Sorry if you experienced this bug!
  • Hospital Level: now the screw cannot be moved when out of view
  • Cave Level: Fixed the bug that caused the wrap-head monster to appear too early in some cases (in the last section of the level)
  • Improved edge walking in stealth mode

More improvements are coming soon! Now that the overwhelming launch period has passed, we'll be able to address issues and improve the game a lot faster. Thank you so much for your feedback so far! If you have any further requests, issues, or suggestions, the best way to reach us is by email: [email protected]

https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/33932460/57ce220ef9fe03a6b6a63987c8e8ed2e4f267953.jpg

Thank you!

The amount of support DARQ has received from the community has been incredible. I didn't expect my blog post (Why I turned down exclusivity deal from the Epic Store) to result in so much good will and support. Please know that I don't take any of it for granted and I'm truly grateful. Unfold Games will always be on the side of its customers.

Upcoming Patch

We've been working on a patch that will add support for more controllers and fix a few bugs. Big Thank You to the community for providing feedback and reporting issues, as well as your patience - the patch should be out in a few days.

Surprise Announcement

The feedback we've received has been overwhelmingly positive, which is a dream come true for a first-time developer. Something that has been mentioned quite a lot since the launch is that DARQ could use a few extra levels. Message received! I'm excited to announce that we're planning to release additional levels for DARQ later this year. To acknowledge all the support we've received from the community and express our grattitude, DARQ DLC's will be available for free.

Happy Launch Day! DARQ is now available to purchase on Steam. We hope you have a blast playing the game and enjoy it as much as we enjoyed making it! A few quotes below: https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/33932460/bbac7ba161114784022ab02931743f9098fc1c0e.jpg https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/33932460/139eec282b168a747c670eda6969aaeda323920f.jpg https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/33932460/f976893025fd44dfea88ec0035ef5d6e464eaac0.jpg

https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/33932460/213a8ac5027fb14fa50d8980d8e680a430ddbff0.jpg

It's TOMORROW

Hey dreamers! The launch day is almost here! DARQ will launch tomorrow, August 15th at 10am ET! Thank you everybody for wishlisting the game and patiently waiting for its release. We couldn't be more excited to share this game with you all.

Launch AMA

Two hours after the launch, at 12pm ET, the developer of DARQ will be answering questions in the AMA format on reddit, in r/Games. Stop by if you have any questions or just want to chat!

Frequently asked questions

• Does DARQ support a controller? Yes, DARQ supports X Box Controller and is configured to work with Steam Controller as well.
• Does DARQ have soundtrack? Although we recently made an announcement about DARQ soundtrack, in the end we realized that the game needs very little music. Most of it was removed from the final build, as it makes the game better. We might release all the music that didn't make it to the game at a later date, for free.
• What can I do to support the project & its developers? It would mean a lot to us if you leave a Steam review after playing the game.
• Is there technical support? Yes. We worked very hard to ensure a bug-free experience on launch and according to the reviews, DARQ plays well, is well optimized and stable. It's not unusual however to miss a few bugs on launch, and we're totally ready to address any issues, if any, immediately. You can report bugs in the community forum or email us at [email protected] - if there are any issues with the game, you have our word that they will be addressed instantly.

Thank you for following this project, this really means the world to us! Exciting day tomorrow! https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/33932460/dfc198f4818c5d99783eb7acfcd0a4379b3292aa.jpg