This is the end...

Heya there! Erebus here. Wow, it's been a whole month since I made One More Light (OML). I can't believe there's >1.5k total downloads and plays. Thank you very very much for playing and for all the comments ^^

Now I know there are a lot of questions brewing, and to celebrate the moment I'm gonna share some tidbits about the game behind the screen.

What inspires One More Light?

You probably know from my previous project that music heavily influences my work (if you didn't, now you know). I took it a little bit further with OML. The title "One More Light" is a direct reference to the song of the same name by one of my biggest heroes growing up, Linkin Park. And in some ways, this is my way to honor Chester.

July 21, 2017. I was in a uni project with my friends, two of which are massive LP fans like me. Everything was normal that day, nothing out of the ordinary. It was the release date for one of their music video "Talking To Myself", so I was really looking forward to it. The internet reception was not really good at that time, so I gathered around with my friend, in front of the porch, under the night sky, and finally got the time to connect to the internet. Lo and behold we were struck by the most terrible news.

She was screaming "Why? Why?", he shed tears; the first time I'd ever seen him cry, and I was just sitting in silence completely stunned. The man who helped us through our worst times lost the battle with his demons. I was crushed, sad, angry... it was not fair. It's not fair that this happened to such a kind soul.

I felt so powerless.

He was there for us when we needed a refuge. I wished I could be there for him. I wished I could tell him "Things will pass, you got us." Do something in return. Anything really... The signs were all there. I wished and I wished, but there's nothing I could do.

Needless to say, I was miserable. We are devastated. And that's the reality of life. It takes just a moment, one intrusive thought, the strongest-looking person next to you may slip away of their control.

And that's where OML's theme comes from: a total coincidence. Things outside your control will come and change everything, even the smallest of things. But just like how that small thing can nudge you off your balance and lead you to spiral out, the smallest gesture can help someone stand firm again.

Some people commented how the second MC came out of the blue, no signs or whatever, but that's exactly the whole point. Admittedly though, I should have made the pacing better. But again, there was only a very limited time for me to work. I had to write the concept and character lines during my lunch break, on the way home when my friend held the steering wheel, and on the nights when I was not too tired or swamped with making assets.

But what does it have anything to do with "expanding"?

Butterfly effect. This is one important animation I couldn't put into the game before the deadline. But now you know!

So what's next?

With regret, this is the end of One More Light. Mikkel's story ends here, but Mycroft's is about to start. And so the project will continue under the new title "Blackout". It will dig more into noir / urban fantasy and American Gods vibe. There will be more actions, mysteries, and more gay stuff. I'm sure as hell will utilize this feature a lot, so expect a lot of interactivity!

With that being out in the air, I also have to say that I don't have a specific ETA. It's gonna take time, and I probably can't handle it myself. Soooo... if you're a writer comfortable in the genre, or an artist with a noir style, we might be able to do something together.

There's so much more I want to tell but it's 3 A.M. and I gotta go to work in 30 minutes >.<

Again, thank you everyone for playing OML! Your feedbacks mean a lot to me. Cheers!