2024 was a year of transitions, as I wrapped up several big projects and settled into my new home.

FINISHING UP PROJECTS

There were a lot of files to review for Strange Nightmares to make sure everything was good for release. I received early samples of the game and the merch for review as well, and signed a bunch of stuff for the Kickstarter backers. The manufacturing phase took longer than expected so shipping got pushed to January, but its been great to finally see the products reaching fans and how happy they are.

Check out the How to Play video I made for Strange Nightmares:

If you missed out, heres the store page for Strange Nightmares stuff:
I also finished the narrative and final art piece for Strange Boxes, which was a lot of fun to work on. I hope everyone who got the boxes enjoyed their time with them!

Another big project that came to an end in 2024 was the Sally Face art book. The files were finalized earlier in the year and the book launched in October. If you havent gotten your hands on it yet, it came out awesome! Titan did a great job with it. You can grab a copy on Titans site and its also on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, Target, etc.
In previous years, I had been working on a pitch for a Sally Face animated series. We got as far as signing on with two big studios and pitching to the major networks. Unfortunately, despite a lot of interest from the networks, the timing just didnt work out. But the high amount of interest left me hopeful. In fact, Ive been working on a movie pitch that I think is shaping up to be something great. So fingers crossed we have better luck with that avenue!

THE HOUSE OF HAMELIN

With my other team, Wither Studios, weve been continuing work on The House of Hamelin a deckbuilding roguelike game where youre searching for your missing cat in the twisted halls of an ever changing house thats filled with horrible creatures. This game has been a ton of fun to work on and is shaping up awesomely.

We demoed early builds of the game at the Phoenix Theater in Pittsburgh, at TORG in Columbus, at the Bit Bridge Halloween Showcase in Pittsburgh, and at Cleveland Gaming Classic where we also won an award for Best Art Design.

Were aiming for an Early Access release sometime this year. No exact date yet but well announce when were ready. In the meantime, wishlists are extremely helpful to securing a successful launch. So any wishlists are greatly appreciated!https://store.steampowered.com/app/3233300/The_House_of_Hamelin/

PERSONAL STUFF

As a personal update, Ive been exploring alternate options besides surgery for the herniated discs in my neck but I havent found a good solution yet. Ive also been having some other mysterious health issues that Ive been getting a lot of tests on, but with no luck. Im hopeful that things will improve, its just been a bit of a mental weight on me this past year.

Ive also had a lot of various household projects, with the new house. It seems like theres always something to fix or work on, but that was to be expected. At least its usually rewarding work (I even replaced a full sink on my own and it works and everything!). It may have taken me until my late 30s to be able to afford my first home, but Im proud of it and feel fortunate to have this nice spot to settle down in.

Speaking of feeling fortunate, I was able to do the annual Halloween Road Trip with my good friends again and it was such a great time. We hit 6 haunted houses and 2 escape rooms in 3 days. Im already looking forward to next Halloween!

A NOTE ABOUT SF2

I was able to get more done on Sally Face 2 in 2024. Though, progress has been slow with all of my other projects. So its going to be a little while still and I thank you all for your patience and understanding.

I dont like to give release estimates until I have a time frame Im more confident with. If we look at the first game, it took about 8 years of development (2015-2019 for the episodes, 2020-2022 for console ports) and besides writing the script for SF2 while working on other projects, development didnt really start until 2024.

That said, Im still planning to hire a couple people to help speed things up significantly. I know Ive mentioned this before but I was too quick in bringing it up and wasnt ready as soon as I thought Id be. But Ill definitely be putting the call out this year sometime. So if youre interested, get those portfolios ready! Just please wait until I make the announcement for job openings before emailing me.

SO MUCH MERCH

If youre itching for more Sally Face merch, here are some neat new things:

[url=https://youtooz.com/products/sally-face-plush-9-inch]YouTooz pre-order (today is the last day!) [/url]

[url=https://www.spencersonline.com/product/sally-face-slippers/276080.uts]Sal Slippers [/url]

[url=https://www.spencersonline.com/product/sally-face-lounge-pants/266261.uts]Sally Face Pajama Pants [/url]

[url=https://www.spencersonline.com/product/sally-face-checkered-crew-socks-/267256.uts]SF Socks [/url]

BONUS LORE

Back when we were doing the Kickstarter for Strange Nightmares (in 2023!), I released a few little Sally Face bonus lore bits. I came across these again recently and I thought it'd be nice to share them again for those who haven't seen them!

THANK YOU

Thank you all for continuing to support the world of Sally Face as it expands beyond what I could have ever imagined it would. Its been a tough road, full of ups and downs, and at times, has felt very overwhelming. Yet, the fans have made this journey feel worth it.

Keep fighting the darkness

Steve

[ 2025-02-18 16:24:51 CET ] [Original Post]