Hello everyone!
It has been some months since the release of Three Minutes To Eight, and I'm writing this DevLog to reflect on the nine months that have passed since the games launch.
Developers often share insights into the development process (as I did in a previous DevLog and a video interview partially featured on the games Steam homepage), but it's less common to hear their thoughts nine months post-release.
Well, here I am! I must admit I'm a bit disappointed with how things are going with Three Minutes To Eight, both in terms of sales and player reviews. I consider Three Minutes To Eight the best game I've ever made, yet the sales and reviews are worse than some of my previous games like ENCODYA or Clunky Hero. The market isn't at its best right now, but adventure games are still selling a decent number of copies.
I'm not here to whine about bad luck or things like that. There are hundreds of video games released every month; its normal that some do well while others dont. However, we launched with a decent number of wishlists (about 30K), yet the reviews are mixed, and sales are so-so. This is despite receiving a solid 5/5 from Adventure Gamers (registered as 100/100 on Metacritic) and winning the Best Indie Game award at the Game Development World Championship, Summer Edition 2023.
So, what's the reason behind this "meh" result?
I believe the strengths of my game are also its weaknesses, at least for some players. The unique aspects that make my game stand out among many adventure games are also considered its flaws. Three Minutes To Eight is a classic example of a game that you either love or hate. The limited locations, repetitive actions, time loop, and narrative structure (or lack thereof, with ten different narratives that coexist in a clockwork mechanism, without a main story) have apparently displeased a good portion of gamers. Yet, I think these aspects also make it a great and unique game. Not to mention that the soundtrack, voice acting, dialogues, and aesthetics are top-notch, a fact recognized even by those who didnt leave a positive review.
Overall, I think it's a game that requires time to fully appreciate its mechanics, philosophical messages, and psychological puzzles filled with secrets and Easter eggs. Unfortunately, in 2024, with the constant bombardment of new titles, players often dont have the time to get captivated by such a game. Thats my fault; I should have designed it differently or provided more engagement from the very first minutes of gameplay.
It is what it is. But I still hope the game will find its special niche, becoming a cult title beloved by a growing elite, if not by the masses.
In the meantime, I've been working on a new game, which is totally different, called Speedollama. It's coming to all platforms (PC and consoles) this fall.
Furthermore, today, together with Assemble Entertainment, we have created a special discounted bundle with all my adventure games, including the acclaimed ENCODYA, Three Minutes To Eight, and Soul Tolerance, another title that deserves more recognition.
Have a look! Its a great chance to get a bunch of good games at a cheap price!
And if you haven't played Three Minutes To Eight yet, give it a chance. And if you like it, please consider leaving a Steam review. It truly deserves more attention!
Yours, Nicola
[ 2024-07-22 17:00:09 CET ] [ Original post ]
Dear Puzzlers, Today the Steam Awards are kicking-off. I would be honoured and thrilled if you choose to cast your vote for Three Minutes To Eight in the Most Innovative Gameplay category. Thank you for your ongoing support. Yours, Nicola https://store.steampowered.com/app/2303320/Three_Minutes_To_Eight/
[ 2023-11-21 18:02:20 CET ] [ Original post ]
Dear Puzzlers, thank you for your humble feedback on my latest developer notes about the most reported flaws of Three Minutes To Eight. As stated there, I took your feedback very seriously trying to adjust the discussed negative issues as good as possible. Here's the changelog:
- Removed the "Typewriting" effect on subtitles (now they appear right away)
- Reduced them to the bare minimum "safety" time before skipping a dialogue line
- Both things make the skipping of lines about 5X faster than before
- Also, there's a 1 second safety margin when the dialogue options appear, so if player is fast-skipping all the lines, then it has a short moment of pause when it's time to make a decision (this to avoid to start a dialogue again by mistake)
- Improved the movement when using Point'n'Click controls
- Holding the left mouse button down will keep the player running until it's released (to avoid double clicking each time, very useful when running on large scens, like the street)
- Fixed a bunch of localization issues; especially for German, Italian and Chinese
- Fixed a bug related to giving the Titanium Positron to PD-99 when you're not on that narrative
- Fixed a bug related to showing the year as "nil" when ending a narrative in the future during narrator's lines
- Removed the possibility to have duplicates of items (like battery and charged battery, pistol and charged pistol, etc.)
- Lowered the intercom sound to make it less bothering
- Adjusted the size of text for the Journal as well as adding green highlight to the last line (once accomplished), for better readability of the various narratives
- Plus some additional minor polishing and bugfixes.
[ 2023-11-08 09:08:41 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hello Steam Community, Three Minutes To Eight developer is here. And before we dive into the feedback, I want to express my honest gratitude to everyone who has supported Three Minutes To Eight. Your enthusiasm, your feedback and support really mean a lot to me. So far, Three Minutes To Eight has collected very mixed reviews since its release. There are people that absolutely love it, and people that dont which is okay. Creating a game that everybody loves would be the holy grail. Positive or negative, Im beyond thankful for everyone that chose to play my game and took their time to provide me with valuable feedback. Anyways, while it's always tough to receive and read negative reviews especially as a mostly solo developer with little resources I still see it as a valuable opportunity to learn and improve both the game and me on a personal level. I'm committed to taking your input to heart, trying to make the game the best it can be. So, since its always important for me to listen what players have to say, I'm working on a patch with a few fixes (to be released early next week). All in all, I'd like to share some development insights regarding a few points of this game and its intricate mechanics to give you a better understanding how certain things work in Three Minutes To Eight and why. In summary, the most disappointing points coming from the ones that left a negative review, can be summarized in two things:
- I don't know what to do.
- I cannot skip dialogues.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO
The game starts in a state of confusion, like the protagonist, who must find out what's really going on, starting with just a few clues. The design of the game is that every narrative is doable within the very first run (given that you know what to do), and all the 10 endings are co-existing at the same time.
How is that possible?
The articulated design is based on "triggers". For example, a trigger could be a certain event, items that the player can find, or something that a character says. Once that trigger is unlocked, you can follow a specific narrative, and a series of elements become available, especially on dialogues with NPCs. For instance, and this is not much of a spoiler, at 19:45 there's an explosion. The notes (and the journal) notify the player about it. That's a trigger. After the explosion you can basically talk again with the NPCs; and while most of them will give just a generic info about the explosion, there are a few that will give a very specific explanation, unlocking another trigger (and again: the notes will be updated with the new info). This applies to every narrative. When an event, a dialogue, or an item triggers something, a note is added to the journal allowing the player to talk further with characters and discover more about that path. This is basically the core loop of the whole game, and maybe it becomes clear only at a certain amount of playtime. Also, the voice at the intercom, after some runs, starts to give hints like "follow the patterns", "talk with people", etc. I know this is not the standard way of how adventure games are usually developed, but I thought that this sort of mechanism was also part of the charm of this game, what makes it truly unique and original, despite the fact that repeating similar things many times can be boring for some people (especially in 2023, where we are bombarded by something new every 10 seconds). However, even in the repetitions, the game has many surprises and incredible things that happen. No run is really identical to the previous one. All in all, my big guidance through TMTE is: Always check the notes, once a note is added; you can talk with characters about it, or youll find new elements in the surroundings thatll help you advance the game.
I CANNOT SKIP DIALOGUES
First of all, let me clarify that its possible to skip dialogues per se. I'm not forcing anyone to listen (or read) a full dialogue again and again! But it seems to not fulfill the expectations of skippable dialogues to the fullest. I'm writing this for the people who haven't played the game but read the reviews that say its not possible to skip dialogues. From my perspective, what the reviews probably are saying is, that you cannot skip a WHOLE conversation. You'll have to keep pressing a button to skip each line until a conversation is done. I know that going over a dialogue again and again, even if you skip line by line, can be frustrating. Unfortunately, it is not possible to skip an entire conversation due to the particular nature of this game. If we implement a way to skip an entire conversation, we risk one or more of the following:
- a variable cannot be triggered (breaking the game or blocking the player from progressing)
- not receiving an item (making it impossible to finish a narrative)
- players are skipping a crucial information which they haven't read before (what apparently could seem the same dialogue, can have different lines based on the narrative path the player is following; if the player skips a conversation entirely because they thought they read it already, they could miss something important)
[ 2023-11-02 12:38:08 CET ] [ Original post ]
It happened, Puzzlers! Three Minutes To Eight is finally available - and it's up to you the end this insance cycle. But beware, don't get yourselves dragged to much into this insanity! Watch the release trailer here: [previewyoutube=Oq3wp2L9dO4;full][/previewyoutube] Creating this game has been a truely mindblowing experience and journey. I can't wait to hear your mind-bending thoughts and feedback. Thank you for being part of this and let me know what you think. Yours Nicola from Chaosmonger Studio https://store.steampowered.com/app/2303320/Three_Minutes_To_Eight/
[ 2023-10-23 12:58:38 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hi Puzzlers, I hope you already had the chance to take a look at the demo of Three Minutes To Eight during Steam Next Fest. Don't be shy, share your feedback and let me know what you think! Not to forget, and in case you might've missed it, Featurette Part 3 is available: [previewyoutube=yi_fvlzCsAc;full][/previewyoutube] It tackles the challenges I encountered during development of the game. Especially when it comes to incorporating different genres (e.g. roguelike elements etc.) or making all those randomized events feel natural and fun. Don't wanna spoil too much though, make sure to check it out. -------------------------------------------------------- Three Minutes to Eight is set in the near future, where players must uncover secret paths, find ways to cheat death, and unlock multiple endings to a unique mystery. Each run includes randomized elements and differing events that will urge players to revisit the game multiple times. Three Minutes to Eight is meant to mimic the borderline state of mind that teeters on the edge of consciousness, where everything is possible, yet remains elusive. Features: Stunning Pixel Art: Explore unique locations with a dark, neon style in awesome pixel art. Multiple Endings: Finish multiple runs each with unique and randomized elements and events in order to unlock more endings. Unravel the Mystery: Why are you destined to die at 7:57PM? Its up to you to discover and find a way to stop it. The demo is still available for you to play! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2303320/Three_Minutes_To_Eight?snr=1_2108_9__2107
[ 2023-10-13 08:11:56 CET ] [ Original post ]
Fellow Puzzlers, Steam Next Fest October 2023 Edition starts today, and you can dive right into the Three Minutes To Eight demo! Let us know what you think about it! On top, the third part of our Featurette videos is available here: [previewyoutube=yi_fvlzCsAc;full][/previewyoutube] And don't forget to wishlist the game, if you liked it. Also, feel free to share your thoughts and feedback here on Steam's discussion boards. We're eager to check it out! Take care everyone! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2303320/Three_Minutes_To_Eight/
[ 2023-10-09 20:00:54 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hi Puzzlers, after the recent Featurette #1 drop about the Genesis and Gameplay of Three Minutes To Eight, I'm here with the #2 Featurette. Here I'm talking about the characters and philosophy of the game. It gives you some more development insights and my though processes while developing Three Minutes To Eight. I hope you'll like it! And don't forget, Three Minutes To Eight launches on October 23, 2023 already! You can watch the Featurette #2 right here: [previewyoutube=2siuk0bizH4;full][/previewyoutube] -------------------------------------------------------- Three Minutes to Eight is set in the near future, where players must uncover secret paths, find ways to cheat death, and unlock multiple endings to a unique mystery. Each run includes randomized elements and differing events that will urge players to revisit the game multiple times. Three Minutes to Eight is meant to mimic the borderline state of mind that teeters on the edge of consciousness, where everything is possible, yet remains elusive. Features:
- Stunning Pixel Art: Explore unique locations with a dark, neon style in awesome pixel art.
- Multiple Endings: Finish multiple runs each with unique and randomized elements and events in order to unlock more endings.
- Unravel the Mystery: Why are you destined to die at 7:57PM? Its up to you to discover and find a way to stop it.
[ 2023-10-04 14:06:07 CET ] [ Original post ]
One of the mysteries has been resolved, and we're proud to announce that Three Minutes To Eight will be released on October 23, 2023! Time to open your minds, getting ready to solve the bizarre mystery surrounding the timely demise of Three Minutes To Eight main character. And to help you pass the time until release, we managed to decrypt the first part of the Featurette where Nicola Piovesan, the developer behind Three Minutes To Eight, sheds some light on genesis that led him to develop a game like this. Make sure to give it a go: [previewyoutube=_WUFVwwTFM4;full][/previewyoutube] -------------------------------------------------------- Three Minutes to Eight is set in the near future, where players must uncover secret paths, find ways to cheat death, and unlock multiple endings to a unique mystery. Each run includes randomized elements and differing events that will urge players to revisit the game multiple times. Three Minutes to Eight is meant to mimic the borderline state of mind that teeters on the edge of consciousness, where everything is possible, yet remains elusive. Features:
- Stunning Pixel Art: Explore unique locations with a dark, neon style in awesome pixel art.
- Multiple Endings: Finish multiple runs each with unique and randomized elements and events in order to unlock more endings.
- Unravel the Mystery: Why are you destined to die at 7:57PM? Its up to you to discover and find a way to stop it.
[ 2023-09-21 08:56:12 CET ] [ Original post ]
We're excited to share that the demo for "Three Minutes To Eight" is now live on Steam! Embark on a captivating journey and get a sneak peek into the thrilling challenges that await. For those who joined us at Gamescom 2023 in Cologne, we extend our heartfelt gratitude. Your participation has been invaluable in shaping the game, and we can't thank you enough for your support. As you dive into the demo, we invite you to be a part of the process. Your feedback is essential in making the game even better. Share your thoughts, suggestions, and insights with us so we can continue refining the experience. Download the demo now and help us craft a truly remarkable adventure. Your journey to "Three Minutes To Eight" starts today! Stay tuned for more updates as we work together to create something extraordinary! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2521280/Three_Minutes_to_Eight_Demo?snr=1_7_15__13
[ 2023-08-29 08:37:38 CET ] [ Original post ]
TMTE DEVLOG
Early August 2023
Its hard to write a DevLog, considering Im not really used to it. In the past, I updated my followers through Kickstarter, since Ive developed all three of my previous games thanks to crowdfunding. But Three Minutes To Eight is the first game Im developing without the support of a Kickstarter campaign, and due to the mysterious nature of the game, I kept the development very secret, until the announcement we made in early June.
Glitched Three Minutes To Eight teaser So now its about time to tell you more about this project, and its particular nature. I had the original idea in late 2021, I cant remember exactly the month, but it was cold. It was during the moment before you fall asleep when your brain is a bit foggy, and you cant really distinguish dreams from reality. Usually, I forget the morning after what I thought before falling asleep, and most of those ideas are trash anyway. But I was lucky enough to write a few notes on my phone, right before closing my eyes. And when I woke up the morning after I was pleasantly surprised. So much so that I decided to keep using that method for the first part of the game development process, which is working on the idea, concept, and gameplay.
Im not writing about this because I think Im cool or anything like that. But because its exactly what happened and how this game was created initially. Im not even sure if this will do any good to the final product, but I hope at least itll make the game experience a bit original. For about a month during that time in late 2021, I kept writing notes on my phone or on a notebook with a pen, forcing myself to stay awake even if I was super tired and my eyes were half closed. Once I had put all those ideas and concepts on paper, I started the actual development of the game, during normal working hours. I first hired a few pixel artists (Andrea, Yasin and Normal Neighbor), to start designing and animating the characters then I brainstormed my ideas with a writer, Irina, to better define the multiple narratives that co-exist in this mind-bending game. In the meantime, I also started designing the environments where the game is set, which are created in voxel art. At a later stage, since I was too busy with coding, I also hired a voxel artist, Ksenia, to complete the rest of the scenes. While for the dialogue, I asked for help from another writer, Peter.
Talking about the visual style of Three Minutes To Eight, its a mix of 2D pixel art for the characters and 3D voxel art for the environments. Everything keeps more or less the same scale, so the player has the feeling of being inside a 3D pixel world. The characters and their animations are made in a truly traditional way, frame by frame. Furthermore, having the whole environment created in 3D allows us to use sophisticated lighting and create an appealing look that is modern and classic at the same time. The gameplay has its roots in the classic point-and-click games which, thanks to the new Monkey Island, gained worldwide attention lately despite the fact that they never disappeared and they always had a pretty strong niche. However, since the game is also releasing on consoles, it supports a gamepad controller. So rather than pointing and clicking, players can move the protagonist directly and interact with the environment without moving a cursor. Also, the game is mostly a 2D side-scroller and somehow works even better with a controller than with a mouse.
But what makes Three Minutes To Eight truly original, is its gameplay. Contrary to what happens to most adventure games out there (especially the classic LucasArts ones), in this game, the player will die. To be precise it will always die at 19:57 (hence the title). But after the Game Over death screen, the player can choose to wake up again, and restart the game, with enhanced elements (I cant reveal much to avoid spoilers), which will help players to understand more and more about whats going on.
The protagonist is locked in a loop, where he always dies at 19:57, and players must find a way to escape death, choosing (or finding themselves) in one of the ten different narratives, which lead to different endings and yet co-exist at the same time. Each run is unique, with randomized elements or pre-arranged ones, which change all the time. The more you play the game the more things youll discover while bizarre things will start to happen. Therefore its a game with a high level of replayability. I dont want to spoil much about the storyline(s), but overall the game is set in the near future, 20 years from now, in a city close to the players current location.
In terms of the technical aspects, besides the already mentioned mix of pixelart and voxelart, I can say that its developed with Unity engine and it uses, as a bare core, the Adventure Creator asset and Dialogue System by Pixel Crusher, but more than a hundred custom scripts have been written by myself to handle the intricate amount of variables and extraordinary events that happen in the game. Sounds are done by Anecoia Collective, and the music is by Yann Latour, who also wrote the acclaimed soundtrack of ENCODYA, my previous game. Three Minutes To Eight is also entirely voiced in English, by a group of professional and highly skilled voice actors. We are now at the final stages of development. The release is planned for a few months from now. Three Minutes To Eight is developed multiplatform, for PC (Windows, Linux, MacOS, Steam Deck), Consoles (Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series), and even Mobile (iOS, Android), in eleven languages (English, Italian, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese), and at this stage we are testing that everything is working nicely for all the languages and all the platforms, polishing the last details.
Im truly looking forward to releasing the game and getting players feedback! I wish you all the best, Nicola
[ 2023-08-03 15:06:08 CET ] [ Original post ]
Today, we are happy to announce our pixel art adventure indie game Three Minutes To Eight, by the ENCODYA-masterminds Chaosmonger Studio, which premiered exclusively, during todays Guerilla Collective showcase. More details: https://mediaindieexchange.com/showcases/guerrilla-collective-mix-2023
Watch the announcement trailer on YouTube now:
[previewyoutube=wHT9-8brf9g;full][/previewyoutube]
About Three Minutes To Eight
Set in the near future, Three Minutes To Eight is a mind-bending pixel art adventure, that breaks the mold of traditional adventure games by introducing an intriguing twist: the protagonist is destined to meet their demise at precisely 07:57pm. However, all hope is not lost. It's up to you to unravel what lies hidden, uncover secret paths, and find a way to cheat death, unlocking multiple unique endings. The gameplay is designed to ensure each run is distinct, urging you to revisit the game multiple times. Find yourself in an ever-evolving gaming experience, mimicking a borderline state of mind, threading the edge of consciousness, where everything is possible and yet remains elusive. Key Features of Three Minutes to Eight:
- A mind-boggling narrative with unexpected twists where you must uncover ways to cheat deathor die trying
- Unique short-burst gameplay allows for infinite replayability with multiple different endings to unlock and hidden mysteries in each playthrough
- Highly stylized pixel art graphics and a dark, gritty aesthetic support the games themes dealing with a mental state teetering on the edge of consciousness
- Intriguing dialogue with a roster of interesting NPCs deepens the games gripping narrative
Wishlist now and get latest news and updates about Three Minutes To Eight!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2303320/Three_Minutes_To_Eight/ Three Minutes To Eight will release on PC via Steam and GOG as well as consoles, via Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4|5! The release for Three Minutes To Eight is planned for Error 0x80070570
[ 2023-06-07 17:00:11 CET ] [ Original post ]
🕹️ Partial Controller Support
🎮 Full Controller Support
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"I woke up feeling ████ ███ █████. It's another rainy evening in ██████. I wonder if ████ dream ██ ████ must escape."
“Time seems to █████ ████ a ████ ███ █████ way. I have to ███ █████ ██. Is she my girlfriend?"
"A loud explosion. I think it could be ████ ██ ███ again ███ ███. I should ask ███ ███ ████ a loop."
"████ ██ ██ █ robot. ████ ██ going insane. ████ ██ a murder? What if ███ ██ ███ losing ██ mind."
“███ ██ █████ ██ ██████ ██ █████ ██ ██ death ███ ██."
Set in the near future, Three Minutes To Eight is a mind-bending pixel art adventure game that breaks the mold by introducing an intriguing twist: the protagonist is destined to meet their demise at precisely 07:57 PM. However, hope is not lost. It's up to you to unravel what lies beneath, uncover secret paths, find ways to cheat death, and unlock multiple endings. Each run is distinct, with randomized elements and unique events, urging you to revisit the game multiple times to discover all its hidden mysteries. Find yourself in an ever-evolving gaming experience, mimicking a borderline state of mind that teeters on the edge of consciousness, where everything is possible yet remains elusive.
- OS: Ubuntu LTS
- Processor: i5-8250U @ 1.60GHz (or equivalent)Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: Intel(R) UHD Graphics 620 (or equivalent)
- OS: Ubuntu LTS
- Processor: i7-9700 @ 3.00GHz (or faster)Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (or newer)
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