In addition to that, we’ll have physical edition releases for Switch and PS4! I’m going to be updating the website later today with links to retailers in various regions that you can pre-order those from.

Thank you all so much for your support and love you’ve shown us along the way. This is a big event for us, and it means the world that you’re here now.

But… this is just the beginning.

Watch this space in June for something new. A next fiasco, if you will.

Is this thing on?

Man, it’s dusty in here. When did we last tidy up the place?

Well, no helping it now. We got stuff to announce.

Come back tomorrow, we’ll have something for you.

In the end, we chose John Bond / Kaimatten! Everybody welcome John to the team. We’re gonna do cool things together!

Now, it’s a rough part of a game dev’s life, seeing all these talented and eager artists and only being able to pick a single one. But we didn’t want everyone else to walk away totally empty handed, so we decided… why not show off their amazing work? That’s what this blog post is for, a way to say thanks to everyone who took an interest in our silly game project. If you’re looking for a pixel artist for any reason, well, here’s a fine selection to pick from!

• Alberto Martin Garcia Urribarri (@ZaicucH)
• Alicia Jara (@RetniBewre)
• Alisdair McInnes (@alisdaiross)
• Andrea Zevallos (@SazdxHikari)
• Ash Michalak (@LashGhost)
• Bobbytriesatlife (@Bobbytries)
• Brian Gatewood (@gatekid3)
• Camille Robertson (@myriadnomad)
• Daizha F. (@scribulls)
• Daniel Schron (@HueHueHuegh)
• Diego Sanches (@dsanches)
• Felipe Larrocha (@deadtiredpoet)
• James Doyle (@Jamesd117)
• Liliturra (@Gamer_Liliturra)
• PixelEric (@PixelatedEric)
• Spectrum (@mirabolantes256)
• Quickalas (@Quickalas)

Thanks to everyone!

Anyway, they’re fixed now. Have fun. You may need to run a narrower browser window, though, since this is code from 2012-2015, before I really learned how to HTML properly.

More to come regarding Arcade Spirits (releasing on consoles in early 2020!) and Next Fiasco (the code name for our next game project)/

I will now take questions from the press.

AAAAAA OMG OMG OMG SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY?!?!

That’s… sort of a question, okay. Yes, seriously. It took some time and effort but we’re making this happen, because you — the fans — asked for it. Again and again. And again and again. (But no matter how many times you ask, no, we aren’t adding Francine in a bikini.)

EARLY 2020? WHAT’S THAT MEAN, EXACTLY?

It means early 2020. We’d hate to promise you a specific date and then slip. We’ll have more exacting details closer to launch, don’t worry.

WHAT ABOUT SUPER ULTRA DELUXE SPECIAL EDITIONS WITH NAOMI STATUES AND FULL-SIZE MR. MOOPY’S MAGIC MAZE ARCADE CABINETS?

Do you have any idea what the shipping costs for that would be? Anyway, we’ll have more on any potential special editions later, once we finish sorting out the specifics.

OKAY, SMARTY PANTS, DO YOU HAVE ANY REAL INFO FOR US TODAY?

We’re bringing the console game demo to PAX West. Current plan, subject to change, is to demo the Nintendo Switch version. You’ll be able to play it at the Indie Megabooth on the show floor, where we’re also selling codes for the PC version, brand new shirts, and enamel pins. (Console codes not yet available.)

COOL, COOL. WE’LL SEE YOU THERE!

Thank you, collective audience strawman. We’ll see you there, too.

I’m certain you have many, many questions about our next game. Thankfully we can scry into the future and also read your mind, so we’ve prepared every single answer to every question you could possibly have wanted to or were vaguely considering asking. Here is a Q&A for the press regarding “NEXT FIASCO” (working title) (temporary asset) (subject to change)!

WHAT IS “NEXT FIASCO” (working title) (temporary asset) (subject to change)?

A whole new game that we can’t really talk about yet. Honestly we just wanted to make sure folks knew we were working on SOMETHING rather than sitting on our thumbs or playing The Sims 4 and Overwatch all day. We felt it important that our fans know we’re hard at work on what we hope will be their next big obsession.

WHAT PLATFORMS IS IT COMING TO?

We’d love it to run on everything from a TI-99 calculator right on up to a quantum supercomputer, but we can’t promise anything this early on without accidentally breaking hearts in the process if plans change. PC is a definite yes, though — we’re PC gamers to the core.

HOW MANY PLAYABLE CHARACTER CLASSES ARE THERE? IS THERE AN AUCTION HOUSE? HOW MANY WEAPONS? CAN I PET THE DOG?

Uhhh… I really can’t talk about anything in specific. I wish I could, believe me, but we’re trying not to step on the toes of other Arcade Spirits news or accidentally talk about a feature and then have to walk it back.

But if there is a dog in the game, you will be able to pet it. That’s a Fiction Factory Games promise, my friends. You can take that one to the bank.

OKAY, OKAY, SO IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN ACTUALLY SAY ABOUT THIS THING?

Well, we’re opening an application process for a closed beta testing group, if that counts…?

I’M PRETTY SURE IT COUNTS, MY DUDE.

Great!

…eeeexcept we got a lotta people signing up, and had to close down applications. BUT! We will likely open it up again in the future, as the game expands and as testers drop out, etc. So keep an eye on the blog or the twitter for announces.

I MISSED MY CHANCE! DARN IT!

There’ll be other chances. Plus, this wasn’t a ‘free demo,’ it was volunteer work. Like garbage duty. You’re not missing much.

BUT SERIOUSLY, IT’S A SEQUEL TO PONG KOMBAT, ISN’T IT.

This conversation is over.

“How many penguins are in this game?” Many! I lost track of the count, honestly. Our wonderful background artist Taylor Rose liked inserting them into scenes, so we decided to make it a plot point — if you play through Naomi’s romance you’ll learn more.

“Did E.T. alone cause the video game crash?” Well, it was one of the factors — a symptom of the glut and overconfidence of the game industry at the time. We highlighted it, including a photo from the actual dumpster where the extra cartridges were buried, to show how 20XX is different. In our world, Nintendo wasn’t the savior of the industry, just another player in a thriving scene.

“Can I have a hat / a beard / a different shirt plz?” Ahhh, as Francine would say, ‘Life is a series of tradeoffs.’ We decided to go with a limited customization set so we could have your character appear in a dozen different custom scenes, like lying in bed, riding in a van, etc. Money is a finite resource and art costs money, so we decided pulling you into the world was more important. BUT! We’re considering new approaches for future game content.

“Why are all the years censored?” It keeps the game vaguely timeless if we can’t pinpoint specific dates. Good for immersion and longevity. But the game does take place in an alternate ‘present day,’ so you can think of it like a different path down the trousers of time to 2019.

(Endgame spoiler protection; use rot13 to decode.) “Pna V cerirag nal ‘onq raqf’ va gur svanyr?” Fb va gur svanyr zbagntr, fbzrgvzrf gjb be guerr punenpgref jvyy orpbzr qvfgnag — gung’f gur genqrbss sbe ebznapvat n punenpgre, fubjvat ubj lbh pna’g fcyvg lbhe sbphf ba rirelbar. Ohg vs lbh gnxr gur sevraqfuvc cngu (ab ebznapr, qngr abobql) rirelbar fgnlf, gb fubj ubj lbh pner sbe rirelbar rdhnyyl.

“Why didn’t you have the whole game voice acted?” Money, honestly. We’re a tiny team making a passion project! So we chose to spend our dollars on emotionally poignant and plot-critical moments, with the ‘quips’ filling in the rest. Also, voice acting prevents you from doing things like renaming your character, or naming various other things you get to name during the game.

“Sequel? DLC? More pls?!” We’d love to do more! It’s going to depend entirely on how well our game sells, though — anything you can do to spread the word would help ensure a future for Arcade Spirits. Leave Steam reviews, tell your friends, tell your enemies, let folks know!

“Can I date Francine?” She’s too much woman for you, silly child.

“Can I date Iris?” Sure, just replace key parts of your anatomy with a USB dongle!

“Iris says there are no bad choices. Doesn’t that make choices meaningless?” Look at it this way. Sierra point and click adventure games like Space Quest would outright kill you if you ‘chose badly.’ LucasFilm Games like Monkey Island let you be wacky and explore conversations and try different things without having to worry about a game over. And, well, we love Monkey Island! We like giving people the means to explore, personalize, and experience the story shaped by their own choices rather than making them worry about choosing ‘wrong.’ Your story is your own, similar to but distinct from someone else’s. Enjoy!

“I want statistics! Who’s the most popular romance? What’s the most popular game?” Look no further than our glorious global Steam achievement stats! Currently Naomi is the most popular, and Wyvern Keep is the most popular game. We don’t track the personality with achievements but Kindly is the most common version of the big finale.

“How do I date Juniper?!” Ooooh, she’s a bit of a hidden route, compared to the others. All I’ll say is that you have to be nice to her, and spend as much time as you can with her. Good luck!

“Do you have merch?” We have merch! T-shirts, pins, buttons! Right now we sell it at conventions, with the next big one being PAX East 2019, but we’re working on a proper storefront. Keep tabs on our twitter, @ArcadeSpiritsVN, for more details!

Okay! That’s all the questions I can think of for now. If you’ve got a question, leave it in the comments or tweet at us or put it in a bottle and toss it out to sea and I’ll see what I can do for you!

• The Home Arcade Documentary is now available from the Prizes menu! This interactive documentary hosted by Naomi explains how you (yes, you!) can build or buy your own multi-purpose arcade machine and really get your game on!
• Modified one of Percy’s endings to add some ambiguity. (Use rot13.com to reveal this spoiler if you’ve already finished the game…) Vg sryg gbb chavfuvat gb unir uvz fvzcyl qvr vs lbh qvqa’g orsevraq uvz. Bhe tnzr cebzbgrf cbfvgvivgl naq guvf fghpx bhg jrveqyl. Abj, vg’f fvzcyl yrsg nzovthbhf. Rawbl lbhe ergpba!
• By popular demand, added Pizza Facts to the end of each episode! Thank you for subscribing to Pizza Facts!
• Adjusted the ‘Basic’ style user interface for improved readability and accessibility.

Minor fixes:

• Fixed a crash when using “They” pronouns and dating Naomi.
• Fixed more instances of QueenBee’s costume being incorrect.
• Fixed unlockable Juniper image to the main menu extras.
• Fixed Mateo’s full name being misspelled in Level 03.
• Adjusted some language for sensitivity.
• Improved comedic timing on some lines.
• Simplified Iris’s initial explanation of Fist of Discomfort.

• Fixed a Gutsy response to Teo in Level 07 crashing the game.
• Fixed an incorrect side image in Level 07.
• Removed an unintended slur from Level 04. Apologies for that!
• Fixed Hamza appearing in the wrong place during Level 02.
• Re-organized a few lines for better comedic timing.
• Various typo fixes. (If you spot any more, let us know!)

Steam will automatically update. Itch.io, you’ll need to re-download.

• Buy on Itch.io
• Buy on Steam
• Buy on GameJolt
• Buy on Kartridge
• …and almost anywhere Steam keys are sold!

If you’d like to watch others play it, check our homepage for a list of scheduled streamers all across launch week! And here’s a new trailer, too!

It’s been a two year journey. Thank you for coming with us all the way to the end. Although… if this is a success… maybe it’s not the end. We shall see.