- The Webby Award just arrived - 9 June 2022
So I asked the Webby Award organizers to carve this line on the statuette and they did :) (see line 4): Thank you all again for your support - this award is dedicated to all of you!
- All thank you notes have been sent! - 30 May 2022
I know what you're all wondering: having completed this quest, how's his HP (i.e. hand)? How is his sanity meter? Did he level up? All of this and more will be answered in this update. ALL CARDS HAVE BEEN SENT I'm happy to say that all cards have been sent today via the USPS First-Class Mail® / First-Class Mail International®. If you live in the U.S., expect yours to arrive within 1–5 Business Days. International shipping might take a little longer. https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/apps/433550/extras/sending.gif Q: ARE ALL CARDS SIGNED / WRITTEN BY YOU? Yes. Q: ARE ALL CARDS PERSONALIZED? Yes. It might seem like it would be a tedious task to write so many personalized notes, but it actually ended up being a totally wholesome experience. You won't receive a generic "THANK YOU - Best regards" card. Expect a real handwritten message. Many of you wrote kind, often touching emails that…
- Hand-written THANK YOU notes for ALL of you! - 8 May 2022
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…
- This is NOT your typical post about winning an award. - 27 April 2022
People of the DARQness, 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 i…
- DARQ is nominated for a Webby Award, alongside...NASA! Please vote for us. - 9 April 2022
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). 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…
- DARQ. DARQ. DARQ! - 20 March 2022
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. 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 l…
- DARQ Comic Book Trailer! - 12 February 2022
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. 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 hi…
- DARQ wins the Game of the Year Award! - 7 November 2021
Hi everyone! I have a few updates to share! Game of the Year Award 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. The comic will not only explain the eve…
- В Epic Games Store ПК-геймерам бесплатно раздают хоррор DARQ - 29 October 2021
С 28 октября пользователи Epic Games Store могут бесплатно забрать инди-хоррор DARQ . Игра повествует о мальчике по имени Ллойд, который оказывается внутри осознанного кошмарного сна. Ллойд не может проснуться и должен встретиться лицом к лицу со своими страхами, чтобы разгадать смысл сновидения.
- Epic's next free game once turned down exclusivity and was denied a store spot - 21 October 2021
By all accounts, Darq is a solid, spooky puzzle-platformer, with broadly positive reviews from both critics and Steam users . But it also got an extra bit of fame shortly before launch in 2019, when developer Wlad Marhulets of Unfold Games revealed that he had turned down an Epic exclusivity deal , after which Epic would not put the game on its store. Now, two years later, Darq is coming to the Epic Games Store, free for a limited time. You'll be able to grab Darq: The Complete Edition from the usual Epic Games Store promotion page on Thursday, October 28 at 8am PDT / 11am EDT / 4pm BST. It'll be there for one full week, at which point it'll be replaced by another freebie. As always, you'll 'purchase' the game at a price of zero dollars, and it'll remain in your library just like any game you might pay money for. So what happened with that whole Epic exclusivity thing? The game's consol…
- Бледный юноша в стране грёз: Обзор DARQ: Complete Edition - 17 May 2021
Время идет, технологии становятся дешевле и доступнее. Еще недавно кто-то сомневался в успехе Little Nightmares , а сейчас множество студий готовят свои клоны этой игры. Впрочем, еще в 2019 году успела выйти DARQ , которая после серии патчей и изменений наконец-то превратилась в действительно вылизанный проект.
- Patch 1.3.2b - 10 December 2020
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
- Patch 1.3.2 - 9 December 2020
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 support@unfoldgame…
- Patch 1.3.1 - 7 December 2020
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…
- DARQ: Complete Edition is OUT NOW! - 4 December 2020
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. 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 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,…
- "The Crypt" DLC is coming Dec. 4th - 25 November 2020
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 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://cdn.steampulse.org/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! 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. Console release…
- DARQ Comic Book Series? - 5 November 2020
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: 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
- The Audiobook is out! - 3 October 2020
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). 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…
- The Crypt Gameplay Reveal at Gamescom 2020 - 27 August 2020
Hey there! The Crypt Gameplay Reveal With My Commentary 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 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/
- "The Crypt" Development Update + Console Releases - 14 August 2020
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://cdn.steampulse.org/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.g…
