Departing from Fallen London: Exploration of innovative possibilities and cultivating optimism as Failbetter Games forges ahead with their latest supernatural agricultural simulation title.
Get the lowdown on Mandrake, Failbetter Games' upcoming rural life simulator! In this magical post-apocalyptic setting, you'll be returning to your old family homestead to explore the ancient art of growing things. Instead of barren wastelands, you'll find enchanted forests with hidden temples, and a quirky community of NPCs.
This game takes a breather from the cynical world of Failbetter's renowned steampunk browser game, Fallen London. Adam Myers, Failbetter's CEO, describes Mandrake as "inherently hopeful," pointing out a stark contrast to the gloomy atmosphere of Fallen London.
Back in 2021, Myers and Hannah Flynn, Failbetter's communications director, shared the initial vision of Mandrake with me. The naked cottage that serves as your tumbledown abode was on the drawing board, as was Hobb, the spirit-owl residing in your chimney. Over the years, the design has evolved, with crops now curving along the landscape instead of sitting in orderly rows, giving the place a surreal Escher-like feel.
Development on Mandrake hasn't been exclusive to this project. In fact, it has only recently risen to become the studio's primary focus. In 2022, producer Stuart Young stated that the game was quite ambitious, with numerous secondary systems. This meant many questions needed answering before the team felt comfortable entering production. The central system of horticulture is coupled with delving – Mandrake's equivalent to mining exploration – and the story systems[1][3][4].
Fast-forward to 2024, and Failbetter's Full-Time Wanderers' Gathering – their annual retreat – revealed an invigorated team with Mandrake firmly in the spotlight. An internal demo was already in the works, and the book was being passed to more writers, including newcomer Erion Makuo, relocating from Siberia.
One of the central themes of Mandrake is the complexity of relationships. Giving gifts will not work on the typical gamey approach, where feeding a specific vegetable to an NPC advances your relationship. Myers argues that giving cauliflower to someone would be weird, so the team is experimenting with various ways to quantify real-life aspects of giving gifts. The NPCs dress in garb that reflects their roles in Chandley, the game's setting[4][5].
Stay tuned for more updates on Mandrake's development and eventual release! This hopeful, magical farming sim is sure to be a breath of fresh air in the world of video games.
- In the world of video games, between politics, general news, and social-media, Mandrake, a rural life simulator from Failbetter Games, presents a historic shift, offering an inherently hopeful departure from the gloomy atmosphere of their renowned steampunk browser game, Fallen London.
- As technology advances, Mandrake's quirky community of NPCs, such as Hobb the spirit-owl, fosters a unique blend of entertainment, stepping beyond the confines of barren wastelands and into enchanted forests with hidden temples.
- When it comes to Mandrake's development policy-and-legislation, producer Stuart Young, in 2022, highlighted the game's ambitious nature, featuring numerous secondary systems, including horticulture, delving, and story systems.
- Anticipating the release of Mandrake, gamers might want to explore the latest smartphone gadgets, while keeping a tab on general news for updates on production, development, and the arrival of new writers like Erion Makuo, relocating from Siberia.
- To bet on a potential win in the gaming arena, considering Mandrake's emphasis on complex relationships, one might recall the art of giving gifts, whether it's cauliflower or any other item, and observe the innovative methods introduced in Mandrake that aim to quantify real-life aspects of gift giving.
- As opposed to the typical gamey approach, players may find that giving gifts in Mandrake carries more depth, as NPC dressing in garb that reflects their roles within Chandley, the game's magical setting, points toward a more immersive and nuanced experience.
- With an invigorated team and Mandrake as their primary focus, Failbetter Games is ready to outgrow the cynical world, stepping into a season of farming-oriented gameplay, delivering a breath of fresh air to the video game landscape.
