There are multiple games in the works atDouble Fine, the studio best known for thePsychonautsseries. Gamers haven’t seen a lot of new releases from Double Fine sincePsychonauts 2releasedin 2021, but that situation could change soon.
Psychonauts 2was, at the time of its release, one of the more eagerly anticipated sequels in recent memory, despite serving as the follow-up to a cult classic that struggled to find a substantive audience. AndPsychonauts 2reviewed well, even after such a long wait between the first entry in the series to the second one. In a world full of quality platformers,Psychonauts 2stood apart from its peers by improving on everything its predecessor did. The game also released on most consoles and PC, which gave it a better chance at earning recognition.
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Double Finehas multiple games in development to follow up on itsPsychonauts 2success, judging by recent comments from studio head Tim Schafer. In Double Fine’s making-of documentary forPsychonauts 2, titledDouble Fine PsychOdysseyand released for free on YouTube, Schafer recounted the studio pausing development on multiple games. Schafer expressed regret the company had to pause games from Derek and Lee, two Double Fine developers who had exciting projects underway. The regrettable pause was necessary, since everyone needed to pitch in to make surePsychonauts 2made it across the finish line. Double Fine announced shortly before the game’s released that it developedPsychonauts 2with no crunch, which would have required careful management of team members and resources available. Understandably, the game experienced delays that pushed it back from its original planned release date.
In the midst of the lengthy development cycle forPsychonauts 2,Xbox Game Studios acquired Double Fine. That acquisition came about as part of a rush of similar moves that found Microsoft bringing other studious under its wing, including Obsidian Entertainment, Playground Games, and Ninja Theory. However, Double Fine appears to have clung to its indie roots despite having new owners with deeper pockets.
While Double Fine has not mentioned the names of any projects currently in development, the studio has produced a number of hits besides thePsychonautsseries. FounderTim Schafer is being inducted into the AIAS Hall of Fame, with a body of work dating back to his time at LucasArts, when he worked on titles such asSecret of Monkey IslandandGrim Fandango. More recent successes, with Double Fine, include the likes ofCostume Quest,Headlander, andBroken Age. Given that pedigree, new projects from Double Fine are typically cause for celebration. It will be interesting to see what the company has been working on, once it is ready to show the public the fruits of its labors.
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