Dear Insane Children,
Quick reminder we’re starting a YouTube Livestream at 9AM Hong Kong Time (September 13th, 2018). (That’s about 50 minutes from when I’m posting this). You can join us by hitting THIS LINK.
I’ll be playing Little Nightmares while Font Lord reads your suggestions, questions, and super chats. Plus we have new art to review!
There will be prizes. And Lulu.
Join the fun!
From the Rabbit Hole,
-American (and Martin and Lulu)
Dear Insane Children,
Want your very own “White Rabbit Plush + Rutledge Asylum Property Bag” collector set?
THIS PROMOTION IS OVER
IF YOU MISSED IT – DON’T CRY – YOU CAN STILL GET A RABBIT PLUSH SET
JUST VISIT THIS LINK: The Mysterious Store
**** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** ****
THIS PROMOTION IS OVER
When we reach 3222 Patrons here on Patreon we’ll unlock the set at an Early Bird price of $45.
Here’s how you can help us reach 3222 Patrons and get a White Rabbit Collector Set of your own:
1) Pledge NOW at any level – even $1 a month (there is a tier for that!)
2) Wait until we hit at least 3222 Patrons (we’ll send out notice when we do)
3) Increase your pledge to $45 (or more) for that month (use the Custom Pledge option)
That’s it! For a month or two at $1 plus a month at $45 you’ll get a White Rabbit Plush express-mailed anywhere in the world (FREE SHIPPING with tracking is included), the Rutledge Asylum property bag and…
A Patreon Special embroidered Lulu Patch! *(Lulu not included)
And…
A downloadable Rabbit Dress for Alice: Asylum! You’ll get Early Access to the Plush Dress and be the first to hop around Wonderland like a mad bunny!
That’s a White Rabbit Plush, Rutledge Asylum Property Bag, Lulu Patch, and in-game Plush Dress, shipped for FREE with tracking anywhere in the world for only $45. Crazy, insane, and easy!
And, as a Patron, you’ll gain Early Access to Patron-only posts, artwork, design discussions, and more. At $5 a month you can also access our super-secret Discord Server where the Insane Children gather to discuss all the insane things!
The White Rabbit Plush is the result of crowd-design efforts here on Patreon.
That’s a “life size” (~30cm tall) White Rabbit Plush collectible inspired by the rabbit we see Alice carrying.
Here on Patreon you’ll be able to get this at an Early Bird Discount Price. If you miss that, don’t worry! We’ll also have it for sale over on Mysterious (but it’ll be more expensive).
Don’t be late!
Hit THIS LINK and become a Patron NOW!
From the Rabbit Lair,
-American (and Lulu)
Dear Insane Children,
I’ve got an idea for a new boss in Alice: Asylum… “Million Poster Tubes” – he might be a distant cousin to Rick & Morty’s “Million Ants” but that doesn’t make him any less formidable. That’s the thing about growing an awesome Patreon community and running a super successful campaign around the Chaos Coin… Physical things must then be signed, packed, and delivered to Insane Children all over the world.
After several solid days of signing, rolling, packing, labeling, and shipping, I can finally say I’ve defeated Million Poster Tubes… for now. Many thanks to my trusty sidekick Font Lord and our latest addition to the team, Matt. (Matt needs a better nickname).
And, thank YOU, for waiting patiently while I was focused on The Tube Wars.
Speaking of bosses (or the lack thereof) this was one of the most highlighted bits of feedback about Alice: Madness Returns… “Where are the damn bosses?” The game is so deliberately anti-boss that it even features a bit of a head-fake at the start. Just when you think an epic battle is about to commence between Alice and the evil duo of March Hare and Dormouse… nope!
So we’ve heard lots of requests for “moar bosses!” in Asylum – and those requests will be heeded. We’ll even feature that same furry duo, March Hare and Dormouse, which are the subject of today’s main image.
Joey’s come up with an art treatment and boss design I suspect we’ll all enjoy a few cups of. What do you think?
Who are some of the other major Wonderland Characters you’d like to see Alice fighting in Asylum? Comments below – and be sure to use QUESTION and COMMENT tags if you’d like Martin to read your stuff during the next livestream.
Joey also sends along another image inspired by a multitude of requests and questions from fans: Alice parkour across the rooftops of London.
This was another area where many people felt we could have delivered a bit more action in Madness Returns. The main constraint being, as usual, time and money… we simply didn’t have the resources for rigging, animating, and coding all the stuff necessary for a “normal” Alice who was playable in this fashion in the real world. Depending on resources we’ll try to remedy that in the new game.
The last bit of new art from Joey is a triptych of enemies – all members of the family “Creepy Doll Part Nightmares.” We discussed this image and lots of other art in detail during the last livestream. In case you missed that, you can still watch it HERE.
During that livestream we FINISHED the very slow, very death-filled play-through of “American McGee’s Alice” and we’re now in need of a new game to play! With that in mind PLEASE COMMENT BELOW with ideas for what game we should start playing next.
I’ve heard requests for DOOM and Quake. I’d personally like to give “Bad Day LA” a spin. Franbow has come up multiple times – but people have also mentioned it’s very heavy on text and reading… which might not be the greatest thing to mix with us also trying to respond to your comments, suggestions, and Super Chats. So… give us your (other) suggestions in the comments below!
Chaos Coin Update
Martin is working to compile all your info for shipping out the Chaos Coins. That process will continue until September 17th. Martin will do a final data extraction on September 16th around Midnight and use that info to build the final shipping list. We will then send out the survey (via email) which you’ll use to provide us your Name and Message for embedding on the virtual coin.
If you’re still having trouble getting your Patreon payment to go through then please contact Patreon and/or your financial institution and work with them to clear that up. On our side we’re powerless to help with failed transactions. But fear not – so long as you get the issue cleared up this month, then you will receive your coin!
Please, do not write asking us to confirm that your pledge is OK or if you’re receiving a coin. Even though Stickboy and Font Lord are super heroes (of sorts) we’d still struggle with dozens of such requests. Wait until the 17th. We’ll post an update at that time and the survey links will be emailed. If, after that point, things aren’t clear or you feel uncertain, you can email us and we’d be happy to help 🙂
Those of you waiting for the 17th in order to adjust your pledge (and thank you for waiting as requested) I do want to quickly spam you with a reminder that two more months at that pledge level would unlock an autographed art print, which you can select from the Mysterious Shop and have mailed anywhere in the world (free shipping)…
3 x $35 = one art print, so keep that in mind. Full list of available art for you to select from is available via THIS LINK to Mysterious. And two more images will be added before you hit your x3. If you do decide to stick around at that level, you might consider adjusting your Tier so that Font Lord doesn’t have to work as hard to sort you into the correct category later on 😉 Mmm… spam.
Livestream Time
We’ve set the next livestream for Thursday, September 13th, at 9AM Hong Kong Time. Hit THIS LINK to set a reminder. YouTube sucks, set your own reminder, etc. And use International Meeting Planner if you are confused about time zones and whatnot.
Last but not least… the White Rabbit Doll design. We’re pushing this towards production so provide your feedback in the comments below. He’s going to be our new best friend, so let’s make sure we get him right!
From Shanghai with Tube-itis,
-American
Dear Insane Children,
…and not an enemy to kill! It’s my sincere hope that Asylum will feature sections (sections, mind you, not the entire game) where Alice (Dressed in Rage) becomes a sort of two-legged lawnmower in vast fields of her enemies. Seeing a 13-year-old girl vent her frustration and rage in the vivid sanctuary of her mind upon masses of mental demons needs to be one of our primary goals in delivering this new game.
I’d like frustrated people everywhere to play the game and think, “Take THAT you f’ing, f’s” – especially in those moments when things in Real Life are just getting to be too much.
It’s important – perhaps critical to a successful existence – that we embrace our shadow. Have I preached this before? Fine, it needs preaching again: Being too nice is how you end up being chewed on by wolves. You’ve got to recognize and embrace your own personal malice, anger, and destructive potential – and then keep it safely in your pocket for those moments when you really need it.
Alice keeps her rage in a handy little Rage Box and snorts a bit when things get tough. Though during our last livestream we did talk about how that particular game design is less-than-ideal. At a minimum it was a power-up which needed better level design built around it.
For the new game we’re now playing around with the idea that Alice has this massive wardrobe of dresses… here’s a small sample…
And that each of these dresses could have an alternate Chaos or Rage mode player is able to trigger at-will. Omri’s latest Rage Dress image shows how that might be reflected on two of Alice’s dresses, “Original” and “Denial.”
What are your thoughts on power-ups, triggering them, and multiple modes for our collection of dresses? Comments below – and be sure to use SUGGESTION and QUESTION tags if you say something worthy of being called out during the next livestream.
Speaking of…
We’ve scheduled a LIVESTREAM for Thursday, September 6th @ 9AM Hong Kong Time. Do The Thing and set a reminder by clicking that link!
Remember, YouTube is POOP when it comes to reminders – even if you’re subscribed, have clicked The Bell, and done all that other crap. But, still, SUBSCRIBE to my channel and LIKE the videos so that we might increase our reach 😛
Lots to discuss during this livestream. I know a TON of you want to get more comments in on the recently revealed revamp of the Circus Dress. And, hey, what’s this? A DeathTime Dress? WTF’s going on THERE?!
Come, join us, for the continuing adventures of Font Lord and Stick Boy in the Lands of Lava. Marvel at Stick Boy’s never-ending ability to fall in lava and burst into flames! Dazzle your eyes with Font Lord’s latest spandex wrapper! And feed Lulu treats until she explodes!!! Wee!
From Shanghai with Backwards Underwear,
-American (AKA Stick Boy)
Dear Insane Children,
Persistence is key. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Failure is only the opportunity to begin again. Mistakes are proof that you are trying. And on and on… Chase your white rabbit. But as the old Confucian saying goes, “If you chase both rabbits, you catch neither.” (TED talk on that topic).
So here we are, chasing rabbits. Fortunately, we have a lot of rabbit chasers on the team these days. And Omri’s been chasing a particularly difficult rabbit for a while now… The Circus Dress. The first version was met with, shall we say, less than 100% positive feedback. The second version turned some doubters into believers. And today…
Judging by the comments on the sneak peak shots I shared over on Instagram last night… this might be IT. He’s combined all the working elements with bits of your feedback and inspiration from our favorite cosplayer, Faerie_Blossom, to achieve what I believe is a pretty flawless concept.
What do you think? Comments below, please!
On the topic of learning and trying and doing again… I’ve just updated the latest Patreon Goal which unlocks the 2nd set of Embroidery Patches.
The goal text (which you can see on my Patreon front page) reads as follows:
At 3222 Patrons we’ll unlock the 2nd Embroidered Patch Set with White Rabbit card-back art. Everyone at $10 (or more) that month will receive a set of 9 Patches snail-mailed anywhere in the world (free shipping)! Patrons get an exclusive 10th patch.
I’d love YOUR feedback on this since we did see a lot of confusion around the mechanic of the previous (Chaos Coin) goal. So… is this clear enough? Is it missing out on any lessons we learned last time around?
Why “222” you might ask. Well, we’re heading into Rabbit Season. The White Rabbit Print will be this month’s Patreon print, it’s also over on Mysterious in FULL or MINI size. And we’re working on a White Rabbit Plush to be our next big collectible item / Patreon Goal. And in Chinese the word for “rabbit” is “tu” (sounds like two) so we have 3x ? (tu) in there for good luck and whatnot 😉
Feedback, please!
I’m sitting on a couple of other new images which I’ll share tomorrow. We’ll also set a time for this week’s livestream – probably the same Thursday morning, 9AM Hong Kong time we do for the “normal” streams.
Alright, back to chasing rabbits…
From Shanghai with ???,
-American
Dear Insane Children,
Whew! We hit our Patron Goal, unlocked the Chaos Coin, and finished out the month of August with 2800 (no, wait, 2700)… (uh, wait, 2600) … Let’s just say “more than 2500 Patrons” – hehe. Woo!
A few of you commented on the drop in Patron numbers on September 1st. Not to worry – it’s something we see at the start of each new month. I suspect it has to do with people who “pledge” for the content and community, then drop their pledge before being charged, then come back around the 2nd week of each new month. This is probably the main reason why Patreon has implemented a “charge on pledge” feature… but let’s not get into or worry about all that right now because…
We had an amazing month! You pushed our Patreon Page to #5 in the Gaming Category, we opened up our Discord Server, and we saw tremendous progress on all things art, design, and story. Our community is really growing – and along with that growth has come a flood of great ideas, friendships, and creativity.
I LOVE THIS PROCESS! As I’ve said during some recent streams, I feel INVIGORATED! I can’t remember the last time in life when I felt so excited to get up in the morning, start work, check out our community, get inspired, and just jump right into everything. I really hope you’re all having an equal amount of fun.
As Alex’s latest amazing art tagline suggests: Sanity Rots in the Heart of Darkness. SO true! We need progress, change, hell… CHAOS in order to grow, learn, and gain true wisdom.
His latest “poster” art is, like the “Red Chesh” and “White Rabbit” images before – just fantastic.
Some of you wrote asking about making a mini-print of the White Rabbit image – so now THAT’S A THING. And for the next 13 days it’s on sale over at Mysterious.
Speaking of White Rabbits – my trip to YiWu in search of OUR White Rabbit was a success. I met with a ton of potential factories, all of whom would love to create an Alice-inspired White Rabbit plush toy.
More on that with the next update and next week’s livestream.
Tons of new art, story, and design stuff rolling in.
Join the discussion over on our Discord Server!
Couple of notes on Patreon, Chaos Coins, and whatnot…
Give Patreon until around the 5th of September to process your pledge for August. For instance, I pledge to four different Patreons, but I’ve only been charged for one of those so far. Remember, you’re being charged at the start of September for your pledge in August. Don’t adjust your pledge until you’ve seen that email / confirmed the charge! And… please consider waiting to adjust your pledge until September 17th – this makes Font Lord’s life easier when it comes to collecting and sorting your pledge info.
I don’t know about you, but I’m kinda done with the whole Chaos Coin thing for now… a month of spamming, explaining, and stressing… Thank you, everyone who helped us get here and guided others along the way!
We will set up a new Patron Goal once the Patron Count has settled a bit. That will be for the new Patch Set @ $10 when we hit 3000 Patrons (maybe 2800 Patrons?). After that, we’ll do a Goal for the White Rabbit Plush Toy… but that’s a ways off…
So… it’s Sunday here in Shanghai. I’m bothering the neighbors with BBQ smoke… better head back out and check to make sure nothings on fire (which shouldn’t be).
I hope you’re all having a wonderful weekend. Looking forward to all the fun we’ll get up to in September!
From Shanghai smelling like Smoke,
-American