This is a quick blog post to let you know how we are progressing with Forever Lost: Episode 3 and roughly how long you can expect to wait until it is released.
It has taken longer than expected to get to the current stage, and not because we haven’t been trying. We have been working on the game pretty much non-stop for around 10 months, but the game is far bigger than anything we have done before. At a guess, we’d say it is around 6x bigger than episode 1, but we know it is not all about quantity so we’ve had to come up with a large number of clever puzzles to fill all of this extra space. This is why it has taken a little longer than expected.
We usually set a series of internal deadlines, beginning with smaller goals like completing individual puzzles or rooms and working up to bigger goals such as having the game at a stage ready for testing. The size of Episode 3 overwhelmed us a little and it was impossible to set the larger goals of Alpha stage, Beta stage and a Release date.
We are now beginning to see Episode 3 come together nicely and it is a bit easier to estimate these larger goals and set some rough deadlines. Around 6 weeks ago we set an internal deadline for the Alpha stage of the game, which is essentially a first draft of the game where Graham and I can play through the game many times, listing everything that needs to be changed/fixed for the Beta stage of the game. The goal date for the Alpha stage was February 13th 2015 – (a little valentine’s gift for ourselves.) We will be close, but it will probably be a few days overdue.
The Beta stage is where we usually hand the game over to our army of testers that will play through the game on many different devices, reporting back any problems they encounter along the way. We have not currently set a date for the Beta stage, but it is usually around 4 – 6 weeks after the Alpha stage is ready. Then, once every little bug is fixed and we are happy with the game, we will submit the game to the app stores.
CK
Feb 10, 2015 -
Where can I sign up as a tester? Waiting for this game to be released so bad! 😀
CK
Feb 10, 2015 -
Where can I sign up as a tester? Waiting for this game so bad!:D
Graham
Feb 10, 2015 -
Hey! The best place to sign up is our newsletter, we’ll send out an email when we are ready for testers 🙂
Curtis Nielsen
Feb 10, 2015 -
Hey congratulations! You guys are one of the companies that inspired some friends and I to make cool puzzle games!
Clare Grundy
Feb 11, 2015 -
The words ” 6 times the size of episode 1″ are very exciting. Can’t wait:)
Karen
Feb 11, 2015 -
have signed up for the newsletter, but think I was already signed up
Hope I get chosen as a tester… I’ll still buy the game though
Graham
Feb 16, 2015 -
Thanks! We’re very excited about getting the game into testing phase, it’s not there yet but getting much closer everyday!
Jokke
Mar 19, 2015 -
Did they choose u?
Tami Gores
Feb 14, 2015 -
I just finished playing episode 2. The first game I played was cabin escape and then I was hooked! I can’t wait for episode 3!
P.S. I loved the Dexter reference in episode 2!
Graham
Feb 16, 2015 -
That’s great! Glad you liked them. Also it’s cool to know that you found Cabin Escape first and then carried on with the main episodes 🙂
p.s. glad you spotted it! 🙂
Seb
Feb 16, 2015 -
Thanks for keeping us in touch, Graham.
Have you planned to translate FL3 in different languages?
Graham
Feb 16, 2015 -
We hope to but not sure if it would be best to translate Cabin Escape, Ep1 and Ep2 first or start off with Ep3.
Seb
Feb 17, 2015 -
Hi Graham,
In fact I am professional translator, I work with the English-French and English-Spanish combinations. I am bilingual FR (France) and ES (Spain). I will be happy to help you for localization if you wish. I am even willing to do it for free. 😉
Let me know if you would be interested.
See you!
Jokke
Mar 19, 2015 -
I can translate ’em to finnish if u want me to 🙂
Melissa
Feb 16, 2015 -
First I want to thank you. I am such a fan of all things Glitch. You guys are what it’s all about. Dedication to your craft and integrity in the final product. Love that you see us, the gaming public, as intelligent people (SICK puzzles!), with some depth (how else could we become so invested in Alice and Jason?) and a great sense of humor (from a witty “hurt” locker to a low brow farting piano it pretty much spans the comedy spectrum). I see that FL3 will be 6x bigger (SO psyched-it’s probably the 1st time in my life as a woman that I can say, size DOES matter!!). Will it be compatible with iPhone 4? Strange as it sounds FL3 will be the only deciding factor for my phone upgrade…
Graham
Feb 16, 2015 -
Hey Melissa,
Awww shucks you’re embarrassing us with all those compliments 🙂 Really awesome that you have liked the games so much and appreciate all the little details and extra time we’ve put into the series 🙂
Haha, when you put it like that it highlights we have a bizarre sense of humour here 🙂
It’s certainly going to be much bigger than ep1, we hope to be able to judge it more accurately when we get closer to completion, but we do know for a fact that it’s going to be bigger and ( hopefully ) even more awesome.
I would like to say that it will be compatible but I can’t guarantee it. I know that it works on a 4S as that’s my own personal phone, however can’t guarantee about the 4. If you sign up to our newsletter then you’ll get an email when we open up for testing, if you want you can get a test build at that point to see if it will actually load up or not. That’ll help both us and you 🙂
Kup
Feb 19, 2015 -
We Are All Excited For The Game But You’be Taken So Long About A Year And Still Nothing
Graham
Feb 20, 2015 -
I wouldn’t say nothing. Behind the scenes we’ve done a huge amount on this game and we’ve recently been releasing some screenshots as well.
Basically, games take a long time to make and FL is no exception.
Trust me when I say this, no one is more aware of how long FL3 is taking to make than us, every day the game isn’t finished is another day when we’re not earning money and every day we’re not earning money is another day closer to not being able to keep making games.
Kup
Mar 3, 2015 -
I Know But people Just Can’t Wait so here Is a Great Soloution. how About Making The Games 2 Parts Or Something
Megan
Feb 20, 2015 -
I can’t wait!!! 6x bigger…. Maybe now’s the time to invest in that retina display 🙂 I’m completely addicted to this FL series.
Graham
Feb 22, 2015 -
It will certainly look pretty on the retina display 🙂
Karen
Feb 20, 2015 -
sharing my excitement with friends on facebook 🙂
Bob
Feb 21, 2015 -
Just gave it a 5 star thumbs up on iTunes!
Graham
Feb 22, 2015 -
Thanks, really appreciate that!
Vt
Feb 22, 2015 -
Thank you for the update, it’s good to know how long I need to be patient. Looking forward hugely to the update. Keep up the good work, you make superb games.
Graham
Feb 22, 2015 -
We’re really looking forward to it too! 🙂
Adrian
Feb 26, 2015 -
Love your work and can’t wait for number 3!! I have been trying to find games like LF and there is nothing that compares. Outstanding work!!
Graham
Feb 26, 2015 -
Glad you like them and are looking forward to ep 3 🙂
Chris Sturgill
Feb 26, 2015 -
Why even tease? It’s been over 8 months since you told me it would be out. Is this part of the game? Supposed to drive is mad into an insane asylum. I think you’re on to something big here.
Graham
Feb 27, 2015 -
You caught us! This is all part of the game. You are all, Forever Lost! 🙂
Dene
Feb 27, 2015 -
Amazing!
I remember playing Forever Lost 1 a long time ago. I just found out about episode 3. And I didn’t start on 2 yet. I can’t wait to start playing again.
Have a nice day 🙂
Graham
Feb 27, 2015 -
Hope you like episode 2! 🙂
Anthony
Mar 3, 2015 -
Just want to say thanks for the amazing series you guys have created! I have been trying to get as many people as possible to jump in, and they have not been disappointed! You guys deserve the credit. Best point-and-click adventure series on a mobile device, hands down. I look forward to episode 3, Metus, and The Lake tremendously!!
Speaking of which.. do you guys have an idea of which game will come next? Metus or The Lake?
Graham
Mar 4, 2015 -
You’re very welcome, and we want to say thanks for playing it! And for getting your friends to 🙂
Metus will be the next game after FL3 and we are really excited for it!
Kerran
Mar 4, 2015 -
I love you guys for making real games worthy of playing full stop. Proper games for grown up kids !!! Proper games full stop. It’s games like these that makes having an iPad worth it.
Graham
Mar 5, 2015 -
Hey Kerran, thanks for playing! Really glad you like what we’re creating! 🙂
Shannon
Mar 7, 2015 -
Hi gids,
Patiently waiting……any tips on what to play till FL3 comes out? Just finished the Haunted 2, can’t compare it really but loved it. Do you still play any games to relax?
Graham
Mar 10, 2015 -
Hey, I personally haven’t played that many adventure games recently, at least not purely for fun anyway. If you happen to be a Touch Arcade user there is a forum post on there that lists hundreds of mobile adventure games, might be worth checking that out if you haven’t already.
John
Mar 12, 2015 -
Fl serie is the best im so addicted can’t wait to play épisode 3 hope to be a tester
Emil Juel Korsholm
Apr 19, 2015 -
I know that there is many testers but will testing be open aagain
Graham
Apr 20, 2015 -
Sadly not for FL3 however we will have more games in the future that will need testing.