It's a busy week for John Szymanski as he debuts not one but two new games, but as the developer explains in a post on Twitter, this is "not all for fun reasons."
"These games are to help me make ends meet while I wait for funds to come in from My Friendly Neighborhood," Szymanski writes. "To be frank, I'm kinda' barely scraping by right now, and things have been getting tighter and tighter every month. I'm hoping that these small games will give me a bit more of a fair fight."
I released two games today. Unfortunately, this is not all for fun reasons. pic.twitter.com/WNYC3DcZsuJanuary 18, 2024
For those unaware, My Friendly Neighborhood is a comedy scarefest released in 2023 in which you, as a repairman sent to investigate an abandoned broadcast station, must face off against a bunch of TV puppets gone bad. Alongside Five Nights at Freddy's (mainly for the animatronics) it was compared to the likes of BioShock and Resident Evil, which is no small praise. So it's no surprise it's sitting at "overwhelmingly positive" reviews on Steam.
Szymanski didn't go into detail regarding the financial situation with the game or when it's likely to be sorted, but in replies, he does say that it's down to "a very complicated businessy thing" and "not Steam payout stuff".
Instead, he asks those who enjoy the games he makes to consider purchasing Exiled or The Pony Factory. The former takes its inspiration from intricate puzzle games such as Myst, whilst the latter is a horror FPS that sees you explore a facility full of – you guessed it – twisted and terrifying ponies.
"Winston thought he could use heavy machinery and power from the depths of hell to transform sinful men into magic ponies. Winston was wrong," The Pony Factory blurb reads. A classic blunder; silly Winston.
"Exiled is my own project, so after Steam and taxes, I take the rest myself," Szymanski says, "and David [Szymanski, The Pony Factory co-developer,] has graciously agreed to give half of the royalties of The Pony Factory to me as well even though I only am responsible for the backend work for its release."
He ends the tweet by saying: "I truly appreciate the support you've given me throughout the last several years, and I hope to continue to produce entertainment worthy of your time!"
As it happens, The Pony Factory is off to an impressive start on Steam, only losing out on the top spot of the New and Trending chart thanks to a cute Zelda-like about a turnip on a crime spree.
