Here at Qualbert.com, we’re always dedicated to supporting and championing Australian indie games. That’s why one of my most anticipated games this year is the heartfelt Australian indie narrative, Wayward Strand, developed primarily in Melbourne by local devs Ghost Pattern. As a sucker for a touching story and an authentically Australian setting, I was eager to board the game’s airborne hospital later this month. But all good things take time. To add an extra coat of polish and make the game as enjoyable as possible, Ghost Pattern have made the tough decision to delay the game until later this year – which will most certainly be worth the wait.
Find out more in the official press release below:
We’ll dive right into why we’re here: the launch date for Wayward Strand is now going to be September 15. Wayward Strand is a simultaneously-told story of compassion, aging, coming of age, and more. This is the debut game from newly formed Australian indie studio, Ghost Pattern aiming to launch on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One X, and Windows.
Yep, this game looks like my cup of tea.
The team has been working diligently on making this unique, heartfelt story as perfect as possible. With over 25,000+ dialogue lines, real-time actions to coordinate for 14 characters across ~3 hours and a small independent team with a unique vision, there is a lot to take into account! It’s become clear now that more time is needed to get all of it exactly right. Caring for our characters, team, and you, dear audience, has been among our top priorities from the start, which means not giving into crunch, nor releasing too soon.
To craft then deliver an honest story, it’s important to be honest to ourselves and our audience, which is why they have chosen to delay the launch by a little bit. We’re so grateful for the support and patience so far, we just ask for a little bit more. Trust us when we say, we’ve come to appreciate time and how valuable it is, especially when thinking in multi-linear!
Wayward Strand features a lush, vibrant art-style. This room in particular!
About Wayward Strand
The curious piece, inspired by interactive theatre, centres on 14-year-old Casey, intrepid teenage journalist, as she embarks on her first trip to the flying ship-turned-hospital above a small Australian town in the summer of 1978. There, she has limited time to help the staff, get to know the patients and investigate the mysteries of the ship itself, as multiple storylines play out in real time.
With over 25,000 lines of recorded voiceover dialogue, 14 characters, each with their own ~24 hour long in-game journey, richly decorated and intensely researched 3-storey doll-house worlds, a focus on heartfelt stories, where the nod of a head or a momentary pause between dialogue can make a world of meaning, there is plenty to see and do once aboard.
About Ghost Pattern
Ghost Pattern is a fresh experiential studio comprised of industry veterans and emerging artists, both known and new to digital gaming spaces. The core team of composer Maize Wallin, artist Marigold Bartlett, writer Georgia Symons, and programmers Russell Dilley and Jason Bakker, came together in 2016. Since then the team has grown to include several more core members who have worked with many exciting collaborators, mostly within their Melbourne, Australia community.
