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This is really annoying. 'Through the Woods' [Official Site], a very promising psychological horror is no longer coming to Linux and was only announced two weeks before release due to platform-specific technology.

Oh look, another Kickstarter where the developer has not only failed to deliver a Linux version, but they have only notified Kickstarter backers only two weeks before the full release of the game.

They have not said this publicly on their Kickstarter in an update, this was only sent in a private email to their backers which was shared with me today:
QuoteAntagonist says:
Hello, backers!
We have something to say here which we've been meaning to for a while and might disappoint a couple of you.

When we created this Kickstarter, we had the most noble intention of making a Mac and Linux version of Through the Woods. We managed to put together a Mac and Linux demo which we released, and everyone was very happy with it!

Sadly, as time went on, it became clear that if the game kept getting bigger, prettier and more demanding and complex as it was, that the Mac and Linux versions were going to suffer. Getting the game to run has become a major problem and as we've used new, platform-specific technology we can't directly port it over anymore like we've done in the past. It would mean sacrificing some of our most visible graphical features which has become a staple of our art style. Even without those features there are a million platform specific bugs for each version. We have two programmers who are already stretched to breaking getting the Windows build out the door by the 27th.

After release when we've seen how the game fares in the wild, we are looking at porting the game to different devices, consoles, etc. Hopefully we'll get you guys on Mac and Linux the rock solid build you deserve, but we can not make any promises.

For those of you who, understandably, feel that this becomes an issue, please email us at [email protected] with the subject 'Mac and Linux Build' and we'll see what we can do for you.
Thanks again for all your support, and our apologies for the disappointingly late news.
The boys at Antagonist


This is ridiculous, you cannot promise a Linux version on both Greenlight (promised here after initially being a maybe) and Kickstarter and then purposefully lock yourself into platform-specific technology that prevents a Linux version. This has really irked me. I know it listed Linux on the Kickstarter (including a link to the Linux demo), but sadly they changed the page when the game got funded and no platforms are even mentioned now.

It's worth noting, they did tell people this last month in a Steam post, but you wouldn't have seen that unless you were actually going looking for it (like I just did). I wonder why it took over a month from that Steam post, to actually notifying the people that funded them, that's a terrible effort at communication.

Yet another reminder of the trouble when it comes to backing crowdfunding. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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46 comments
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marcelomendes Oct 13, 2016
All those crowdfunding sites could have a way of chose your platform so that you can prove you baked for a specific platform and get refunded in case of failures like that.
orochi_kyo Oct 13, 2016
Go here https://www.facebook.com/AntagonistGames/reviews/ and their twitter account and just tell them they are scammers, nothing else can be done, except of course voting with you wallet.

For real, these kind of scammers are going to affect honest developers.


Last edited by orochi_kyo on 13 October 2016 at 12:47 am UTC
D34VA_ Oct 13, 2016
Quoting: KimyrielleThe amount of devs using Windows-only middleware to develop a game with and still expect it to magically compile in Mac and Linux down the road is really mindblowing. Do these people even read the system requirements of their tools before they install them? Where did these so-called "professionals" learn their craft anyway?

And yes, don't back a KS project unless it's from a studio having a -proven- track record on Linux.

Places like Full Sail and Digipen... Their training materials and tools are VERY Windows-centric, from what I can tell. They apparently like to say things like "Industry standard" and "robust" and "convenient tools" to their students...
GustyGhost Oct 13, 2016
[email protected] Oct 13, 2016
Windows is not the industry standard. Especially when it comes to server workloads (mostly Linux with a decent amount of Windows) and design work (Mac).
orochi_kyo Oct 13, 2016
In the Steam Hub, they said they will try again after the release, but sadly the trust is just lost.
And for real, that Meraco guys has no life, he is virtually in every linux thread in Steam.
emphy Oct 13, 2016
TBH, I am more interested in how they treat the people who take them up on the offer mentioned in the mail. Will they give a refund to the mac/linux users?

Everyone will make silly mistakes, it's how well the devs deal with them which is important to me.


Last edited by emphy on 13 October 2016 at 6:50 am UTC
Feist Oct 13, 2016
Truly shameful behaviour...in fact it´s so shameful that it really puts everything they say in doubt. Their actual reasons for scrapping mac/linux, whether they planned it before or after they picked middleware etc. etc.

The amount of broken promises in the game development community, really paints a bleak picture of how lacking in integrity people are these days. The standard defenses: "factors beyond their control" or "ignorance when choosing middleware" are starting to sound very false.

I simply can not believe that you go looking for middleware, you investigate exactly what it can and can´t accomplish and you simply *fail* to notice the "For Windows Only" message that has to be glaringly obvious.


Last edited by Feist on 13 October 2016 at 7:18 am UTC
Perkeleen_Vittupää Oct 13, 2016
Quoting: orochikyoGo here https://www.facebook.com/AntagonistGames/reviews/ and their twitter account and just tell them they are scammers, nothing else can be done, except of course voting with you wallet.

For real, these kind of scammers are going to affect honest developers.

Also: "You can email us at [email protected] or fill in the form below"
Luke_Nukem Oct 13, 2016
QuoteHow not to be a good studio;
- Promise/guarantee cross-platform support.
- Take peoples money based on the above.
- Use middleware/libraries/plugins that lock you to one platform.
- Don't tell anyone until the last minute.
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