The Day Before developer Fntastic has come out of the woodwork to announce its return.
The Day Before launched in December 2023, after a rocky road to release which included delays, the developer being forced to state its game wasn’t a scam, and criticism for its use of unpaid volunteers. It even got tied up in a bizarre trademark dispute with a calendar app also called The Day Before.
In the end, The Day Before didn’t last long. Its debut was a mess, and the studio shut down a mere matter of days after the game’s release, with players’ receiving refunds for the product. And to be honest, I thought that was that. But, I was wrong, because the studio is now back… and it wants your money again.
“Everyone deserves a second chance. We deeply apologise to everyone for The Day Before and take full responsibility for what happened,” Fntastic wrote in a post on social media platform X, announcing its return.
It then shared a link highlighting its plans for “Fntastic 2.0”, with lots of words such as “honesty”, “transparency” and “professionalism” being used.
Fntastic has a new mission as part of its comeback effort: “To create games that will be loved for decades.” The company’s vision, meanwhile, is now “to become one of the most loved game companies by creating fantastic, innovative, and emotionally engaging experiences”.
The studio has also revealed its next game – a physics-based multiplayer co-op escape game for 4-8 players called Escape Factory, which seems a far cry from what it initially showed The Day Before to be (see images below).
“You play as life-weary workers trying to escape the vicious cycle of deadly factories from which there’s no easy way out. Legend has it that only one great and mysterious individual has ever escaped,” reads the blurb for Escape Factory.
The developer has set up a kickstarter campaign as part of its Fntastic 2.0 push, which at the time of writing has £309 pledged of £11,623 goal, with 15 backers. If someone chooses to support this comeback by pledging $12,000, they will get an “unforgettable dinner” with Fntastic’s founders.
“However, if we’re unable to reach our initial funding goal, we won’t be able to release Escape Factory or make our return as Fntastic,” it wrote. “Your support is crucial in helping us bring this vision to life.”
I don’t know about you, but I am sceptical about this whole thing.
In January of this year, a report on the development of The Day Before alleged Fntastic employees and “volunteers” were subject to mistreatment. This followed a post on social media which blamed The Day Before’s saga on a “hate campaign”, which was quickly deleted.
