Hello everyone!  Borealis here, with something important to say.

This Sunday, September 19th, will mark 6 months since Venus: Improbable Dream’s release on Steam, Itchio and Game Jolt!  I’m so pleased with the response so far, and can’t wait to bring you all this secret juicy content that I’ve been mentioning, and expand Kakeru and Haruka’s universe even more!  Let’s have a little party on Sunday to celebrate, huh?

However, before all that goodness happens, it’s actually yesterday that I’d like to talk about right now.  September 16th might not mean much to many of you, but to me, and to Venus: Improbable Dream, it’s something of a special day.  Why, you ask?  Well, it has something to do with a certain name in the game’s credits.

For those of you who’ve completed at least one of Venus: Improbable Dream’s more positive endings – and don’t worry, this isn’t a game spoiler for those who haven’t - you’ll have come across this moment during the final credits:

Remember?  Or perhaps you don’t – I don’t blame you if you didn’t notice.  Game credits aren’t always the most riveting thing to watch!  However, that moment is somewhat emotional for me, and I know that at least one let’s-player that’s covered Venus: Improbable Dream has been curious as to who that person is, and what the quote references.  I’d like to explain that right now.

Robert Brock, aka Wertpol, was an indie game developer just like me.  Like so many small devs, he wasn’t incredibly well known, and thus, his work was criminally underrated.  Though he never had any big budgets or fancy effects in the games he created, he was considered something of a genius to those who loved him – myself included – for the way he could tell a story.  He had a real knack for making a lot out of not very much, building a tangible atmosphere inside sparse environments, and managing to get you crazily invested in characters that you never even see on screen – he was a brilliant game developer, and his work has been a big inspiration to me over the years.

I’m afraid there’s a dark twist to this story; yesterday, September 16th, was Wertpol’s birthday – or it would have been.  To the great devastation of us followers of his wonderful work, he passed away on June 6th, 2018, through means of his own doing.  Unbeknownst to a lot of us, Wertpol had been struggling with depression for a long time, which he’d mostly kept under wraps and away from the public eye, understandably.  For reasons relating to both this depression and his game work, he felt unable to stay with us anymore.

If you were to ask me who my favourite game developer is, despite all the amazing AAA companies that have created the games that shaped my childhood and beyond, I’d still be tempted to say that it’s Wertpol.  He was a genuinely great person, sorely missed by many, and a shining example of how mental health struggles need to be normalised, addressed and supported, not shied away from and hidden; this is the exact ethos of Venus: Improbable Dream.  I designed my game to put difficult subjects such as this, and disability, into the limelight as something that no one should ever feel ashamed for, something that does not devalue anybody, and something that we should all maintain understanding and compassion for.  This issue was already close to my heart before we lost Wertpol, but after he left this world in such a way, I felt it even more important to make Venus: Improbable Dream an ambassador for those who feel like outcasts, outsiders, that there’s something wrong with them, and remind them that they’re so, so normal, so wonderful just the way they are, and that their issues do not have to define them.

So, now you know what this little credits tribute means.  I dedicated this game to Wertpol out of respect, loyalty, and a wish to immortalise the impact he had upon those who love him.  It also emphasises my sincere wish that, given more time and compassion, society can become a place where mental health and disability are no longer the elephants in the room that no one can talk about – a place where everyone living with these struggles is supported to the highest degree, and where we never have to say goodbye to someone too soon again.

Oh, and the ‘pennies’ thing?  It’s a reference to one of his games.  Speaking of which, if you’d like to experience Wertpol’s work, please click the image below to check out what most fans consider to be his magnum opus – Presentable Liberty.  It’s a pixelated masterpiece that takes you on a journey more emotional than you’d think possible, and it all takes place in a single room.  The game is free, and takes around an hour to complete.

Okay, let’s take a breath, because it’s not all doom and gloom; Venus: Improbable Dream’s 6 month anniversary is drawing ever closer!  I’ll do a nice celebratory post on Sunday, and thank you all in advance for 6 months of support that I couldn’t possibly be more grateful for!

Until the next time we meet – hold your head high, know that you’re wonderful, and smile!

Borealis

PS:  Happy Birthday, Wertpol.