Little Big Adventure - Twinsen's Quest

Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Genre: Action/Adventure
Publisher: Microïds
Developer: 2.21
Release Date: Fall 2024

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'Twinsen's Little Big Adventure' Reboot Fails To Find Publisher, Development On Hold/Canceled, Layoffs Ensue

by Rainier on July 25, 2023 @ 8:36 a.m. PDT

(Re)Discover the 90s cult action/adventure game in a modernized version with Little Big Adventure - Twinsen's Quest.

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Today, I'm tasked with sharing a disappointing update. Despite our earnest efforts, we were unsuccessful in securing a publisher for the reboot of Twinsen's Little Big Adventure.

Why did this happen? Allow me to distill the key reasons:

  • Genre Constraints: The market for standalone action-adventure games presents substantial challenges. With fierce competition and a lack of community-oriented features, publishers tend to shy away from this genre.
  • IP Recognition: Despite a passionate, albeit small, community of fans, Twinsen's Little Big Adventure isn't globally recognized, which added to the hesitations of potential publishers.
  • Cost and Scale: While indie game studios can often deliver remarkable games with lean teams (as we've seen with Death’s Door and Tunic), our vision for this project involved a team of 15 to 20 people, echoing the original game's size. This considerable investment, juxtaposed with the risk inherent to the genre and IP, was a factor in the decision.

What's the path forward? With a heavy heart, we've halted our work on the reboot and, for the moment, regard the project as canceled. This allows us to channel our focus and energy into the remastered version of Twinsen's Little Big Adventure (TLBA Remastered). We will explore whether we can reincorporate the reboot's ideas into the remaster, but that's a conversation for another time.

What does this mean for our team? Regrettably, we are reducing our team size. Letting dedicated members go is a tough and painful part of this process, but it's a decision driven by our current circumstances.

So, what's the next step? We're exploring two main avenues for TLBA Remastered: finding a suitable publisher or self-publishing. The rationale for seeking a publisher for the remaster aligns with that of the reboot, but the substantially lower cost offers a compelling difference. We will know more in the coming weeks. For the self-publishing route, we will need additional funds (Patreon?) and are considering collaboration with another studio.

You may wonder if these challenges have dampened our spirits or diminished our motivation. I assure you, it's quite the opposite! Our confidence is buoyed by the phenomenal feedback from our recent playtest. With 4000 participants and 2000 detailed feedback forms, we're immensely grateful. A remarkable 33% of you rated the experience a 9 or 10/10, and 80% scored us a 7 or higher. We're excited to improve and grow from this constructive feedback.

The future of Twinsen hangs in the balance over the next few weeks. Rest assured, we are wholly committed to turning the tide.

Thank you for your understanding and unwavering support.

Studio [2.21] did announce that remastered versions of two 1990’s gaming classics, Relentless: Twinsen’s Adventure and Twinsen’s Odyssey, also known as Little Big Adventure 1 & 2 in the United Kingdom, are in development. Both games will be fully released at a later date in 2024 on PC and consoles to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first game.

Both titles, Relentless: Twinsen’s Adventure and Twinsen’s Odyssey were gaming classics of  the 1990’s. The games were initially developed by Adeline Software International and published by Electronic Arts (Europe) and Activision. The first game came out in 1994, followed by the second in 1997. Players follow Twinsen, a common citizen living under the dictatorship of Dr. Funfrock in the first game, to save the inhabitants of his planet.  

Within these remastered versions of Twinsen’s Odyssey games, players will be able to relive Twinsen’s adventures and travel from island to island, enjoying a number of improvements such as:  

  • A complete graphical and technical rework: Each game will benefit from a graphical and technical overhaul with Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5 and were rebuilt from scratch. They will enjoy improved animations, a better camera follow and visual high resolution to make the planet Twinsun worthy of a new generation. The artistic direction of the game has been attributed to Brazilian artist, Paulo Torinno.  
  • Entirely revamped controls: Analogic controls will allow a more subtle control over Twinsen. New abilities such as evading and the possibility to change weapons instantly will create new possibilities for players. The option to use original controls will be offered for gaming purists.  
  • Updated music: Thanks to the amazing work of composer Philippe Vachey, the original soundtrack of the game became an instant classic. 30 years later, it was more than time to re-enchant the game with remastered versions of the soundtracks for both games.  

Twinsen’s Little Big Adventure Remastered (Steam

Twinsen’s Little Big Adventure 2 Remastered (Steam)


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