The Day Before Dev Cancels New Game’s Kickstarter and Immediately Announces Another Project

The Day Before Dev Cancels New Game's Kickstarter and Immediately Announces Another Project

Key Takeaways

  • Controversial development studio Fntastic cancels Kickstarter campaign for Escape Factory.
  • Fnastic says it will now begin development on a new prop hunt game known as ITEMS.
  • All donations for the Escape Factory project will be refunded, but Fntastic may start a new Kickstarter campaign for ITEMS in the future.

As a gamer with a decade-long history of navigating the tumultuous seas of the gaming industry, I must say I find Fntastic’s latest move akin to a rollercoaster ride without the fun part – the ups and downs, but no satisfying conclusion.


The contentious game developer Fntastic, primarily recognized for their previous project, the survival game The Day Before (which is no longer in operation), has declared that they are scrapping their Kickstarter campaign for Escape Factory. Instead, they’re shifting focus to a new game based on prop hunt, named ITEMS. Despite the notoriety surrounding their highly debated title, The Day Before, it’s important to note that Fntastic previously introduced Propnight, a well-liked multiplayer hide-and-seek game on Steam.

Regrettably, both “The Day Before” and “Propnight” were shut down on January 22 following the studio’s closure announcement. Initially, “The Day Before” was eagerly awaited, but its release sparked criticism and controversy as players labeled it a “scam.” Among other factors, the game was criticized for being marketed as an MMO, when in reality, it bore more resemblance to an extraction shooter. Additionally, it lacked many promised features, suffered from server problems, and had numerous bugs. As a result, “The Day Before” went down in gaming history as a significant flop.

Following the announcement of its closure in 2023, Fntastic created a stir by reappearing in September, promising to regain community trust and launching a Kickstarter campaign for a new game titled “Escape Factory“. However, barely a month later, Fntastic has announced the cancellation of this campaign, refunding pledged money, and shifting focus towards developing a prop hunt game. In a recent tweet, Fntastic stated that the “Escape Factory “project failed to generate sufficient interest but confirmed receiving numerous requests for a prop hunt game.

Fntastic Is Working on a New Prop Hunt Game

After coming back from a break, the studio admitted that they are accountable for the uproar over the game “The Day Before” and vowed to rectify past errors. Some fans were hesitant about the studio’s return, considering their recent request for donations for a new project. However, the Kickstarter campaign was based on an “all-or-nothing” funding model, meaning that all funds collected for the project will now be returned because the studio has terminated the campaign.

Instead of cancelling Escape Factory, Fntastic has decided to delay its release until a more suitable moment arrives. In the meantime, they will focus on creating a fresh action-horror prop hunt game titled ITEMS. There might even be a playable demo and a new Kickstarter campaign for this project. To help finance the development of ITEMS, Fntastic plans to produce mobile games simultaneously, with all earnings from these games directly contributing towards the creation of their new prop hunt game.

Enthusiasts of Propnight may find themselves elated by the latest tidings, yet it’s crucial to exercise caution as the studio has been embroiled in numerous disputes since The Day Before. Although the game is no longer under active production, Escape Factory faced accusations of being an asset flip not long after its launch, a matter that was also at the heart of The Day Before’s contention.

Read More

2024-10-23 13:43