Reinvesting all the gains from our first title, which could statistically very well be our only profitable title ever, was quite a risk. What led you to Kickstarter for Sea of Stars? What are the benefits of crowdfunding? What are the risks? A top five would probably be Chrono Trigger, Super Mario RPG, Lufia 2, Illusion of Gaia and (brace for unpopular opinion) Secret of Evermore. According to the Kickstarter campaign, Sea of Stars is a turn-based RPG 'inspired by the classics.' Which classics influenced you the most? Being in Québec City where the cost of living is relatively low compared to our neighbors in Montréal probably helps a lot too! TB: It didn’t sell a million copies, but we were certainly blessed with a very good reception, enough to allow us to be able to undertake the next project without financial stress. Can you speak to its level of commercial success? Are you able to share sales figures? Speaking of The Messenger, it received high scores from many outlets, including VGChartz. It being so far into the past it is more likely to be about world building and subtle hints at origin stories, but we absolutely want to make the experience fully accessible to newcomers.Įaster eggs (if there are any) should remain completely unspoiled, however. TB: It is designed to be a self-contained adventure, but there will certainly be added value to those who have played our first game. What kinds of narrative links and Easter eggs can fans of The Messenger expect? You describe Sea of Stars as a prequel story set in the same universe as The Messenger. The only thing we’ll never pivot from is the retro vibe and the pixel-art treatment.

With Sea of Stars, we are telling the story of a group of adventurers sailing around the world to unravel its mysteries, so the RPG is the natural choice here. The Messenger was a perfect fit for the action platformer as it had a solo protagonist going running across an island from beginning to end. The pillar around which we build our games is the story they tell. Thierry Boulanger (TB): It has been the plan ever since the company was founded to slowly build the team as we learn the ropes of running our own studio, build what credibility we could with a first title we could approach more easily as a start-up, and then get to the dream project! After succeeding in the 'Metroidvania' sub-genre, you've pivoted toward turn-based role-playing with Sea of Stars. Heading into the final two weeks of the Kickstarter campaign, Sabotage CEO and Creative Director Thierry Boulanger was kind enough to share his thoughts on the upcoming game (due in 2022) and its grassroots support. Sea of Stars, which takes place in the same universe as The Messenger, is likewise influenced by pillars of the 16-bit RPG scene- Chrono Trigger among them. A small indie studio from Quebec City, Sabotage made its debut in 2018 with The Messenger, a critically-acclaimed action-platformer that leaned on classics of the genre from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras. Last month, Sabotage Studio launched a Kickstarter for its sophomore project, the role-playing game Sea of Stars. By Evan Norris, posted on 07 April 2020 / 3,181 Views

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