Developer of cozy tea store journey Wanderstop is shutting down: ‘It is a notably powerful time for elevating recreation funds’

Developer Ivy Highway, maker of final 12 months’s cozy tea store journey Wanderstop, is shutting down, the studio introduced in the present day.

Calling the announcement “bittersweet,” the developer mentioned that its doorways will likely be closing as of March 31. “It’s laborious to place into phrases how grateful we’re to have been capable of work collectively on Wanderstop—that is an unbelievable group of individuals!”

Wanderstop (this is our 84% evaluation) was Ivy Highway’s first and now solely recreation, representing a collaboration between the artistic voices of a number of celebrated creators: it was written by Davey Wrenden of The Stanley Parable and Karla Zimonja of Tacoma, and featured music composed by C418 of Minecraft.

The closure of Ivy Highway follows layoffs of a number of members of the workforce in late January after the studio did not safe funding for a brand new mission referred to as Engine Angel.

“Whereas we tried to buy the idea round and discover a publishing companion, sadly we weren’t capable of land a deal,” Ivy Highway mentioned. “It is a notably powerful time for elevating recreation funds, so whereas we weren’t essentially stunned, we’re upset that we cannot have the ability to carry Engine Angel to life collectively as a workforce.”

You may see a little bit of Engine Angel, which was created by animator Liz Caingcoy, on this Bluesky thread.

Wanderstop will stay on the market on the platforms it is obtainable on, and there could also be some information to come back: “There’s nonetheless one final shock brewing, one we have been engaged on for the final 12 months to assist discover a means for Wanderstop to achieve new gamers,” Ivy Highway mentioned. “The good people at Annapurna Interactive will likely be sharing extra information about this sooner or later, and we’re wanting ahead to you all seeing what it’s!”

“We’re so proud that we bought to create one thing collectively as a workforce that was finally skilled by tons of of 1000’s of gamers,” Ivy Highway mentioned. “We hope that you simply’re impressed to create one thing of your individual sometime, whether or not artwork, music, writing, or perhaps a online game of your individual.”