I can't imagine a less glamorous setting for this release - posted from an overcrowded train platform while waiting for a delayed service to Banbury. But no backdrop, no matter how frustrating or sweaty, could detract from how excited I am to finally be putting Ataraxia out in the world.

I'll write another post at another time about the circumstances under which this game was made, but the main thing I set out to achieve was to make something that helped me fall back in love with creating. In so many ways this process vastly exceeded my expectations. Every stage, from planning to execution to playtesting to revision, has been an absolute joy to me, even when I was stuck or stressed out or jaded. Narrative games and interactive fiction offer such boundless opportunities for curiosity, experimentation and playfulness. 

This is the closest I've come to feeling like I did in my grandparents' computer room as a kid, making my first custom levels on a free demo of Speedy Eggbert. Just as surprising, just as exciting. I set out to make a game about loneliness that turned into a game about community. The Island is so dear to my heart and I can't wait for you to experience it.

Lauren x