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Amnesia Fortnight 2017 - Developed by Double Fine, Documented by 2 Player Productions

X

xptoxyz

Member
w5YxC2n.png

Presented by:
Double Fine Productions
2 Player Productions

Amnesia Fortnight is a company-wide game jam at Double Fine Productions where the company develops a handful of prototypes. The 2012 and 2014 versions of this process were made public and people could vote for which pitches were developed, follow the process, and ultimately play the prototypes themselves.

How it works?
  • A total of 4 game pitches will be developed into prototypes. Two game pitches will be picked by the votes of the public, Tim will pick another pitch, and the employees vote for the final one.
  • Watch the development process take place.
  • People who paid get to download the finished prototypes.

Humble Bundle Tiers
Pay what you want - get the 4 prototypes
$1 - vote to determine 2 of the selected pitches
$5 - AF2012 and 2014 Prototypes (doesn't include Pink Buds) and AF2017 Daily videos (1080p download, VHX and Steam streaming)
$15 - Costume Quest, Stacking, Hack 'n' Slash, Iron Brigade, Spacebase DF-9 and Little Pink Best Buds
As with most Humble Bundles you can split the money between developer, charities and humble bundle however you like.

Announcement Video

Launch Video + Pitches

Extended Pitches (30 seconds each)

Daily video series will be public on Youtube in 720p

Schedule
April 4-7 - Voting (2 will be picked)
April 10 Were announced early in livestream - Finalists announced (2 public picks, 1 staff pick, 1 Tim Schafer pick)
April 10 - Leads Pitch to Team Members
April 12-25 - Development - Follow with Daily Videos by 2PP
April 28 - Prototypes released
April 27 - Closing Ceremony
April 28 - Bundle ends
May 2 - Prototypes released

Chosen prototypes
Tim's Pick - I Have No Idea What I'm Doing
Employee Pick - Kiln
Public Vote 1 - Darwin's Dinner
Public Vote 2 - The Gods Must Be Hungry

Documentary
Day 0
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6

Community Game
Members of the team that made a game based on a DF pitch during AF2014 have come together to make their own prototype happen. They'll have the mentorship of some of DF's staff.
Pitches
Winner: Pongball

Past Editions:

2012
Documentary
Pitches
NeoGAF thread
In addition to the new pitches the 2012 edition also included a release of a AF2011 prototype called "Brazen." Improving it to be in a state which it could be played by the public, this prototype took inspiration from the Monster Hunter series and stop motion films such as Clash of the Titans. This release was probably made to gauge public interest.

2014
Documentary
Pitches
NeoGAF thread
​
The 2014 also featured animator and creator of "Adventure Time" Pendleton Ward leading one of the prototypes.

Which games came out of this?

Prior to making this a public process Double Fine ran these as far back as during Brutal Legend development. Out of these early editions some prototypes went on to become commercial games.

Costume Quest - prototype released with the 2012 edition Humble Bundle
Stacking
Iron Brigade/Trenched
Once Upon a Monster - prototype named "Happy Song" released with the 2012 edition Humble Bundle
Middle Manager of Justice

From the 2012 edition:
Hack 'n' Slash - Double Fine picked up this prototype and developed it as a commercial game releasing about 2 years after AF2012.

Spacebase DF-9 - Released on early access a year after AF2012, the game was released after an additional year of early access development. The game's release is infamous as the community was vocal in their backlash against this release which some felt was unfinished.

Autonomous - Expanding on the prototype slightly this commercial version was released exclusively for "Leap Motion"

2014 edition:
None of the four prototypes from this edition went on to be developed.

Despite this, Headlander, the 2014 pitch by Lee Petty, which wasn't voted into prototype development, went on to be picked up by Adult Swim Games and released as a commercial product.

Other series by DF/2PP:

The Color of the Sky in Your World - A retrospective on how Psychonauts came to be.
NeoGAF thread

Double Fine Adventure! - The documentary series about the development of Broken Age from crowdfunding until release and beyond.
NeoGAF thread

Devs Play Season 1 - Double Fine members play games they like and host its developers to talk about them. Guest names include Louis Castle and John Romero
NeoGAF thread

Devs Play Season 2 - Season 2 brings out lots of big names to talk about their games. Guest names include Ted Price, Patrice Désilets, and Michel Ancel
NeoGAF thread
​
 
K

kulapik

Member
I love how in the Videogames Inc pitch one of the game genres on the background is "first half of a Tim Schafer adventure game" lol
 
B

Boem

Member
The higher tiers don't hold much value for me since I already own everything this company made, but sure, I'm in! Always fun to follow. It's not so much about the end products (they're very quick prototypes after all), it's more about the journey.

Edit: Oh wait, the daily videos are the $5 dollar tier. Going for that, the videos are the best part.
 
R

rainking187

Member
I'm just going to get the $1 tier since I own all the games/prototypes in the higher tiers, but it's going to be hard to choose which ones to vote for, a lot of the games sound interesting.
 
B

Boem

Member
Ooooooooh shit Kee Chi just stole my vote by mentioning Last Express as an inspiration.

People vote for Kee's game Empath!
 
S

SL128

Member
My picks:
The Lunar Gazette
Darwin's Dinner
Empath
Video Games Inc.

Darwin's Dinner is definitely the one I'm most interested in.
 
B

Boem

Member
NewDust said:
Missing a 2PP-tier... Will probably just go for the $1 tier since I own everything else already.
Click to expand...

If you mean the documentary with '2PP-tier', that's $5. Going for that too, even though I own all the other stuff already.

I've seen all the pitches now. Love these goofy ass people. Lots of fun ideas and videos.

My choices:

1) Empath!!! (I've been waiting on a game that tries something in the direction of Last Express for years)

Other stuff that sounds great:

- Jacinda
- Liz. Miserable.
- Symphonic Strife
- The Lunar Gazette
- Outside
- The Gods Must Be Hungry

There's other stuff that looks good as well, but those are the ones that appeal to me the most.
 
X

xptoxyz

Member
NewDust said:
Thanks. Totally missed it due to the humble description being:
Click to expand...

I'm still unsure if that's pure video access or typical higher quality DRM-free downloads from 2PP and everyone else can watch on Youtube. I would be lead to believe the latter given their past productions going as far as uploading DFA publicly (albeit at a later date). I guess we have to wait to be sure, because I don't see that info.
 
B

Boem

Member
xptoxyz said:
I'm still unsure if that's pure video access or typical higher quality DRM-free downloads from 2PP and everyone else can watch on Youtube. I would be lead to believe the latter given their past productions going as far as uploading DFA publicly (albeit at a later date). I guess we have to wait to be sure, because I don't see that info.
Click to expand...

Yeah I'm confused too. I asked about it on the Double Fine forums, I'll share the answer here.
 
B

burn

Neo Member
I hope they do a livestream like the previous two years. They were even better than the daily videos.
 
K

kiguel182

Member
I'll be in for 5 bucks since I want the documentary. Can't wait to see the pitches and vote!

Amnesia Fortnight is awesome.
 
A

Azure Dream

Member
Darwin's Dinner and Liz. Miserable. get my votes.

Honorables:
Iron Legion: I really should be voting for this, but maybe the Blaster Master mention is a little too on-the-nose?
Taroky: I like how the pitch makes it more about the "people" you play it with, not the game itself exactly.
Vagina Crisis: A Period Piece: There is no way this wins, and honestly I can't say I'd play it, but it sounds like a game that should be made anyway. Maybe get rid of the "Vagina Crisis" part of the title and stick with the pun.

I'm guessing Urchin Squad, Kiln, and Symphonic Strike have the best chances, along with Darwin's Dinner and Iron Legion. But some of those pitches, I couldn't help but think, "...But this already exists."
 
2

2 Player Productions

Neo Member
We're not doing a livestream this year because it split our efforts on the doc series and doesn't have the same longevity. We'll livestream certain big events when we can.

The Humble Bundle 2pp Video description is waiting on an update but the bundle will have 1080p downloads of the daily video series along with some bonus content. VHX and Steam keys for streaming vids. Humble will have DL options.

Daily video series will be public on Youtube in 720p, HQ bundle downloads will come later after we have time to go back over the series.
 
X

xptoxyz

Member
2 Player Productions said:
We're not doing a livestream this year because it split our efforts on the doc series and doesn't have the same longevity. We'll livestream certain big events when we can.

The Humble Bundle 2pp Video description is waiting on an update but the bundle will have 1080p downloads of the daily video series along with some bonus content. VHX and Steam keys for streaming vids. Humble will have DL options.

Daily video series will be public on Youtube in 720p, HQ bundle downloads will come later after we have time to go back over the series.
Click to expand...

Right on! Thanks for stopping by and clearing that up.
 
B

bluexy

Member
As expected, a lot of the ideas sound like great gameplay concepts that I'm sure Double Fine would make fun -- not to mention figure out how to use in their future games one way or another. Which is good!

But as for concepts that actually sound like they'd grow into something of a more complete experience...

I like and would play:

- Empath
- Jacinda
- I Have No Idea What I'm Doing (Double Fine does this kind of shit so well)
 
B

Boem

Member
2 Player Productions said:
We're not doing a livestream this year because it split our efforts on the doc series and doesn't have the same longevity. We'll livestream certain big events when we can.

The Humble Bundle 2pp Video description is waiting on an update but the bundle will have 1080p downloads of the daily video series along with some bonus content. VHX and Steam keys for streaming vids. Humble will have DL options.

Daily video series will be public on Youtube in 720p, HQ bundle downloads will come later after we have time to go back over the series.
Click to expand...

Thanks man. You guys always put in an insane amount of effort - I honestly don't know how you manage to do it all in the time you have. Much appreciated though!
 
G

GuitarAtomik

Member
Top 3 favorite pitches are:


  • Symphonic Strife
    I'm a sucker for rhythm anything. Rhythm Ninja Gaiden sounds fun.
  • I Have No Idea What I'm Doing
    Asymmetrical party VR games are a a lot of fun. Taking the Wario Ware approach sounds cool.
  • Fresh
    Again, all about that rhythm stuff. Pitch sounds like Bust a Groove which I'm a big fan of.

Special mentions:


  • Iron Legion
    The switching between giant mech knight and tiny human sounds like a cool concept. Would need to more about the combat before I'd sign off on it though.
  • Urchin Squad
    Concept doesn't sound anything unique, but it still sounds fun and I really like the art.
 
R

rainking187

Member
2 Player Productions said:
We're not doing a livestream this year because it split our efforts on the doc series and doesn't have the same longevity. We'll livestream certain big events when we can.

The Humble Bundle 2pp Video description is waiting on an update but the bundle will have 1080p downloads of the daily video series along with some bonus content. VHX and Steam keys for streaming vids. Humble will have DL options.

Daily video series will be public on Youtube in 720p, HQ bundle downloads will come later after we have time to go back over the series.
Click to expand...

So the daily videos will get Steam keys? Might have to get the $5 tier after all.
 
N

ninjaboyjohn

Member
I liked a bunch of the pitches, but man, I really need more VR party games so I'm going to be cheering for "I Have No Idea What I'm Doing" big time.
 
K

kiguel182

Member
The biggest value for me for the 5 bucks was the documentary so maybe I would've thought twice if I knew they would be on YouTube with no delay.

But I didn't have last years games and I'm curious to try them so it's fine. Hopefully the extra video content will be good too.
 
L

LucidMomentum

Member
Loved watching the video that came out over the weekend. This is some amazing stuff and 2PP makes some of my favorite gaming vids on the net.

Will have to dig into this tonight!
 
T

Technobabel

Member
Voted for:
Urchin Squad
Mega Flora
Pretty Warriors
I have no idea what I'm doing

LOL at The Gods Must Be Hungry, probably unintentional but it felt very similar to Battle Chef Brigade.
 
2

2 Player Productions

Neo Member
kiguel182 said:
The biggest value for me for the 5 bucks was the documentary so maybe I would've thought twice if I knew they would be on YouTube with no delay.

But I didn't have last years games and I'm curious to try them so it's fine. Hopefully the extra video content will be good too.
Click to expand...

This is how we've always done it. The series is released to Youtube as fast as possible during AF, then afterwards we take more time to clean it up for the download versions. Bonus videos previously have included extensive post mortems on each prototype with the teams, so we'll likely do that along with anything else that comes to mind.
 
A

Asif_2PP

Neo Member
Technobabel said:
LOL at The Gods Must Be Hungry, probably unintentional but it felt very similar to Battle Chef Brigade.
Click to expand...
Definitely unintentional! I hadn't heard of it at the time, but someone here brought up BCB when I first pitched the game to the studio and it was cool to see their approach to it. I think the biggest difference in this game will be running/jumping/ rail-sliding around the 3D arena while trying to juggle giant cooking tasks. Just adding a lot more physicality to both moving around the environment and placing the finished items on the massive serving dishes.

Looking forward to checking out Battle Chef Brigade when it comes out!

Alienfan said:
The Gods Must Be Hungry sounds like Overcooked 2
Click to expand...
And Overcooked is a favorite so I'm hoping to attract other fans of it.
 
B

BluWacky

Member
I will be voting for:

Jacinda - probably a safe choice, but I like puzzle platformers and I like the aesthetic of the pitch.

Oota's Songs of Happiness - I LOVE RPGs, and I love musicals. Yes, I know Rhapsody exists, but I'd just like to see the Double Fine aesthetic applied to this template.

The Lunar Gazette - is this going to be a management sim or something like a Laura Bow game? Who knows, but I like the premise.

Liz. Miserable - I can't see how this would work as a prototype, but I'm damned if I don't want to see it try.

For something that's supposed to only be a fortnight's worth of work, it's amazing how the team at Double Fine have these awesome videos put together for their pitches with art, animation etc. I'm also impressed by the huge variety of stuff going on in there.
 
C

chrominance

Member
Asif_2PP said:
Definitely unintentional! I hadn't heard of it at the time, but someone here brought up BCB when I first pitched the game to the studio and it was cool to see their approach to it. I think the biggest difference in this game will be running/jumping/ rail-sliding around the 3D arena while trying to juggle giant cooking tasks. Just adding a lot more physicality to both moving around the environment and placing the finished items on the massive serving dishes.

Looking forward to checking out Battle Chef Brigade when it comes out!


And Overcooked is a favorite so I'm hoping to attract other fans of it.
Click to expand...

This is actually really helpful, because Battle Chef Brigade was also the first thing I thought of when I saw the pitch. Now that I know how you plan to differentiate, it sounds like it has its own unique thing going on (I'm imagining Jet Set Radio in a giant cooking arena!).

Wonder if there will be a Blu-Ray this time, and if I should save my money for that instead of buying the $5 tier, since I already have all the prototypes from previous years.

Only did a very quick glance but the ones that caught my eye initially:
- Empath: sounds very doable if they figure out the storylines quickly, and it's a really neat concept that might also finally convince me to play The Last Express after all that Idle Thumbs talk
- Mega Flora: it mainly just sounds really nice, and I like nice games. The idea of being a tiny sprite planting flowers and talking to bugs is totally my jam.
- Dr. Human Great Job: this one risks being a bit more nebulous, which doesn't always translate well, but the concept of being a counselor to factory workers is great.
- I Have No Idea What I'm Doing: They mentioned Warioware, which is probably exactly the right idea for this sort of thing. Also I'm just curious to see the dev process for a VR game, so for that reason alone I'm in.

Others I like but am not totally sure about:
- The Lunar Gazette: This one might fall out just because the pitch is kind of vague and I don't get a sense of what the gameplay will be like, but I love Moon Newsies: The Game as a concept.
- Darwin's Dinner: That main gameplay hook (don't eat all the weak things because you might screw yourself next year) sounds awesome, but I think it needs another idea in there to really work.
- Oota's Slice of Happiness: the best-produced pitch and it's a really cheery and cute concept, but at the end of the day it's just an RPG. Still, no one said these had to be super original!
- A Slice of Heaven: see above re: originality, but I kind of imagine this as FTL meets Starfox/Wing Commander and both those things sound cool.
- The Gods Will Be Eating: see the start of this post.
 
2

2 Player Productions

Neo Member
chrominance said:
Wonder if there will be a Blu-Ray this time, and if I should save my money for that instead of buying the $5 tier, since I already have all the prototypes from previous years.
Click to expand...

Probably no blu-ray. For AF2014 we had a lot of problems and it ended up taking a long time to finish. Made everyone mad.
 
R

Randdalf

Member
I voted for
  • Jacinda
  • Darwin's Dinner
  • Kiln
  • Iron Legion

Kiln's my favourite one of the bunch. I'm kind of interested to see how they'll do a procedural animation system in 2 weeks (though the solution will probably be to not use one).
 
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