Throes of the Watchmaker - DLC Announcement Trailer
almost 2 years ago
– Tue, Aug 27, 2024 at 07:18:08 AM
Hello dear backers!
We’re almost exactly one year away from the release of Sea of Stars (!!!), and while we've been a bit quiet lately, we’re excited to share some fantastic news today. We haven't revealed much about the DLC up until now due to our team being focused on production, but we had the great honor of unveiling a first official glimpse in today’s Indie World!
Before we get into details, here’s the headline: Throes of the Watchmaker is coming to all platforms Spring 2025!
Read on for the reveal trailer, and everything there is to know so far. We hope you’re as excited as we are about this new adventure!
MALEVOLENT SPECTACLE AWAITS
Throes of the Watchmaker finds the Solstice Warriors Valere and Zale venturing into the miniature clockwork world of Horloge. In this magical land where denizens are threatened by a cursed carnival, our heroes will need to adapt to unfamiliar rules if their Sun and Moon powers are to manifest.
New playable classes for Valere and Zale
To fight against the minions of The Puppeteer, Zale will tap into his agility to become a Juggler, while Valere will harness her balance to dazzle as an Acrobat. Playing to the circus-themed curse, they will unlock a completely new set of equipment, attacks, damage types, skills and combos.
New playable character: Arty!
Artificer joins the party! The friendly engineer robot will finally unlock the laser-shooting capabilities of his construct, and join Valere and Zale in the fight to save Horloge.
Completely new areas, music, dungeons, enemies, bosses and puzzles
Journey into a magical miniature clockwork world where a plethora of oddities and wonders await. The world of Horloge, where a cursed carnival threatens the innocent denizens, is filled with unique environments, NPCs, enemies and dungeons. And of course, Sabotage’s composer Eric W. Brown and special collaborator Yasunori Mitsuda return to bring a completely fresh set of tracks!
Local Co-op with up to 3 players
Throes of the Watchmaker will follow Sea of Stars’ local co-op update, which will allow three players to journey through Sea of Stars’ main adventure together. When it comes out, the entirety of the DLC will also be playable in three person co-op.
Visit our website for more details regarding Throes of the Watchmaker!
LOCAL CO-OP UPDATE
The local Co-op mode will be part of a major update for Sea of Stars’ main game that will be released later this Fall. Other than co-op, this update will include a speedrunner-friendly relic, a balancing overhaul, a new cinematic, and several QoL improvements.
As we get closer to release, we’ll share a more detailed breakdown for this major, and most likely last, update for the SoS base experience.
THAT’S IT FOR NOW
One year later, we're still overwhelmed by the continued love and enthusiasm for this world we created, and we can't wait for you to spend a few more hours discovering these new areas.
We’ll be back soon with updates for the rest of 2024.
All the love,
-SaboTeam
Vinyl OST Shipping Update
almost 2 years ago
– Tue, Aug 20, 2024 at 05:55:34 AM
Hello dear backers!
We have some exciting news for those eagerly awaiting the Sea of Stars OST vinyl. iam8bit has confirmed that the vinyl copies will start shipping this week, on August 21!
They will be prioritizing the delivery of backers’ vinyls to ensure you receive them as quickly as possible. A shipping confirmation email with tracking information will be sent to you from [email protected] at 5PM PT on the day your shipment is picked up by the carrier.
This is another significant milestone for us as we approach the completion of the fulfillment of our Kickstarter campaign. As always, we’ve dedicated the necessary time to ensure we deliver the highest quality product, one that our supporters can truly take pride in. We are grateful for your patience, and are thrilled for you all to finally get your hands on this other fantastic piece of physical media!
OST VINYL PACKAGING
We’re very happy with the final cover and overall packaging of the vinyl. Working with iam8bit has been a pleasure, and their craftsmanship truly shines through. We’re confident this will be a standout addition to any vinyl enthusiast’s collection!
The backer edition has numbered jackets and a unique marble effect on the vinyls.
TRACK LISTING
[Solstice: Side A]
The Mountain Trail Mooncradle Across the Moorlands Dance of 1,000 Suns Through the Jungle The Lost Village of Docarri Celestial Quandary
[Solstice: Side B]
Trials in the Mist Battle On! Clash! Encounter Elite! Eminent Rise of the Triumvirate The Storm Calls for You! Might of the Necromancer
[Eclipse: Side C]
Zephyr & Sky Sky Base Temple Beneath the Tides Volcanic Pursuit Hills of Determination The Frozen Peak Path of Ascension
[Eclipse: Side D]
Serenade of Respite Way of the Rogue Melisma of the Waters Symphony of Shadowed Halls The Dweller of Woe The Town of Mirth In the Womb of the Stars Triumph Encompassed Overture of Legend: The Beast Awakens
SUPPORT
If you need to update your shipping address, please email us at [email protected] with your new address as soon as you read this.
Once shipping has started, the support team at iam8bit will be ready to help you out with any issues regarding the shipment of your vinyl. Simply fill out this form with the following details (the order number is NOT necessary):
- Subject line: Sea of Stars Kickstarter - Full name on original order - Email on original order - Address on original order - New address (if applicable)
THAT’S IT FOR NOW
We know you’re eager to hear more about the upcoming updates, including the DLC and local Co-op mode. Rest assured, we’ll have more information to share with you very soon. Stay tuned!
Again, thank you for your patience and support <3
-SaboTeam
Physical Edition Shipping Update
about 2 years ago
– Wed, May 15, 2024 at 08:13:24 AM
Hello dear backers!
We felt like an update was necessary to address the current progress on the delivery of physical copies.
In our previous update, we communicated that the shipment of backer copies was scheduled to start by the end of April. Despite doing everything we could to meet this timeline, it was affected by factors outside of our areas of control. We did have confirmation that they would be first to ship, and we are sorry to notice now that it will clearly not be the case.
While we would have preferred better prediction on this, hindsight being 20/20 informs us that rushing a delivery would have come at the cost of quality and consistency. We understand that it is coming later than everyone (ourselves included) would have preferred, but we find peace in knowing that the backer-exclusive package will stand the test of time in the end from both a quality and quantity standpoint. It is a lesson learned for us, and along with our heartfelt apologies, we thank you once again for the outpouring of support, patience and positivity as we hammer the final nail of this dream project.
The good news: shipping is happening on Limited Run Games’ side as we speak. Here is where it stands as of this writing:
The single unit orders for Switch, PS5, Xbox, and PC shipped out on Friday, May 10th. All of these orders are on their way and should arrive very soon, depending on the destination. In fact, some backers have already received their copies!
There will be a small delay on the PS4 version. LRG is hoping to receive the copies this week, after which they’ll be immediately packaged and sent out.
Combo orders (orders containing multiple copies) will be packaged this week and should go out immediately after.
All the orders are on track to be sent out by next week.
THE EARLY BACKER LIMITED EDITION
To recap, here’s the package you’ll get whether you pre-ordered via Kickstarter or BackerKit. We opted to go for a look that pays homage to an era of gaming that is obviously very close to our heart, and resonates with the spirit of Sea of Stars.
And here's the breakdown of what this exclusive edition contains:
Box design that emulates the SNES-era style of cartridge boxes. It’ll have metallic ink on the purple areas, spot gloss on the artwork, and the logo embossed on the box
4-piece acrylic standee of the Solstice Warriors
Silver metal hard enamel pin with glitter effect
2-Disc OST Selection digipak with matte finish
12" x 16" (3:4) Poster of Bryce Kho’s artwork
42-page retro-inspired instruction booklet
5" x 5" Foil Stamped Certificate of Authenticity + Thank You Message
The console versions will include the physical game discs, while the PC one comes with a Steam code.
SUPPORT REQUESTS
For a number of technical reasons, it’s possible that your copy is already on the way even though you haven’t received your shipping notification yet. Limited Run Games can provide the tracking link via their support.
LRG is handling the distribution of the backer-exclusive physical copies, and this process is very much out of our hands at this point. If you need help regarding the shipment of your package, you should contact LRG’s support directly.
For any other questions regarding your pledge, our support email is always open at [email protected].
VINYL OST
Shipping for Q3 2024 is still on track. This part is handled by iam8bit. As a little bonus treat, the backer version will differ from the retail one with its numerated jackets and Special Marble effect on the vinyls.
Should you have any questions regarding the vinyl’s tracklist, it’ll be the same as the retail edition available through iam8bit. You can see the tracklist here.
THAT’S IT FOR NOW
Again, we can’t stress enough how everyone’s patience has been immensely appreciated. After the delivery of the physical copies, only the DLC’s release will remain before we can officially say that our Kickstarter campaign has been 100% fulfilled.
We’ll have more info about the DLC and other exciting Sea of Stars updates coming later this year. Stay tuned!
All the love,
-SaboTeam
Sea of Stars: The Concept Art of Bryce Kho is Almost Here!
about 2 years ago
– Tue, Apr 16, 2024 at 07:05:10 AM
Hello dear backers & supporters,
As you may know, the team is fully focused on production of the DLC at the moment, as well as the Couch Co-Op mode for Sea of Stars. While we’re very happy with the pace of development on both fronts, it’s still too early to reveal specific details for those yet. However, we do have a fun announcement for you all today.
The Sea of Stars physical art book is printing as we speak!
Sea of Stars: The Art of Bryce Kho is a 272-page collection of concept art from the game, featuring over 90+ illustrations of concepts for playable characters, NPCs, enemies, bosses, and environments. The book also showcases the creative process through excerpts of conversations between concept artist Bryce Kho and creative director Thierry Boulanger.
It’s published in partnership with 3dtotal, and we couldn’t have dreamed of a partner better aligned with the vision we had for it. To say that we’re very happy with the final product would be an understatement. We hope you’ll love it too!
Pre-orders are now open over at 3dtotal.com, and include free shipping in the US and the UK! The official release is coming on May 28th.
If you feel like helping us spread the word, the best way is by liking and sharing this tweet.
SEA OF STARS: THE CONCEPT ART OF BRYCE KHO, PUBLISHED BY 3DTOTAL
3dtotal is a publisher dedicated to delivering high-quality publications that offer creative insight, expert advice, and essential motivation to artists and enthusiasts. The 3dtotal Publishing audience is very fond of character and concept digital art, making it an obvious partner for this beloved project of ours.
Sea of Stars: The Concept Art of Bryce Kho will have a high production value with hardback cover, foil finish on the front cover, and top quality paper.
It’s the ultimate resource to admire over 90 illustrations of concept art from all parts of the game. It’s also an intimate window into the many design discussions that took place between Thierry and Bryce during production.
“The iterations and conversations in this Art Book are a genuine look at Bryce and I’s process, and the daily conversations that brought the amazing cast of Sea of Stars to life. Looking back as I read through the final version of this book, it only reaffirmed one thing: this collaboration has been the stuff of dreams, and I couldn’t have picked a better artist.” - Thierry (Excerpt from the art book’s introduction)
In case you don’t know him already, Bryce Kho has been part of the Saboteam as lead concept artist since 2020. Known for his colorful and complex, retro-anime inspired illustrations, Bryce’s art style was a natural fit for the Sea of Stars universe. We look forward to continuing to work with him on our next project.
As backers, many of you had the digital art book included as a reward with your pledge. The first, spoiler-free half of the book was distributed at launch, with the promise that the second half would be available to download once the physical book was released.
On May 28th, you’ll be able to get the full thing for free as a digital download directly in your backer survey.
In case you lost your backer survey link, you can retrieve it using this survey recovery page.
If you need any help, or have any questions concerning your pledge, please reach out to us at [email protected]
THAT’S IT FOR NOW
We’ll be back soon with the next shipping update for the physical rewards. Until then, take care everybody and thank you once again for your support!
All the love,
-SaboTeam
Physical + Couch Co-Op Update
about 2 years ago
– Wed, Mar 13, 2024 at 08:47:31 AM
Hello dear backers & supporters!
As you may remember from our previous update, we’ve been working on a redesign of the backer-exclusive physical edition with our partner Limited Run Games in order to offer our early supporters a package that truly stands out.
As you can see from the image above, we opted to go for a look that pays homage to an era of gaming that is obviously very close to our heart, and resonates with the spirit of Sea of Stars. We’re really happy with how it turned out, and hope you’ll love it too!
Stay until the end for an exciting new milestone and production update :)
PHYSICAL REWARDS UPDATE
BACKER-EXCLUSIVE PHYSICAL EDITION
Here's a breakdown of what this exclusive edition contains:
Box design that emulates the SNES-era style of cartridge boxes. It’ll have metallic ink on the purple areas, spot gloss on the artwork, and the logo embossed on the box
4-piece acrylic standee of the Solstice Warriors
Silver metal hard enamel pin with glitter effect
2-Disc OST Selection digipak with matte finish
12" x 16" (3:4) Poster of Bryce Kho’s artwork
42-page retro-inspired instruction booklet
5" x 5" Foil Stamped Certificate of Authenticity + Thank You Message
The console versions will include the physical game discs, while the PC one comes with a Steam code.
SHIPPING UPDATE
With all of our partners aligned on the vision and most of the items already in production, it’s looking like this edition should be shipped by the end of April. While shipping times are outside of our control, rest assured that we are doing our best to ensure that all copies will be sent out all at once, and as soon as possible.
We understand that it might come later than some of you would have preferred, but in the end we felt that making sure the backer-exclusive package truly stood out was paramount in the long run, rather than the limited quality (and quantity of items) that would have stemmed from rushing the delivery. You all have been very patient and understanding, and for that, we thank you once again.
Now is also a good time to validate that the shipping details associated with your order are correct. If any changes are needed, please drop us a line at [email protected].
VINYL OST
Good progress is being made on the vinyl side as well. Shipping for Q3 2024 is very much still on target.
The backer version will differ from the retail one thanks to its numerated jackets and Special Marble effect on the vinyls.
In case you had any questions about the vinyl’s tracklist, it’ll be the same as the retail edition available through iam8bit. You can see the tracklist here.
Every new player milestone we hit is absolutely mind-blowing to us. We’re thrilled to see that this little world we built continues to connect with so many players around the world.
To celebrate, we've been cooking a little something…
3 PLAYER COUCH CO-OP UPDATE
As backers, it’s probably not a surprise to you that we’re currently working on a couch co-op mode for Sea of Stars. Here’s the news though: it will not only allow two, but three players to engage in traversal and combat with a new "Co-Op timed hits" mechanic!
If you feel like to helping us spread the word, please like & share this post.
It’s too early to come forward with an ETA at this point, but we’re actively working on it! We hope you’re excited to revisit the world of Sea of Stars with family and friends.
THAT’S IT FOR NOW
Back at the studio, production is going really well for “Throes of the Watchmaker”, the DLC for Sea of Stars. While it’s still too early for specific details, we're happy to report that the team really connected with the ideas pitched and developed at our summit back in November, and has been cooking in high spirits ever since. We can’t wait to reveal more info later this year!
Thank you once again for your support (and patience!)
