Blêktre 2081: A Brief Early Post-Mortem

Here I am, standing at the final step of the long journey that was the development of Blêktre 2081.

It all lasted about three years — from the first prototype in 2022, the funding in 2023, the release in early 2025, up to the “deluxe” version now being published.

That’s quite a few lines of code and pixels laid down. Blêktre doesn’t look like much, with its “lo-fi” aesthetic, but there’s real work under the hood.

It’s not my first experience as a developer — far from it — but it’s the first game I’ve truly taken to a commercial release. Since I put in the effort, I had a few ambitions in terms of sales! But let’s be honest: it wasn’t the heist of the century. After six months on the market, I haven’t had much media coverage (JV le Mag, a few e-zines). Despite my efforts (launch event, participation in Stunfest), the small hundred copies sold so far make it clear I haven’t broken into the circle of “cool” indie games.

And yet, it’s impossible to be disappointed. The few dedicated players I’ve had brought me a lot — and they clearly had fun. You could count them on two hands, but they truly supported me and fully played along!

As for me, I’m genuinely very satisfied with the result. It’s really the game I wanted to make — the kind of game I’d be thrilled to discover myself. In fact, I wish I could stumble upon something similar!

So, will Blêktre 2081 ever get the recognition I think it deserves? It’s better to be realistic: in 2025, the internet is already flooded with both good and bad games, and it’s hard to say whether there’s still room for this kind of “experience.” But I’m proud to have made something unique and sincere in an era of industrialized entertainment products.

To preserve my sanity — and unless there’s a sudden surge of public interest — I’ll soon move on, at least for a while. I have a few other game ideas, and I think I’ll start working on them gradually, drawing from this rich experience.

But first: there’s still Stunfest ahead, and surely a few bugs still lurking in the shadows here and there — yes, I’ll stay a perfectionist with my baby. ^0^