The Archipelago is a quiet narrative game about brewing tea: making what we can from the ruins of what we loved. The Archipelago is available on Steam, Android, and itch.io.
Once, this place was one island, a city floating in the sky. Thirty years ago it broke apart into dozens of pieces. Children lost their parents, lovers were separated, and much of the city fell beneath the clouds. Those who remain can communicate only through the Messengers: flying mail deliverers with lofty ambitions of their own…
The player makes tea for whoever needs it, and in exchange can listen in on their conversations. Depending on the flavours in the brew, different people show up to the café, giving players the chance to witness different interactions and story arcs.
I developed The Archipelago for the Brainmind Residency, a four-month long remote residency created by YouTuber Harry “Hbomberguy” Brewis. I wrote over 20,000 words of content in Ink, including branching pathways dependent on player interaction and tea choice. I also developed all of the art for the game, including animations. I am working closely with Andrew Tran, who programmed the game in Unity and composed the music.
The Archipelago was released on November 11th, 2022 on Steam, Android, and itch.io.
Kaelan 