Paper-Soul Theater is on hiatus: What you need to know

Paper-Soul Theater, a game in development directly-inspired by early-2000s Paper Mario.

For those who don't know, Paper-Soul Theater is a not-so-subtle continuation of the art style and revolutionary game mechanics of the first two Paper Mario games. It's an original property with a different direction: Paper-Soul Theater is not just a turn-based rpg but also a horror game to its core. Furthermore, PST layers on ideas from tactical rpgs such as Fire Emblem, and Final Fantasy Tactics, as well as experimental idea from story-focused indie rpgs like Lisa: The Painful and Undertale. That may sound like a radical departure from the Paper Mario formula, but most of the differences are things added on top of Paper Mario, or are there to directly subvert it.

It is no exaggeration that Paper-Soul Theater is a highly-anticipated upcoming game. Some argue that it's detachment from Paper Mario allows for it to coexist--perhaps even pick up where Nintendo left off a decade ago, which according to them, makes it more "Paper Mario" than Nintendo's latest offerings! Plenty of Paper Mario fans have emailed us to say how excited they are for this game, and some have gone as far as to ask to volenteer, as they see it as a Paper Mario community project, which is how we'd describe it too; most people who've worked on Paper-Soul Theater thus far have been fans.

Past, Present, and Future
"You said 'two years,' what has the team been up to all this time?" Learning through failure. I gained painful lessons about what not to do almost daily, and twice I've watched a prototype rise and crash to the ground. I watched team members join and leave with the seasons. It was development hell; we worked day and night to run in circles! In December, my business partner and I decided what we needed was to take a break by making a smaller game, Phantomatics.

Our smaller game, in which the player controls a spooky ghost in one hand, and a clunky robot in the other.

I wouldn't blame you for thinking that means Paper-Soul Theater is going to be forgotten about; developers often leave exciting projects unfinished to pursue fun new ideas. Allow me to explain why that isn't the case:

• The period of my life when I abandoned old projects to chase the newest, shiniest idea, is long gone. For about three years, I started/ abandoned five games with so much potential, all because I didn't have the strength to sit down and vow to finish anything. Paper-Soul Theater means the world to me, and I'm never looking back.
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• Phantomatics is being made to give us the experience of completing and releasing a game. We've never sold a videogame before, or done this professionally, so when PST is up to bat, I don't want it to suffer because we were amateurs. I know in my heart this game deserves better.
• Think of Phantomatics as a convoluted fundraiser so that we can make the Paper-Soul Theater Kickstarter and prototype. I don't like to beg for money if I don't have to. I'd rather make a small product that people want to buy on the merits of the product itself, so that we can properly earn the money.
• Eventually when Paper-Soul Theater is on Kickstarter or some other crowdfunding site, I want people to be able to look back at our past work and see that we are creative, capable of making a game, and hold ourselves to a high standard. Otherwise, they only have our word that we know what we're doing.

So if you're someone who considers the prospect of a Paper Mario spiritual successor to be exciting, here's what you can do in the meantime:

• Write "Paper-Soul Theater" on a sticky note and draw a doodle of a round plumber beneath it to give the words some context. Then, put that sticky note somewhere you don't look often.
• Sign up for the e-mailing list! When we resume development, you will be the first to know! Please send a tiny email to otyugragames@gmail.com; it's the best way to be a part of our community and to stay up-to-date without the fluff of social media.
• Read about the game on our website (otyugra.weebly.com/), then have the courage to show your excitement online, even if most people haven't heard of PST. Where's the fun in being a fan if you don't get to express your feelings?
• Tell your close friends about it, if they like videogames in general.
• Purchase Phantomatics when you get the chance. You'll get a neat little game and get to support us directly!

That's all for now. Thanks for reading.