Indie developer Ghost in a Bottle has announced a new release window for Octopus City Blues, their long-awaited dark fantasy pixel adventure game.
While the game has been in development for over 12 years, a new release is set for sometime in Q2 of next year, in 2026. Octopus City Blues will be on PC (via Steam).
“Everyone on the team is currently available again, and we’ve finished quite a few areas and scenes since the last update,” lead developer Firas Assaad said. “As I don’t have the time or budget to get additional people to help at the moment, I came up with a new plan that’s as realistic and unambitious as possible, with a release date in Q2 2026. This is meant to take into account the team’s erratic availability, including the effect of my new job on my own productivity.
“I’ve always had a hard time managing this project because the original scope was too naively broad and unrealistic. At the same time, I was never able to make the drastic cuts and simplifications needed to get it out in time. I keep going back and forth between cutting things, struggling to make up for their absence, and spending too much time getting everything just right.”
Here’s a rundown on the game, plus a new gameplay clip:
Octopus City Blues is a story-driven graphical adventure. It tells the story of Kaf Kafkaryan, a tentacle trimmer living in a city built on an octopus. Plagued by recurring nightmares, Kaf uncovers dark secrets as the line between dream and reality begins to blur.
With a detailed pixel art aesthetic and an original concept, Octopus City Blues blends various genres—placing emphasis on exploration, real-time daily simulation, and stressful encounters that encourage multiple playthroughs.
Originally crowd-funded on Kickstarter in 2013, the project received additional funding from the Midgame Fund in 2021. Octopus City Blues is scheduled for release on Windows, MacOS and Linux in 2024.
Features
- Talk to people, make choices, and explore a unique world.
- Interact with the city’s weird inhabitants, each with their daily schedules and secrets.
- Learn and spread scandalous rumors.
- Manage your stress and reputation in tense encounters.
