Cryptic Comet have only ever operated out of a very specific turn-based strategy niche, but by gosh did they fill it. The studio’s last outing, Six Gun Saga, offered Wild West solitaire – but their best known game was a multiplayer struggle for a hex-based hellscape. Solium Infernum wrecked friendships more reliably than Neptune’s Pride.
We won’t see its like again – at least not on PC, where solo developer Vic Davis has found the business of sales “increasingly difficult”, and the art of contemporary programming less and less familiar.
Davis has been selling computer games directly from his website for over seven years.
“It’s been a great ride,” he wrote. “[But] my programming skills are so tied to an aging and abandoned development platform that making even a niche title like my previous games is a dubious proposition at best.”
Davis’ next game, and any after that, will be built with card rather than code. He points out that his work has always been board-gamey – “I hope that has been part of their charm” – and believes his design skills can “shine” in that more tactile medium.
Davis would love for his old customers to try his new games – but adds that he’ll continue to sell and support his digital games via the Cryptic Comet site.
“God Bless windows compatibility mode,” he said.
Good luck with your shelf-stealing new ventures, Vic. It’s been great to have you here. Any of you lot ever lose a week or three to a game of Solium Infernum?