Studio Happy Bee and in particular 16-year-old developer Anthony Tan have hit the headlines today after publisher Team17 acquired their beautiful adventure game Way to the Woods, focusing on the intimate story of two wayward deer.
As the creative mind behind the intriguing title, Tan earned a place in the limelight late last year when the first screenshots for the game surfaced on the front page of Reddit. Ways of the Woods even caught the eye of Hello Games alum Sean Murray – one of the key driving forces behind No Man’s Sky, no less – who has been championing for some time.
Wow! Way To The Woods is the most gorgeous thing you’ll see today. Developer is 16 https://t.co/3HVutlxe7Q pic.twitter.com/fU4AT0Twf2
— Sean Murray (@NoMansSky) December 10, 2015
Following today’s announcement, Anthony Tan will be joined by Team17 composer Jeremy Warmsley as Way to the Woods marches into active development. At the time of writing, all we have to fawn over are a batch of screenshots, though Tan did hint that it blends the survival elements of The Last of Us with the unbridled exploration of Journey. That’s quite the comparison, and here he expresses his excitement about landing a deal with such a reputable publisher.
“To join a label that is responsible for helping teams such as Playtonic, Lilith, Mouldy Toof and many more is like a dream come true!” said Tan in the announcement. “I’m so excited to be working with an experienced label like Team17 and I’m confident that it’s the right positive step for Way to the Woods.”
It’s a dream move for the young creator who, at only 16 years of age, is already turning heads and raising eyebrows for all the right reasons. No word yet on a release timeline or which platforms Way to the Woods will grace, but we’ll certainly keep you updated as the project begins to pick up momentum.
Published: Jan 28, 2016 11:46 am