Thank You for the Demo Reception!

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for the kind words, feedback, and support on the demo for DRIFT. This started as a scrappy little proof-of-concept with placeholder art and no expectations, so to see people connect with the tone, story, and characters really caught me off guard in the best way.

I was especially surprised by how positive the reception has been so far. A few of you even decided to follow the project on itch after playing, which genuinely means a lot to me. I wasn’t sure if this weird,  slightly sad cat-and-shark story would land with anyone, but now I’m feeling a lot more confident moving forward.

Because of that support, I’ve started talking with a few artists about proper designs. While the demo currently uses placeholder visuals, I've been very clear the ones currently there are temporary. Once I’ve got finalized designs in place, I plan to re-release the demo with updated artwork to better match the tone and style I’m aiming for.

I’ve also been listening closely to feedback. One of the most common critiques (aside from the placeholder art) was that Noah’s inner monologue ran a little long in places. That’s fair! I’ve already got plans to trim it down and tighten the pacing for the next version to keep things flowing a bit more naturally.

Oh—and if you haven’t found it yet, there’s a secret bonus scene hidden in the demo! To unlock it, you’ll need to make two specific choices in your playthrough. Here’s how to see it:

• When Shark asks if you want to know more about him, choose “Say nothing and keep swimming.”

• When trying to convince Shark to meet Ellian, choose “Would you ever… consider surfacing?”

The scene plays automatically after the “Here’s my Telegram” message at the end. I won’t spoil what happens, but I promise it’s worth watching at least once.

Thanks again for giving the early version of DRIFT a shot. More to come soon.

– Korvu