Madmind Studio, a subsidiary of PlayWay S.A., is executing a recovery plan for the horror game Agony following its commercial and critical underperformance upon its June 2018 release.
See it on page 2The studio is addressing technical issues through a rigorous update schedule, committing to twice-weekly patches until player satisfaction is achieved.
See it on page 1To rehabilitate the brand, Madmind Studio will release 'Agony Unrated' within three months, featuring uncensored content, high-resolution assets, and expanded gameplay modes, with deep discounts planned for existing owners.
See it on page 1Internal post-mortem analysis identified that artificially doubling the campaign length from five to ten hours to suit console markets resulted in repetitive, poorly designed gameplay.
See it on page 2Management admitted to ignoring critical feedback from PlayWay’s external testing teams and failing to delay the launch despite internal warnings.
See it on page 2Following the failure, the studio underwent structural changes, including the departure of the lead game designer, and will shift toward self-publishing future horror titles on Steam.
See it on page 2The management of PlayWay S.A. issued a formal communication regarding the performance and future strategy of its subsidiary, Madmind Studio, following the commercial and critical underperformance of the horror title Agony. Acknowledging that the game failed to meet the expectations of both investors and players upon its June 2018 release, the studio outlined a comprehensive recovery plan focused on technical stabilization and the release of a new, definitive version of the product.
The immediate strategy involves a rigorous update schedule, with patches planned twice weekly to address technical flaws until player satisfaction improves. To further rehabilitate the brand, the studio announced Agony Unrated, a standalone or DLC version for PC scheduled for release within three months. This version aims to bypass age rating restrictions to include previously censored content, additional erotic animations, high-resolution assets, and expanded gameplay modes. To incentivize existing customers, the studio is negotiating deep discounts for current owners of the base game.
In a candid post-mortem analysis, the studio identified several internal failures that contributed to the game’s poor reception. These include the artificial lengthening of the campaign from five to ten hours to appeal to console markets, which resulted in repetitive puzzles and poorly explained mechanics. Management admitted to ignoring critical feedback from external testing teams provided by PlayWay and failing to delay the launch despite warnings. Consequently, the studio has undergone structural changes, including the departure of the lead game designer. Moving forward, Madmind Studio intends to apply these lessons to future horror projects while focusing on restoring its reputation through direct self-publishing on the Steam platform.
