You will be able to purchase Blackenrock here shortly.

View the Screenshots here.

There is a making of here.



Update on Last Crown:

Happy Gaming!

Ana

Thanks very much for this news, Ana; this is a great surprise!

Thanks, Ana. Creepy!

Well, this is a surprise, a new story not mentioned before! Will certainly be buying.
Thanks for the news, Ana!

Great news, Ana.
Looking forward to our Halloween Treat!
Jeanne

Thanks for the news, Ana.

Looks like fun. I hope soon is sooner than later

thank you Ana, another scare to look forward to;)

margo

Looks Good! And only $5.00!

Thanks from me too, BrownEyedTigre !!

Thanks,Ana
I'm really looking forward to this one, and the price is right also.
Sandy

Thanks Ana, can't wait!

If the bad news is the delay of Last Crown's release, this sounds like a nice little Halloween treat until then (not so bad, after all).

Ana....Is this a full game? Or a knock off to what is to come?

This is a stand alone game he made for being so patient waiting for the Last Crown.

Ana

OH ..WOW...And only $5.00... I am Impressed

Thanks ,Ana...

Can I downloaded it now?

You can keep checking the link to see if it's available yet. It still says soon.

Ana

Thank You...

Looks spooky Ana!

Ana

What is the press pack? They say to download...

That is for press people to download. Like the announcement and screen shots in the first post.

Thanks, Ana

I Thought it had something to do with buying the game..

Would it be avaiable on disc?

I am fairly certain this will be a download only.

Five Bucks, Oh Yes, Yes, Yes, I'm buying it!

Thanks brown eye tigre minx!

Wow, Ana (aka: The Bearer Of Very Good Tidings)...

A stand-alone game! That's even better.

I thought it would just be like an opening chapter of the full game, with a few scenes and limited gameplay... to whet our appetites.

Can't wait to purchase both when they're ready!

I love being the bearer of very good things. Thanks Carrie!

Yay! Thanks Ana.

Thank you Ana for the news! I think I'm going to be very tempted!

Hello Boomers,

Thanks for your interest. The Halloween Haunting is a stand-alone game, which will be available very close to Halloween itself. I'm very excited to finally let Nigel out of his room, to have a new adventure.

It's also very nice to be back on Gameboomers, after a period of burying my head in the sand production and contemplation.

I've been coming to this forum for quite a while (I think it's about 14 years!!), so it feels really cool to be back. I see there's quite a few of the old regulars still here! Marvellous.

Jonathan

Hi Jonathan,

Glad to see you again. You know that you're always welcome here.
I'll be in touch again sooner than you think.

Really nice to see you here, Jonathan. I am looking forward to The Halloween Haunting.

Good to see you here Jonathon!

Ana

Hello Mr. Jonathan

Good to see your post...I am looking forward to playing your up coming games

Hi, and thanks for the info. I haven't been on in a long time. I'll be getting this, but what is the anticipated date of the Last Crown? Will be be available on disk? I'm switching to an iMac soon so won't be able to download to my XP, but I can still use discs with it.

I'm pretty sure it's going to be download-only, Jean--but I think you could probably download the game on your iMac and then transfer it to your windows computer using a flash drive or similar portable media, as long as you only retain one copy of the game.

yeah update is the game is pushed back again instead were going to be getting a haunted halloween DRM game thats a bridging story from lost crown to last crown to help fund finishing last crown and first crown. they feel they dont have enough publicity for the game to be released so we wont have the game halloween like some of us thought.

http://jonathanboakes.blogspot.com/2013/10/halloween-good-news-and-bad-news-bad.html

Dalboz, I merged this with our current thread instead of a very old one and . I for one, am very excited to play the Halloween game as well as the Last Crown. It's a win-win situation!

hello All: I'd like to respectfully point out that "A Halloween Haunting" has been promised by Halloween. I'm looking forward to it. Please note that tomorrow is Oct.28. That leaves only three days until Halloween. Just sayin'.....

I am looking forward to it!

Did you see the additional info here?

Ana

Hi Jonathan. Thanks for posting here. Just want you to know that I've played ALL of your games, and I loved them. I'm looking forward to your future endeavors.
Sandy

Happy Halloween everyone!

Jonathan, is there any chance that I might yet be spending Halloween with Nigel?

Q

will the game be relized today to purchase?be good night to play,thank you

No official word yet.

will the game be offered to play soon?love all of thir games.thank you

Hi mom, I merged the new thread you made with the existing one for this game. Ana already answered your earlier question -- there's no official word yet on release. We'll update this thread as soon as there is!

It looks to be releasing this weekend instead of today. There may be an interactive teaser released some time today though.

Ana

I keep checking every two hours

Thanks, Ana...

Me too.

I'm with you Darleen.

I feel like a little kid.

Is it there yet? click mouse
Is it there yet? click mouse
Is it there yet? click mouse .................



Q

You did see that the game itself is not releasing today, right?

This weekend isnt it Brown Eye Tigre?

That is what he is aiming for right now gruffy, correct.

Ana

Fabulous !!!!

WOOHOO ..

I went to the page, and clicked on the Pumpkin....I am downloading something....Don't know what???

Download says ......Halloween haunting ...Zip

I think it's just the first part of the game about 5 min. Looks good.
Richard

Very Good. Richard....


Is there anybody THERE !!!!..

Yes the interactive trailer is out now!

Woohoo!!

Game or not... it's good to be here at our worldwide GameBoomers Halloween party (as I sit here at the kitchen table listening to Art Bell's Spooky Matter Halloween Ghost Stories Show on SiriusXM). And we still have the Days of the Dead (Dias de los Muertos) to keep the spooky feeling going for a couple of days more.

Wonderful! I can't wait to finish the download and get started on the game. Thanks.

Yahoo !!!!

Darleen,
I thought it was a demo but the setup doesn't install anything.

Hi. I got an ophthalmic migraine shortly after downloading the game so I still haven't checked it out. I do see that I have an icon "A Halloween Haunting" on my desktop. I'll give it a try in a bit.
Terri

Its not a demo or to me a trailer...

Its like 4 minutes of the game with Nigel sitting at the ouija board asking questions..Which you have to click on different questions to ask the board..

I notice that the "BUY GAME" choice is no longer on the website. Was the download just a "trailer"?
If so, where can I buy and download the FULL version? Very confusing !
Sandy

The game was never available yet, it was a short interactive trailer.

You will be able to buy it within the next few days.

is it still not out?i keep getting a message that I,m not log on.so I have a chance to ask.thank you for being there for us.

Hi mom of 2, I do not believe that the game is available yet. Hopefully it will be ready in a few more days.

Thanks Ana. It was a cute diversion. We certainly don't want to rush Jonathan. No doubt it's going to be great fun when he does release the game. I'm certainly willing to wait a little longer.
Terri

I don't think we have any choice, Terri..

The announcement of the Halloween Haunting and delay again to the release of The Last Crown affected me in a different way to that which it seems to have affected most people here.
I fully appreciate Jonathan and the team may have no choice and I don't feel anything against them, only admiration and thanks for the splendid games they have produced.
However, that announcement for me was a tipping point. I no longer look forward to the game with the thrilled anticipation I had. I've sort of written it off. Yes, I'll probably buy it if it comes out but I'm not looking out for it.
I feel very much the same way if I delay a meal for too long. I "get past it" and no longer feel hungry.

You have to pay for everything you get - and it isn't money alone you have to pay.
If i need to pay with waiting, sobbing, wailing for a wonderfull game like Lost Crown and the Dark Fall games, it's ok with me. I'm ready to give my best sighs.

Waiting without a schedule or a given release date isn't that bad. But giving empty promises is. We loyal Jonathan Boakes fans have patiently waited for years for the Crown trilogy to complete. Last spring finally gave us a schedule and the release date for the second act. Then it was taken from us but for good reasons we could understand and accept especially when we were promised to get something to comfort us - The Halloween Haunting. But then the Halloween came - and went. We got tricked - all we got was lousy 3 minutes ending the same way every time no matter what we choose to ask. I wonder if we will ever see that Halloween Haunting now when the time went by already. It could have been a big hit and boost for the Crown Trilogy. Now the full potential is lost forever. I advertised this Halloween Haunting to my two friends who have never been playing serious adventure games before. I did that because The Lost Crown is without any doubt the best adventure game I have ever played and I have played tons of them. Now my friends also got disappointed and unfortunately I came part of that due to listening empty promises. I could never believe to this kind of scam we see now.

Well I don't feel scammed or tricked..

I feel more work had to be done to make the game work well on all computers...

I will wait cause I still have all my Halloween lights up, and I will light them when the game is released.

Love You.. Jonathan

There are so many reasons why a game release might have to be delayed and I hardly think "tricks or scams" by Jonathan Boakes is one of them !!

And I, too, am one of those happy to wait for any game of his for it will surely be good

I have been in contact with Jonathon and to use scammed or tricked on something that he is working on or promised is offending to me. He said it was called Halloween Haunting and was coming soon. You are not out money (there were no preorders) and he is working on making it great, because that is what he does. No where did it state a firm release date and even it did, things happen.

So many are requesting updates on the games they are waiting for, yet when we do get some word and post it, it gets negative comments from naysayers. It isn't a wonder that developers and publishers are silent or don't want us to post the info they give us on progress. Have you never done a home improvement project, or knitting or anything else in your life that you thought would be done in a certain amount of time and unforeseen things came up and it took longer? No different for these people.

Very well said, Ana.

Ana, you said it wonderfully.
I may add: why are the games of Jonathan Boakes so exceptional?
Because he creates them in a special kind of way. And he only releases them when he feels they are "round", perfect or whatever word you want to use. When it feels right to him, it feels right to us. I am sure that his games would be normal games, if he would not let them grow in this kind of way.
Sorry. I'm very bad at phrasing this.

Unless a game is already finished, there is no way to predict when it will be released. There's these things called bugs that crop up at inopportune times, and which have to be dealt with.

You can release a buggy game, and have gamers unable to play it, or you can delay the release and try to get rid of the bugs. Bugs can take the form of game crashes, invisible graphics, dead ends, games not starting at all, and pretty much anything you can imagine and then some.

I'm sure no one is more disappointed than Jonathan that he wasn't able to get The Halloween Haunting finished and ready to distribute by Halloween.

Anyone who thinks a delay in a game's release is a "scam" is welcome to create their own games and learn about the realities of coding games first hand. Each game is different, and will require unique solutions for eliminating bugs. Fixing one bug may cause a new one. You can't predict how long it will take to get rid of them. If the game isn't finished, the release date can only be a "best guess."

Like everyone else, I hope The Halloween Haunting is released soon. But don't ever trust release dates unless the game is finished and debugged and just waiting around for the release date. Play something else in the meantime instead of slamming the developer, who is doing his best and is probably working 24 hours a day trying to get his game ready.

Wow, I'm in shock by the attitudes. It's only a game, it will be released when it's completed, take a chill pill. I'm sure you can find something else to occupy your time, so lay down the torches and the pitchforks.
I for one am willing to wait because I know when it is released it's going to be a great game!!
Terri
Jonathan Boakes

Id rather wait for the game to be ready, bug free and late than rushed out too soon like Rome total war 2 (which is one of the most troublesome, bugged and patched game ive ever played!)

Lost crown / halloween haunting will be out soon just be patient!

It feels so ridiculous to even say this but wouldn't it have been best to surprise us with a/the finished game(s) ready to be published and not even mention it/them before that point? While we have had enough patience to wait for years already, what had couple of months more been? Or even more years if needed? As already told here several times by different persons we all know how complicated things in this business can be, or turn, shouldn't we have learnt something already?

For the years I've been here, my experience is that we're all --pretty much-- a group of patient & kindly people... almost childlike in our anticipation of a game's release. Some of us (myself included) might get a little 'pouty' when we don't get what we want when we expect it, but that's been the extent of it. And anything said is said in jest.

Never, ever would I ascribe negative terms to the people who work so hard to bring us the games that transport us into fantastical, other-worldly places... away from our (maybe) hum-drum lives.

Anticipation is half the fun. I hope Jonathan & team take the time they need and bring us the best games possible.

Although I always say, "I can't wait".... I certainly can. And will!

Hello Terri
I think there has been only one poster ascribing negative terms to the developers. As you mention "attitudes" in the plural may I make it clear that my post merely describes my enthusiasm "going off the boil" (a personal and harmless statement of fact) and that I do not share the attitude that there are any scams or tricks involved by the developers, or that they are in any way at fault for delays.
I, too, believe the game will probably come out in its own time but I am no longer holding my breath in the way I have been; that's all.
Meryl

Not a problem Meryl. I did not realize that I was accusatory toward you. My apologies!

I, like a lot of people, have been playing computer games since pong came out. For many years games have been announced, released months, years later or not at all. Today, I just play the games that are released and pay very little attention to the hype of game announcements. Its easier that way

My thanks to all of you "positive thinkers". Somebody posted that "it's only a game", and there are many other games that we could be playing in the meantime. With all of the troubles in this world, is a GAME so important in the whole scheme of things? Let's be patient and let Jonathan "get it right" according to HIS high standards----- And he WILL, because of who is is in this business.
It will be worth the wait, believe me.
Sandy

The way I see it there are 2 options......

OPTION A..... Rush to release the game before it's completed to it's full potential so you don't upset or anger people. Then you play the game & it's not what you expected & you're upset anyway.

OPTION B.... Take as much time as needed to put out a GREAT finished product & when you've finished the game & the credits roll...you sit back in your chair with a smile on your face & anticipation begins to build as you think about what's coming next.

NUFF SAID

SCOTTY, my thoughts exactly. When Jonathan SAYS it's ready, you can be SURE that it WILL be ready for us to enjoy the game to it's fullest extent. HAPPY GAMING!
Sandy

No worries Terri. Just wanted to make things clear.
Apologies for the time delay in response. Different time zone!

I was offended to read someone state that we were scammed and to say that the trailer Jonathan published for us for Halloween was lousy that is a terrible thing to say. I love all of Jonathan's games and they make take awhile for him to finish but when they are done,they are awesome games without bugs and issues for us players to deal with. I am and will continue to wait patiently for the Halloween Haunting no matter how long it takes to finish. Jonathan!!!

I notice my (TJL) first post on this thread has waken up strong feelings. Did you also read my second one? Please read them both with some care and not just pick up some loose words. You must also understand some cultural differences. I am aware of those differences but it is often so easy to forget them and not to soften your opinion especially when you've got something negative to say. I come from a culture where people dare to say their honest opinion face to face when things go not so fine. Those words are not to mock anyone but give some honest feedback that something did not go fine this time and I'm not happy. In my culture people can also take such feedback. It is no bigger than life thing. Because english is not my native language I may also accidentally use terms that give stronger impression than actually meant to. I apologize if some of you feel offended.

Since playing the first time a game by Jonathan Boakes I have been a fan of his. I have played the all and find them from good to brilliant. I find "The Lost Crown" the most gripping adventure ever. After playing it I felt kind of empty for a long time because it was such a masterpiece that other games could not raise even close to it. When there is time to praise his work I'll do it. But I also tell when I'm not happy.

I don't know reasons behind giving a schedule for "The Last Crown" to be ready by Halloween last April. Jonathan himself told a month ago the process had taken unexpectedly long for "The Last Crown" and it was not going to be finished by Halloween. Fine, no problem. But with the same breath he promised us "The Halloween Haunting" and we had no reason not to believe to that schedule, especially when he was considering such a minor nuance as which cover art to use in his blog October 15th. The official home page gave a frame to the story and talked about a game to be published soon, not any teaser. That was what we all believed in. But what we actually got was an "interactive" teaser. Why bother making it "interactive"? I "played" it through three times and it didn't actually react to the choices you made. I had been happier to just watch a cut scene. Should we just be happy for that? By my opinion not. Something must have happened behind the scenes. This was not something Jonathan nor Darkling Room wanted to give us. This didn't go well and they know it better than any of us. I have nothing against either, I just tell how I honestly felt. My recipe to keep customers happy is: never give promises you can't keep, no matter for what reason. Designing such brilliant games, experiences to be true, is work of art. An artist always needs his time and let us all give it for him.

"I could never believe to this kind of scam we see now."

That is the last sentence of your first post, TLJ, and probably helped fire up the reactions your post has met with.

I doubt Jonathan Boakes ever "scammed" anyone.
Or does "scam" have a different meaning in Finland ??

Dear Mad,

"Plot, story, ploy, story line, ruse, chicane, caper, canery, dodge, gimmick, ...". Google translate gives many "synonyms" for scam.

Like in finnish language there are several words that can be used. Some better, some worse, depending on situation.

But feel free to throw the first stone if you think you manage any better "translating" your thoughts to my language.

I just hope he is OK on a personal level..

There are no post on his blog or twitter..

The last post was on Oct 30th.

My prayers Jonathan your alright..

Darleen, Jonathan is fine and working on getting the games done. No worries there.

TJL, please do not use your culture to explain why you used your words as you did. There is a difference of being honest and direct in your reaction and that has nothing to do with using flammatory words to describe Jonathan's intent.

Thanks, Ana

Glad to hear he is ok... I appreciate that update...

Gosh folks, I hate when we get in a he said, you said, they said frame of mind.

Even if you don't agree with a post, everyone is entitled to their opinion. Please let's just let this go, and get back to doing what we do best, playing and enjoying games.

Jonathan whenever you are ready with any of your games my wallet is there.

Till then I'll dig out an old favorite and play my little brain out.

Q

I agree with you Darleen, I've wondered too why there has been no post from Jonathan lately. I hope all is well with him.
As for these negative posts, why don't we put all this malarkey to rest. If there's a need to be negative or unhappy about something, just turn on the News, local and world.
Terri

As I stated before, Jonathan is just fine. There will be a update in a few...

Buy soon is up again on the web site. I'm in no rush. To many games to play.
Richard

New pictures, new name - Blackenrock! Coming soon...

The title of the game is changed to Blackenrock.

Thats Great, MaG

I do hope Nigel still says "Are you There" in the game..

Just love that phrase..

TLJ .... I don't believe I "threw any stones" in any of my posts. I just wasn't prepared to let your scathing remarks about Jonathan Boakes go unanswered.

TLJ said over and over that he was a huge fan of Boakes' games.
He only expressed his disappointment in Jonathon Boakes' failure to stand by his promise.
On top of that, he was made to look foolish in front of his friends by recommending Halloween Haunting.
It stands to reason he would be the slightest bit hot.
English 'is' his second language...if you're a 'her', TLJ, oops!...and now it has been explained to him that 'scam' is a highly derogatory word, I doubt he'll use it again unless it is really, really warranted.
Go a little easier on him, eh?

Gil.

My opinion remains the same but I've said all I intend to say on this subject, traveller.

MaG~ Thanks for the title update... gotta make the change on my 'to-buy' list.

I did like the original title. There's just something about the words "haunt*" & halloween" that elicit a chilling, eerie atmosphere no matter what time of year. But like a book and it's cover, the title doesn't matter... it's the stuff that's inside that counts!

I have to go with the flow and say that while I am disappointed, I'm not disappointed in Jonathan. I think that his games will get here just as soon as they can and I will enjoy the hell out of them when they get here. I have to appreciate that he needs to take his time, heck, I've been working on my own game for five years and it's not near done!

Thank you for showing some understanding too. Especially "traveler" (Gil) tuned his mind on same frequency while reading my posts and expressed in few sentences what I really meant.

I believe I have learnt my lesson and some words not to use. And yes, I am a male person with initials "TJL", not "TLJ". And despite of this 'warm' welcome I'm going to continue posting here in good (and bad, if necessary).

At the moment I joy for "Blackenrock" coming soon and this time I will not tell any friends before there is a real game on my disk for not to find myself in an uncomfortable situation again.

Ah, TJL, I'm sorry I got your initials wrong.
I'm glad you're sticking around.

Gil.
a female person <g>

Thanks "traveler" (Gil). No worries, my initials got in wrong order in this thread much earlier.

From my part I apologise interpreting your gender wrong from "Gil" which is obviously shortening from Gil... well, something.

But whatever the gender or age, let's all keep on enjoying these adventures and sharing our experiences and opinions together!

Gil~ What.... no more Manny? I miss seeing him.

Somewhat off topic, but when it comes to foreign languages & communicating, it's a daunting task. I tried writing a letter of introduction to (and asking some family questions of) a distant cousin in another country. She (having studied in USA) was well-versed in both written and spoken English. I tried my 'darndest' to express myself, but there were many translation problems, making my attempt barely comprehensible... which she kindly pointed out. Fortunately, it was genealogy-related, so she 'got my drift' and was able to respond.

Words we say to one another in common, everyday speech (like idioms) don't always match definitions in the dictionary. If I were trying to learn English and heard someone say, "Manny kicked the bucket", I'd be flummoxed. Maybe it's in the dictionary now, but not in my 1983 Webster's 9th.

Ha! Too true, Carrie.
I remember trying to help a lost tourist in my highschool French.
That was a trip. (idiom)
I would have done better in my highschool Latin if any ancient Romans had been wandering around.

I think games and movies in English have familiarized a lot of people with our idioms.
At any rate, TJL's English is somewhat better than my Finnish. (cough)

As for Manny, look below. He's always with me somewhere, except for a brief time when Smiruk was rejoicing in getting back Slasher.

I hope you all enjoy Blackenrock when it comes out.
Boakes' games are not my cup of tea (good grief, another idiom!) but I can certainly relate to waiting impatiently for games because you really like them.

Gil.

Hi all, first post here.

Did a bit of searching to see what was happening to The Last Crown because I remembered it was talked about after I finished the original Lost Crown game that I enjoyed very much and found this forum that explains things and I'm now up to speed on the matters

Looking forward to the soon released Blackenrock that I imagine wont be a big game at $5 ? but I'm not complaining, will be fun to play something like this again while waiting for The Last Crown.

Looks like it will be out very soon, perhaps this weekend?

Should be fun